Team owner believes shortened distance is the easiest fix for slowing cars …

Don Schumacher has been around drag racing long enough to understand the value of traditionalism. He’s also been around long enough to understand safety always trumps routine.

The veteran team owner has had his differences with the sanctioning body over various issues, but when it comes to slowing the nitro cars and running 1,000 feet in the meantime, he’s certainly on their side of the issue.

“I support the NHRA 100-percent in their decision to keep the cars racing at 1000 feet,” Schumacher said. “I believe it’s helping the sport safety wise by the simple fact it’s giving them another 320 feet to slow down. We’re continuing to work hard with the NHRA to try and slow the cars down to where we can take them back to 1320.

“Reducing the horsepower is a tough road to go,” Schumacher added. “It’s going to be expensive and difficult. It’s going to create situations where you are going to have to keep the tires spinning adequately to get through the clutch. It’s a hard task but we need to continue to work with everything we have to keep these cars as safe as possible for the drivers, spectators and all the racers out here.”

Team owner believes shortened distance is the easiest fix for slowing cars …

Don Schumacher has been around drag racing long enough to understand the value of traditionalism. He’s also been around long enough to understand safety always trumps routine.

The veteran team owner has had his differences with the sanctioning body over various issues, but when it comes to slowing the nitro cars and running 1,000 feet in the meantime, he’s certainly on their side of the issue.

“I support the NHRA 100-percent in their decision to keep the cars racing at 1000 feet,” Schumacher said. “I believe it’s helping the sport safety wise by the simple fact it’s giving them another 320 feet to slow down. We’re continuing to work hard with the NHRA to try and slow the cars down to where we can take them back to 1320.

“Reducing the horsepower is a tough road to go,” Schumacher added. “It’s going to be expensive and difficult. It’s going to create situations where you are going to have to keep the tires spinning adequately to get through the clutch. It’s a hard task but we need to continue to work with everything we have to keep these cars as safe as possible for the drivers, spectators and all the racers out here.”

Sources close to the NHRA management have told CompetitionPlus.com that the sanctioning body does have plans to find a reasonable way to slow the nitro cars down for a return to the quarter-mile, but at present, the issue ranks a distant third on their reported “to do” list.

In the meantime, teams are preparing for the 2009 season, the apparent first full season for the shortened race distance. A full season will enable many of the teams to judge whether the change has had a positive end result on the life expectancy on many of their racing components.

“It certainly has changed the length of time that we can run some parts on the race car,” Schumacher confirmed. “We haven’t been running at 1,000 feet for long enough to determine that it saves us “x” amount of money. But it does appear there’s less breakage and in the end, I believe it’s a better show for the crowd.”

With that better show, one has to always investigate the potential of a return to live television coverage.

“I think there are things because of the lack of oil downs and downtime that may eventually see the way this sport is viewed on television. Hopefully it will change a lot of things.”

Schumacher told CompetitionPlus.com that he’s all for change if it provides a safer alternative than the status quo, but he adds the sanctioning body needs to be mindful of the teams when preparing the “safer” alternatives to slow the cars.

He believes the input of those tuners, who are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, to slow the cars is invaluable in the quest to eventually return to the quarter-mile.

“I think you have to look at the best minds out here, the crew chiefs out here and ask if we can slow these cars down and you have to go to those who have been successful in the past,” Schumacher added. “You have to ask the team owners too. My biggest fear is if we change the way these cars are performing, there will be a tremendous cost to make these changes in parts costs. We don’t need to be spending those dollars at this time. We need to conserve every dollar we have with the way this economy is.”