No funny business at Mile-High Nationals

NHRA feels shorter track will keep drivers alive

By Scott Stocker, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 11, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

Text size  

• 2 Comments
• Email
• Print

Funny Car driver Gary Scelzi warms up his tires before a qualifying run at last year's Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway. Of the NHRA's decision to shorten the track to 1,000 feet this year, he says, "Hopefully, it's not permanent."

The NHRA believes a shorter track will make for safer racing starting today in the 29th Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.

Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars will race 1,000 feet instead of the traditional quarter-mile (1,320 feet). The decision to reduce the distance for the nitro-fueled cars came in the aftermath of the accident that killed world champion Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta on June 21 in Englishtown, N.J.

"A big portion of the drivers support the 1,000-foot track," said Graham Light, NHRA senior vice president of racing operations. "Pure and simple, this is to ratchet the speeds back while we look at long-term solutions. Cars are going too fast for this distance right now, but the length of the track is only one issue. We don't want this to be a knee-jerk plan, and we would like to return to the 1,320-foot distance."

But not every driver supports the decision.

"I think the 1,000-foot deal is a knee-jerk reaction," said Rod Fuller, the defending Top Fuel champion in the Mile-Highs. "I'm not for it. I think there's a lot of other things that we could have done to slow these cars down and run a quarter-mile. Hopefully, it's a short-term fix."

The NHRA records for top speed are 336.15 mph for Top Fuel and 333.66 mph for Funny Car. The NHRA added weight to both classes this season in an effort to slow them down somewhat.

Safety is the top priority for the NHRA, which recorded its sixth fatality since 1983.

"Hopefully, it is not permanent," Funny Car driver Gary Scelzi said. "But if it saves lives, then I'm all for it. I'm glad and proud that the NHRA is making such a bold call, no matter what you think, to keep the drivers safe."

Light said the change will not take anything away from the fans in terms of excitement and was made by the NHRA in collaboration with the professional teams.

John Bandimere Jr., owner of Bandimere Speedway, said he wasn't happy with the decision at first. But his staff was quick to make the changes needed at the track to accommodate the ruling. In the beginning, the NHRA was only going to make the change at a few of its facilities.

"I asked the NHRA, 'If they were going to do it at our track, would they promise me that they would do it for the rest of the year?' " Bandimere said. "They came back that very same day and said it was a done deal, they would run 1,000 foot the rest of the season. That makes it fair, too, where we can go to our fans and say what is fair for us is fair for the rest of the tracks.

"I'm hearing rumors that it may never go back to 1,320 foot," Bandimere said. "If it does go back to 1,320, that is fine. Safety is of the utmost importance, and I applaud the NHRA for making a safe decision."

National record performances in Top Fuel and Funny Car won't be officially recorded at the shorter distance.

HITTING ON ALL CYLINDERS

Tony Schumacher, who comes into the Mile-High Nationals leading in Top Fuel Dragster with 1,062 points, is seeking his fifth consecutive world championship and sixth overall.

He has won five national events this season and 46 overall and is only seven victories short of surpassing the all-time national victory total set by Joe Amato.

Schumacher won the Mile-Highs in 2005 and has finished as the runner-up in 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2006.

NOMINATIONS

Schumacher and 2007 NHRA Rookie of the Year Ashley Force have been nominated for ESPYs.

Force, the daughter of John Force, also was recently featured in Men's Fitness and Sports Illustrated.

Ashley Force will compete in Funny Cars at the Mile-High Nationals.

• July 11, 2008

  10:15 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  kc02 writes:

  I think it's a shame they shortened the track. I don't want to diminish Scott Kalitta's death, or his loss...But what if the shortened the Indy 500 every time there was a fatality? They'd be running the Indy 133 or something. The Daytona 217. The 3 hours of Le Mans. Play 3 quarters of football, and reduce injuries.
  The 1320 track length should be sacred in drag racing, and the Bandimere track is certainly safe to run the full races. If Englishtown wasn't safe, they need to correct that. Driver safety is paramount, and nothing should interfere with that, but if 1000 feet is safer than 1320 feet, then 300 feet is safer still, right? You could just have a cackle-fest and nobody would get hurt. Except for driving home.
  BRING BACK THE 1320'!!!!!

• July 11, 2008

  10:41 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Buckwheat writes:

  kc02:
  Well put. 1000'? Are they kidding? If Scott were alive, I am sure he would be pizzed. 1000' indeed.. What a crack pot idea, the 1/4 mi is sacred, and will change the face of drag racing in America.

Featured

• DNC in Denver

  

  Complete coverage of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

• The Crevasse

  

  A five-part series that examines one tragic day on Mount Rainier.

• Deadly denial

  

  Sick nuclear workers applied for government compensation but most haven't seen a dime.

• Final Salute

  

  The Rocky followed Maj. Steve Beck as he took on the most difficult duty of his career.

• 'Colorado's burning'

  

  Coverage of the state's worst wildfires.

• Columbine shootings

  

  Coverage of the April 20, 1999, shootings at Littleton's Columbine High School.

• The Crossing

  

  Colorado's deadliest traffic accident killed 20 children on Dec. 14, 1961.

• Osveli's journey

  

  Osveli Sales left Guatemala for a better life. Two months later, he came home in a box.

• Wake for an Indian warrior

  

  Oglala Sioux bestow a tribute to the first tribal fatality in Iraq.