Robbie go to a local S/SS race and get the car sorted out and you'll see there are lots of cars. Go to a div race and you'll see a difference, then go to a national and it'll be totally different again. (in everything, not just car count)
Edit: Here's a link to a thread in 2007 complaining about how bad nhra is treating the sportsman and that the end is near.
http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=629
One quote is
"NHRA= NOT HELPING RACERS ANYMORE"
Yup, it was going on long before that too and in 10 years people will still be saying "well, this is it, S/SS is done, nhra doesn't want us"