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Rules, fools, and I’m still wondering
10/13/06
 Photo by Ian Tocher |
Just Wondering… Since the IHRA eMax “Nitro Jam” is obviously more concerned with being an entertainment company than a sanctioning body and they occasionally have trouble filling an eight-car Nitro Funny or Top Fuel class, wouldn’t it make sense to combine the two into one class with a 16-car field, combine the purses and points funds, pay the top ten in points and make a more exciting fuel class? The old NHRA Winston All-Star program proved that system can work and it would go a long way in offering the IHRA crowd a better show, the racers more chances to qualify and make IHRA’s “Nitro Jam” a unique attraction for spectators.
Just Wondering… Now before all of you purists start looking for a rope to hang me with for that suggestion, what’s the difference between running nitrous Pro Mods and supercharged Pro Mods in the same class and combining the fuel classes?
Just Wondering… When did one of my all-time classes -- the 10.5 wide tire class -- become a 12-inch wide tire class? The current ET and Speed record for “ten-wide” cars is owned by Steve Kirk Jr., who set the record on 12-inch wide tires at an “Outlaw” ten-wide race that allowed the wide tires.
Just Wondering… Don’t the rules makers and racers get the clue that the wider the tires they are allowed to run the more expensive and bigger engines are required to be competitive and the less interesting and farther away from its roots it gets?
Just Wondering… Does the ten-wide class really need 12-inch or wider tires and 900 cubic inch $100,000+ engines? How many racers can afford those kinds of cars and engine combinations?
Just Wondering… What is so difficult about saying the word “no” for some series promoters? Think of the problems that could be avoided if some of those guys would just learn to say NO!
Just Wondering… Is it just a matter of time before the mega-buck pseudo street cars that are thinly disguised Pro Mods run off all of the racers that made the “ten-wide” races in the Southeast so popular with fans.
Just Wondering… How will the suits at the IHRA and NHRA react to the success of the ADRL’s Dragstock this year at Rockingham? I’m betting that they won’t take that success gracefully and might try to throw their weight around at tracks where the success of that race might be repeated.
Just Wondering… Is there any limit to how much a rabid NHRA fan will pay for a ticket to an NHRA event or how much a hardcore NHRA sportsman racer will pay in entry fees? If so, I wonder what that amount is?
Just Wondering… When more sportsman car owners will start ordering cars set up for a head and neck restraint device? Car builder Mike Spitzer told me that of all the Alcohol Funny Cars he built this year, only one was built device-ready. They all should be. I firmly believe only a fool would not want to protect himself from potential serious injury.
Just Wondering… Why doesn’t the Don Garlits Hall of Fame have a wing just for journalists and promoters and induct someone from that area of the business every year? They could even get a separate group of journalists and promoters to nominate and vote on one person per year.
Just Wondering… What exactly are the requirements to be considered an NHRA “Rookie”?
Just Wondering… Why does the NHRA insist on having their banquet on the Monday following the World Finals at Pomona every year and have it in Palm Springs, CA? Why not in L.A., one of the largest media (TV, radio, print, electronic) markets in the world, a town easily accessible, and a town that personifies the red carpet affair.
Just Wondering… How long before Bruton Smith builds a dragstrip at or near his Atlanta oval track? Especially considering the success that track is having running drags on the pit road.
Just Wondering… When is the NHRA is going to have a Reunion race at their home track at Pomona to benefit the Wally Parks Museum?
Just Wondering… Given a choice, would Kenny Bernstein prefer an ice cold Budweiser or a cold Monster energy drink? Mark the Burkster down for a Michelob Light, please. 
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