7/16/04
RUSSELL FAMILY THANKS
Ian, Thanks for writing such a nice article. I too saw so many things on ebay and was very frustrated by them. Of course there is nothing we can do to stop it. I guess that is just how some people are. We will be launching the Darrellrussell.com memorial site next week. It will be a memorial tribute to Darrell and the wonderful life that he lived. The good thing is it will be there forever. . .I will guarantee that.
Thanks again for writing the article and more importantly thinking about us. At a time like this we need all the support that we can get.
Sincerely,
Chris Russell (Darrell's brother)
PAT ON THE BACK FOR TRACK
I would like to commend the folks at St. Louis Dragway (Gateway International Raceway) for their preparation of their track. My husband has been a fan of Gainesville for a long time, but at this year's ProStar race, the track was excellent. He stated that this track may be the best 1/4 mile in the U. S. Just thought that these people deserved a pat on the back.
Sincerely,
Sharon Hand
MARKETING EVENTS AT IHRA
That was the best article I have ever read that summarizes the problems in drag racing right now! Great job! I also love NASCAR and the Sunday afternoon shows and the commercials are EVENTS! You are so right that why can't the power monger vindictive Mr. Peaco see that. I am e-mailing a copy to him! As I said I haven't seen any one article that puts it all together in such a succinct way as yours. Keep up the good work and thanks for not biting your tongue and really telling the way it is. It's a shame more people in the industry aren't as free to do so. I am a Keith Stark fan all the way and what you are saying echoes the predicament IHRA has put he and other A/Fuelers in. The top fuel racers are so predictable ... who cares? The big money boys will have a walk in the park and I guess that's the way Skooter wants it.
Phyllis Geiger
WHY DIDN'T WE THINK OF THAT?
That was an interesting editorial, I know that there needs to be changes to make it more interesting and I can think of one right away that would help a bit. It's time to go back to the 1 vs 9, 2 vs. 10, 3 vs. 11, 4 vs. 12, etc format. I get sick of seeing the easy wins in the first round at a national event.
Not only would it make for tighter action, it would also give the privateer hope that if they get into the field they would have a chance to go a round. I can't imagine anyone busting their hump with older pieces, no high-dollar sponsor, a younger crew chief and the like saying on Saturday night. "Wow we got into the field for tomorrow I can't wait to run number 1." But I could see them saying "We're in the field now, we have a chance."
That's the way they used to run the ladder. I could never figure out why they changed it. If they are worried that there is no incentive to qualify higher then double the qualifying points for the top half of the field. But hey, I've only been around for 32 years, what do I know?
Best,
Greg Guarinello
SOME CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE
My father and Gary Densham are very good friends. A couple of years ago during dinner with them, he and Gary were discussing NHRA's desire to slow the cars down, and Gary said it could be done very easily, but for some reason, unbeknownst to him, they (NHRA) either weren't looking in the right place or they didn't know what they were looking for.
He continued that the single biggest way to slow down the cars would be to open the bottom of the blower back up. Now with the setback blower, you could do what Gary was talking about several years ago, and outlaw the setback blower. Along with some of the aero modifications that have been bandied about, I'm sure it would create a less
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Then NHRA needs to create and maintain and R&D department like NASCAR has, to further try new ideas with the chassis builders and teams, and share some expense. Too bad NHRA has a "we want our cake, and eat it too," philosophy. They want it safer (no lawsuits), but don't want to spend any money. They would prefer the teams spend all the money, then submit the ideas so they can shoot them down.
I have been involved in drag racing for 25 years, it has always really bothered me that no one listens to safety discussions until someone dies. And now in this case, after someone needlessly dies, they argue over how to do it. We own an A/Fuel car, and when we decide to do something that is on the edge, I always ask myself, how much is my life worth? I wish these guys would do that once in a while. For if you cannot decide, then someone (NHRA) should have the balls to decide for you!
Just my 2 cents worth. Keep up the good work!
Sincerely,
Blake Hennessy
MONO STRUT IS GOOD FIRST STEP
It is my humble opinion that going to a mono strut wing strut with the base mounted in basically the same location as present but in a forward tilted attitude would make it harder for a disintegrating tire to take out the strut and would change the loading vectors on the chassis in such a way as to actually be pushing the center of the chassis down rather than trying to bow chassis up over a barrel. This change would slow the cars down some while tuners try to get a handle on the new deal and perhaps give Goodyear a small amount of relief in their quest to build a better tire that is less prone to disintegration on the top end, hence giving everyone concerned a small break until the next logical progression of speed and E.T. takes place.
