RADICAL CHANGES NEEDED

Greetings. Good article. Changing the rules in any racing venue involves so much, as you state. However, being a senior citizen and a fan since I was able to tape racing car pictures to the ceiling of my bedroom (777 SS/C - ring any bells?) I can see that now is the time to begin the transition to a new type of Top Fuel racecar.

Prudhomme's statement is profound. The usual mindset of competitors is to inch ahead with small changes to move the performance envelope carefully, so as not to catch the eyes of and upset the rules makers and to maintain whatever perceived advantage they

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may have. Yet, he and his fellow owners know that the status quo must be changed radically to ensure the viability of the class as the "fastest machines on earth."

NHRA and IHRA must be pushed by the PRO into overhauling the rules for Top Fuel. R&D is essential. Who cares what it costs. There will always be a source of money for these sorts of things. I'm sure Coca-Cola would be willing to contribute to an R&D program."Streamlined" carbon fiber/composite bodies with complete ground effects, almost-enclosed cockpits with a driver safety cell, any tire manufacturer, any number and type of engine(s), any fuel combo, any type of induction, any type of driveline (3-speed, 4-speed, 5-speed, CVT, whatever), any rear end ratio, any number of drive wheels, and so on. Off the wall? Well, what is a Top Fuel car anyway? Have you ever seen anything more "off-the-wall"?

Gentlemen: do the R&D, ensure the safety of the pilot/driver, but otherwise - anything goes! This is supposed to be unlimited, let it be so. You will also attract new fans. Is there anything so boring as a 500-mile oval track race where the cars are in a single file? Well then, let's ensure the future of drag racing.

Thanks.

Dean A. Cassano
Lakeland, FL

IS IT A WELDING PROBLEM?

I have been watching the fuel cars from an old chassis builder's perspective, and I am concerned. The cars are now so frail to flex well and meet weight concerns, I don't feel they are as safe as they could be.

I saw in the IHRA web site that Clay Millican said at their last race their chassis was cracked, but their team got the car ready for him in time. I know most of these trailers have a tig welder in them, and someone who claims they know how to weld. I contacted Mike Baker at IHRA and told him my concerns. I explained Chrome moly is a very funny metal. When you weld it, it gets hard at the weld, and in a small area around the weld, and this causes a brittle area at that point. A correct weld is normalized after welding, taking all that stress out of the metal, and making it equally strong as the rest of the tube. Most of these cars are cracking where the car flexes, so the brittle last minute weld could be the cause of a catastrophic failure.

Darrell Gwynn admitted welding up a crack just before his near fatal crash in England. Most of the cars that have caused a fatality have been running on the circuit hard and heavy. Blaine Johnson died in his Hadman car, and I would bet there were some cracks fixed on it. Darrell Russell died in his Hadman car, and I bet there were some cracks fixed there too. Bruce Litton had a very similar crash in his NEW Hadman car, and was just shaken up. Look at the explosive crash of Tony Schumaker, and he got out alive. Russell's car came apart, and I would love to look at the breaks in the car.

Mike Baker (IHRA Technical Services & Competition Director) replied to me that they have a "Motorsports welder" that does many jobs, and they inspect his work! I asked Baker if he had a portable hardness tester, but got no reply. I do agree a "Team Torch" guy is better than an unknown, but you cannot tell me that a team that owns a chassis and a welder does not fix their own. I feel Baker blew me off, and that attitude is with both sanctioning bodies as they don't know the pitfalls of this situation. All they want is butts in the seats!

Richard Burbick