 |
     |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
Was this what IHRA Top Fuel needed? |
 |
|
I watched in anticipation as the injected-nitro combination made its debut as part of the IHRA Top Fuel program, as did many other drag racing fans. I knew these cars would be behind the eight-ball when it came to competing against their more established supercharged brethren. However, I did expect a bit more than what I saw in San Antonio . Basically, for a group of racers to be given carte blanche with the rule book, yet run no faster than their Top Alcohol Dragster comrades over in the NHRA leaves me disappointed. It's still early in the season, however.
But the IHRA's decision to bring them had exactly the desired effect they hoped for. It beefed up a class once struggling for entries and plugged the excitement back into a division that was awful close to being on a respirator. The average non-gearhead fan had no idea that the injected nitro car didn't belong there. Even the gearheads tuned in because they wanted to see what would happen. I think drag racing could use a few of these kinds of shake-ups along the way. Shakeups like this could mean one of two things; (A) either a class is dying and it's an attempt to reinvigorate it, or (B) sometimes it's time to change the way they do business. I recently wrote an editorial for Drag Racing Action magazine where I drew the conclusion that the IHRA's decision to kick out Buddy Ingersoll's turbocharged six-cylinder Pro Stock car after one successful race forever stunted the growth of that class. To the IHRA's credit, they at least had the balls to give it a whirl. The NHRA, on the other hand, after putting forth regulation after regulation, eventually failed to show for one of the meetings and the proposal fell through the cracks. If you ever wanted to see EFI and today's current technology implemented in Pro Stock and the large budgets that often accompany such a medium, you can thank those racers that moaned and groaned effectively getting Ingersoll's innovative program kicked out. Those are the same racers that lack the corporate support to race today. Maybe the injected nitro combination won't meet the fate of the turbo six-cylinder once the performance creeps up into a competitive state, but I just don't see it happening. We have been saddened over the years at the fact that op Fuel is no longer a class capable of independent participation. The number of quality drivers sitting on the sidelines due to lack of sponsorship has burdened many of us. However, maybe the A/Fuel program might be the ticket to easing some of that stress to the racers on the IHRA side. Who knows? It's darn well worth a try. The one thing that was very evident to me at the IHRA event in San Antonio is that not a single one of the new kids on the block leaked oil on the track. They may have run off into the sand-trap, but that was probably due to the fact of the engine surviving the full length of the track. While my comment was made a bit on the sarcastic side, watching the Top Alcohol Dragster class on the NHRA side had become almost unbearable. Something changed for me in Texas , though. In fact, for a show that is often picked on and accused of being a bunch of leakers, there was not one single drop to fall from the Top Fuel cars, or as Warren Johnson called them Oil Derricks with wheels. I had a front-row seat as IHRA Top Fuel racer Todd Paton voiced his displeasure about the new look of the class. He made the comment that adding any car from any Top Alcohol division is a sure sign the class is its demise. He cited the alcohol Funny Cars being allowed to run with the nitro cars as one of the final things to happen before the IHRA killed it. I don't see this as the same thing. I think the Funny Car decision was one made out of desperation. I am anxiously waiting for the day that an injected nitro car beats a blown entry. That would be a fate, as Paton puts it, worse than getting beat by a girl if you were an eight-year old boy. And now that I think about it, the only reason these A/Fuel cars are oiling down the NHRA tracks is because of the additional restrictions put on them to maintain parity. It kind of makes you wonder why Pro Modified took over as the king of leaker classes in San Antonio . At least in the IHRA's Top Fuel's restructure, they aren't slowing one side down to let another catch-up. Maybe this Top Fuel reinvention will serve as a means to show the IHRA that they can effectively feel safe in branching out for the future in other classes. Some really need to be changed and in a hurry. What do you think, drop us an email at feedback@competitionplus.com . |
