GAINESVILLE PITS ARE THE PITS

I think you went too far on NHRA's side. Yes, they were in a no win situation, but it was to a large degree NHRA's own making, and we sportsmen have seen it coming (and been complaining about it) for ten years. The real culprit is lack of good pit parking (or all weather parking).

This has occurred because of two factors: 1. The pros quadrupled how much space they use (the extra transporters, T- shirt booths, etc). I know they pay NHRA for the extra space and thus I do not begrudge the pros the extra space. And there are more of them, especially in Pro Stock. 2. The sportsman has quadrupled his transporter weight (RV and stacker trailer). Long gone are open trailers behind a pickup that can easily be parked on wet soil. NHRA (and IHRA) brag about the "family" atmosphere, thus we sportsmen now bring our family and stay at the track. That and the hassle of getting to the track early in the

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morning (a real problem at most tracks) in time to prep the vehicle along with the high priced motel rooms have made this a no brainer. Thus the conundrum results.

An answer (I make no claims to it being "the" answer) is improved pit parking. How to pay for it remains. It bears investigating further. Cutting the car count will only hurt the tracks and eventually cause the death of sportsman racing as it currently exists. People got angry because everyone hates being told what to do, especially when it is disagreeable and not what you paid for (remember, we pay for the right to get told "take it or leave it") and sometimes delivered with a poor attitude (and NHRA has been world class at sending lackeys with attitudes to the sportsman pits). NHRA does not have an exclusive on people who can run their mouths and irritate people. I could go on for a while.

William D. (Dee) Kruse

TO COIN A PHRASE

As with most NHRA national events people come to see the pro race. The sportsman racers (myself included) know this (?) and should figure the NHRA is going to do everything they can to get a race in. Sportsman racers are fill-in only. To top it off most of the sportsman guys are local anyway and should know better. I don't know the whole scenario because I wasn't there but if they raced at Orlando and got the carte blanche treatment there how can anyone really complain. Most people will get their money back from hotels if you explain to management what happened. The only thing you would miss is the big boys racing and most sportsman guys see them all the time anyway.

As they say "sh** happens" so you have to make silk out of a sow's ear.

Kurt Carlson

IT WASN'T JUST THE .90 RACERS

I'm very disappointed in your article...You start the article off by saying that all "the .90 sportsman" racers were up in arms with NHRA's decision to move the sportsman racing to Orlando. What a slap in the face of the .90 racers!!! You failed to mention that stock, super stock would also be in Orlando, and that it was a certain stock eliminator racer that was calling out the NHRA on this over the internet. The rain hurt everybody, no doubt about it, and NHRA did what they thought was best for everyone. Even though not everyone agreed, the outcome wasn't that bad. I think you need to clarify your article and include all those who were affected, you're a better writer than that.

Cordially,
Chris DeGidio
Jacksonville Florida