Responding to Scott Kalitta's death, the NHRA has acted. (Photo by Roger Rohrdanz)

This interim change was made by NHRA in collaboration with professional race teams.  NHRA believes that racing the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes to 1,000 feet will allow NHRA and the racing community time to evaluate, analyze and implement potential changes based on the safety initiatives outlined last week. 

With the change, says the NHRA, fans will still be able to enjoy the sights, sounds and thrill of NHRA nitro racing with speeds around 300 mph and quick elapsed times to 1,000 feet.

But, while we understand the safety implications and the organization's good intentions, isn't shortening the traditional distance run in drag racing a bit like saying pitchers are throwing the ball too fast in Major League Baseall and lowering the pitching mound? What are we going to do, have a new set of world records now? 

Butch Noble, our Motorsports Editor, suggests using technology to solve the problem, mentioning that heavy fighter aircraft are stopped all the time on the flight deck of aircraft carriers. Wouldn't that same equipment stop a runaway Funny Car? And, in the case of a racetrack where the runoff is now insufficient, that would solve the problem.

When it comes to opinions, Don Garlits has always had one! Here's a man  who set a ton of drag-racing records, and he supports the NHRA move. He said, "I wholeheartedly support the NHRA change to 1,000 feet for T/F and F/C. The Top Fuel and Funny Cars are going too fast for the tracks and the drivers. I don't know who thought of this first, but I highly commend the person for thinking of safety first and speed second!"

The changes will be in effect on July 25th-27th when the FRAM/Autolite NHRA Nationals is run at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., and the first weekend of the new format takes hold on July 11th-13h at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandmere Speedway, which has an elevation of 5,860 feet. The facility is 10 miles west of Denver in Morrison.

There is no major NHRA racing this weekend. But check http://www.nhra.com/ for all the latest news.  

Besides hot rods like this '32 Hiboy, there will be openings for just about everything!

Then, the Chinese government, perhaps caught up in the hub-bub of the 2008 Olympics -- pulled the plug on the organizers with about a month to go. Just as well, though, because China was then deluged with earthquakes, coal mine collapses and hurricane-type storms.

Oh well . . ..

Just like in the beginning, a 1907 Thomas Flyer hurtles down an American road!

Jerry Kugel's '32 Ford roadster hits the road.

Back in the day, this Thomas Flyer sets sail for Japan! Today, adventurers still thrive.

2007 Indy Car champion and Indy 500 winner is out of a job. (Photo Courtesy NASCAR)

But, back to the NASCAR segment again: Remember when the sponsors of racecars in NASCAR (and everywhere else) were all automotive-related like STP and Valvoline . . . in the days before Tide and just about anything else you can find at a supermarket. So, we wonder, since Franchitti is married to actress Ashley Judd, why she can't pull out her Rolodex or electronic equivalent and get Hollywood sponsorship for her man . . . and Chip Ganassi. We know it's a tough economy, and having 71 race team guys outta work is not a good thing!

Here's a good thing, though: For the guy or gal who loves racing, especially if you are single. It's called Meet Me at the Races -- and you can learn more from the horse's mouth by clicking on Meetmeattheraces.com. It's the first dating website dedicated to racing and romance. Meet like-minded fans from throughout the nation, see who lives near your favorite track and who plans to be there soon. Again, try http://www.meetmeattheraces.com.

WHO'S GONNA WIN -- the 2008 Sprint Cup Title? Well, we don't know at this point, but for a full rundown of the Top 12 . . . and more . . . see the News Section. 

UPCOMING!  Three-time Daytona 500 champion and founding member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family Dale Jarrett has been named Grand Marshal for the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night, July 5th, Speedway officials announced today.  Outback Steakhouse President Jeff Smith will serve as Honorary Starter.

Fireball Roberts, in a Smokey Yunick Pontiac, won in 1959. (Racing One/Getty Images)

Smith, who will wave the Green Flag to get action started, began his career in 1989 at the original Outback Steakhouse restaurant on Henderson Boulevard in Tampa, Fla.  Outback Steakhouse was one of the first restaurants to serve Coke Zero across its national operations.

Tickets for the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola and all other weekend activities are available online at http://www.racetickets.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Dale Earnhardt leads Ricky Rudd on his way to victory in '93. (Racing One/Getty Images)

Oops, we have to pause here for a commercial: As SpeedStyle hurtles ahead, we ask a simple question: Want to join us as part of our advertising package? If so, you need to contact Roger Leeper who is our computer guru and head advertising guy -- his contact info can be found here. 

As we buzz towards the big Fourth of July weekend with thoughts of burgers and dogs, we are also thinking about major league racing across America -- and beyond to England as well.

Things will kick of with NASCAR's Nationwide Series holding its Winn-Dixie 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on the evening of July 4th, and things continue to pop with the Coke Zero 400 (yes, Powered by Coca-Cola) on Saturday night. Then, we get into road racing with the IndyCar Series event at Watkins Glen International Speedway and the British Grand Prix on Sunday.

