SEPARATING THE OUTLAWS FROM THE LEGAL EAGLES

IN RESPONSE TO ROGER BURGESS LETTER

I absolutely agree with Roger Burgess. It seems in everyone's excitement for a new series that the differences betwen a legal 1/4 mile pro mod and an outlaw 1/8 mile race car become very blurred. I like the ADRL but it is outlaw and only 1/8 mile racing. Please make sure your readership understands the difference. If you do you would be the only publication to do so. Thanks for listening. - Bob Mencel

SEPARATING THE OUTLAWS FROM THE LEGAL EAGLES

IN RESPONSE TO ROGER BURGESS LETTER

I absolutely agree with Roger Burgess. It seems in everyone's excitement for a new series that the differences betwen a legal 1/4 mile pro mod and an outlaw 1/8 mile race car become very blurred. I like the ADRL but it is outlaw and only 1/8 mile racing. Please make sure your readership understands the difference. If you do you would be the only publication to do so. Thanks for listening. - Bob Mencel


I think Roger Burgess made a point that needed to be made, as a European Pro Mod driver/owner of a car which is a IHRA legal car I believe Pro Modified and Pro Extreme are two totaly different classes. - Graham Ellis


Roger, did someone get your cookies or should I say did someone get your money. One of the Pro Nitrous cars from the ADRL got your championship over the past weekend if I am not mistaken. I worked national events for the IHRA for several years during the beginning of ProMod and I have attended ADRL races. For my money the ADRL is more exciting than anything IHRA or NHRA has to offer. That's my 2 cents worth. - Ron Sharp



The way things are going for the "Legal Eagles" in the IHRA and NHRA, they won't have any venue to race at except the ADRL. ADRL Pro/Extreme and Pro/Nitrous cars ARE NOT Pro/Modified cars. They aren't even Outlaw Pro/Modified cars. They are Pro/Extreme and Pro/Nitrous cars and include some of the greats of fast doorslammer cars; Quain Stott, Mike Janis, Shannon Jenkins, Charles Carpenter, and numerous others. So what if they use HUGE screw blowers, monster engines, or even traction control devices and only race for 1/8th mile. They are fast, exciting, and ultra competitive which is what drag racing is all about, or used to be in the IHRA or NHRA. - Christopher Buck

10-16-2009

I'll preface this by saying that CompetitionPlus.com is my go-to web site for news about drag racing. Rarely does an entire day go by without me coming here to get my drag racing news.

However, I'm really disappointed that your experienced reporters, writers and editors are not more careful to report the differences between a PRO MODIFIED Car and a NO RULES, NO WEIGHT LIMIT, OUTLAW CAR (aka Pro Extreme or Pro Nitrous in ADRL) and constantly report "record runs" in these outlaw events as if they have done something special when compared to the records of true, legal 1/4 mile, Pro Mod Cars.

It's aleady confusing enough to figure out the difference between all of these classes -- even to real race fans.  IHRA "invented" the class and is the only sanctioning body that currently includes 1/4 mile, Pro Modified rules in their rule book.

NHRA considers it an "Exhibition Class" and allows whoever is running it to pretty much set their own rules. However, they do enforce those rules and require cars to be weighed and fuel to be checked after every winning run.

ADRL has a LIMITED RULES, 1/8th mile class called Pro Extreme and another one called Pro Nitrous with no weight limits, no engine combination limits and very liberal Blower rules. They are some of the quickest and most exciting race cars in the world.  But, they are NOT Pro Modified cars by the definition in the IHRA Rule Book (and, current NHRA Rules). ADRL does not have a 1/4 mile outlaw class and does not report 1/4 mile records.

A true Pro Modified blower car that complies to the existing weight and power rules cannot compete in a 1/8th mile race with the top cars and drivers from ADRL. But, I believe, that the reverse is also true. Put the same weight and power rules on those cars and I don't think that they would be competitive in the 1/4th mile against the top guys currently running the NHRA Pro Mod Challenge. Remember: I said cars, not drivers or tuners. Guys like Mike Janis, Scott Cannon, Quain Stott, Shannon Jenkins, Todd Tuttorow, Mike Castellana, Jim Oddy, Ricky Smith, Burton Auxier, Josh Hernandez and any other current 1/8th mile driver or tuner that has had success in legal 1/4 mile Pro Modified racing will still be competitive in either format. But, the cars will be drastically different.

Folks, it is easier to run quick and fast when you can add hundreds of horsepower to your car while taking off weight, than it is when you are restricted to specific power combinations and a minimum weight.

It's OK (and impressive) to report that Cannon ran the first 5.7x 1/4 mile in a "Door Car" but, it's not OK to imply and insinuate that his car broke a record and was a legal Pro Modified car. He wasn't required to weight 2,650 pounds after the run. He wasn't required to have his fuel checked to make sure that he wasn't running an additive. The pictures show that he was running an "illegal blower" that makes several hundred horspower more that a legal one according to the then published IHRA and NHRA rules. And, if current scuttlebutt is accurate, he could have been running electronic traction control that would make getting the tune up easier and the car easier to drive.

His 1/4 mile run last year and those of Von Smith's this year are impressive, but THEY ARE NOT RECORD 1/4 mile Pro Modified runs.

Please, help educate your readers and drag racing fans about the differences in these "classes" and be more careful of how you report these quick and fast door car runs.

Once again, I am both a constant reader of CompetitionPlus.com and a big fan of fast doorslammers all over the world.

But, to quote a famous person whose name I cannot remember: "An accomplishment that cannot be compared against a standard may not be an accomplishment at all." - Roger Burgess

DISCLAIMER - The views presented in these feedback letters are the opinions of the individual author, and do not necessarily represent those of CompetitionPlus.com, its staff and advertisers.