"What?! No way summer is about over!"

I have been so busy the past couple months that I feel I just about missed my favorite time of the year, racing season (I mean summer). It isn't from the lack of doing anything as we have raced almost every weekend and have traveled more this summer with "Project 4-Link" than we had in recent years. I got to meet a lot of great people, made some new friends, spent some time with old friends and raced against a lot of very good racers. It has been a lot of fun and I want to say "thank you" to everyone who stopped by and commented how they had followed the "Project 4-Link" build up series and read this column and others here at dragracingonline.com.

This job started out as a bit of a challenge from Jeff Burk, our infamous soft spoken editor, who told me I always have an opinion so why not put it in writing and see what happens. It has been great and you readers have made it one of the most fun things I have done.

I just finished watching the US Nationals and the NASCAR race from Darlington this weekend. I had to watch it between rounds of my own racing but that didn't stop me from thinking,"WHY would anyone but a diehard drag racer EVER watch TV coverage of an NHRA national event?" It is repetitious, and the interviews are even worse (except for the ones with Dick Lahaie, Whit Bazemore, Shirley and Big Daddy which were truly nice). I keep watching, thinking the coverage will surely get better. It doesn't, but I think the reason is: IT CAN'T!

The announcers really don't have much to talk about after only four seconds of racing and the drivers can only use the same descriptions of the run so many times. Actually Force and Angelle still do a pretty good job of having new things to say but the rest of them -- c'mon guys, it just doesn't make for good TV.

Whatever happened to rivalries? Put a live radio in EVERY HELMET! At least Al Hofmann admits he doesn't care too much for Force but everyone else seems to take the butt-whippin' he has given them the last 10 years with a ho-hum attitude. Why not beat him up a little? Get the race fans' juices flowing a little bit? Create a rivalry between drivers and even sponsors.

The interviews that come during and after the NASCAR races accomplish a couple things. They usually promote a rivalry between drivers or teams and get the race fans talking about the drivers, the sport and even the sponsors. Can this type of excitement ever be brought into the NHRA arena? Not as it is set up right now in my opinion.

What about IHRA? Those guys, with the help of the SFX (now Clear Channel) people are getting a handle on it. I watch their Pro drivers walking through the grandstands greeting the race fans, signing T-shirts and in general meeting the people who actually "pay the bills" for track owners and sponsors. Why do you have to be "somebody" to get close to the NHRA drivers or be a Top Eliminator Club member?

I feel the outrageous ticket prices at NHRA events and the "corporate headquarters" the big racers set up in the pit area has taken "Joe the race fan" out of the picture. Sure, there is a lot of lip service about how important the race fan is, but what actually happens that shows these race fans they are appreciated? Not much that I have ever seen other than higher ticket prices and fewer and fewer nitro cars.

What can be done? I have few ideas that I would like to see NHRA try. Why not make the rear wings smaller, like Garlits mentioned. That limits the traction and thus makes all the power and resulting parts breakage unnecessary. Bring the fuel cars back in 60 minutes. If the winner can't make it and the racer he beat can be ready, then he is reinstated. That puts the TEAM EFFORT more in the limelight. It would also limit the show to about 5 hours, something that has been needed for years if live TV is to be part of the growth.

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