NOT THAT BURK IS OLD OR ANYTHING

I appreciate the plug for NHRA2day in your "Still Wondering" column. It's a labor of love for me and it's nice to receive a compliment from someone who has been around as long as you. It means a lot.

Thanks,

Bill Stephens

WONDERING 2

Good one, as usual. I am a sportsman racer and have no problems with the pros etc. getting special, preferred treatment as they are the reason people pay the absurd $50 plus for a ticket. (I tell all my non-racer friends if they want to go for more than one day, I can get them a better ticket for less money ($70 crew pass) and they love it.) Having non-racer friends who attend very much informs me about who Joe Blow goes to see as all they talk about are the nitro cars. Do not understand the "Factory Hot Rods" as they have never seen a Cavalier with a hood scoop on the street, and have never had a 500 CID

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engine under the hood (unless they owned an early 70's Cadillac). I try to explain how neat this class is, that the technology level is really pretty high and it works until they see the carburetors and laugh. Unfortunately, Pro Stock needs a major, major makeover to reclaim its "Factory Hot Rod" status. Get rid of the hood scoops for one (which would require EFI) and make them go back to a semblance of a factory engine.

NHRA's problem with the sportsmen (and I bet the pros also) is they issue an edict which they tell us it is to enhance the product (sound familiar?) but winds up irritating/hurting a lot of people. And they claim to have consulted with sportsmen teams concerning this decision yet no one owns up to it. Boils down to a lack of respect given to us sportsmen (and I bet the pros). NHRA management fully understands the principle of divide and conquer and uses it quite well. Privately, some of the NHRA guys admit that some of the decisions seem to have been made with the thought of pissing off as many people as possible.

I do wish someone such as Schumacher would buy out NHRA and get rid certain people or at least the existing mentality. A racer and businessman such as Schumacher would probably be receptive to an idea the sportsmen racers are floating amongst themselves, primarily to "buy out" NHRA and create our own organization that is responsive to us. I can see the pluses and minuses of a buy out (myopia scares me a lot).

Personally, I have given up on NHRA Sportsman racing (except to crew chief a car for a friend) and am totally into IHRA Top Dragster and bracket racing. At least IHRA is still happy to see me come in the gate! And do not get get me started on having to pay way early, etc, etc.

William D. (Dee) Kruse

THANKS, DARR

Thanks for the kind words in your article. All of us AA/FC guys understood that this would be our chance to shine and it was make or break time. If we bombed in front of this crowd, we would have been done. As it was, we have been in contact by the GoodGuys and should work out a deal with them for next year, based on the performances from the reunion and the great press such as your article.

Jeff Gaynor