Among the categories in the NHRA that have been hardest hit not just in 2011, but over the last several years have been the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series’ premier classes of Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car. Many of the roughly 35 divisional races where these two classes compete struggle to draw a full 8-car field and national events, which were cut back nearly a decade ago and once did quite well, have struggled to fill the fields, as well.
DRAGZINE received a tip that NHRA officials are in discussions about making some wholesale changes to the Top Alcohol category schedules; this time on a divisional level. Similar to the other Lucas Oil sportsman categories, Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car competitors can accumulate points at eight national and eight divisional races, with their best five finishes in each going toward their final points tally. This results in teams attending as many as – but not limited to – 16 races each season.
Reportedly, NHRA officials recently invited several prominent Division 7 racers and team owners, including Duane Shields, Jay Payne, Norm Grimes, Jerry Darien, and others, to a four hour meeting at NHRA headquarters in Glendora, Calif. to discuss future options to maintain the health of these classes with a proposed regional format.
According to a post made by Shields, a challenger for this year’s Top Alcohol Dragster title, on the InsideTopAlcohol forum, the proposed format would eliminate the seven geographic divisions for the Top Alcohol classes only, with a move to two regions (presumably East and West) with approximately 13 or 14 events in each region at tracks that are safe and that wish to have these cars a part of their program. The goal with this proposal is to have consistent payouts and reduce the expenses incurred by the race teams, according to Shields.
Such a sweeping change in the schedule would likely necessitate some changes in the national event schedule for the Top Alcohol categories to prevent overlap, along with alterations on how the national and divisional/regional points are scored.
An official announcement on the matter, if there is one, could be made as soon as the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned to DRAGZINE for more on this developing story.
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