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Volume XI, Issue 7 July 29, 2009DRAG RACING <strong>Online</strong> will be published on the 8th of eachmonth and will be updated throughout the month.Back to wonderingJust Wondering … Did you know thatwhen the NHRA headquarters buildingwas in North Hollywood and Wally Parkswas the prez there were just 11employees total in the building notcounting the division directors? At leastthat’s the number some former NHRAemployees who worked at NHRA backthen tell me. These days I understandthat, after many layoffs, there still aremore than 200 employees at theGlendora headquarters alone.Just Wondering … What exactly NHRAboard member Dallas Gardner does onthose 12 or so days a year he has towork to justify his $300,000+ salary?Just Wondering … Do any of the board of directors at the IHRA (which includes NHRApromoters Bill and Billy Bader) get a stipend close to what Dallas Gardner does?Just Wondering … Am I the only one who thinks that the NHRA ought to do away withthe auto-start on the starting line and give the controls back to Rick Stewart? I think theauto-start dehumanizes the sport. When the late Buster Couch ran the starting line like alittle kingdom I have to say he certainly contributed to the overall entertainment of NHRAdrag racing -- and his word was law!Just Wondering … Does it appear that most of those in management positions in dragracing continually underestimate the intelligence of their racers and fans? I think the execswho have never been directly involved as racers themselves are especially guilty of this.Just Wondering … If the 300-mph speed number is so important for the attraction andsuccess of NHRA or IHRA drag racing, why then, when either sanctioning body does apromo piece for TV they never show a montage of 300-mph passes but instead theyconcentrate on the crashes, engine explosions and fires?Just Wondering … If NASCAR survived and even grew tremendously despite radicallychanging their engine rules to basically prevent 200-mph lap speeds, why would fuel dragracing be any less exciting at speeds under 300?Just Wondering … Will John Force sooner than later have to give up driving to spendmore time promoting and getting sponsorships like his peers and fellow team owners DonPrudhomme, Don Schumacher and Kenny Bernstein?Just Wondering … How much longer will the Ford Motor Company continue to supportfour John Force Funny Car teams and two Tasca Ford FC teams? That's six teams and alot of money to invest in just one class where, if we weren’t told the cars are Mustangs, noone would know.Just Wondering … Why the NHRA sees a need to engineer a completely new enginecombination to slow down their Top Fuel and Funny cars when the nostalgia nitro burnershave proven beyond any doubt that mandating a single fuel pump with less volume, asmaller supercharger with less overdrive, a single mag and a smaller tire, or anycombination of these, will slow down nitro cars? It's not rocket science, people.DRAG RACING <strong>Online</strong> owes allegiance to no sanctioning bodyand will call 'em as we see 'em. We strive for truth,integrity,irreverence and the betterment of drag racing. We have no agendaother than providing the drag racing public with unbiased informationand view points they can't get in any other drag racing publication.EDITORIALEditor & Publisher, CEO Jeff BurkManaging Editor, COO Kay BurkEditor at Large Bret KepnerEditor at Large, Emeritus Chris MartinBracket Racing Editor Jok NicholsonNostalgia Editor Jeff UtterbackContributing Writers Will Hanna, Darr Hawthorne,Susan Wade, Dale WilsonAustralian Correspondent Jon Van DaalEuropean Correspondent Ivan SansomPoet Laureate Bob FisherCartoonists Jeff DeGrandis, KennyYoungbloodCopy Editor Marissa GaitherPHOTOGRAPHYSenior Photographer Ron LewisContributing Photographers Adam Cranmer, James Drew,Todd Dziadosz, Don Eckert,Steve Embling, Steve Gruenwald,Zak Hawthorne, Bret Kepner, TimMarshall, Mark Rebilas, IvanSansom, Jon Van DaalPRODUCTIONCreative Director/ Webmaster Matt SchramelGraphic Designer Marissa GaitherProduction Assistant Clifford TunnellSite Programmer/ IT Consultant Adrienne TravisADVERTISINGDirector of Sales Darr Hawthorne (818-424-6656)FINANCIALChief Financial Officer Richard BurkAccounts Manager Casey AraizaHosted ByAgent 1320At the Back Door(caption contest)Letter to the Editor(for publication)New product press releasesRacing Net Source LLC114 E. Elm St. , Ste. 8O'Fallon, MO 63366-2642636.272.6301 / fax 636.272.0412Burk's Blast - Back to Wondering - Page 1 of 2 - dragracingonline.com
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