7/9/04

IT'S ALL RELATIVE

Note to "The Agent" -- Gary Beck is not Canadian. His ex-wife Penny is Canadian.

Keep up the STUFF!!!!!

Later - "Ace"

Edwin D. McCulloch

RIP VAN BURK

Hi Jeff, Good article on a difficult topic. I think it is a difficult topic because passions run deep. You have a few years on me as a drag racer, but I too was drawn in by similar responses to that which made up the core of drag racing. As the years have gone by I

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think if you look between the lines some of that still exists. I still cannot get into all the electronics and timer b.s. though. For the fuelers, I think we should have stopped with the manually operated clutch button on the butterfly steering handle. Do you remember that?

There is another aspect of drag racing that, in most respects, continues to draw me back and that is the ability to cruise the pits. Standing next to a fuel motor when being warmed is heaven on earth.

Most of us have mellowed somewhat over the past 4 decades, but the fire that Connie Kalitta still brings to the SPORT, for me keeps those passions of 34 years ago kindled.

His run what you brung old school approach breathes the life of the past to this somewhat passion-less present.

Brett Porter

PARITY SUCKS

I agree wholeheartedly with your editorial. That is why I have become a fan of the Mustang racing organizations and the street car racing. They don't have nitro but they do have lots of heads up, the fast car wins classes.

I too am an old fart. I never asked for a break when I couldn't beat the fast car in my class (back when we ran for class at the local tracks) and I do not respect the modern class racer who sets his car up to win the bracket race.

Racing is all about my car is faster than yours. The suits who run modern racing are not racers, they are merchants who only care about money.

I hear "bracket racing saved drag racing" all the time. I think it destroyed it.

John Quinn