PRO STOCK TRUCK CONTINUED
"Who can really benefit from this action by wealthy racers
against NHRA....the correct answer is the lawyers." This is a very narrow
minded, corporate butt kissing comment. I don't know if the point of
the pending lawsuit against NHRA is to benefit the Pro Stock Truck racers
directly, or rather to try and make NHRA have some shred of concern
for the people who spend their lives working to be a successful racer.
Hopefully the next time they decide to wipe out a class and whole segment
of the industry, NHRA will put a little more thought into how they do
it. Pulling the plug on a class with so little notice illustrated just
how little NHRA cares about any racer not running Nitro in the tank.
What about the people whose livelihoods depended in large part on the
trucks? Grumpy, Panella, even Haas for that matter, all had huge portions
of their business obliterated by some anonymous person with a pen and
Fuel racers looking over his shoulder.
Have you seen how many trucks are running in Comp? I have
seen 3 or 4, that's it. All of these people who bought trucks or worked
hard to put a program together are out in the cold. And to top it of,
we were all blatantly lied to by NHRA when we were told that there would
only be 4 professional categories. What about Pro Mod? Looks pretty
professional to me.
Tim McCain
AND ONE MORE. . .
Just read your story PSA vs. NHRA lawsuit. I think you
should research your story a little better before you call us a bunch
of wealthy racers. The only wealthy racers out there are the ones at
the top of Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock Car, and those that run NHRA.
If you could remember the reason NHRA started PS Truck, it was to start
a class that a racer without a lot of money could race in a pro category.
We were spending a lot of money already running in Competition Eliminator
that it made sense for us to move to PST. It offered better pay out,
more exposure, and a better way of racing (heads up).
You need to understand the reason PSA is so upset. It
is not because they eliminated our class but how and when they did it.
At the beginning of our last season, we heard rumors that this was going
to happen. But when we confronted NHRA officials, they assured us that
they were nothing more than rumors and that we had nothing to worry
about. Then in the middle of the season they announce that we have five
races left and that would be it for PST. We had just finished building
two brand new motors and other racers had just taken delivery of brand
new trucks. All of which lost considerable value due to NHRA's announcement.
NHRA said the reason behind their announcement was because
of a lack of fan support. The real reason was because the other pro
classes started whining about how popular the truck class had become
with not only the fans but also with the sponsors. They were complaining
that the truck class was getting too much TV time which took away from
their TV time. The truth is that the real race fan would rather see
close side by side racing than a bunch of solo pass oil downs and clean
up crews.
All I can say is if PSA loses this lawsuit, no class will
be safe from NHRA and its management. Watch out PS Motorcycle, and Pro
Mod.
Todd Naiser
TRUCKS WERE BORING
AMEN on the column about the PS trucks.......never gave
a damn about them anyway. I couldn't agree with you more. I never saw
the appeal in them at all. Since when is a truck a platform for drag
racing anyway? The entire PS class needs an overhaul anyway. When was
the last time you could buy a carbureted big block anyway? Small blocks
with fuel injection are the way (wave) of the future and the future
is yesterday. NHRA is creating boring drag racing.
Joseph McLaughlin
MARTIN NEEDS TO LOOK BACK
Chris Martin's 50 years of drag racing is tilted to the
modern era competitors, it would be more accurate as the 30 years of
drag racing. Where is the info from the 50's & 60's, most agree to be
the pioneer years?
No mention of Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick, who set more
drag records than Mickey Thompson in their Pontiac S/S factory hotrods.
The same for Cordova Dragway and "World Series of Drag Racing" as the
longest running drag meet in the world? Thanks for at least mentioning
Bob Bartel, who built Cordova Dragway in the 50's against the advice
of his bankers.
For those of us who raced in that era, it is evident that
NHRA would have history rewritten to eliminate the racers from UDRA,
IHRA, & NASCAR (yes there was NASCAR drag racing sanctioned drag race
tracks) in this era. Contrary to what the NHRA & Wally Parks have accomplished,
they did not invent the sport of drag racing as some would have us believe
is history. With each passing generation more of the pioneers are aging,
hopefully the true history will be written before they are gone.
We enjoy your website,
Regards,
Larry Lane
RESPONSE
Chris's article was written with only Chris Karamesines
50 years in the sport in mind. It wasn't intended to be an in-depth
article on the last 50 years of drag racing but now that you bring it
up maybe we'll have Chris do something like that. -- Jeff Burk, Editor
DRO
BASH THOSE TURBOS
I don't much care for the turbo cars. I own an x Pro Stock
Probe and had wanted to run the Fun Ford Series with the new rules changes
allowing Pro Stock cars up to 815 inches to run in the Pro 5.0 class.
Since hearing about Samuels' 6.48 @ 220 I have cancelled my plans.
