That's why it's going to take time for drivers to get used to the new 1,000-foot races in the NHRA's Funny Car and Top Fuel divisions.
Beginning with the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Colorado this week, the traditional quarter-mile races are being shortened 320 feet as an interim step while the investigation continues into the June 21 death of Top Fuel driver Scott Kalitta during an event at Englishtown, N.J.
"Now, with the finish line being moved to 1,000 feet, it's going to be a new challenge to get our brains dialed-in to where we shut the cars off," said longtime Funny Car driver Del Worsham. "When you race at a track for a long time, you have a sort of automatic knowledge of where the finish line is, so we're going to have to ignore the scoreboards and look for those 1,000-foot timing blocks until we get used to this.
"It's still a long way down there, I promise you that, and we'll still be going fast enough that you have to know what you're doing. You can't just look around at 290 or 300 miles an hour, wondering where you are. It all happens way too fast to be doing that."
Austin Coil, crew chief for 14-time Funny Car champion John Force, said the change is welcome.
"The way I see it, we have been racing to 1,000 feet for years and hanging on for the last 320 feet," Coil said. "This change is nothing but good. When you get to the top end is when the tracks get a little slippery and you get parts breakage.
"This change really won't affect performance numbers that much for the fans. The speeds and times won't be that much slower. This change just provides everyone more room to slow down and we can still race hard."
Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle and all Lucas Oil Series sportsman categories will continue to compete in the full quarter-mile.
National record performances in Top Fuel and Funny Car will not be officially recorded, and bonus points for setting national elapsed time records in the two nitro categories will not be available while the shortened races are run.
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GAINING GROUND: Things are looking up for NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie Patrick Carpentier heading into the race Saturday night at Chicagoland Speedway.
The French Canadian driver finished a career-best 14th last Saturday at Daytona. Carpentier's best previous Cup finish was 22nd in his series debut last August on the road course at Watkins Glen. In 15 races this season, his best previous performance was 23rd last month on the road course at Sonoma.
Since Carpentier has not been in the top 35 in car owner points this season, he has had to qualify on speed for every race. Still 37th in the points, he has managed to make all but three races and has not missed a race since March at Bristol.
"I can't even begin to explain what last week's finish means for the our team," said Carpentier, who drives for Gillett Evernham Motorsports. "We just kept working like we did through the race. I can't say enough about these guys. We are getting better each week and their support is paying off.
"That was our goal, to just steadily improve our finishes. We had a good run at Michigan, then a better one at Infineon (in Sonoma) and now we've got a career best at Daytona. ... Our goal is to continue finishing in the top 25."
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THAT FACE: It's been a big week for Ryan Hunter-Reay, winner of Sunday's IndyCar Series race at Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Thanks to new sponsor IZOD, Hunter-Reay was in New York's Times Square on Monday to see a huge billboard featuring the Texas-born Rahal Letterman Racing driver in his uniform and listing part of the IndyCar 2008 schedule.
"It's surreal," Hunter-Reay said. "To go into the most famous and busiest intersection in America and to see a 90-foot image of myself was like a dream. It was actually crazier to see my name up there than it was to see my picture."
When Hunter-Reay arrived, the billboard had the tagline: "I Am Next." But, as he posed atop a show car painted like his No. 17 race car, a workman in the basket of a crane used spray paint to cross out the "Next' and inserted the word "Now' above it, a tribute to Hunter-Reay's first IndyCar victory.
"To see that billboard changed like that was really cool, and I still can't believe that it worked out like that, that we won the race on the weekend we announce our partnership (with IZOD)," Hunter-Reay said.
The American apparel company recently announced a personal sponsorship with Hunter-Reay, as well as one with the Indy Racing League, which led to the driver's face looking down on Broadway.
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