NHRA PUTTING ITSELF OUT
OF BUSINESS?
I've been in Drag Racing since 1966, I've seen
a lot of changes over the years...Some of the
changes include, NHRA did away with Modified
Eliminator as a class. (rolled into Comp Elim.)
NHRA did away with the Pro's at the points races
in the later 70s (killing off almost all of
the independent teams that couldn't afford to
go on tour). This was a big mistake under Dallas
Gardner, but anyone is entitled to a mistake...
I guess. NHRA did away with Top Fuel Bikes as
a class. NHRA made a class for Super Gas, Super
Comp, and Super Street. These classes have proved
to be large in participation, with multi thousands
of dollars in entry fees and sponsor money towards
NHRA each season, only to be cut from some of
the National events in 2004. NHRA has cut Alcohol
Dragster and Funny Car from several National
Events. Pro Stock Truck was introduced and grew
in leaps and bounds only to be cut completely
out a few years later.
Now Pro Mod is kinda getting the brush off.
And word has it that NHRA is only going to accept
a certain number of Pro entries at National
Events starting this year. What
happens
to the newcomers?
If they keep liquidating the business, Will
they soon be out of business?
I know people from NHRA read this forum and
I know they know who I am, and I'm not trying
to slam anyone, but I have to ask...Why?
When NHRA did so well in the 70s & 80s and
early 90s and the television coverage was great,
I mean a person could watch NHRA Drag Racing
on TV just about every weekend, NHRA even had
their own program, and tracks were being bought
by the company and things were going "full speed."
Why do they want to change things when it works?
Where does it stop? Maybe they need to review
the past and try again. Maybe they need to start
hiring Racers again to run things. (It worked
before.) Maybe they need to hire people that
have a "Love for the Sport." (Wally did.) How
can you be successful in business when you know
nothing about your product?
Thank you...
Bob Gibson
LIKES CHEVY II TOO
Darr: Great story about Zak's Chevy 2. I read
it like a kid in a candy store. I can imagine
how you guys feel about a project like this,
and I also feel the pride you feel for your
son. Brings me back to my teenage years in Northern
California while building my first 55. That
love of cars has never faded away, it just gets
better. I saw the Thomas car in the museum when
I went to the World Finals this last fall. I'll
keep tabs on your car and want to see it when
it gets painted.
I'm currently adding the finishing touches
to a project I had looked at over 10 years ago
while visiting Brad Hadman's shop in Auburn,
Washington. Brad Hadman is famous for building
the chassis on the top fuel cars that Gary Selczi
/ Winston Sponsored won the world championship
with. I finally acquired this 27 T body, 32
nose, 29 fenders, project in a divorce sale.
The car sits on a chrome moly tube chassis,
small block Chevy for power. I'll run this thing
in Super Gas up here in the Pacific Northwest
at tracks like Pacific Raceways, Woodburn, Mission,
and Boise.
 Check
out my website GARYESTES.COM
for what it looked like when I bought it and
here is a picture of what it will look like
soon. The basecoat/clearcoat should be applied
within the next 7 days.
Tell Zak congratulations, and
to have fun. And you pop, you need to let the
button's out on that shirt before they pop off.
This is such a cool story.
Gary Estes
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