[Bill Harris]

NHRA is in the entertainment business. Being able to claim 300+ MPH speeds is a big deal to the advertisers since it helps to draw the spectators. The fact is, however, that very few spectators are in the position to experience the cars when they are at those speeds. Quite the contrary, the highest cost/most desirable seating at a national event is at the starting line where the cars are rarely moving faster than walking speed. The show is at the starting line, the burn-outs, staging and initial launch. The folks in the "good" seats see two cars heading off into the distance and the only experience they have with 300 MPH is the number that comes up on the scoreboard. A lot of tracks don't even have seating at the finish line, and if they do, those are the cheap seats (or the ones they let us lowly sportsman racers sit in).

The NHRA has been the one that has highlighted the speeds as opposed to the competition aspect of the race. "Come see 300 MPH Top Fuel and Funny Cars!" The fact that the cars are in a competition with one another is secondary to the show: the speed, noise, smoke, fumes, the pit access and activity, the "personalities" are emphasized, not the competition. As long as the speeds are the focus, it's going to be pretty hard for them to slow down the fuel cars and keep the fans happy, even though the speed is probably the least important aspect to the actual race. I guess as long as the cars are capable of 300 MPH in 1000', Joe six-pack probably won't care, all he sees is a number on a board 1/4 mile away.