WHO NEEDS NATIONALS?

Forget about national events. Who wants to stand up all day? Someone can fire a fuel motor for warm-up in the pits and the people will rise up like an electrical charge was sent into their piece of bleacher. Give me divisionals, national opens and, of course, AHDRA events for the best nitro racing anywhere. Much more laid back, no crowds and you don't get skinned for motels. Stk, SS and Comp is what it's all about anyway. The US Class Nationals at Byron a few years ago was by far the best event in many moons.

Dennis Sullivan
Connecticut

A EVEN PLAYING FIELD?

I am from the old Steve Gibbs school of make the track hook up the very best you can. Wash it, Scrub it, Rosin it, Spray it. Whatever it takes to hook em' up. This was before you had 26 pounds of electronics, timers, clutch and fuel management systems, etc, etc.

I now see the trouble with making both lanes as good as you can, what if one is not as good as the other one. You are screwed. What if you made both lanes marginal? As the race/qualifying went on, you could go back and tune up the bad lane. And come closer to keeping them comparable in traction.

Now it becomes a crew chief and/or tuners race. Not a lane choice winners race.

Just a thought,

Keith Ferrell
Fairborn, OH

FORGET NATIONAL EVENTS

Well Jeff, with one of your last "blasts" I disagreed. However this one about "drag racing needs some racing" is like many before it, DEAD ON!! I too have ceased watching drag racing on tv, much to the dismay of anyone who knows me as the hard core drag fan that I am. If sportsmen were showed I would watch (unless it too were turned into a "circus"). I have no interest in going to national meets anymore either. Divisionals, and S/SS meets are all I'm interested in now.

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Why? I love drag racing as a motorSPORT, not as an ENTERTAINMENT! I have taken relatives, friends, business acquaintances, etc, mostly to watch me race. And basically, although class racing or bracket racing was "cool" or "neat", they liked the jet cars or Top leakers because of the noise and fire. Problem is, they were not into drag racing and weren't enticed by the fire and noise. They looked at it like $20.00 to go see monster trucks/a rodeo/an air show/etc. There was nothing to hold them as fans. They just showed up once to see the spectacle and then when that curiosity was filled, never came back.

Obviously, only hard core drag fans understand what I'm talking about. People not into cars/drag racing/gearhead stuff, only look at this like any other "entertainment". They have no empathy for the guy who just lost a $100,000 engine, because "that's part of it, isn't it?"

I'll say it again, whoring out drag racing to get exposure will hurt more in the long term than was ever gained in the short term. (Except the "suits" walk away after the short term with pockets full of cash.)

DRAG RACING IS AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE A SPORT AND NOT AN ENTERTAINMENT!!!

Jim Miller
Canada

ON SECOND THOUGHT. . .

Thank you for telling it like you see it. I may not always agree but I really appreciate unbiased news and info about drag racing. Actually, I agree with you almost all the time come to think of it.

Wayne Loomer
Worcester, MA