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Food for thought

Well, monarch of the Phlegm Building, the weather this week here is heating up like your column, so, wiping the sweat from the brow, to a few of your wonderings:

There is no way anyone could have visualized in a pipe dream fog the day the IHRA could field a larger top fuel entry field than that of Pro Mod; consider that it was Pro Mod itself and its success that led the way for the IHRA to reintroduce nitro to the faithful. And it took me a minute, but it's not, possibly, that Aaron Polburn, D.G.A.S (excellent play on D/Gas by the way), but he has to realize he's eating the last tidbits on the IHRA's relish tray. In a previous life Polburn played viola on the TITANIC, so he knows the sound of hull plates scraping ice. Eat, drink, be merry and so long; it's not that he doesn't give one, it’s just that come November he's polishing the resume, too.

Bewildered by the NHRA's decisions re: the ESPN 2 coverage, that question is open ended as well. You might be onto something with Frey in that maybe he isn't interested, but it just seems that, knowing the lay of the land as we do, that he possibly hasn't been asked.

Richard Gebhart
Marine City, Michigan

A change in status quo

I hate to revisit the NHRA TV deal. No wonder the ratings are down. It is unwatchable. As a long time fan of the sport, I find the whole thing insulting. The IHRA packaged and edited shows are much better. I agree with you. Bob Frey would be a great choice. I guess ESPN has nothing else for Paul Page, but the NHRA must step up and demand change. But it would appear they are content with things the way they are.

I would prefer to see fewer national events with larger fields. I think sadly, we must cut out the tracks that cannot support 1/4 mile racing for the fuel classes. I think one national event per month for a nine-month season. The NHRA needs to return to being a true nonprofit outfit, with the racers’ best interests in mind, not to be run for the benefit of the Forces and Schumachers. And the people who manufactureand sell the hardcore parts for fuel racing, these are the very ones who want things to stay just as they are, and as long as that is the case, we will have short fields and smaller crowds.

On an unrelated note, your DRO F/C series looks like it is shaping up to be something special. Maybe in the dead of winter, you could run an event in Florida, like the old Snowbirds. I would love to see a show like that, in driving range from my home.

Thanks for your time.

Robert Brown
Punta Gorda, Florida