"We are going to 'Grandfather' that car and allow it to run using the lower rails for fuel delivery. However," Alley adds, "we still haven't approved the car for competition. We'll have to inspect it one more time with all of the new parts on the car."

With NHRA agreeing to three possible races, Garlits has stated that he also may try run a couple of IHRA events. DRO placed a call to the IHRA tech department to inquire if they would also allow Garlits to run his car at their events and Mike Baker stated that "Garlits will be allowed to run his car at IHRA events during the 2002 season." Reportedly, Garlits will run a couple of IHRA events and the World Series of Drag Racing at Cordova, Illinois.

So, the number one icon in drag racing, Don "Big Daddy" Garlits, will be able to race at events during the 2002 season. That will almost certainly convert to additional ticket sales for both the NHRA and IHRA at those events, it will give his legions of fans one last (supposedly) chance to see Garlits in competition, and it will give the greatest drag racer of all a chance to wrap up a stellar career on his own terms. Those are the obvious benefits.

The downsides could be:

1. By waiving their own rules and allowing Don Garlits to race a car that no one else could, both NHRA and IHRA are leaving themselves wide open to some major problems. It's not difficult to imagine some of the questions that may take place the next time either tech department makes a safety decision that requires the Top Fuel, Funny Car or Pro Stock teams to make expensive changes to their cars. Can't you just hear the car owner asking, "If I were Don Garlits would I have to do spend this kind of money?"

2. How much will the decision by the sanctioning bodies to allow a racer, even if it is Don Garlits, to circumvent the rules damage the relationship between management, the tech department, and the rank and file of the Pro racing categories?

3. Can you imagine the interview with Dick LaHaie (for example) if Garlits takes a qualifying spot away from or, even worse, beats his driver during a points race where just a one round win or loss could make the difference between winning and losing a World championship? It could easily happen.

4. In recent decades, drag racing has seen some serious crashes and deaths by drivers from well-financed teams. Drivers such as Doug Foxworth, Blaine Johnson, Larry Dixon, Jimmy Nix, Kenny Bernstein, Tony Schumacher and others have had serious crashes. Who will shoulder the responsibility should 70-year-old Don Garlits have an accident and be injured or worse driving a four-second, 330-mph race car that wouldn't pass tech if anyone else but him tried to enter it in competition?

It won't be Don Garlits' fault. Like any other driver, whether 17 or 70 years old, he believes that the other guy might crash or get hurt, but not him. The responsibility to protect the competitors from themselves must fall squarely on the shoulders of the sanctioning body.

One last observation: What does the greatest driver/tuner in the history of the sport have left to prove to anyone, including himself? There is only one way to go when you are already number one.

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