0 shares

Commentary: Combat, Bribery, Qualifying Tricks Teach What Lessons? Are any rules broken? Or is it tactics and strategy?

By Susan Wade November 22, 2019Nevermind that Doug Kalitta came within three lousy points of earning his long-awaited Top Fuel championship, but in getting his 47th victory extended his dubious distinction of being still the most successful racer in any class without a title.

Forget that Robert Hight capped his dominant Funny Car season by winning his third championship and that Erica Enders joined Shirley Muldowney and Angelle Sampey as the third woman to earn a third crown.

Overshadowed was the fact that Jianna Salinas had missed the 16-bike bracket six times, sat out two races, and won only two rounds but won the event – and knocked out the top three championship contenders to do it.
Steve Torrence won his second consecutive Top Fuel championship Sunday, defeating his nearest challenger at the time, Brittany Force, in the second round. Photo courtesy NHRA/National Dragster

By far the most memorable takeaway from the NHRA Finals at California’s Auto Club Raceway at Pomona was Steve Torrence’s staggering hand-splat on Top Fuel opponent Cameron Ferré’s kisser in round one.

Right behind it on the list were Hight’s final-round mishap that sparked a heated conversation between his boss John Force and NHRA Senior Vice-President of Racing Operations Josh Peterson, Matt Smith’s bonus payout and bribery attempt in Pro Stock Motorcycle eliminations, and Greg Anderson’s successful-but-unsuccessful manipulation of the qualifying order that top-starter Jeg Coughlin referred to as “treachery” and “shenanigans.”

It was a Wild West-style free-for-all affair, some of which was just plain wrong and potentially dangerous, some of which was harmless enough, some of which bordered on the unethical, and some of which showed the NHRA has its priorities out of whack.

All of the above apply to the Torrence-Ferré incident at the top end of the track.
Photo courtesy NHRA/National Dragster