SECOND-HAND PROS?

I feel I must disagree with you this time, which is unusual. But keep blasting away because this sport needs a watchdog. The vast, vast majority of the sportsman racers do not think of the alcohol racers as sportsman racers; they are considered a second hand pro class by the rest of us because:

1. Their payout is much superior to a regular sportsman and much more along the lines of a professional. Yes, they do spend a lot of money to race, but (as a percentage of income) a lot of these people spend less of their net worth than a stock or super class racer does.

2. They are very quick; trailing only the fuel cars in performance.

3. Preferential treatment in tech, pit spaces, etc. It is deserved, but it also drives a wedge between them and the rest of the sportsman racers (except Comp). And some of the alcohol racer's attitude (aka a superiority complex) about the rest of us does not help. Granted, the Comp guys do run a close second in attitude.

4. Take forever to run a class. The tubs do not appear to have helped with the oil down problems. I know that I used to enjoy watching and listening to these classes, but I now head back in the pits because they have become boring due to the multiple oil downs.

5. Very predictable outcomes, just like the pros. The cream (well funded teams) rises to the top. The days of a Lee Callaway/Burl Brown doing well are very, very limited. The stock/super class guys seldom have one driver win more than one event per year. Less than full fields is not helping matters.

The above is why many of the sportsman contingent does not consider the alcohol guys (and Joffrion is a stocker) part of the sportsman ranks. Unfortunately for them, the pro classes do not claim them either. They are stuck in a "No Man's Land"; too expensive for us super/stock class guys, too dangerous for the rich guys in Comp, and looked down upon by the pros. It is unfortunate, because it is a great training ground for drivers and crew personnel and sponsors for the professional ranks. Very few drivers or crew can go from a super class to the pros and do well off the bat.

It appears the alcohol classes are doing poorly right now in terms of respect and participation, and it is for the usual reasons of cost to participate, etc. These classes have historically always had a dominant player (such as Manzo in TAFC) and I think that has hurt their entertainment value. For example, the Thunder Valley event just completed had the drama of the big guns going down right and left and almost turning into the Underdog Nationals.

William D. (Dee) Kruse
TD/ET 4030

BURK REPLIES

Dee, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it must be a duck. I hear this rationale all the time about which classes are really the true sportsman class. Give me a break! If the sanctioning body says these racers are sportsman racers then they are. Period. If some races are going to start defining who really is a sportsman racer and who isn't then maybe anyone who ever takes any money for racing probably should be considered a professional racer and barred from sportsman competition. To me that makes as much sense as telling a racer who chooses to race a TAD or a TAFC he or she really isn't a sportsman.

Just for the record, plenty of successful professional racers have come from your definition of the true sportsman ranks including most of the Coughlin brothers, Clay Millican, Hot Rod Fuller, and Erica Enders, just to name a few. The same can be said for many of the crew people working in the professional ranks.

Like you I usually agree with what you say, but this time I think you are way off base. Again, it's not the fault of the men and woman who choose to race blown alky and injected nitro that the NHRA classifies them as sportsman. It is the elitist attitude of many so-called sportsman racers who have set themselves us as the authority as to what classes and drivers are true sportsman that really sets me off. It reminds me some wealthy, snobbish people in high society deciding who should be considered for membership in the Garden club or allowed entry into the Country Club based upon some set of rules and standards they've come up with. I'm not implying that you are one of those people Dee. I am saying that for me that kind of stuff has no place in drag racing. -- JB