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Wednesday, February 28
NHRA needs to prevent monopoly
By Chuck Etchells
Special to ESPN.com
Just as the stock car community starts to move on after the sad events in
Daytona, so do we in the NHRA return our full attention to the track.
Although we have two weeks before our next race in Gainesville, we still have
plenty to talk about. At the top of everybody's list is the ongoing
controversy about John Force's recently announced third Funny Car.
|  | | John Force has won 10 Funny Car titles. |
Quite simply, I believe this causes a problem for our sport. I just don't
think it's healthy for one team owner to control nearly 20 percent of a category. I
know many of you will point to the various multi-car teams in NASCAR, such as
Jack Roush's fleet of five cars.
However, to have the same percentage in a
field of 43 cars as John Force will in Funny Car, one team would have to
field over eight entries, something I'm sure NASCAR would not allow.
Another reason the comparison to NASCAR is invalid is the type of
competition. Other than the occasional race where teams will draft together,
the most common benefit in the oval ranks is shared information.
In drag racing, we race head-to-head, which theoretically allows a multi-car owner to
dictate the outcome of the event.
I think the NHRA needs to take a long, hard look at this. Anytime you have a
situation where one competitor could potentially control a race, it is the
sanctioning body's duty to keep a close eye on it.
As anyone who has followed this sport can attest, I have been closer to John
Force than any competitor has over the years. I have discussed this
situation with John personally, and I've told him I was very upset because I
felt what he was doing was wrong. I also told him I would continue to be
very vocal in my objections.
One thing John did that certainly no one can argue with, however, is naming
Gary Densham as the driver. Whenever a team owner -- that frankly, has it all --
adds a car, you know a marginally funded team will be affected, because it
will have one less chance to qualify.
With absolutely no disrespect meant
toward his team, I believe Gary would have fallen into that category, so in
that regard, it's good to see him get a quality ride that is capable of
winning races.
But we can't let our happiness for Gary cloud the gravity of the situation.
It's a good PR move and makes for a nice story. However, it still doesn't
change the fact that we now have one team owner controlling nearly 20 percent of a
category.
It also makes you wonder how far this is going to go. Will John
stop at three, or is a fourth in the wings?
Will Don Prudhomme, who
currently has three cars (although in fairness, one is in Top Fuel -- a
different story all together), grow to four?
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Anytime you have a situation where one competitor could potentially control a race, it is the sanctioning body's duty to keep a close eye on it. ” |
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— Chuck Etchells |
Will teams such as ours, which
just expanded to two, be forced to move up to three to stay competitive?
Theoretically, the rich are getting richer and the poor are going out of
business, meaning you could end up with three or four owners controlling the
bulk of the Fuel categories, which I believe is a really dangerous place for
our sport to be.
We've all watched it enough -- the results speak for themselves. Just look at
Tony Pedregon's career record against John Force. If theoretically, both
cars are set up the same, and both are set up to win, it is impossible to
have record that bad.
I'm disappointed with what John is doing, and if he
wins the championship this year (something he is fully capable of doing
without the added help), there should be some kind of asterisk next to it,
because I think his accomplishment will be tainted.
The bottom line is that we all know what the intent of these multiple cars
has been. Plain and simple, they are there to control the outcome of the
race.
I think we have to pull our heads out of the sand, admit to it, and
address the issue.
Chuck Etchells, driver and owner the Kendall Oil/Matco Tools Camaro Z28 Funny Car, will provide a diary to ESPN.com throughout the NHRA season. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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