When you wreck a car, a race, you get a talking to by race officials.

One race after crashing three Pro Modified race cars in one weekend and one in testing, NHRA officials gathered the drivers together for a meeting.

No one was scolded. No one was reprimanded.

The NHRA had a genuine concern for the safety of the 240-mph doorslammer drivers.

When you wreck a car, a race, you get a talking to by race officials.

One race after crashing three Pro Modified race cars in one weekend and one in testing, NHRA officials gathered the drivers together for a meeting.

No one was scolded. No one was reprimanded.

The NHRA had a genuine concern for the safety of the 240-mph doorslammer drivers.

“Jim Collins from NHRA came and talked to our drivers,” Get Screened America Pro Mod Series administrator Matthew Brammer confirmed. “Not a reprimand or anything like that, just saying 'guys, we're concerned. What can we do to help you. It was a real positive. 'We're here to help. We want you guys to be safe. Be safe.”

Brammer understands the NHRA’s concerns and appreciates the extension of interest. He understands the very nature of Pro Modified is built on cars running on the ragged edge.

“If you have to put out the bumpers to keep the guys from hurting themselves, that's not a good thing either,” Brammer admitted.

Brammer told CompetitionPlus.com that following the meeting with the NHRA, veteran drag racing school instructor Frank Hawley spent 15 minutes talking with the drivers on the science of changing their minds of when to lift from an errant race car.

This weekend’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals hosted only 12 cars, about half the number of cars invited to participate in the invitational exhibition category.
 
Brammer admitted there were mitigating circumstances which contributed to low car count such as the obvious crashes in St. Louis as well as a multitude of regional Quick Eight races which conflict. Then there is the state of the economy that forces to races to act frugal.

“There are two local Pro Mod Association races that some of the guys running 6.30's, 6.40's, they can go over there and win a race and get a little bit of a bigger purse then come over here and maybe qualify if we had a full field,” Brammer explained. “I've got a list of more than 50 cars that could be competitive here at any time. I think a majority of it is sponsors – the economy is terrible right now. I don't even know that it's so terrible, but I think people are scared and if you are a smaller budget team you take a wait and see attitude. I think that has really played into it.”

One has to wonder if the NHRA needed to have this meeting with the drivers if only to have enough cars to finish the season. 

“If you look at the end of the season, my fields are full,” Brammer contends. “I think it was a perfect storm. This weekend and the next race in Topeka our fields are going to be short. I got a dozen this weekend. In Topeka, right now, I think I've got 16, so it’s going to be short. But, then we get to Englishtown I've got 23 cars, or at least I do now. Everything changes, that’s subject to change.”  

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