Tim Gilbreth
WELL, SOMEONE WOKE UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED
Jeff Burk, you really show your ignorance with latest farce of an editorial. In the true interest of the advancement of Drag Racing, why don`t we cut back on the readership of your stupid internet garbage rag (which we most certainly intend to do, along with not supporting any of your site sponsors, and also letting them know why, with every available chance). Right pal, 1/8th mile tracks, $10,000 fines and 8-car Nitro fields are the answer, huh? That`s really about as stupid as that idiot Booby (sic) Bennett`s wonderful suggestion of eliminating 1 of the Nitro classes some time ago in "Drag action mag". I have wrenched Nitro cars since 1972 and Nitro classes have survived much longer than that, with many such ignorant attempts to emasculate those remaining classes. I`m sure that Nitro Racing will weather your feeble attempts as well. Why don`t YOU give Drag Racing a break, and stop pontificating when you have nothing beneficial to contribute, as usual! The only change needed in the "Status Quo" is to knock YOU off your high horse.
Robert J. Flitsch
Waukesha, WI
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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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
ON TARGET
Just read your latest installment (7/9/04) on the state of affairs at NHRA and IHRA...bullseye...well said!
Bob Mendenhall
Lakeside, CA
KEEP ELBOW ROOM
(Burk's) editorial of 7/9 makes some good points, especially when it comes to the need for safer, and more side-by-side racing. However, I do not want to see drag racing rise to the level of NASCAR, as far as attendance. Sure, the more modern tracks like Joliet, Topeka, Ennis and even Indy, could add more seats. But, at what cost? Would the average fan have to give up access to the pits? Pomona and Gainesville get extremely crowded as it is. Adding just another 10,000 people to the mix would make a tough situation even tougher. Where would you put more fans at those tracks?
Even today, walking through the pits on eliminations day is an exercise in patience, and courtesy is becoming a rare commodity. The pushing and shoving that goes on takes away a lot of the enjoyment of the pit experience. If pit access is ever restricted, or eliminated, that will be the end of my attending drag races. I've been going to drag races since 1966. Never once have I been content to not buy a pit pass. The pit pass, to me, is as essential as the admission ticket itself. I don't want NHRA's drivers to become like NASCAR's where the fans have access only through a chain link fence. When I see pictures of NASCAR drivers on one side of the fence and people thrusting pictures and pens toward the drivers through the fence, it reminds me of feeding time at the monkey cages in a zoo.
If NHRA reduces the size of the fields, as you suggest, does that also mean a reduction in ticket prices? For some reason, I think not. To attract more fans, NHRA needs to concentrate on increasing the competitiveness of the racing. IÌm sick of seeing one car blow its tires off while the other makes an all out charge. This happens throughout eliminations. Often times, you'll hear that the race track has become a one-lane track. Why should an NHRA national event track have only one good lane?
I enjoy seeing the spectacular numbers of today and am afraid we have outrun safety technology for the time being. But, we lost many more racers when 230 was a big number than we have since Kenny Bernstein blew past the 300 mph barrier. Instead of making knee-jerk midseason changes, NHRA needs to sit down with all the crew chiefs, track owners, car builders, and safety manufacturers to come up with a well thought out plan to bring about more competitive racing, and most of all, increase safety.
Sincerely,
Ted Kuburich
Springdale, Arkansas
LET'S THINK OF SOMETHING
After the tragedy at St. Louis, I sent you a letter that you used, and I really appreciate having my opinion heard. (don't we all.) I also sent this letter to Tom Compton at NHRA, and received No response, period.
All other forms of Professional racing have taken giant steps in the safety of its drivers and fans, and NHRA is in the back of the pack on this one instead of being in the forefront.
I realize drag racing is a dangerous sport, and as a drag racer I remember signing a liability release when competing in NHRA, and IHRA. By signing this release you are allowing NHRA to AGAIN manipulate the bottom line of the CASH COW.
If the rumors are correct, and a piece of the chassis, wing strut, tire or engine entered the drivers cockpit, then it IS the responsibility of the PARTICIPANTS, NHRA, IHRA to seek out the truth, publish the findings and FIND a SOLUTION. Don't get me wrong here, but it seems to me some of the other forms of racing (IRL, NASCAR, etc) have witnessed these type of incidents, (cockpit intrusion), and have taken IMMEDIATE and CORRECTIVE steps to effectively address an obvious danger.
NO other cars in ALL racing go as fast as the Top Fuel classes, and a concerned effort should be launched to ensure the safety of all concerned. We have MANY brilliant people in drag racing, and I am sure that some thought would be appreciated by NHRA and IHRA, from these INNOVATORS (ASAP).
Don't let this boy's death be in vain.
A loyal follower.
Gene Wagner
Boca Raton, Florida
WE'RE A SMALL GROUP
After the last 10 years, I've come to the conclusion that a vast number of people in this country could care less about Drag racing! Now I will admit that if NHRA paid $1 million to win the Championship in TF and FC, that would generate some media interest. I like the fact that I don't have to sit in a 3 hour line to go to a NHRA race. And the Tickets are for the most part reasonably priced. If NHRA had just 8 car fields, you'd be lucky to have 10-12 for each class!
