A well seeded-in forest of a Web site and a old grove shooting up new sprouts have updated...
Bill Pratt's www.Draglist.com is balancing a group of, I believe, 11 forums to serve the verigated interests of racers and "the hardcore race fan" that Draglist was famously started for. Bill is, frankly, one of the more mature public figures in our sport. He o'rsees the site with an intent to play tough if needed..but never does. Pratt has earned respect over the years for playing nice, encouraging anecdotal history and doing a lotta footwork to maintain Draglist as a statrat playpen. The "rulebook" for contributing is republished this morning. I intend to be a frequent flyer..and friend in the site.

I consider www.fullthrottlenews.com part of my extended racing haunts...tho I'm not sure the Luna/Heath axis running that refitted ship would agree. The sport is SO hard on anyone doing observational journalism..as opposed to promotional reporting. The Full Throttle News of today is now the "official" vox of a healthy half-dozen circuits--as such, FTN has relinquished the persuit of the "controversial", outside of Richard's personal editorial. The letters to the editor section is deleted in favor of press release print. The rag continues to be the upscale newstalgia choice...but the definition of "grass roots" will not allow such as the Brotherhood, Irwindale's street strip coverage, et al. in the gates. As such, I'm sitting on the sidelines, instead of contributing what I'll be the first to agree was just a blog in print of a monthly column.

A couple quick links...

www.alternativefueluniverse.blogspot.com is a shockingly well-designed (this opinion coming from a cat who luddites words..) blog started by a pal of this deal who values workers, freedom and progress. Peg it to find postmod news..I will.

www.lacitybeat.com and www.kerosenebomb.com will keep you up to date on Cole Coonce's published works as they perculate from the middleaging Indie pioneer. BTW, other fans of Wrenchski can see his riffs lain down on Kerosene, also......

Picking and Choosing where to go the final week of June..

I could have attended what, arguably, is this years' smallest organized drag race- the Solar Power purest race over a quarter-kilo in Wenatchee, Wa. (center of the state; famed for Aplets and Cotlets fruit strip pioneers, agrihustling in general..) Total: 3 entries ..Coulda repeated last years' split road trip when we pitterpattered down I5 to Woodburn for two nostalgia meets. This years' first scheduled had a retroflopper show, our buds with the 7.50 second front-engine Top Elim. digger circuit and Howard Anderson uber alles in methanol fueled blown "gasser" elim. which seems to predominate the NW shows, due to heavy emphasis promotion. Good indie show, too; low 7's and 190 mph speeds even in marginal strip conditions.

No, I attended another 2 day meet last weekend. I can't believe I'm writing the words: NHRA National Open. If it hadn't been held at Bremerton, I'd have been VERY resistant. The heat sucked my fluids...and about 2 tenths from the Top Comp cars (named for the now-Tice Jr.-led AHRA lineage..much respect). Top has heated up both in ET's and estim. expenditures. As this blog deals with looking at sustainability, I'm documenting for an expected brief history...at 200g estim. for each 6 sec. operation, the 2nd mort. money alluded to earlier in this site is NOT there as it was the past 4 yrs. That leaves few options beyond legit sponsor funds to keep going......
So, let's go somewhere else! New McAmis chassis (a great '66 replinova) and old TAD chassis missles side-by-side were one great show to co-headline with legit NHRA Class competition in a S/S-Stock combo. The admission (not that I'd bitch with recently-rare press comps..)? Only 10 bucks. 200 MPH (ok, 199 and change...) action for 10 bucks. A good crowd for an ND only promoted show was legit-welcomed by the Handlers Car Club..who acted casual in the impending face of nastymeanrottonroundygoroundprorepublineck (phew!) goings on near the site of our fave Puget Sound strip. It was wonderful to watch Don the Worm Elgin run a full second under his index, keep his sense of humor following a dual early duck sendoff in both S/S and Sportsman
elimination, and load up with his eternal optimism shining down Old Clifton Rd. It was nifty watching long-distance Bonanza strip (Walla Walla!) regulars frantic-grinning into the lanes. I hung Sat. with a trailer full bench racing with Northwest Dragbike clubsters Rex and the eterally looking for his ground-up tuneup Rich Padzus swapping FROGGY tales of John Knox and comparing stories of the NOT RIGHT headspace of exhibition sideshows we'd caught...Captain Jack's Englishtown/ATCO peroxide-rocket skates comes to mind.....There's a reason thousands will focus up on what is, by defin., a bracket show. Quality and class-conciousness...and read into that anything you want.