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You had the title of your "Burk's Blast" right? It is time they get modified. As far as Greg Anderson is concerned. I bet he is happy he does not have to race top alcohol funny cars as we do. He would not be 3-5 hundredths ahead, he would be light years behind (can you say over a second?) Did this even cross your mind when you quoted Ted Jones? I don't have any problem running within 1-2 hundredths of the top nitrous cars which have equal equipment to mine as in Pro Stock. How is it that you journalists that are supposed to tell both sides of the story always leave out the rest of the story, like back when Scotty Cannon ran Pro Mod with a standard Helix blower and held both ends of the record as the fastest and the quickest Pro Mod? Some of the people that are complaining now are the ones that lobbied IHRA to change the rules so they could run a high Helix blower, because they could not keep up with Scotty or the nitrous cars.

So if they look at all the facts this all started when Scotty was in Greg Anderson's shoes, and that the rest of the blown cars with the same equipment were like the rest of the Pro Stock field and could not keep up with the leader, and worked to have the rules changed and that's what brought on the lack of parity we have now.

Maybe they should have worked a little harder at keeping up with Scotty like they tell us.

So let's look at the facts, Scotty is the fastest and quickest and wins championships regularly. The nitrous cars are competitive.

I won't say everyone is happy but they were happier than they are now. IHRA changes the rules so that the slower cars can become competitive. (sound familiar? )

I can't begin to divine the reasons why Baker has made the rule changes but I trust that something besides whining is the impetus behind those changes. Despite the parity on

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paper, the sheer number of racers switching to blown combinations should tell you something. The combination easily makes the most power and probably requires less maintenance too. It's also a very scienced-out combination with the top blown racers bringing in guys from Top Alky to tune their combos. The nitrous guys are strutting in new territory and so far there's only a few of them that are up to the task of keeping up.

I don't think they will ever dominate but the good lord giveth and the good lord taketh away. If they do start to take more than their fair share then changes can be made again. This is professional racing. If they don't have the money to play then there's always the NSCA or PRO...

Why not just separate the two. Let each have their own champ. OR if what you brung isn't enough--bring something else.

Jeff, what are you thinking? You say Pro Mods should be a "balls out, no holds barred, rip your guts out" race to the five-second zone. Have you stopped to consider that these cars are not engineered or certified to run that fast.

How can you possibly think that the rules were fair when only two nitrous cars have qualified all year in the three AMS Pro Mod events? Both of those cars were on the bump and lost in round one.

You say the nitrous cars should be happy with a five-hundredths disadvantage. That is pretty tough to take. In Houston the whole field of eight cars were less than four-hundredths apart and the fastest nitrous car was still five-hundredths out of the field.

It is short sighted people like yourself that could ruin this class just when it has started to gather a huge following among NHRA fans that are hungry for something exciting.

I wholeheartedly agree the Stock and Super Stock classes need to be cleaned up. NHRA has tried to please everyone and in the process has created a confusing mess even the diehard fans can't understand. Moving some of the "non-factory" combinations over to Comp might help both classes.

We all agree drag racing needs a shot in the arm right now, but few seem to agree what remedy should be. Purists always want to go back to "the good old days" when anyone

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who owned a gas station could whip up a Pro Stocker and 30 or 40 teams were taking a shot at a 16-car TF field. Progressives see the throngs lining up for tickets to a "WWF Event" and dream of Jet Semi Trucks, sky divers, and Monster Trucks.

The answer probably ends up in the gray middle ground. We've got to move forward, be modern, and compete for the almighty entertainment dollar, but as purists, we don't want to pollute our beloved sport with cage matches on the Starting Line. (I might disguise myself and sneak in a side gate, but I would pay to see a Warren Johnson/Greg Anderson fight to the finish in a 10-ft high chain link cage with Greg using illegal nitrous hidden in his trunks to put a "sleeper" hold on WJ!!... but I digress).

I really think NHRA and IHRA are missing some marketing opportunities with the sportsman categories. Simplify them, market the "wheelstanding muscle cars" aspect, and quit looking at them as mere filler between their beloved Pro categories.

Jeff, What you propose makes more senses than anything that I have heard in the last 5 years. How much more pounding can these blown guys stand. They need to band together and not go racing for a meet or two. I would have told IHRA to shove it a long time ago!!!!!!!!!!!!

I pretty much agree with everyone else so I'll just add my two cents worth. First, I think Mike Dunn is the best. Enough said there. Second, they show the alcohol funny car and dragster runs at least four times for each run. Twice is enough, we're not blind. Last, there lots of S/S cars that will yank the front wheels off the ground 3 or 4 feet. Fans love it. Why not show them in their own segment? Just my thoughts.

Darr: Great story, you couldn't have hit it any better. The sad part is that you're so right. The guys running the "big" show could read your story and would not even understand what you're talking about. They wouldn't even get it.

I NEVER thought the day would come that I didn't tape EVERY single "NHRA TODAY", or every IHRA race on the tube, I even have a lot friends that run TF, and Pro Mod, and was always a HUGE IHRA supporter. But I haven't seen a single IHRA or NHRA race this year, I haven't seen an IHRA race on the tube in at least three years, my subscriptions to IHRA/NHRA mags have been out for at least five years, and I only go to their websites to check on results.

I have however flown across the country (from Ky.) to the last 4 years worth of March Meets, CHRR, and even the last two weekends in Bakersfield and Vegas, and of course I make the GoodGuy's Indy and the NHRR at Bowling Green, the NMRA race at Bowling Green, the muscel car races, etc, etc...

Chris Martin - I just know you are going to get hate mail for your latest column so I thought I'd balance it with a 'right on!' Yes, it's a direct link between ARMY/Schumacher and kids enlisting, many of them to ruin their lives in Iraq. A direct link. The ARMY TF car is a recruitment tool in a desperate war. Shameful. Even worse, few in the drag racing world give a f**k -- if anything they're glad to see the ARMY onboard. Which makes your words all the more courageous.

Perhaps you accept the freedoms and right that our soldiers protect every single day you take a free breath without realizing who is providing them for you.

I am not justifying the actions of this, or any recent administration, who believes the US ARMY should be the world's police force, however, the brave soldiers that fight these political wars are not to blame for bad judgments of politicians. The US ARMY always deserves all the support the citizens of this great nation can give them. It is not their fault or desire to follow misguided leaders into convoluted wars, but they always go and fight and die for you, me and their oaths to the service.

Knock the leaders of both political parties for the messes of the last 40 years, but never knock the fighting soldiers who are at the pointy end of the spear; it just isn't right!

Chris--I have enjoyed your writing for a lot of years but your comments about the U.S. Army were out of place. Perhaps a car sponsored by the Republican Guard would be more to your liking. You might keep in mind the very people you are bad mouthing are the only reason you are have the freedom to write DUMB things.

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