Joe Sherwood
Albuquerque, NM
DRAG RACING NEEDS MORE INK
Jeff, you are so right with regards to drag racing in the news. I travel for a living and everyday I "hope" to read some tidbit about anything related to the sport. I read multiple papers throughout the day and I find zero, nothing, zilch... 99% of the time.
Either market it or get out of the way and let some folks who know how do so. Sick of "as NASCAR" goes, so goes auto racing.
Regards,
Tom Burgan
REDUCE DOWN-FORCE
From reading your article I can see there are many opinions on how to improve our present situation. I feel that it is as simple as reducing down-force to start our changes. What this does is increase tire spin, which forces crew chiefs to detune the cars. Once
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From my experience with Big Daddy and the mono strut car I feel there are gains in safety and performance that we have already tested. From funny car experience, I have seen tire issues because of too much spoiler on good tracks at speeds as low as 313+-. Lowering our spoilers at least 2 inches would be a start. Policing the change would be a little tough, as low tire pressure, short tires etc, have been used to pass tech even with the spoiler heights that we have now.
As far as Brad's comments about keeping the car straight, cars ran straight before big wings, dragster wheelbase keeps them straight. The tire pressure move is very good. I have always tried to run higher pressure and feel the tires looked better because of that. 85% will help, but not the answer.
Thank you for your time,
Richard Hogan
TIME FOR DRIVER TUBS
I believe that the composite driver tubs is a great Idea for top fuel. If I'm not mistaken, there are no fire extinguishers on the top fuel cars. . . Um, why not? Come on that's an obvious improvement that needs to be required. Good call on taking Goodyear's suggestion for tire pressures. The task force should be a nice addition as long as things actually get done.
Mike Schoenmeyer
Cleveland, Ohio
A COUPLE OF THINGS
I agree with (Ian Tocher) 100%. However we know that profiteering has become a way of life.
I was reading about the Street Car Shootout at Gateway. It makes me cringe every time I see "Street Car" connected with racing. Our family owns a '69 Camaro and '88 Corvette. There has to be a better title than Street Car Racing. Even cars that never see the street are called Street racers. This causes more problems with the public than anything I can think of.
I read the entire web site regularly.
Thank you.
Bill Sterling
SPORT COMPACTS ARE A FIRST STEP
Dude, that is what I've been saying. Not to diminish the efforts of those folks, but it isn't as big as the marketing gurus and sponsors would like for us to believe. I see it as entry level hot rodding, not a new or evolved version. How many that are into the sport compact stuff, and are serious about hot rodding, end up graduating to bigger motors with more cylinders?
If the sport compact deal can lead them to the track, that is great. Once you get them their, open their eyes to other types of cars. How many would like to get into a super gas type car?
As far as the high dollar/high tech cars running in the "pro" categories, I've been saying all along that they should get a place in Comp. Can ya see Nelson Hoyos up against Dean Carter? Now that would be cool.
Did ya read the cover article in last month's Hot Rod? Some interesting stats on the sport compact market.
Dale Smith
SPREADING THE WORD DOWN UNDER
G'day, my name is Geoff Crisp and I am the publisher of Dragster Australia, a fortnightly colour drag racing mag from Australia. I am impressed with (Darr Hawthorne's) comments about the US Sports Compact deal and how it's not living up to its promises. We are having the same deal here in Australia and I would like to reprint your comments in my magazine as it shows exactly what's happening here but some of the people have blinkers on and cannot see the forest for the trees. We keep saying "Sports Compact is not the next big thing".
Kind Regards,
Geoff Crisp
Publisher Dragster Australia
MORE TO SPORTS COMPACTS THAN NHRA
I read your recent column on sport compact racing, as compared to the 50's and 60's hot rodders (and even the NHRA Big Show). While many of your points were on target, you should look beyond the NHRA Sport Compact Summit to get a fair idea of where sport compact racing stands.
While the NDRA (NOPI Drag Racing Assoc.) DOES have all of the "lifestyle" elements as part of its show (bikini contests, sound competitions, etc.), it also sees a lot more professional drivers and attendance numbers at many of its events. Do attendance numbers always match those of the NHRA Big Show? Of course not. But how long has the Big Show been around and how long has sport compact racing been around?
The numbers really do speak for themselves... more sponsors (both automotive and "mainstream") are hopping on board with the NDRA each year, more drivers are joining the NDRA each year and attendance numbers continue to grow at each NDRA event. The truth is, the sport, and the series, are growing.
Jim Sias
Alan Taylor Communications
New York, NY
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