The current NHRA’s testing policy, which limits teams to four test days during the season, was first enacted in 2008 to help alleviate a reported nitro shortage which threatened to shorten the season. The policy was continued in 2009 with a limited amount of tests allotted to each team with the intention of curtailing the rising cost of nitro racing.

However, three-quarters into the 2009 season, teams found loopholes in the policy they could exploit. The NHRA revised their policy for 2010, closing all the loopholes.

Caught in the midst of the new strict enforcement of the testing policy is the development of new drivers into the nitro ranks.

The current NHRA’s testing policy, which limits teams to four test days during the season, was first enacted in 2008 to help alleviate a reported nitro shortage which threatened to shorten the season. The policy was continued in 2009 with a limited amount of tests allotted to each team with the intention of curtailing the rising cost of nitro racing.

However, three-quarters into the 2009 season, teams found loopholes in the policy they could exploit. The NHRA revised their policy for 2010, closing all the loopholes.

Caught in the midst of the new strict enforcement of the testing policy is the development of new drivers into the nitro ranks.

At least two NHRA teams have prominent potential drivers waiting in the wings to begin licensing, but in order to stay within the NHRA’s policy the only way they can move forward is to give up some of their four allotted days, or start new teams with new crews and tuners.

The Kalitta Motorsports team has a potential new driver waiting in the wings but because of the rule cannot move forward during the racing season to get them licensed.

“If there’s an opportunity to bring a new driver up that could be a positive for the sport, but has never driven a nitro car, they need to get the laps,” said Oberhofer, who declined to name the potential driver. “The last thing you want to do is put someone in a car without the laps in a car that isn’t good or safe.”

Relicensing a driver usually takes a single test session depending on the skill level, but for a novice, can quickly eat up the four allotted days. A new driver, according to the teams Attitude’s CompetitionPlus.com talked with, can require as many as 35 – 50 runs to gain a comfort zone.

“Maybe we could create some sort of a program where a driver makes eight laps to the 330 mark,” Oberhofer suggested. “Eight more laps to the 660 … and eight more to the 1000 foot. You just don’t want to give someone a crash course on how to drive a nitro car during pre-season testing.”

Testing is not limited by the NHRA in the off-season months, however many teams limit their outings because of unpredictable weather. Some teams choose to test on the Monday after national events, however a surprising majority of teams now skip those opportunities because their run potential is limited. Monday test sessions, in the past, have been shared with cars from several different classes, limiting the number of runs a team can make. Only the Pro Nitro teams are limited to four testing dates. All other classes are free to test as often as they wish.

In a private test, a nitro team can make as many as five or six laps.

“We have to take our test days and make the most of them,” Oberhofer said. “When you have a new driver that you’re bringing into the sport and this driver has the ability to learn the right way and has the financial resources to do things the right way, we should be able to take advantage of it.

“If we go out and run Doug’s [Kalitta] car and it runs a 3.80, there’s no way we would put a new driver in with that set-up. I just think it could be better if a new driver gets the opportunity to make as many laps as they can.”

Oberhofer said that before the testing ban was in place, the Kalitta Motorsports team, when preparing Hillary Will to drive one of their Top Fuel dragsters, had her make nearly 40 short runs before she made a pass in competition.

Will was a licensed A/Fuel Dragster driver in the Top Alcohol Dragster ranks. She had won on both the national and divisional level.

“Really, all she needed to do was upgrade her license,” Oberhofer said. “She basically did that the first time she drove the car. We could have taken her right from that Indy session and put her right in the car at Pomona, but would that have been the right thing to do? Put her in the car with just four laps? I don’t think so. It wouldn’t have been right for her or anyone she raced against.”

The extra time behind the seat is something incoming drivers need to be able to learn the proper way to react to tire shake, loss of traction or any other adverse condition they might face in competition.

Currently, only one nitro drag racing school of record exists – Paul Smith's Drag Racing School. When it comes to new drivers and major teams, most prefer to train the drivers in their way, using equipment familiar to the instructors and what the driver will experience.

“If they want to come and drive for us, I want them to come drive our car,” Oberhofer said. “We’ve got some good people to teach our new drivers. We have Jeff Arend, who used to work for Frank Hawley, Dave Grubnic and Doug Kalitta.”

A special stipulation in the testing process, Oberhofer believes, would enable incoming drivers to be mentored by the senior drivers on the tour, and inevitably their teammates.

“When Hillary came in, Scott [Kalitta] was her mentor,” Oberhofer said. “He taught her all the procedures of driving. He spent a lot of time with her, writing notes that she would study. That helped her and we have that ability. [Don] Schumacher Racing would have that ability. Alan Johnson Racing would have that ability. We can teach these people.”

With their hands tied by the current testing policy, Oberhofer and other teams are struggling with how they bring in new drivers who are properly prepared for the challenges of driving a Top Fuel dragster or Funny Car.

But as Oberhofer and all the other team owners will tell you, Rome wasn’t built in four test days.