The National Hot Rod Association has moved on to the fourth race of six in the Countdown to the Championship. But racers only can hope that the sanctioning body won’t forget the shockingly shoddy conditions at the first playoff event and won’t take an out-of-sight, out-of-mind posture.

The Pep Boys NHRA Carolinas Nationals was postponed that scheduled Sunday because of deteriorating track conditions and later rain at zMax Dragway. But the decision came after V Gaines went airborne and somehow miraculously escaped personal injury as his expensive Pro Stock car barrel-rolled.

Racers in all pro classes completed the event the following weekend during qualifying for the AAA Texas FallNationals at Texas Motorplex. The tour moved on to St. Louis without incident and then to Reading, Pa.

Top Fuel’s JR Todd said at Dallas that NHRA officials “made the right call last weekend with track conditions not safe. We had no business racing there on Sunday.”

Funny Car owner-driver Tim Wilkerson said, “The problems were starting to be noticed, and the track was just not in the kind of shape it needed to be in for us to keep going. Even if it hadn’t drizzled a little on us, I don’t see how we could continue.”

Rodger Brogdon, Gaines’ Pro Stock colleague, said, “The track was really terrible the first two passes” and described it as “so loose down the track that once you pull the ‘chutes you’re thinking, ‘Well that’s one of those that I should have pulled the clutch pedal in.’ ”

So the consensus from drivers in all pro classes recognized the surface was a hazard and agreed with Top Fuel’s Morgan Lucas, who said, “When they make a decision with the intention of safety for all of the classes, that is a good move. Regardless of whether everybody thinks it’s right or not, at least they did something and listened to team owners and people who are hands-on and emotionally involved in this. They listened and made a good move.”

That left zMAX Dragway General Manager Christian Byrd to work with engineers to determine exactly what was wrong with the racing surface, then proceed with a solution. He has promised to do that, and he has the trust of the NHRA community because of the Bruton Smith-owned organization’s proven “Exceed Expectations” motto.

And that leaves the NHRA with an opportunity. Rather than beat a dead horse regarding the Charlotte facility, the suggestion here is to use this incident as a trigger for a discussion about the quality of its venues.

Granted, some have not experienced any significant problems that have affected results. But some have. And who would have guessed such a disastrous situation (for all parties) would plague zMAX Dragway, the newest on the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series circuit?

Perhaps the NHRA could adopt a set of minimum standards for its national-event racetracks, much like Minor League Baseball did about two decades ago with each affiliated stadium. Certainly drawing up a specific, itemized list of expectations would have to take into account the fact the NHRA doesn’t own all of the tracks its visits. However, the facilities that the NHRA owns would need to adhere to the same standards it would set for the others.

It would be easy to digress and put larger, more comfortable media centers on the list, along with paved parking and modern restrooms, but the top priority would be the racing surface.

Does that mean all problems will be solved forever? No. Weather and other unpredictable circumstances might cause some trouble now and again.

To its credit, the NHRA did some remedial work on the starting line three years ago at Seattle after Friday night qualifying. And in 2007, the International Hot Rod Association responded to a crumbling track at San Antonio by calling in a paving crew to help its own team fix an eight foot by 650 foot patch in the asphalt section of the right lane, from half-track to the finish line – overnight, through the night. The new asphalt went down at 8 a.m., and the crews had the surface ready to go with little delay later that morning. Even the venerable Daytona International Speedway had its problems during the 2012 Daytona 500.

So stuff happens. But Bruton Smith is fond of calling zMAX Dragway “The Bellagio of Dragways,” referring to one of the toniest resort casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. And it wasn’t this September. Imagine checking into a luxury guest room at The Bellagio and seeing the bed not made or discovering the chefs at the James Beard Award-winning restaurant serving only a tuna melt sandwich or the “Cirque du Soliel” showroom dark or the famous fountain turned off.

That’s the experience racers had at zMAX Dragway.

With a concerted effort that’s specific, fair, and realistic – yet above all, safe for the racers – many of the racing-surface problems can be alleviated. Enforcement, clearly spelled out ahead of time, should be equal and certain. If a racetrack doesn’t comply, its event is in jeopardy of being eliminated.

Maybe it’s time for all the invested parties to address this issue and work together for a better racer and fan experience.