MISSING THE POINT?
Fuel cars never have been "unlimited." There have
always been limits on things such as tire size, cubic inches,
etc. Presently, it is necessary to place other restrictions
on fuel cars due to limitations in such things as tire technology
and human physiology. How many more 230+ mph tire delaminations
do you want to see? How many more drivers do you want to
see with detached retinas due to the G-forces required to
stop a fuel car in time? And your idea of "Yessss!!!"
is an explosion and "a ball of fire hurtling towards
the sand trap"?
Sir, have you forgotten that within that vehicle is a human
being with family and loved ones and that human being is
no more impervious to injury than any other? I take offense
in that statement and as an editor/publisher of a drag racing
e-magazine, you ought to be ashamed of yourself for putting
it in print.
Frank P. Reynolds
Aurora, CO
VEGAS FANS ARE SIMPLY POLITE
Jeff, you made mention of the fact that that the crowd at
LVMS do not stand for every round that is because the Professional
spectators don't do rookie BS of standing each pairing.
This done as a courtesy to everyone in the stands so all
can see. An evening like Saturday is appreciated far more
by those who can see than by those who have to look at some
clod's butt each pairing. I personally quit going to the
Sunday eliminations because of this.
Two points - did you see or hear the cacklefest (Kuhl/Olson/Fats,
Rat Trap and cohorts) -- notice how the stands at the best
dragstrip in the world are angled. I felt pretty good about
the $120 worth of refreshment in my 20 pack back at my truck.
Please continue your comments - the only hope for common
sense and reason out there!
"Got an old Camaro in the garage."
Elex A. Vavrick
Las Vegas
WHO LET THE YUPPIES INTO DRAG
RACING?
Jeff, I love your editorials and usually we agree line
for line. I think we are about the same age so that is part
of it. My biggest problem with the NHRA Drag Racing is that
it has been neutered. Part of the excitement used to be
the unpredictability of it. About anyone could have made
the Winged Express handle better than it did and changing
the seat and belts would have meant that Willie Borsch
wouldn't have had to
hold on with one hand and drive with the other but then
who would have wanted to watch. That's another thing, why
doesn't anyone name their cars anymore? Force was the best
show in town when he came to our home track in Kent, Washington
long before he ever won a race in NHRA. Dirty firesuits,
burning 'em down and putting 'em in the sand trap (not at
Pacific Raceways, you would run out of fuel before you get
to the end of that track) and great finish line interviews
before we had to start talking nicer than they do on network
TV.
As far as the race you and Paul were watching, the problem
as I see it is that you were drinking Margaritas instead
of flat beer in a plastic cup. Please don't ruin my visual
by telling me you were wearing Dockers instead of blue or
black jeans. I forget who Frank Hawley was driving Top Fuel
for after the Chi-Town days (one of my favorite drivers
of all time), but it almost broke my heart when he was wearing
slacks in the pits.
And this slowing down the Fuel Cars doesn't make sense.
The worse crash I've ever seen was Allen and Koretsky and
they were going 130-mph slower.
As far as Nostalgia, what Nostalgia? No one had a $5,000
titanium rear end in any Junior Fueler I ever saw.
I check your site every day and always look forward to
Burk's Blast.
Bruce Prater
Snohomish, WA
