Just wondering ... Is there a better rivalry in all of professional motor sports than the one between John Force and Whit Bazemore? The rivalry extends beyond the drivers to the crews and even the owners and sponsors. You want to be there every time these two line up against each other whether they are qualifying or racing. NHRA should make the pre- and post-race interviews with Bazemore when he races Force a pay-per-view affair.

Just wondering ... Am I the only one who thinks that 99 percent of the post race, top end interviews are a complete waste of valuable airtime? NHRA and ESPN should lock the racers and interviewers in a room and force them to watch those mostly embarrassing interviews until they can come up with better questions and answers.

Just wondering ... When is NHRA going to figure out that they have a huge forum in National Dragster that they could use more effectively to let the racers and fans know what is going on? If they used the forum that National Dragster affords them they might stop a lot of the BS coming out of the chatrooms that pisses them off so much.

Just wondering ... Why does NHRA continue to allow bracket racing at their National Events? Bracket racing isn't drag racing and they just canned the trucks because they weren't entertaining and didn't have a fan base. And the bracket classes do?

Just wondering ... Is there any worse food in the world than cold track food? I mean, the only thing worse than a cold, congealed cheeseburger, box-o-fries and a watered-down soft drink is the same thing that has sat under a heat lamp until it has petrified.

Just wondering ... Isn't it a very good sign for drag racing that while TNN has decided to broadcast the World of Outlaws, ASA and monster truck racing in tape delay? NHRA drag racing is still being broadcast live.

Just wondering ... Is the guy who convinced IHRA that airing their already six-month old races in a Saturday afternoon time slot will be the best time for the shows the same guy who is the exclusive realtor for that bridge in Brooklyn?

Just wondering ... Since the "Gravedigger" monster truck is part of the midway at every IHRA National Event, could that be a sign that Clear Channel (who not only owns IHRA but also the monster truck series) might think about some serious cross marketing? I wouldn't be surprised to see the circus act format of Monster Truck racing get applied to IHRA drag racing in some way. Let's see, maybe they could make Pro Mods or fuel Harleys jump some crushed cars at half-track... Naw, they'd never do that -- would they?

Just wondering ... Does the average viewer of NHRA drags on television really identify or relate to announcers wearing suits and $50 silk ties or pit reporters who appear to be working on a second career as a stand-up comedian? Who are they trying to impress? I can see it now. The head of a Fortune 500 company is sitting there in his Armani smoking jacket, with a martini in his hand watching the NHRA broadcast. He says to his wife, "I'm very impressed with the sharp dressers that NHRA has working the booth. Honey, get my CFO on the phone. We should be sponsoring that organization." Yeah, right.

Just wondering ... If NHRA is going to get a new track at Seattle for next year why didn't they bulldoze that place at the end of the race like they did Sonoma?

Just wondering ... Why doesn't NHRA try putting some real time performance numbers on the screen like NASCAR does? Like speed, engine rpm, and G-meter. Also, why not mount a camera on a driver's helmet so that the viewer can see tire shake etc.

Just wondering ... When exactly did some sportsman racers get the strange idea that NHRA or IHRA was supposed to structure the payouts so that they could break even or make money? I always thought that was a problem for professional racers.

Just wondering ... Why doesn't NHRA consider a rule where if a racer in a Sportsman class wins two or three National Events in one year then he has to move up in class? This practice is done in some forms of auto racing to prevent "professional" racers from dominating classes aimed at amateur racers or "weekend warriors."

Just wondering ... Does a professional Pro Stock driver really need some guy standing in front of him to do a burnout, and does the guy really need to stand there until the car almost hits him?

Just wondering ... Why doesn't NHRA just hire Bob Motz and his jet-powered Kenworth to end each National Event? If there is a more exciting act in all of motor sports I want someone to tell me who it is. Motz's act is ten times better than any lame fireworks show and will leave the crowd with a real positive feeling about their trip to the drags.

Just wondering ... Am I the only one who has a hard time figuring out what is nostalgic about front-motored fuel cars with an MSD 44 amp mag, $3,000 superchargers, and a carbon fiber injector on top of a new aluminum block setting in a 2001 chassis? When I was a kid Top Fuel cars left the line with the rear tires boiling and carried the front wheels at least four hundred feet. When the current "nostalgia" cars start doing that I'll start getting really excited and interested.

Just wondering ... Why doesn't NASCAR take look at how NHRA builds their cars? After watching Gary Scelzi crash (again and again) and escape with no serious injury, you'd have to think NHRA car builders have a lock on building driver-safe cars.

Just wondering ... How the hell Gary Scelzi keeps getting back in the seat after the number of bad crashes he has had? In my career I've never seen any driver in any form of motor sports have more bad wrecks than Gary, and walk away from all of them basically unhurt.

Just wondering ... Why do they skip letters in the alphabet when they set up airline seating and why don't they skip row 13?

photo by James Drew

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