This is the Stattmann Baby.  Time to Scatt a little bit!!!

I talked with several Nitro team owners and drivers in Dallas this weekend.  I didn’t ask any to go on record about these rumors of a protest from the Professional Racers Organization, the PRO.

But they all agreed that the National Hot Rod Association leadership needs to do more about purses and safety in the Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car classes.

One driver remembered back to 1972, when Big Daddy Don Garlits protested purses and safety and took a group of drivers to Tulsa for a show in competition with the U.S. Nationals in Indy, something that still fumes the NHRA’s founding fathers.

I’m told the purses that day in 1972 were $25,000 to win and this weekend they were $40,000 to win, 32 years later.  And that’s in a sport where competition, safety and rules changes have sent costs spiraling while purses aren’t keeping pace with inflation.

The NHRA says it can’t afford any changes, thus the deadlock.

Is this worth a boycott?

Imagine if you had to write the checks.

Peace…