Just Wondering… Which NHRA class will die from lack of participation first: Pro Stock or Competition Eliminator? They both attract about the same number of entries at national events these days and both are among the NHRA’s least atttended and most technically challenging classes.

Just Wondering… If you are a ticket-buying NHRA or IHRA fan what one thing would you like either of those sanctioning bodies to do that would make you more willing to buy a ticket to one of their national events?

Just Wondering… Why don’t all NHRA and IHRA tracks have vendors going through the crowds selling beers and dogs like they do at most other major league sports? I know I buy more food and drink if I don’t have to stand in line with 20 other people waiting to place an order while racing is going on the track.

Just Wondering… Why doesn’t the NHRA -- who traditionally have controlled the jet car exhibition classes -- allow jet cars to actually race? Unlike they were 50 years ago, jets aren’t quicker or faster than Top Fuel or Funny Cars which was the original reason I believe for NHRA not allowing them to race. I would like to see the IHRA expand their jet program to allow jet Funny Cars to actually race.

Just Wondering… On that same subject since the  IHRA already allows jet dragsters to race each other at every Nitro Jam and they give the winner an Ironman trophy, why not charge an entry fee and allow a jet F/C or dragster that will pass NHRA/IHRA tech to race?itro cars race.

Just Wondering… Am I the only one who thinks that since both the NHRA and IHRA folded to parent pressure and lowered the age limit for Jr Dragster drivers to five that they should also limit the max age of Jr Dragster drivers to 12 years old? Increasing prize money and offering championships puts a lot of pressure on a five-old driver or even a 12-16 year old one. Was that the intent of the class? I don’t think so!

Just Wondering… Why isn’t there a series for the ‘Ten Wide” racers like the PDRA? The “Ten Wide/Radial” racers today offer the entertainment, excitement and wide-open racing that Pro Mod used to.  Does anyone but me remember when Pro Mod/Pro Extreme cars were the most entertaining in motorsports? These days the NHRA/IHRA  Pro Mods and PDRA Pro Extreme and Pro Boost cars are still bad-fast and quick but these days the tracks are so good and the cars so controlled that for me they no longer are the cars and drivers that  made them unique in drag racing.

Just Wondering… As a fan would you rather watch Pro Mod/Pro Extreme cars that more often than not do relatively short burnouts and then go straight up the track or the old school Pro Mods and Pro Extreme cars that did long burnouts and were just as likely to slap the guardwall on the lap as not? What racers call good racing is often not very entertaining!

Just Wondering… Am I the only one that believes the device required on all NHRA/IHRA pro classes that automatically deploys the chutes and turns off the fuel makes for much less competent drivers of those cars? I hear from more than one crew chief that drivers more and more depend on those devices to do their job. What happens when that device fails to do its job and by the time the driver figures out it isn’t going to work it’s too late to recover?

Just Wondering… Are  drivers trying to get a professional class license required to demonstrate that they can, in an emergency, deploy the chutes and get the fuel pump(s) shut off themselves if the device that is supposed to do that job for them fails?

Just Wondering… Why isn’t there a requirement that in order to get a license in a Top Fuel or Funny Car a driver first has to spend at least a half-year driving an Alky Dragster or Funny Car?  I know of no other professional motorsport where a driver can license and compete in the premier classes without some prior experience.

Just Wondering… If the NHRA is successful in selling the pro classes what is to keep the pro fessional nitro and Pro Stock teams from forming their own organization and negotiating with the new owners on their own? None of the NHRA pro teams have any contractual obligations to compete in the NHRA; they are all independent contractors. So what would keep them from negotiating their own contract with the new “owners” or even with individual national event tracks to bring a Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock program to those tracks?

Just Wondering… I always hear talk about NHRA’s pro classes “boycotting” an NHRA national event as a bargaining chip to get changes and concessions from the NHRA. So my question is, why haven’t the NHRA sportsman considered doing the same thing? I’m guessing that if no sportsman showed at an NHRA national event the track owners/operators would make some changes happen.