This is the Statt Mann Baby!!  Time to Scatt a little bit.

Drag racing is a favorite of mine.  The speed.  The competition.  The noise.  The enormous technology.  And the people.  Especially the people.

But like everyone else in motor sports, the floor in drag racing has disappeared.  The economy is the boogey man, the 800 pound gorilla in every racing pit and hauler until further notice.

Still, we’re told that the fields in the top pro categories won’t shrink too much at the Winternationals in two weeks.

Eighteen Top Fuel and Funny Cars teams are pre-registered. That compares to 17 in Top Fuel and 21 in Funny Car last year.

It’s about the same in Pro Stock.  Twenty teams are pre-registered compared to 22 last year.

But the first race isn’t as important as those that follow.  Can the fields survive the long nine month season?  We may learn more as pre-season testing starts this week.

The NHRA is helping.  It’s limited test sessions for the pro teams to four one day sessions once the season starts.  And the teams appear to welcome the limit.  Limits can equalize competition and keep more teams around for the season.

Let’s hope so.

Peace.