LOOK AT THE REAL 'STOCK' CARS

Jeff, another killer article - right on the money again - ALMOST!

You have tons of great points in today's column. Auto Racing in general has made everything so similar for parity that it's now boring. As David Wells could call it, Plain Vanilla. BUT YOU MISSED THE OBVIOUS!

There are still classes out there that compete "Ford vs. Chevy vs. Mopar vs. whoever" and bring back the excitement of competition to the fans. Back to the roots of drag racing. The cars look different, like they did when they drove off the showroom floor, from 45 years ago to current! It's Stock and Super Stock - remember them? I know NHRA has forgotten them. The only sportsmen racers who get attention from the NHRA have the same last name as of the pros or the sponsors.

In fact, at the last Joliet race, I heard from the staging lanes as Stock rolled up for a round the announcer suggest that now would be a good time to grab that soda or beer or t-shirt

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from your favorite pro driver. WHAT?!?!?! Why not market a fun and interesting class to the fans? NHRA makes more off the concessions, that's why. (At $6.00 a beer, I'm sure they do!)

But it doesn't have to be that way. They make sure fans don't see the "lower" sportsman classes because, God forbid, if they caught on, NHRA would have to make them part of the show. Yes, handicap racing is confusing to the fans. NHRA could go back to their roots and make them run off national records - put some performance back in the category! Nothing beats a wheelstanding Mustang (America's Car) or Corvette or Camaro. They are fun and exciting to watch, and if NHRA would pull their head out of their posteriors and recognize that fact, they could market with them too. As for the Super categories, throttle stops aren't fun to watch, but those drivers work hard on their cars too and deserve a chance to run in front of the fans just like anyone else.

As a true racing fan, you should recognize the fact that what you are asking for exists. Shame on you for not mentioning the Stock and Super Stock cars in your article today. They are EXACTLY what the doctor ordered to bring excitement and brand loyalty/competition back to drag racing! We already have the cure!

Nothing but love for ya.

Elizabeth Kieffer

RIGHT ON

Jeff, it seems that great minds think alike! This article has my thinking for the past few years. You hit the nail on the head. I have been drag racing since 1965 and maybe it's just my age showing but I had the same Ford vs. Chevy vs. Mopar experiences growing up as you.

Keep up the good work and let's hope NHRA gets on this wagon and makes some changes.

Claymore

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF DRAG RACING

I think you hit the nail right on the head. There is no longer any diversity in drag racing. All of the Pro classes are of the cookie cutter variety. The dragsters are all the same, you can't tell one Funny Car body from another, same with Pro Stock and the bikes are even getting to be the same.

Thank God for the sportsman classes, especially Comp. Love the variety.

That's all I wanted to say.

Rick Denman