[Lew Silverman]

As it was explained to me, by the facility manager and others, is that this is something that has been going on for a while, especially at Gainesville and Atlanta. The owner/promoter at the track brings in the top 8 points earners of one of their weekly ET Bracket classes to both showcase them and make the fans aware of what's available when the "Big Show" moves on. This shouldn't negatively affect any of the other classes in competition there this weekend because; their footprint on the property is very small, there is no "purse" involved (they are racing for a "Wally") and anything that is done to help bring more fans to the sport should be beneficial for everyone. These are local racers performing in front of a "hometown" crowd, and I doubt that Fox Sports will be giving them any airtime on the national broadcast, either, kind of like us!

If the problem is the necessity of having to travel to divisional events to earn grade points, or unrealistic eliminator quotas at National Events, or only having class eliminations at certain stops on the tour, then you need to direct your concerns to the management at the NHRA, as they are the ones who put that system together. And it probably would be a good idea to have an alternative to what we have to work with now, especially if you think you have a better way to do it. I have never understood why we need to constantly keep bashing another group of racers who are just trying to have as much fun enjoying their hobby as we all seem to be.

Just one man's opinion - your mileage may vary!