The hot topic of conversation this past offseason in NHRA’s nitro Funny Car ranks was about what was going to be done about laid-back headers.

Well, Competition Plus has learned the sanctioning body has decided on the matter. The following letter was addressed to nitro Funny Car teams from Tim White, NHRA’s Director of Engineering:

After further review and discussion, the NHRA Technical Department has made a decision to leave the minimum header angle on Funny Cars at 32 degrees for the remainder of the 2017 season. In an effort to improve drivability, the portion of the firewall between the skin of the body and the chassis can be raised from the current maximum of 12 inches to 15 inches. Additionally, the leading edge front fender flares or lips may be increased in size from the current maximum width of 1 inch to 1.5 inches. These rule changes are effective immediately. To be proactive, the NHRA Technical Department is announcing at this time that the minimum Funny Car header angle for the 2018 season will be increased above the current 32-degree minimum. The announcement of the specifics of this new requirement for 2018 will be made at a future date early enough in 2017 to allow teams sufficient time to procure new headers.  

Matt Hagan, who won NHRA Funny Car world championships in 2011 and 2014, thinks the decision for 2017 to leave things the same with the headers makes sense.

Hagan has won the first two races of the 2017 season – the Winternationals (Feb. 12) and the Arizona Nationals (Feb. 26) – while driving for Don Schumacher Racing.

“I think that’s exactly what NHRA had to do, keep it the same,” Hagan said. “It’s not really fair for these folks who have worked in the offseason to fine tune things to make things work and then go out here and change things after the season has started. I’m not having a problem driving the race car with the way the headers are. I know several of our other teammates aren’t either, but there are some teams out here, that some of the drivers are having problems. But, I don’t think it’s fair to penalize someone who is doing fine with them just because you’re trying to help somebody who doesn’t have a handle of them.”

Hagan said NHRA’s decision about 2017 aligned with what most crew chiefs wanted.

“We had a PRO meeting and that’s kind of exactly what was said, all the crew chiefs wanted to keep everything the same and they wanted to have more downforce on the front end so to make the lips bigger and everybody was onboard with it,” Hagan said. “I think that was huge because I thought after Dickie (Venables, Hagan’s crew chief) told me that there would have been a couple of teams here and there that you say we can’t do this and we need to do that, but everybody was on the same page, so I think it would have been really hard for NHRA to come in and say ‘We are going to make this change,’ when all these crew chiefs are all onboard to keep it the same. If you want to change in (2018) then that’s fine, but don’t do something midseason because you go through your whole offseason looking at this as our combination, this is what we’re adapting to and this is the change we are going to make to run the year. To change midseason, that’s craziness, and it doesn’t work. I’m glad NHRA realizes that and I’m glad that’s what they are going to do and I think that’s very smart on their side. Whatever their change may be later, at least right now we get to keep it the same and the fans will be happy and the drivers are happy and the crew chiefs are happy, and those people who struggle a little bit, you have to put your mouthpiece in and drive the race car.”

Driving nitro Funny Cars is no easy task, but that’s what drivers get paid to do.

“You can either drive them or you can’t and we are here to put a show on and these cars are fast and they are a handful,” Hagan said. “But, if everybody can drive one, what do we get paid to do? Having more downforce on the front end and keeping the nose down will definitely help drivability. Plus, who is to say you have to run the headers? Nobody says it’s a rule you must run these headers. If you’re having a hard time driving the car, put the old headers back on.”

Jim Campbell, who is in his second season driving a nitro Funny Car – his first for Jim Dunn Racing – shared some of the same thoughts as Hagan.

“The laid-back headers really make it a driver’s challenge because it really wants to make the front-end light, but it has really increased the thrill for the fans,” Campbell said.

Veteran driver Jeff Arend also agrees with NHRA’s decision and changes for 2017.

“The couple of little things they are changing, allowing teams to move the firewall up higher and bigger lips on the front will give you more front-end downforce, so it should keep the guys who are at the half-track range from pulling the wheels up anymore and doing a little wheel-stand,” Arend said. “I think, for the rest of this year, keeping the (header angle) the same is the fair thing to do because they already started the year off with it. Then, once the year is done they can make their little change, but by the time they make their little change, they will still be plenty fast.”