[bill dedman]

At the risk of over-simplification, I think the whole idea of shortening the distance to 1,000 feet had to do with inadequate shutdown length for cars that need a long way to stop. A Fuel car running 330 mph is traveling 484 feet per second at the finish line (actually, 30 feet before the finish line), and that velocity eats up shutdown area in a hurry, particularly, if a chute malfunctions, the driver makes an error, or brake failure of any kind is experienced. There's little room for error of ANY kind, if that car is going to get stopped, safely. The slower cars might not experience the same sort of jeopardy on these strips that were too short to be deemed "safe at any speed" by NHRA, so it appears that their rationale is to limit the cars that might have problems stopping, and leave the rest alone.

In other words, it seems to be their position that the "unsafe" strips that created this 1.000-foot scenario are only "unsafe" for the Fuel cars, and not slower ones. At least, that's how it seems to me.

But, it's NHRA; who knows what they really think... or, IF they think???

I'll guarantee you their insurance carrier does!