[Duster 7695]

The two Super Gassers were able to recover and keep their cars off the wall. That was better than the poor driver who crashed Sunday evening before they stopped the race.

I believe that the cold track temperature and the NHRA policy on track preparation probably had a lot to do with the problems that plagued the race. The track becomes very tricky when it is cold. When the cold conditions exist we usually change the way the track is prepped. We change the VHT and Methanol ratio from 50/50 to 75/25 or even 80/20. That usually helps a lot. But when the track temperature drops into the 60 or 50 degree range the prep only lasts a short time

NHRA has a policy that all National event track preparation is the same at every track. They do this so they have a level playing field at all tracks at all National Events. They always use a 50/50 ratio of VHT and Mehanol. That works great almost all of the time at almost all of the tracks. Unfortunately that not the case in Phoenix. I understand why they have this policy and I agree with it.

There was also a lot of discussion about a dip in the left lane at 1000 feet. That must be fairly new because it was not there before. It could have something to do with the problems the Pro Stockers and sportsmen had in that lane. Another consideration is the fact that the Top Fuelers and Funny Cars only run to 1000 feet. They stop laying down rubber at that point, and may even pull a bit off when they deploy their chutes. There seem to be a lot of questions that should be addressed.

I hope NHRA and the track find a way to address the issues and get them resolved. It is in everyones best interest to make sure events like the ones that happened this weekend never happen again.

Raul