Just Wondering... Did you know that in the NHRA pro classes a driver only has to make one qualifying attempt in just one out of the four sessions to get 10 Championship points (according to the NHRA PR department)? That’s a good deal for DSR driver Jack Beckman since he DNQ’d at Pomona and had a five point oil-down penalty. If he hadn’t gotten his 10 points for trying to qualify he would have left for Phoenix with a negative championship point total.

Just Wondering... Could the NHRA system for points be any more confusing and hard to understand than it is? Points just for trying to qualify, points for qualifying, points for being one of the three quickest cars in each round of qualifying, points deducted for oil-downs that vary depending on how many oil-downs a team has in a season. The point system is mind-bendingly complicated and hard to follow for the fans. Aren’t the points programs really there to get fans and media more involved and connected? Perhaps the system could use a little tweaking.

Just Wondering... Why the NHRA decided to suspend their points and money penalty for oiling the track once the competitors have made the Countdown? Are they saying that oil-downs aren’t a problem in the final six races of the year? That the TV coverage isn’t affected? That the fans won’t mind watching clean-ups during the Countdown races? And what about the racers that aren’t in the Countdown? If they oil the track are their fines and points penalties waved too? If the racers that make the Countdown oil the track does that count on their total when it comes to handing out the bonuses for fewest oil-downs during the season?

NHRA’s official release regarding the program says: “monetary fines will be in effect at all 24 events but points penalties will be waived during the six-race NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.”

If a racer could be kept out of the Countdown for losing points for oiling the track in the “regular” season why should those that make the Countdown no longer have to worry about losing points should they oil the track?

Just Wondering... At the U.S. Nationals, since NHRA announced they would restore the tradition of multiplying racers total points earned by 1.5, shouldn’t they do the same for oil-down points penalties at the greatest drag race and reward the teams that don’t oil?

Just Wondering... Should U.S. Nationals fans start lobbying the NHRA now to bring back the real Top Fuel bike class for the Nats? I say yes, bring back the supercharged nitro-injected bikes that once brought thousands of bikers and nitro fans to the Nationals. Remember when there was a huge parking lot just for motorcyclists at Indy and it was always filled?

Just Wondering... Wouldn’t it be good for the PDRA series if they allowed an injected nitro engine combination for the Pro Extreme class? They already allow every other combination of power adder and fuel in Pro Extreme. I believe that a blown Pro Extreme car in the PDRA can use a combination of gasoline, alcohol and nitrous oxide injection if they want, so why not injected nitro? I know of at least one car with that combination that is sitting ready to race.

Just Wondering... Is it time for the NHRA to limit the Competition Eliminator racers to 10 national events a year just to keep the class alive? There were just 18 entries total in Comp at the Winternationals, the fewest entries in any class at the event. That is an indicator of an unhealthy class.