"Also, for those that say NHRA hasn't done anything to slow the cars down, remember (1) rear end gear limit (2) nitro percentage (3) rev limiter (4) track distance."
"None of which have worked.......................until lowering track grip"
Ken I disagree with you. The rule changes over the years have most definitely slowed the cars down. It might not seem like it because they still run 330+ in only 1000', but without the above mentioned changes the E.T.s and speeds would be much quicker/faster with all of the advancements in technology. Here is the progression of the Top Fuel National Record speeds in approximately 15 year increments:
1970 Hendrickson 232.55
1985 Garlits 268.01 World Finals
2001 M. Dunn 330.55 Joliet
And here is an example of the Top Fuel E.T. progression:
1994 Shelly Anderson 4.718 World Finals
2006 Tony Schumacher 4.428 World Finals (The Run)
So in the 12 years from '94 to '06 the e.t. record was dropped almost 3 tenths of a second. The speed record was improved by 62 mph 16 years after Garlits set it! Now obviously, as the cars go quicker and faster performance gains get smaller and smaller. I contend, with all the advancement in technology and knowledge over the last 15 years, and if the cars were still running the same rules they had back in '01-'06, plus still running the full quarter mile, the e.t. record would be somewhere around 4.27-4.32 and the speed record would be around 350-358 mph. (I'm assuming Goodyear would have continued progressing with the tires. For example, the tires used to chunk pretty bad when the cars ran near 330 and now they don't chunk nearly as often)
Conclusion - Lowering the rear end gear, reduction in nitro percentage, mandating the rev limiter, reducing the track to 1000' have all played a part in reducing the speeds. Decreasing the glue on the track is just another next step. (A very good step in my opinion)
