Both IHRA and NHRA Top Fuel cars and NHRA nitro Funny Cars will be running a new spec tire from Goodyear in 2002.

DRO: ARE THERE ANY OTHER CHANGES PLANNED FOR IHRA TOP FUEL?

Baker: Goodyear has developed a new tire that will be mandatory in 2002. It addresses the concerns we had based upon observation of field conditions over the last couple of seasons and the engineers at Goodyear feel this tire will definitely be safer for 2002 and beyond.

As I said, the process is an ongoing safety issue and rule changes are made to permit the use of the latest technological advancements.

DRO: THE IHRA FUNNY CAR CLASS SEEMS VERY STABLE, BUT DO YOU ANTICIPATE ANY CHANGES FOR THEM?

Baker: Not at this time. Based upon data from 2001, the competitive nature under the existing guidelines in fine. Car counts are good, the numbers they are running are good, and the down time from these entries is acceptable. This reinforces to me that the current rules are working.

DRO: DOES THE SAME APPLY TO IHRA PRO STOCK?

Baker: We made a few adjustments that are more procedural clarifications other than wholesale adjustments. For the most part the class was very competitive as a group. I admit that Gene Wilson had a tremendous year [in 2001], but the numbers posted by the other competitors lead me to believe that 2002 will be very exciting for all involved.

Plus, we had more people building new Pro Stock cars. I think it was the best year we've ever had at IHRA as far as having new people committed to the program, and I hear even more people are getting involved this year.

Another thing that's good is that we have Ford, we have Pontiac, we have Chevrolet, and this year we're going to have Mopar, so we have a very good representation of all the manufacturers involved in Pro Stock.

DRO: WILL WE EVER SEE ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION (EFI) ON IHRA PRO STOCK ENGINES?

Baker: A few seasons ago I was not in favor of it, but I think that the inclusion of this technology may be feasible in the future.

Last season, some of our competitors approached me with exactly this question. Previous discussions emphasized their negativity toward the issue. Now, some of the teams have concerns pertaining to the cost and quantity versus performance of current carburetors. Most teams have a large investment in their inventory, yet they use only one set [of carbs]. There is continual testing and the associated costs may now make it more efficient and effective to utilize EFI.

(next page)