He Nailed It!

Jok,

We’ve both been at the game of NHRA drag racing for a long, long time. We both know that the way the game is structured the “Haves” of the world are going to win against the “Have-not’s” 95+% of the time. The days of ingenuity and hard work being enough to beat “money” are long gone. In the pro ranks it’s just another game, as you say, for millionaires. It’s always nice when an underdog independent pro team like McMillen or Tim Wilkerson beats the high dollar teams at their own game.

The Greek in my opinion is pushing his luck. My understanding was that Don Schumacher gave The Greek his current car to celebrate his final year of racing T/F. The Greek however has refused to quit while he is still alive. This is likely to be a bad decision that will be remembered for a long time...

I do enjoy the good racing but no one with a clue is going to jump into any of the pro categories unless they have endless cash and other resources to put them on equal footing with the “Haves”. Everybody wants to be a big fish in a small pond.

As far as the NHRA TV package, they are slowly getting some things sorted out. They are under the delusion that they can once again create the rivalries between drivers of the ’60s-80s. I just don’t see that happening for many reasons, not the least of all the viewer distractions that exist. The pit reports are OK and Bruno is a good guy but he is an example of a guy that has substantial means and has had a pretty good life since an early age. It’s no wonder he has been a P/S Indy winner and very successful “sportsman racer. If I was 20 years younger and had his resources I’ll bet I could be a more successful racer than the one I was on a shoe-string budget that won 9 NHRA National event class titles and seen a few NHRA ET/mph records.

I haven’t lost the passion, I’ve lost my youth and never had the financial or other resources. NHRA has an uphill battle to convince the viewing public that NHRA racing is worth their time. F-1 and many other motorsports have the same challenge. CRASHCAR has an unfair advantage because people like to see train wrecks or car crashes. THAT is the primary reason why CRASHCAR is so successful. You even find fans who have favorite drivers or car brands in CRASHCAR. No car company has a legit brand in any of the pro categories other than Chrysler/MOPAR if you want to use the 426 based Hemi in all T/F and F/Cs. The P/S cars don’t even resemble production cars and they never will again.

Enjoy,

Randy Hubbard

Mending fences?

So I am watching the broadcast of the NHRA Summernationals qualifying (recorded of course since it still comes on so late), and what before my wondering eyes appear????????? It’s Big Chief (aka Justin Shearer) of Street Outlaws fame. I grabbed the remote to see why my TV had changed channels, but it was still on the NHRA broadcast.

I am pretty sure I read a few months back when Mr. Burk said in so many words that the NHRA should try to get along with the Street Outlaws. Well, Mr. Burk, they must have listened for a change, because right there on their own produced program was a Street Outlaw. And not just any of them, but the Big Chief of all Street Outlaws. The one of many that were refused their NHRA licenses.

I am sure there is a story there somewhere on how that all came about, but I am also sure that like most information about the NHRA, it is a secret never to be told.

Congrats, Mr. Burk, on promoting to them to mend that fence. Credit where credit due I say.

Enjoy and read your website every day.

Randy Hildebrand

Lebanon, MO