Wondering About the New Year and Stuff

Just Wondering… Does tire shake inflict brain trauma on the drivers of the professional classes such as Top Fuel, Funny Car and some of the door cars similar to what football, hockey and other professional athletes experience? I have personally witnessed drivers who have been rendered unconscious by tire shake and unable to drive for a period of time. I know of drivers who have literally separated the retinal nerve due to the G forces generated by parachutes opening. Is it time for the NHRA, IHRA and the other major sanctioning bodies to investigate this problem.  

Just Wondering… Why weren’t any of the NHRA’s Technical Department execs- especially NHRA’s new nitro consultant to the NHRA Lee Beard - at Palm Beach International Raceway for the PRO-backed test session? There is no real good reason for them (especially Lee Beard and Glen Gray) not to be there other than the fact the track is sanctioned by the IHRA. So they decided not to take the opportunity to see what the teams have been developing over the winter? Who actually cares if an NHRA exec is seen at an IHRA track? I think an NHRA  exec driving a Ford rental car when GM is the official vehicle is a much worse faux pas.

Just Wondering… Why ADRL owner Kenny Nowling hasn’t taken the ADRL, which is an LLC, to bankruptcy? Doing so would legally absolve him of any debts the company has and he could move on. He and his family are constantly being vilified, by racers and keyboard heroes alike, so why is he trying to keep the ADRL alive?

Just Wondering… Why the NHRA who copied NASCAR’s “chase” points system haven’t continued to follow NASCAR’s lead? Since NASCAR adopted the chase points program in 2004 they have significantly changed the program four times. NHRA’s Countdown, which really hasn’t generated the kind of fan and press attention Tom Compton and company wanted, is the same program today (I think) as it was when first introduced.

Just Wondering… In the history of drag racing has there ever been a more determined and dedicated group than the Pro Mod racers? The answer is no! No one group has ever devoted as much of their own time, money, and energy into making a pro class successful as Pro Mod racers.

Just Wondering… What does it say about weekly drag racing when more and more tracks that were formerly exclusively devoted to drag racing on asphalt or concrete are being turned into multi-venue “Raceway Parks” where music concerts, mud bogs, drag boat racing, and any other event that can deliver cash flow are much more profitable than weekly drag racing? As a result many tracks are cutting back or even eliminating weekly bracket races and substituting those events with non-racing “test and tune” nights. The answer might be that the cost of a guaranteed purses and delivering the primo-traction racing surface seemingly required to attract large car counts is slowly killing weekly bracket racing.

Just Wondering… Did the  2013 drag racing season demonstrate that there is a growing demand from racers/fans for affordable nitro entertainment such as  the AA/FC class and a nitro burning Harley-Davidson class? The NHRA Heritage Series, the DRO AA/FC Challenge and the IHRA series for “Nostalgia” nitro funny cars were all successful as as well as a series of one-night nitro races at Famoso at Bakersfield, CA.