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| - Hughes Performance: Their special billet planetary and "soft hit" converter went to the winner's circle the first time out. - Quarter-Pro shifters: Superb quality and "everything" you need to install it in just one phone call. - Number One Stop Products: Couldn't have done it the first week out without Gary's help getting the right setup. Thanks Gary!! Okay, that is all the companies that helped get "Project 4-Link" up and going so well. If you need products for your racecar I hope you will consider using products from one of those companies that support "sportsman racing." NOW, TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT.  The IHRA race I attended and ultimately won was just held at a track that was all but dead a year ago. This brings me to a subject that has always been close to me heart, "What about the little drag strips, will they survive?" I know the answer about one little drag strip, it is now alive and doing well. Cedar Falls Raceway was closed for a year when the owners at that time decided they had "had enough." The problem for area racers was now where could they race? In Iowa we are pretty lucky really. Eddyville is a great little eighth-mile track and Tri-State Raceway in Earlville is only a few years old and is a very nice facility. Cedar Falls Raceway had been a fixture in Iowa drag racing for over 30 years and then in 2000 it was closed. Well, to say it is now on the comeback trail would be an understatement. New owners, Ron Leek, John Deery Jr., Scott Braun and BJ Vengnass have decided to "step it up" several notches. New paved pit roads and entrance road, new staging lanes, 300' concrete start line, new metal-halite track lighting, new Compulink timing equipment, new scoreboards and a new 1600 seat grandstand (one of three new ones planned). They are setting an aggressive schedule of special events to bring spectators and racers back to Cedar Falls Raceway. Will it work? Only time will tell but it sure looks good. 165 cars at the first-ever Wednesday night test and tune and about 800 spectators (about 400 more than at my last funny car show). 250 cars at the IHRA HCS event was a pleasant surprise since racers only knew about it for a month. July 14 will be the biggest "spectator event" ever staged at the fabled facility. After years of Sunday afternoon races the new owners have decided Saturday nights are where they should be. I agree; it will attract more racers and definitely more spectators. Their "cards" are on the table and I would bet there are a lot of other small-market tracks watching to see how this plan works out. Besides the drag racing plans, they will also have outdoor concerts, monster truck jams and motocross races. To the die-hard drag racer this seems like a waste of time but if the tracks are to survive they MUST get their spectators and revenues from all available forms of entertainment. I wish them luck and hope all three drag strips in Iowa continue to flourish. Do you have a small drag strip in your area that is struggling? If you do, let me know how to contact them. I'll see if they would like to talk to the new Cedar Falls Raceway owners, maybe it could save your local track too! Well that wraps up this edition of "Dead-On." I know not too much controversy or opinions but the demise of small drag strips really worries me. I still have not heard back from NHRA on WHY they have an "insurance surcharge" on entry fees. If they have dropped this fee I would like to know, so if you enter National Events send me an email and let me know.
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