12/16/04

LEARNING ABOUT DRAG RACERS

Jok, what a great story (in the November issue). We are the family you're speaking of in your article. My son was a high school racer in his first year. While I know the high school class was not part of the actual team (NHRA, he was part of the team) he wanted to show well so we paid for him to have another time run. We saw first hand the help the fellow racers would give. With that said, we had a wonderful time at both ET Finals and a great summer with our son.

Thank you.

Ken Kahrs

MONEY-WISE

I would like to comment on the Agent 1320 statement on Jerry Darien being frugal. You were very kind in your word usage but that is just the way some people are. When it comes to racing his car Jerry will buy only the best of parts and as many as it takes. Jerry has only one thing in mind when it comes to drag racing and that is WINNING. I should know this more than most -- I drove for Jerry for 4 plus years and we have been friends for 30 plus years. Once again when it comes to his racecar he puts his money where his mouth is.

Larry Sutton

YEAH, WHAT IS BILL BADER DOING THESE DAYS?

Like many of your readers, I have been involved in Drag Racing for longer than I care to remember. I know and have known a number of Pro's who since the dawn of time have never had anything good to say about NHRA. Yes...they participate at sanctioned events because it has been the only game in town. I've heard recollections of pompous arrogance and "take it or leave" it attitude from NHRA officials. Now we have a regime in place that, yes, I blame for the death of driver Russell...They knew about the tire problem, but opted for speed, glamour and ticket sales even though, let's face it, neither you nor I, nor anybody for that matter can differentiate a 4:40 run from a 4:90 run.

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When set side by side with IHRA with its entrepreneurial flair, NHRA is still what it has always been - an unimaginative large corporation of well paid suits dedicated to preserving market share and all the other corporate buzzes. They stole Pro Mod....they stole Fuel bike....with cubic $$$...They care not about creativity and doing what is best for the sport's survival. They care about running a show "at any cost".....and driven by arrogance continue to feel that the "cattle" (aka paying fans) out there will lap up their "product" no matter what the quality. Who knows, perhaps the loss of Russell was calculated into market share numbers?.....By the way....where was corporate NHRA in the fundraising for Russell's family?.....Did they initiate anything?.....ahhhhh nope. The racer(s) did.

What NHRA needs is, once again, the forward "take-a-chance" thinking of IHRA (aka Bill Bader). He turned a dead duck into a viable commodity in a short time - with the approach that his outfit was/is dedicated to presenting "fan entertainment"...and he's done it in spades. His national events are packed and...fun! And no, I don't think you have ever seen Bader in a Brooks Bros suit at a National Event.

Give us a break NHRA...this ain't an ATT&T Board meeting. I have been down on IHRA in past, remembering times when the fuel teams couldn't get under 5.40s but that's history. But, I will still take a side-by-side pair of 5.40s with a MOV of 1 foot compared to a 4.49 and a dead driver....anytime.

Phil Nedham
Toronto