"I hear what you're saying. However, the fire is just as hot regardless of what size blower, engine or fuel you're running. Truthfully, we should all be wearing Funny Car suits. They are the safest.

"I spoke with a kid from Ohio a few years back at a car show. He was burned beyond recognition. They were going to have to do years of reconstructive surgery just to where he would have a face. It was such a shame. He was burned over 90 percent of his body. I asked him what happened. He said that he had a 13-second Camaro. It broke the right rear axle at the 60-foot clocks. He was only going about 30 mph. The car made a hard left and spun around and backed into the guardrail. It ruptured the fuel tank and burst into flames. The driver's door was jammed and he couldn't get it open. His SFI 3 jacket went up like a candle. They finally got him out through the passenger door. He was in the fire about 15 to 20 seconds.

"If you saw this kid and the severity of his burns, you would want to wear an SFI 50. The SFI rating is for how many seconds the suit can stay in the fire. I can't figure out why they think a sportsman driver can get out of the fire quicker than a Top Fuel driver.

"Be safe. I have to wear an SFI 15 suit, but I'll be wearing a 20."

Spar, if you remember, raced an 8.90 dragster that went 199 mph and change a couple of years ago. His goal was to break the 200-mph barrier in a Super Comp car, but some guy in a legal alcohol dragster beat him to the punch by getting out on the track, just about coming to a complete stop, then hammering it again and running 201 mph. After that, Spar said screw it, it ain't worth it. His latest ride is the now-famous B&M Hydro-Stick altered/roadster that was debuted at the 2003 SEMA show.

He's right, you know. Just ask my wife Fran about her experience with the hot stuff.

We were at our last race of the season, the 2003 Turkey Trots bracket race at Huntsville (Alabama) Dragway. Fran and I had been having a heck of a time getting her '89 Suncoast dragster down the eighth-mile. Finally, it was Sunday, and we figured we were ready for first round. She let go of the button, the car moved about two feet and suddenly water came rushing out like a horizontal geyser, covering the rear slicks and kicking the dragster towards Huntsville's left guardrail. She lifted and it came to stop halfway down. A water line came loose at launch.

Fran got burned by the hot water on her cute butt. She was wearing blue jeans. She also got hit by water on her racing jacket. No burns. On the way home, tails tucked under our rumps, we adopted this rule --- from now on, we'll both be dressed for the bracket battles, and that means legal racing shoes, racing gloves, racing jacket and pants, arm restraints, a helmet collar and a legal racing helmet. Nothing less. We don't care if it's at Sam's Podunk Drag Strip, we'll wear the right safety stuff.

For Christmas, I got Fran a pair of racing gloves, small in size, and a pair of racing shoes, size 9 women's. That will make her legal.

As for me, I'll wait and see what Tommy Harris whips up in the front-motored dragster safety department. Firewall, trans shield, flexplate shield, plus the correct pants and jacket, shoes and gloves, whatever. You should do the same.

How much is your butt --- or your face --- worth to you?