Header Retention Rule Revision

[james schaechter]

Originally Posted by Randall Klein

Look Brett, I admire your history and passion for the sport, however I find your veiled historical snarky comments a little tiring....and not the Boertman comment alone either

At Topeka got ran over by a kid on a mini scooter, at Denver, in the restricted area under the tower, got a rock off a burnout just above the eye, and on and on omver 25 years....stuff happens, and if you've been around for awhile there's plenty of danger at the strip

A nanny state tries to insulate all from any possible consequences....maybe those worried about any potential harm should take up curling...oh wait! There was an injury in curling...maybe just stay in bed

True enough.
I am glad NHRA finally opened their eyes to other acceptable solutions to reduce risk and improve safety. Hopefully, they will learn to take a more reasonable approach to this in the future. If you recall, NHRA was suppossed to be dedicated to safety. That does not mean that all risk is eliminated.
I am sure that top management did not want to perform the due diligence that would have landed them where they are now.
I have said it before. The upper management at NHRA should be facilitating the discussions with qualified experts that they could consult within NHRA, their membership, and others. When they stifle this kind of discussion, they are left with a very narrow range of solutions that carry unintended consequences.
It is a shame that NHRA has no regard for the investment in time and resources that some have put forth in making tethers, but that should not be a surprise.
I think the common sense revision is a good one, and I like it. I just hate the way they got there. It is the same process that affects much of their decision making. I love class racing, I really hope that some changes are made in key positions so that the direction of the association meets the needs of the racers and fans. Even though NHRA dominates now, it will ultimately be replaced in some fashion if they continue to miss the mark on every opportunity. Time for a gut check at the top. Maybe the brass will come out to talk at another National event like they did at Indy. Remember that one....