[Robert Swartz]

Yeah, don't know if enclosed trailers is what hurt drag racing. Even back in the 80's before we quit. There were more new crew cab dually pickups and enclosed trailers than you could shake a stick at. This was just at the local bracket races. I opined then that many of these guys had more money in their tow rigs than we had in our whole operation. Back then the tracks were full as well.

As far as spectators, honestly, they just aren't interested in cars anymore. Here again, in the 80's, friends and coworkers would occasionally show up at the track. Guys at work would always ask about the car. Fast forward to the modern day. Other than my buddy's that have cars themselves, nobody even bothers to ask.

At the track itself. I love the fact that tracks now SELL pit space. I know it produces a revenue stream for the track. I just love going to a track and having to park out in purgatory, then see rows of open spaces that are sold to someone not there.

Another issue, this regards local tracks. Practice passes? Unless you have so many cars that you need to institute control. Why do tracks limit the number of passes? That really galls me to sit around all day waiting to make two passes. Of course some tracks will SELL you a third pass as a dial in race! Just fill up the lanes and let the guys run. I fully understand why T&T's and street nites get crowds, guys get to run their cars.

The new cars in STOCK. I love'em. They're not stockers! Like was said, half the field at Indy were new cars. There will be more next year, even more the year after that. I would say the old traditional stocker is going the way of Modified Production. Add to this the cost of these new cars. What $200-250K to build one of these beasts? I have a pretty modest job, imagine a lot of you guys on this board pay more in taxes a year than what I make. Now relate that to some kid making minimum wage or the $10-11 an hour that most places want to pay these days. Without deep pockets, you won't be building a new car anytime soon. I know by bringing this up, a lot of guys will say "I'll just quit". Stock appearing eliminator or Nostalgia Stock are just around the corner. How long before you see ads with cars for sale, because guys will be saying " can't afford to bracket race this car "? Saw it with MP cars for sale in the early 80's. Most of the stockers today are tricker than a majority of the old MP cars were 35-40 years ago.

I know people have been calling for the demise of drag racing for years. I remember reading an opinion column in one of the magazines when I was teenager, about how, without changes, " drag racing would, instead of being the sport of the 70's, was the sport of the 60's "! I thought the 70's-80's were great. Back to an early point, we were still a car culture then.

I remember when everyone that ran a stocker or SS car in Division 3 looked forward to Indy. Didn't mean they would all be there, that was what you aimed for. Now you have a whole slew of cars that run the points meets and the local combos, don't even concern themselves with the national events.

Enough blathering from an old man. I have work to do.