Melanie Troxel entered the volatile world of nitro Funny Cars with few
preconceived notions. The Avon, Indiana-based Top Fuel veteran knew
converting from her 300-inch wheelbase dragster to the shorter confines
of a nitro-burning Funny Car would provide the challenge of a lifetime.

Those who know the six-time (two in Top Alcohol Dragster) national
event winning Troxel admit she’s up to any challenge. Funny Car will
prove no different.

Add into the mix an off-season of uncertainty with Funny car chassis
design specs and sponsorship issues, Troxel’s first days were anything
but a walk in the park.

My name is Don Long.  For
more than five decades I’ve designed and built Top Fuel dragsters, cars that
have won more races than I can count, along with numerous championships and
builder’s awards that I’m very proud of. 
But, the thing I’m most proud of is my chassis safety record, which is
perfect.

I’ve been actively involved with SFI since it first came into
existence.  I was the senior member of
the former (disbanded June 7, 2006) SFI Chassis Committee.  There’s been enough written about the SFI in
recent months for it to be unnecessary for me to explain what it is and what
it’s supposed to do.

For those of you having difficulty understanding – and even
coherently reading – the recent SFI Top Fuel Chassis Spec, please be assured
that it’s not you.  This spec has become
almost completely incomprehensible on both the scientific and interpretive
levels due to a number of factors.

Drag racing, on both the
NHRA and IHRA side of the track, is at an important crossroads.  The decisions made, or not made , over the
next year or so will go a long way towards determining the sport’s long term
future.  Will it grow into the mega-sport
many think it could become, or will it continue to more or less muddle along,
never quite reaching the heights we’d all hoped for?

It was a real “Winter”nationals. 

There wasn’t snow on the ground as there was once, years ago, but there
was a nice dusting of white capping the San Bernardino Mountains north
of Auto Club Raceway.  In fact, maybe it was Southern California
“winter weather,” but for the hordes of fans who came from back east it
had to be a respite from the truly cold weather many of them have been
experiencing.  Throughout the weekend bright sunshine and clear skies
helped make the season-opening race one of the most pleasurable in
recent memory.

There was more going on at Pomona than we can possibly cover here, and
besides, our intent is never to tell you a “race story.”  Rather, we
like to bring you the highlights you might not see on television or
read about elsewhere.

In days gone by the Winternationals became the place to debut a new
team or car.  Then, for more years than we can count, those debuts were
often put off until the Gatornationals in mid-March.  Such was not the
case this time, however, as there was more new iron than you could
shake a stick at on the grounds at Pomona.

Each year our “crack”
staff of prognosticators joins together shortly after the final test session to
determine the champions of the upcoming season. We had a dismal 25% success rate last
season but we feel good about our chances this year. Here’s how we see it all
shaking out for 2008.

The HDP Board of Directors, as
required in SPAC transactions, approved of the proposed acquisition of NHRA’s
professional drag racing assets on May 29^th, 2006. The required
proxy solicitation statement became effective on December 24^th,
2006. The next step in the acquisition process, in accordance with Delaware law, as stated
in the HDP certificate of incorporation, and in accordance with SPAC procedure,
is to hold a Special Meeting of HDP stockholders to vote on several issues
related to this proposed acquisition. The meeting is scheduled for 10:00 AM on
January 31^st at the law offices of Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles.

Life was good for Phil Burkart last season.

The veteran NHRA Funny Car driver filled in aptly for icon John Force
last season following Force's horrific crash in Dallas, winning four of
six elimination runs while piloting the Castrol Ford Mustang to a
runner-up finish at the season-finale Auto Club NHRA Finals in early
November.

However, with Force expected to be ready by the season-opening
Winternationals at Pomona in early February, Burkart's plans for 2008
are wide open.

"I don't know what my plans are right now," said Burkart, who also
advanced to the finals of the Gatornationals in March while driving for
Paul Smith. "It's still up in the air. I don't have any contract, or
any real word on what's going to happen."

Once upon a time, less
than 30 years ago, a foreign car maker could enter an American racing series
dominated by American-made cars and not be the subject of continuing
controversy.

Those of you who also watch circle track racing know a
lot of hands have been wrung the past couple of years over NASCAR’s decision
to grant Toyota eligibility to run its Camry coupes and Tundra trucks in the
Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series.

Besides the
idea of letting a Japanese manufacturer participate in what was always the
all-American sport of stock car racing, the worry was, and is, that Toyota
would spare no expense to engineer winning cars and trucks, possibly driving
American car makers out of the game. It’s how Toyota and Honda engines came
to dominate Indy Car and Champ Car racing in the late 1990s and early 2000s,
forcing Ford and General Motors out of those series, although that hasn’t
happened in NASCAR – yet.

In this world there are leaders and there are followers. As we see it,
in the drag racing world, NHRA management has settled into a position
that suits them well -- following.

Where do we start; with the championship format or maybe we should make a run at the still unpublished Funny Car specs?

Forgive us, isn't the SFI responsible for providing the specifications;
at least that’s what the NHRA has said for years and is even now
telling their critics. John Force Racing and Ford’s engineers are
designing a new chassis and we are waiting for the results of their
tests. 

Since when is an entity outside of the SFI and a competing race team
responsible for establishing  chassis designs and specifications?

Since 1999, Torco's CompetitionPlus.com has offered the spirit of friendly competition amongst the racing community in a "Best of" competition. Our readers have assisted us in voting on everything from the best drag racers to their favorite message boards to the prestigious Person of the Year.

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