Finally, I hope you will bash the turbo imports as well
as you did the Mustang.
Sincerely,
Gary Blair
MORE NITROUS PRO MODS
In all of racing the thing that tickles me the most is
watching a pair of N2O Pro Mods at night, leave the starting line, with
those white tipped sky blue afterburners on. Seems to be closer to being
on the endangered species list everyday. To me letting Alky Floppers
with doors race in Pro Mod was right up on top of the "Blunders of Dragracing"
list.
I too, would like to see a door car run in the 5's, don't
you think it will be somewhat anti-climatic when the rest of the AFC's
do it twenty minutes later.
Thanks for a great mag.
Charlie Cullotto
IHRA T / D 246
WELL, BURK DID ASK FOR IT
(unedited)
Well Burk you said call me an idiot OK I will-- now try
this before you slam the best promod racers you said it. spend $200,000.00
drive lets say 40hrs spend a few more grand with a 620-low630 race car
only to have some guy with a supergas car with an old funny car motor
run low 620s the good blower cars are in the teens only the two or three
best nos cars in the world get in the show do to the Friday night qualifying
remember what you said about Scotty. So lets just change qualifying
to 2pm only and leave the rules alone ...next time stand in their shoes
before you condemn them.
Dennis Radford
poison viper
RESPONSE
Dennis,
Obviously you missed some of the point of the editorial.
My point simply is that the facts don't support some nitrous racers'
contention that Supercharged cars have any real advantage. The facts
do support that in hot weather and on hot (135 degrees) track temp,
blower cars are at a disadvantage.
As far as your point about the old Super Gas car with
an old supercharger motor, I can only assume you wrote that in anger.
You and I both know that is just B.S. A Super Gas chassis designed for
1000hp and a 'glide suddenly equipped with a 2500hp blower motor, clutch
and Lenco is a recipe for death. I've been racing my own stuff for more
than 25 years and I've had both supercharged and nitrous oxide engines
between the rails. I'm no idiot. I'm just tired of the griping. More
racing, less bitchin'. Thanks for reading and taking the time to write.
-- Burk
BE FAIR TO TMP
Your coverage of T.M.P. (Cayuga Dragway) is not correct.
It is full of half truths. I'm not sure where you are getting your info
but someone is manipulating the past events. This reporting is not good
for T.M.P. or drag racing in general. I do know what is going on there
as I live in town & race at the track which is open and running at full
capacity. I suggest you contact Neale Armstrong or Betty Krane at T.M.P.
for the truth.
Thank you
Steve Hayward
RESPONSE
We offered them the opportunity to respond in DRO. We
have asked them to furnish us information on the track, but so far have
gotten nothing from Neale or Betty. - Burk
INSURANCE SITUATION IS CONFUSING
Jok: Finally, somebody who is going to try and make the
insurance issue understandable! I think I'm reasonably intelligent and
I feel pretty lost on this subject. I traded several emails with NHRA's
insurance people trying to understand the definition of a "covered event"
for the catastrophic coverage. Their answers seemed to indicate that
it is any NHRA sanctioned event. BUT ... I could never get them to use
those exact words. I am very interested to know if that is what you
think. I would also like to know why it seems that every racer who has
an accident seems to require a "medical fund". That seems to indicate
that the insurance didn't come through - what's the real story on these
situations? I have always been paranoid about this issue because my
personal medical coverage has a specific exclusion for racing.
I'll be looking forward to your next segment!
Lyle Greenberg
443 Top Alcohol Funny Car
INSURANCE NEEDS ATTENTION
This sounds like a fantastic article -- one that needs
serious attention -- I wish all drag racers and their family were aware
of these things. Most people do NOT realize that their race car is NOT
insured and CANNOT be insured for physical damage and most of the time
liablity -- some think that since they have a street legal care that
their auto policy will cover them -- nope!!! Racing is always an excluded
activity. Most health insurance carriers will also deny claims related
to racing- also most life insurance policies.
Please keep up the research- I would love to see the finished
product!!
C Monson
JUST WONDERIN' TOO
Great "Just Wonderin..." column, Jeff. I'll have to admit
to wondering about many of the same things myself. In regard to having
tracks meet the National Event safety requirements if they run those
cars, I can remember the crew at IRP preparing the sand trap and net
for the early May Division 3 race because, as Bob Daniels put it, "Those
are 200+ race cars."
As for the end of the track suites, I think the original
thought was that the finish line was "explosion alley" at the time and
the intent was to protect fans from flying shrapnel. (I can recall being
told that when time slips were given out on the bottom floor of the
North Tower at IRP, people in line were sometimes ducking flying parts.)
With the advances in safety, it seems that the shrapnel is pretty much
confined to the race track itself now, and your idea might hold some
merit for an enterprising promoter. Besides, the windows of a suite
should provide some protection.
John Potts
Indianapolis
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