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Change Pro Stock to a 32-car eliminator with the first round
on Saturday night, but bring on EFI and carburetors, run what
you prefer. Make Pro-mod a true “run what you brung”
doorslammer eliminator, no restrictions except for safety.
No supercharger preferences allowed to dismiss quicker nitrous
or turbo combinations, 50% nitro if you prefer.
With the possible transformation of IHRA, there can also be
a strong baseball-like “farm system” of Sportsman
racing with increased purses. Borrow on the successful million
dollar bracket race ideas, but hold them four times a year,
regionally, every quarter at your newly IHRA-sanctioned Infineon
Raceway, The Strip at Las Vegas and Bristol, payouts being
the key. While you are at it, Columbus and Atlanta are relative
bargains to add to the SMI/IHRA stable.
Bring on today’s
horsepower wars… Z '06 'Vettes versus AMG Mercedes and
Saleen Mustangs on 10.5 slicks. Horsepower wars can bring
import racing to Detroit power in heads-up competition and
will support the car manufacturers in completely new ways.
It’ll also give many new racers a shot at the national
scene without a rich parent to support their beginning efforts.
If you're going to throw T-shirts into the grandstands during
oil downs will you please have Hooters girls doing the work
rather than burly males in shorts and basketball jerseys.
Then it’s time to re-invent TV coverage. IHRA had the
right idea by having a consistent Saturday night time slot
for drag racing on Speed TV. I will always remember sitting
with my grandfather to watch the Gillette Friday Night Fights
and the Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts when I was a kid. How many
of you would tune in or set your TIVO for an engaging hour
of drag racing every week.
Bruton, forget NHRA. Go after IHRA and bring in marketing
people who love drag racing to grow the drag racing brand.
It’s time to re-invent drag racing. Wally Parks’
exceptional organizational idea was great for the first fifty
years, but all of us fans, participants and media need to
look to the future. You, Bruton, have the vision and bucks
to do it.
Sign me up. 
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