Spend time with any driver or crew chief, and they will have you convinced with their opinion of the changes, every person I talked to at the U.S. Nationals had valid points. From V. Gaines who said, "I stay out of the politics, it is what it is.” To Greg Anderson, who is really upset about it, but has tried to be as PC about it as possible.

Roy Johnson, engine builder and father of Allen Johnson, was slow to open up about his opinion, but once he did, it is clear he is not a fan of the changes: "There is a lot to do in a short amount of time" adding, “I have a $5,000 throttle body setting in a box at the shop; that is all we have, all of the parts aren't even available yet." He felt strongly the rules should have been applied to the start of the 2017 season, to give teams more time to build their combination. He firmly believes this change over will cost $300,000 to $400,000 for teams with their own engine programs.

Roy feels the Winternationals could be a shocker for the class. "I really am concerned about the future of the class, some people say they are done at the end of the season. These Comp guys think they can step up to Pro Stock because they have run this combo for awhile, let ’em come get some, see what Pro Stock is all about!”

Anderson doesn't like any part of the changes, from backing the cars into the pits for the fans to have a better view, to the short notice on engine changes in particular. "We don't have any of the parts to test, even if we did, we are out here chasing a Championship, we don't have the time or the ma power to be working on a new combination.

“From the end of the season until the Winternationals doesn't give any of us much time to learn a new set-up.”

Michael Hiner, crew chief for Derick Kramer in the American Ethanol Dodge Dart, has several points that are hard to argue with. "It is the NHRA's deal, they can do what they want; like NASCAR, you play by their rules or go somewhere else." He added, “It would have been nice to have more time, since they said they had been considering this for a while."

One point Hiner made is that without a hood scoop and the possibility of the air being brought in from the lower front end, the air temperature will be 15 to 20 degrees hotter than the same air going into the scoop due to the heat from the track, so this will affect horsepower as much as the RPM limit.

Scott Woodruff, long-time PR man for JEGS racing, says that everyone will start with the same playing field, the same amount of time to get ready for 2016. He feels the lack of the hood scoop will make the cars relate more to the fans and help the drivers by being able to see the tree. He hopes the changes will reduce cost and bring more teams into the class.

Several people didn't want to speak with me on the record, but it is safe to say, based on my conversations at Indy that more people in the class don't like the changes than support them. The short timing is a big issue, along with the fact it was made clear there would be no purse increase unless the owners/drivers came up with the money.

I will not start any rumors here, but don't be shocked if some established drivers walk away from the class, maybe the sport altogether. Do the math: no one is making money by running Pro Stock, so when a rule is created under the reasoning of reducing cost, yet adds several hundred thousand dollars to a class that is already struggling, along with making millions of dollars worth of testing and equipment obsolete, at some point every team out there has to take a step back and examine their future.

[Ed. Note: Warren and Kurt Johnson are known to be developing an EFI engine combo and Larry Morgan, who races with the Gray organization, says they are already in engine development mode.]

My two cents is that in any professional sport you are dealing with millionaires and big egos. From the people I have talked with, people who I have been friends with for many years, the NHRA did NOT ask their input on any of these new rule changes, not even asked their opinion! To have 10 to 12 teams who spend millions of dollars to run the full circuit and supply engines to those who only run a part time schedule, to implement rules that affects their future and their livelihood, without even asking for their input, is a slap in the face -- a total lack of respect for the teams that support this sport.

I understand that the class has had trouble even filling a 16-car field, the costs are out of control, and the class has lost some of its luster since the early years of the 1970s and '80s. I said if they paid $10,000 for first-round loser, they would have full fields, but when you can’t even cover travel expenses when you make the field, you give no one reason to want to come out and support the class.

Personally, I will be surprised if they have a full field at the Winternationals. I think Ken Black is done, I think Jason Line is either going back to NASCAR or will stay home and raise his kids. I also think Greg Anderson will end up being teammates with Shane Gray, with a two- or three-car team, still with support from Summit but no Ken Black in the picture. George Marnell quit because they mandated bead lock tires at the last minute.

Rich people don't like to be told what to do, so we will see who takes their ball and goes home.