PRO sends a nice letter to NHRA

[SteveR]

The Professional Racers Organization sent a letter to NHRA regarding the 4-Wide race two weeks ago. They said they voted 61-3 to NEVER run a 4-Wide race ever again, and if NHRA tries to run one again, the PRO will protest the event and no pro teams will show up. Following this Bruton Smith, the owner of both the ZMax Dragway and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (of which two weeks ago he said he was rebuilding LVMS to be another 4-wide track) said "I've invested A LOT of time and money into the NHRA, I guess it's time for me to back off". Not sure what he meant by "back off", but if he pulls that money out of NHRA, I don't know who if anybody would step up with that kind of money to fill the void. It would be like the Torco debacle to the tenth power. After all this, Warren Johnson said "the Professional Racers Organization is nothing more than a bunch of sniveling annoying little crybabies trying to do nothing more than destroy the sport of drag racing"

[BigRocsFirebird]

hahah

[79CamaroDiva]

so... what exactly was their problem with the 4 wide racing? From what I understand, the racers hated it, but the spectators really dug it. I didn't watch, so I don't know

[kazman]

Originally Posted by 79CamaroDiva

so... what exactly was their problem with the 4 wide racing? From what I understand, the racers hated it, but the spectators really dug it. I didn't watch, so I don't know

I was watching the 4 wide event on tv and saw 2 funny cars explode on the same run. A new meaning for fins to the right and fins to the left. I can only guess how scarey it gets on the top end in a "normal" run with shoots everywhere.

[SteveR]

Originally Posted by 79CamaroDiva

so... what exactly was their problem with the 4 wide racing? From what I understand, the racers hated it, but the spectators really dug it. I didn't watch, so I don't know

Most of the racers hated it. Only three voted for it to ever happen again. I know Warren Johnson was one and I think Jeg Caughlin was another. Not sure who the third was. I personally found the 4-wide qualifying kinda meh, but the eliminations were pretty interesting. All of the teams are so used to coming up with a tune strong enough to run the track while looking at the previous run of who they'll be facing next round, but in 4-wide, the dynamics are much more involved. You have three competitors, four lanes, and lane choice in order of best previous run. I think it makes it a bit more competitive, but also a bit more risky. In a two lane race you can get an idea if the other guy spun the tires or not, but in 4-wide you can't see two of the other three cars so everyone went balls out in eliminations to get to the stripe as fast as possible. I think it made it pretty entertaining. It did lead to some crazy incidents though like Robert Hight and Jeff Arend running into each other. I also find it funny that at least one Pro Stock driver voted FOR the 4-wide races seeing that Pro Stock had the hardest time with it. The staging was all ridiculous. People were staging late, getting on the limiter to early or to late, leaving way late, etc. The nitro classes seemed to do ok with it as they leave of idle. I think a lot of the drivers didn't like it because the way NHRA did the points for it was kinda weird. Instead of it being the typical 20 points per round winner ends up with 80 plus qualifying, it was winner ends up with 100 plus qualifying and there were only three rounds of racing, so if you went out first round in a 4-wide round or DNQ'd, you got majorly screwed on points. I personally think a lot of teams didn't like it because it was a lot harder for them to actually come up with a solid tune each round. Each team only gets one qualifying run in each lane prior to eliminations so the crew chiefs have to really look at the track, at how the other teams are running, and changing conditions. That plus the only data prior to that race as the one race last fall there.

In side news, ZMax (Bruton Smith) said ZMax is no longer the title sponsor for it's own race at it's own track (ZMax Dragway) from now on. O'Reilly stepped up and agreed to foot the bill for the remainder of the races scheduled there this season and the two proposed races next year.

[iroc86NJ]

On Wind tunnel, Dave Despain mentioned that this race was so poorly received by both spectators (on TV and in the Stands) and by race teams participating that in the future 4-wide races will be exhibition only.

Hopefully for points races this will be true.

[SteveR]

There's supposed to be a place on ESPNs website where you can vote for it but I can't find it anywhere.