A WELCOME FORUM
First of all, I'm glad to see a place to
voice our opinions about what really goes
on in the professional drag racing world that
is not just a B-S chat room.
I've been an NHRA Pro Stock crew chief for
over twenty years. I have always felt that
safety has been a top priority for the NHRA
and I still do.
I believe that the Big Picture has become
clouded to the NHRA. All you have to do is
watch the TV coverage of one race to see where
a lot of the problems lie. The coverage SUCKS
because the fuel cars are not racing and they
are not entertaining the viewers.
I'm a diehard hard-core doorslammer racer
but I know that without the Fuel Cars we would
not have a place to race. These cars are a
time bomb just waiting to go off. It's time
to make these cars less volatile and more
competitive before we all become extinct.
As I said before, look at the BIG Picture.
I don't like to compare drag racing to NASCAR
but you have to look at what they have done.
In 1985 cup cars were going 214 MPH. Today
they aren't even close to that. They not only
made it safer by reducing the speeds they
made it more entertaining. They also implemented
a FULL TIME army of technical staff.
The Fuel Cars can't even use all the power
they make. I'm not an expert on these cars
but I do know that they are completely dependent
on fuel to make power. That is also where
there volatility and their inability to make
full runs stems from. The five percent reduction
and the roll bar shields are baby steps in
the right direction. Let's make some giant
steps to preserve our future and to the safety
of our competitors. I feel that by making
the cars safer these cars will put on a better
show, reduce operating costs and promote growth
in our sport.
One last note of grave importance. How about
more promoting of the Pro Stock cars. These
cars are the most competitive and technical
race cars that compete in NHRA races. They
are constantly swept under the rug because
everyone with power in the NHRA is a Fuel
racer. They hate us! To them we are just a
bunch of cry babies that they use for filler.
Teams are dying as I write this. The implementing
of the bead lock wheels killed a lot of teams.
It cost most teams between $40,000 to $50,000
to make the change over. That's a lot of money
for race teams that receive meager or no sponsorship
dollars.
A good place to start with improved promoting
of Pro Stock would be to start Sunday's program
with Pro Stock not Top Fuel. This would create
more exposure to the fans at the race track
and the fans at home watching on TV. Then
maybe the TV guys could interrupt Top Fuel
coverage to interview the Pro Stock drivers
instead of the other way around.
Gary Pearman
APPLES AND ORANGES OR
SOUR GRAPES?
Hi Jok. Opinions are like you-know-whats,
so here's mine. The reason the crowds were
big at 5.2 seconds in the fuel categories
is because it was the limit of what could
be done at the time. Now the limit is 4.5
seconds. Would it be smart to slow the cars
up? Maybe, but a paying fan is paying to see
something they can't believe is possible,
not something that has been done before. That's
why National events put butts in the seats
and Divisionals have to rely on wheel standards,
jets and fireworks.
The only thing that makes NASCAR popular
is the product recognition. People who know
nothing about racing can watch a name brand
they trust drive in an oval for 4 hours. Is
it smart marketing? You bet. Who wants their
company name flashed in 4.5 seconds increments
of time on TV? Not "Tide", "Lowe's"
or "UPS", apparently. They cater
to their customer, the average person, who
knows nothing about drag racing.
But, if they knew about racing, knew about
the death tolls for each venue, knew about
what their money could really buy, which one
do you think they'd choose? When was the last
time the average kid could walk the pits and
ask their hero a question at a NASCAR event
and see, close up, a crew firing up a top
feuler? We can in drag racing. We have.
Could it be safer? Yes. Does the mass public
want it safer? Apparently not, judging by
the crashes in NASCAR that have claimed lives.
And, never mind that. Stock car racing at
local tracks is billed as a family sport too,
despite the fact that the players are largely
non-professional racers on less than top grade
tracks with no fences (we know of two in our
area where people have been critically injured
or killed in the stands).
Let's compare apples and apples, not apples
and oranges. The rules in drag racing are
not the problem. The truth is, there is no
guarantee you won't be killed at a race. If
you're looking for one, you had best stay
home and watch it on TV. It's that simple.
Do we doubt you love this sport. No. Anyone
who spends the time thinking about ways to
make something better must have passion. We're
just reminding you that everything has a shelf
life, even NASCAR. When enough people are
bored of the round choo-choo train, they'll
look for something else to sink their money
into and drag racing will be waiting. We're
nothing if not patient.
Thanks for listening.
Kim and Marc Petit
