TOO SAFE? TOO LITTLE CAMERA TIME?

Jeff, are you kidding me? Are you really trying to tell me the cookie cutter, template driven world of NASCAR is more popular than the NHRA & IHRA because people can relate to the 'stock appearing cars'? Give me a break. A Nextel Cup Dodge Charger doesn't look any more like the showroom version than an NHRA Dodge Stratus does -- and you know it. What the cars look like has nothing to do with it.

I hate to say this, and I'm probably going to get blasted for doing so (pardon the pun), but that's life... I think part of the issue with reduced attendance is that NHRA has become too safe to draw the crowds it once did. Mind you, I don't want anyone getting hurt any more than the next guy does, but back in the seventies and eighties, there was always a sense of 'anything can happen'. Crashes, explosions, wild rides, etc. were somewhat commonplace. Deep down inside, a lot of people want to see crashes and explosions - that's why we all rubberneck at the scene of a highway accident. NASCAR offers crashes, and sometimes even fires at every single event - NHRA, thankfully, doesn't.

Ask yourself this question, why does NHRA show the green Skoal Funny car disintegrating in the lights on their "Every Tickets a Pit Pass" commercials? Because it sells, that's why. If, God forbid, we start blowing up racecars and crashing them again - the crowds will come back. I, for one, hope that never happens and we're never able to prove my thesis.

As far as drawing sponsors go, the bottom line is that a sponsor would rather put their product on the side of a car that's potentially (barring a crash) going to be seen for the entire race (3+ hours) rather than for two minutes per round of racing - regardless of class. Additionally, look at how many times that product is advertised over the course of a NASCAR season vs. an NHRA season. No matter what new class of racing the sanctioning bodies come up with, they're still only going to see their product advertised on the track for less than two minutes per round advanced. It's not rocket science, it's advertising.

Gordon Carlon
San Diego, CA

P.S. Great call about the 'Rice Burner' class - what a waste of time.

OTHER SANCTIONING BODIES ARE 'WHERE IT'S AT'

What's wrong with letting the guys that started the 10.5 wide stuff continue with some support from the "big guys"? NSCA, NMRA, NMCA, OSCRA, etc. have busted their proverbial butts in trying to make the 10.5 stuff work -- why ask the NHRA or IHRA to come in and "steal" the thunder? Yes, it would be great to see the 10.5 guys run at national events and especially beat up on some of the big name guys, but pretty soon cubic dollars will win out and the little guy is squeezed out again.

What some of the big name corporate sponsors are going to need to realize is that they need to pull their advertising dollars away from NHRA and IHRA teams and put them where the true fan base is -- 10.5 or "Street-Car" type racing. Go to Orlando in October, you get 100 plus cars trying to get in a 32-car field -- this isn't just one class either, it is unbelievable. The grandstands are packed from the time Carl (Weisinger) opens the gates Friday morning to when he closes them Sunday night. Now granted this might only work a half a dozen times a year and only at certain venues, but it works and why suggest that the NHRA or IHRA needs to incorporate some form of it.

You can't tell me that NHRA or IHRA haven't thought of this before. In fact didn't they a number of years ago have some of the "Flowmaster" guys at the US Nationals for some exhibition runs. I believe that the reason you'll never see these two organizations adopt a "10 wide" program is the liability. As you said in your editorial, "...guardrail to guardrail laps...", that's all they need, one or two unfortunate crashes and it be all over but the crying -- the lawyers would stop it in a heartbeat.

I commend you for trying to re-invent the NHRA or IHRA, but please support all the organizations that keep this whole "10 wide" thing going and continue to give them the press that they sorely need.

Thank you for your time,

Jim Craig
Clinton, OH

READY TO RACE

Count me in! I have a turbocharged 2003 Mustang Cobra that just ran 7.19@201 -- 3,000 lbs and the 33x10.5w tire.

Brian Carpenter
Forest Lake, MN