Just a very quick response to the letter posted by a Mr. Scott Miller regarding my interviews with Rhonda Hartman-Smith, Ron Capps, and Gary Densham at the Auto Club Finals which were seen on ESPN2.

Frankly, I'm of the opinion that his comments are not really worthy of a response but in the interests of adding some clarification to those interviews, here goes.

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The drivers in question were not dying, as we all know, but perhaps Mr. Miller has never spoken to any of the above drivers personally and have heard the emotional tug-of-war each has battled through while making the decisions they have made. Perhaps Mr. Miller missed Ron Capps actually choking up during our interview when asked about his future plans, or the sadness in the eyes of Gary Densham when saying his years with John Force have been the best of his life.

I have had numerous conversations with Rhonda over the past year as she has wrestled with her choice and is was a difficult decision for her to come to, especially in light of her family wanting her very much to do whatever she felt was best for her.

Yes, they were emotional moments as they spoke of their futures, and since I care very much about the racers I've had the privilege of covering for ESPN, I apologize for letting my feelings show a little. Mr. Miller, you're entitled to your opinion, so if you find it necessary to criticize me for being human as I execute my job, have yourself a good time.

Bill Stephens
ESPN

GEORGIA ON MY MIND

Why is it that the Atlanta Dragway seems to be losing all its races for 2005?  The National Mustang folks have now gone to Reynolds GA, the NHRA did not event bring its' own Pro Mod schedule to Atlanta for 2005, nor has the NHRA ever used its' own track in Atlanta for the Tuners. Let alone does the NHRA let NOPI run at the Dragway, but that is a whole other story. Seems even the NHRA doesn't care what shape the track is in....

Ronald Snell

THE VISION THING

Well Mr. Burk, you aren't the only person who believes that NHRA lost its way some time ago and has only one objective: "To make as much money as possible at all costs to the Sport."

IMNHO, building NHRA into a financially successful business is just fine until you reach the point when financial greed is the only motive of NHRA. At that point NHRA doesn't by law deserve 501C tax status nor the support of dedicated racers and its founder Mr. Wally Parks, as it has changed from a "business league" to a profit-at-all-costs corporation. When NHRA will exploit its membership and customers at every possible opportunity to maximize profits, most of which goes to CEO salaries, then it's a "for profit corporation".

The evidence is irrefutable and I have commented on NHRA's philosophical change many times. Financial greed is very unbecoming and usually leads to the demise of those seeking it. All one has to do is look to IHRA and other racing associations to see that many racers simply refuse to endure NHRA's abuse. It is really quite a pity Mr. Parks let his dream slip away as he certainly did not intend for NHRA to ever be the unscrupulous, dishonest, spiteful, vindictive, abusive, dictatorship it has become. All dictators meet their end eventually... It's just a matter of time.

Just think of the good NHRA could do with the excess funds paid to its CEOs as inflated salaries and the future NHRA could build and the great atmosphere that could exist at NHRA race tracks if it were not for the selfish greed of so few???

I suppose NHRA and the Pomona track owners were so "stretched for dollars" that they couldn't afford any VHT for the right lane at the World Final's eliminations on Sunday? Maybe if they had "passed the hat" to the tens of thousands of fans in attendance, they could have "squeezed a few more bucks out of them" and then spent 15 minutes time fixing the starting line so season-long racing battles would not have come down to racing on a bald right lane where safety was a real concern in the Pro categories?

I suppose this is just another "unreasonable request" that would cut into the excessive CEO salaries of NHRA's golden boys.

Embarrassment is what comes to my mind when I see what NHRA has become.

Randy Hubbard