10/13/05

WELL, SOMEBODY SHOULD EXPLAIN THINGS TO THEM

Hey Darr, if NHRA ever looks for docents, sign me up. Resume upon request.

Ron Pellegrini

TRY BEING PRO-ACTIVE

Darr, I agree race fans can't afford to bring the family so they just don't go! The only people going these days are single guys from mechanic shops that don't have a family to support. At the Seattle Divisonal the new management gave gobs of tickets to the military and the place went from a ghost town the previous year to thousands of fans the next years.

Rich Bailey

TIGHTENED RULES LOSE FANS

I attended my first drag race in 1960 and saw Art Malone explode in the lights and nobody took any points away or gave him a warning not to do this again. Now we have Graham Light saying he isn't going to tolerate this kind of mishap. What does he think is going to happen with 7000 horsepower now and then. The oil downs and delays have never driven me away or made me stop going to the drags. I understand NHRA wants a pristine TV package. But with their PR and media folk letting ESPN pre-empt the race with everything from soccer, softball etc., it's difficult to catch the race when it's scheduled. No wonder ratings have fallen.

I agree with your editorial. NHRA has lost its soul for the dollar. Drag racing is what it is. Pure and simple. The whole thing about drag racing is going as fast and as quick as you can. Build or improve the tracks to handle 340-350 and let the guys see who is the fastest and quickest. NASCAR has taken the super out of super speedway. Maybe Mr. Light will impose a penalty for going too fast or too quick and we will see more and more fans dropping out of the picture.

Just a thought. Thanks.

Jim Langston

DISSIN' DRAGSTER TOO

I would like to say that I own a Comp car and have been involved in NHRA drag racing for 35 years. With the cost of racing and everything that goes with NHRA drag racing it would seem to me that NHRA should be more pleasing to venders and racers. When I hear things that are negative to NHRA, it's like shooting themselves in the foot (NHRA is a great shot also).

At one time our team held an NHRA national record in Comp, approximately 2 years. Do you think we would get a small picture in the National Dragster as a new national record holder, noooooo. I thought that when you got a national record, you were one of the elite. We were proud, but not NHRA. Not a word about the car or record runs. They just silently printed the record in the back, nothing more, nothing less. To me that is a great shot in the foot.

Ask me to spend thousands of dollars for NO RESPECT. No thank you.

Dan Ellis
Michigan

CHI-TOWN HUSTLE?

I've attended all of the Route 66 national events, even won SG in 2002 and the end stands were for racers and crew with a restricted area pass. This race they were not accepted as we were told they were expecting a sell-out crowd and they needed all the seats. A small group of us racers pleaded and said we just wanted to watch Pro Stock and they let us in the stands. We watched Pro teams turned down as well as numerous racers and crew get pointed to the other side or to a small set of bleachers. We were the only ones up there watching.

I could go on but it won't fix it for us Sportsman racers.

Thanks,

Carl Root
SG 3567