HERE'S ANOTHER CONCERN

I myself have not been hit yet by DOT. But they can really screw you on "Hazardous Materials" that being 55 gallon drums of fuel and 65-lb bottles of nitrous. Call DOT back and ask them about the hoops they would like you to jump through to legally transport this kind of thing.

Richard Gavle
Bethesda MD

DEALING WITH THE DOT

I've driven a number of different types of rigs for different teams ranging from a pickup and open trailer to full fledged semi rigs. Here's a few things I've noticed in dealing with DOT.

Lettering on the trailer is a killer. I drove an 86-ft long semi/toterhome rig for the Cannons last year, all over the country, blowing by weigh stations about 80 mph. Never once got messed with. It was plain white. Most of the people I've heard stories about the DOT messing with them have lettering. The rig for our Funny Car team has some lettering on the outside, so if I get messed with, I'll let y'all know. It's a dually with a 53-ft living quarters trailer.

I think if you get messed with it has more to do with the jackass DOT officer than anything. If he's had a bad day, or Krispy Kreme didn't have his flavor that morning, here comes Mr. Hobby Racer to him, and he's gonna jack with you whether you got lettering, or if he knows it's a racecar.

I know of one guy that told them it was a show car. I know of another guy that when the DOT officer insisted that it was for business use, the guy asked for his name and badge number, because he was going to subpoena him as an expert witness when the IRS wanted to call his racing write-off's a "hobby." If he was going to tell him he was a business on the road, he was going to tell the IRS he was a business in court. The story got fuzzy after that. . .interesting nonetheless.

This is a valid point, and if NHRA - the 80,000 members - has any lobbying power, we need to get some rules made to protect the hobby racer from this harassment. It is much, much more expensive to have to comply with DOT regulations for commercial use than it is a motorhome or recreational use. If they label your toterhome a commercial truck, now you have to buy apportioned tags, and keep commercial insurance, which is mega bucks. On top of that, you have to keep detailed maintenance logs, etc. It's a pain in the ass that costs money.

One of my platoon sergeants back in the Army put it best: "It's always better to ask forgiveness than ask permission."

Will Hanna

DIGGING THE SHORTER 1/8 MILE DISTANCE

Chris, you aren't the first one to be converted. After going to the drags for the 30+ years I'm of the opinion that the only people that bad mouth 1/8 mile racing are the ones who have never done it.

Your next step back into really digging the drags again is a 10" tire race, preferably without wheelie bars, on an 1/8 mile country track. Bring cold beer and some $1 bills.

Dave Cox

FASTER AND SAFER

I have been trying to tell people for years that 1/8 mile is more exciting than 1/4 and that the race tracks can handle all you got at 1/8, and like you say, it saves parts. It will not take long and you would see 2.9@ 300 mph 1/8 mile speeds. Some run 280 now, just think how fast they will go if they set the cars up for 1/8 mile...plus it is so much safer.

Dan Horan

A LITTLE TOO MUCH POETIC LICENSE

Mr. Martin: After reading your article written on 7/8 with the opening about Robert Frost I have to inform you that in fact Mr. Frost did not read "The Road Not Taken" due to a glare on the paper. He was quite old when he was invited to speak and his eyesight was not the greatest. What Mr. Frost did do was recite "The Gift Outright" from memory. If you get a chance to read the poem it was probably actually more fitting for the inauguration. I just wanted to inform you of the actual correct history.

Billy Dawson
Student, University of Missouri