Here are the specifics:

In the Nationwide Series, the cars will be running for real (and on ESPN 2) at 8:30 p.m. (Eastern). Last year, Kyle Busch won this race. As it stands, Clint Bowyer has 2,649 points to lead the points chase, and $544,625 in winnings. Second, 182 points back, is David Reutimann, while Carl Edwards is third, 188 points in arrears of the leader. For more info on all things NASCAR, see http://www.nascar.com/.

In NASCAR's premiere series, the Sprint Cup racers will be taking to the Daytona high banks Saturday night. A year ago Jamie McMurray was the victor, but the man in the spotlight this year is Kyle Busch who leads in points with 2,496. So far, Kyle has banked $3,829,638 for all his efforts behind the steering wheel of his Toyota Camry. Jeff Burton is in second place with $2,769,224 in winnings, 64 points behind Kyle. In third, 144 points back from the front, is Dale Earnhardt Jr. who has collected $2,653,745 for his efforts.

Showtime for this race is 8:15 . . . and you can see it on TNT.

If you're looking for Craftsman truck racing this weekend, you're outta luck. They won't be in action until July 19th when the Built Ford Tough 225 is run at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. In that series Ron Hornaday Jr. has the lead with 1,742 points, but it's an extremely close championship race as Matt Crafton trails by 27, Todd Bodine trails by 54 and he's just two points ahead of Johnny Benson.

In Indy Car racing, the IRL runs on Sunday at Watkins Glen International Speedway in the Finger Lakes District of New York State with the Camping World Grand Prix. The mid-afternoon race can be seen on ABC Television.

Scott Dixon, with three wins this season (including the Indy 500), leads the way with 316 points, followed by Helio Castroneves (268), Dan Wheldon (267) and Tony Kanaan (last week's winner) with 216.

Most of the $350,000 racecars needed repairs after last week's bump and grind session where only 12 cars were running at the end and 17 had suffered some kind of damage. This week, the cars are running on a real road course, where each loop will take the drivers 3.4 miles.

Oriol Servia (Got milk?) had loads of experience around road courses and when asked what Watkins Glen reminded him of, he said, "I would say it's very special. I really like it. To me, it has a little bit the taste of an older or more historic racetrack like in Europe. At first I thought it was going to be a little bit like between Mid‑Ohio and Elkhart Lake. But, to be honest, the racetrack that it reminded me of most is the old Nurburgring. The way the fast corners are, the asphalt, concrete patches here and there, and even the mountains around it. It reminded me of the old Nurburgring racetrack."

So, no matter what, it should be a hoot watching this race on television! For more info on the IndyCar Series, see http://www.indycar.com/.

One other significant thing here -- in this first year of a unified Indy Car competition around the continent -- things are looking good for the IndyCar Series. “We could not be happier with what we have seen over the first half of the season,” said Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division of the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body for the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights. “Key areas like attendance, ratings and sponsorship are all pointed in the right direction, and we anticipate further growth and momentum headed into the second half of the season.”

With attendance, league officials are impressed with what they have seen everywhere the schedule has stopped to date in 2008. Tracks have reported increased attendance numbers, and the in-market and at-track “vibe” has been noticeable. Reports from tracks on the second-half of the schedule have been even more positive. Since unification, the series has introduced a number of new sponsors including DIRECTV and Coca-Cola, and this weekend at Watkins Glen the league will formalize a new partnership with IZOD. Efforts to secure category sponsorships and entitlement of the IndyCar Series are in full swing. The league’s sales efforts have increased dramatically. 

IndyCar Series races have shown ratings increases in six of nine races to date, and ratings are up across the board on ABC (+4 percent), ESPN (+61 percent) and ESPN2 (+42 percent). Overall viewership is up 17 percent so far this season compared to 2007. Merchandise sales are way up with at-track sales increasing by 70 percent compared to 2007.

"Unification has been wonderful for the sport, and there’s a real buzz around the IndyCar Series,” said Angstadt. “Our focus now is to continue to work hard and build a broader sponsorship base for the teams, venues, media and the league.”

The ARCA RE/MAX 150 at Kentucky Speedway doesn't take place until July 18th, but in that series it's Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. leading the way with 2,490 points, compared to Scott Speed's 2,360. For more information, check http://arcaracing.com/.

We'll be updating all of these events throughout the weekend, so check back for the latest at this one-stop location!

This John Force Funny Car helps the NHRA honor SEMA. See the article in the News Section.

Need a big truck, but wanta be green? Here, try the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid for the best of all worlds!

We've been jumping in out of new cars all year long and there are 54 evaluations currently on display in the Reviews Section. John Birchard is working on a couple of new reviews right now, including the new 2009 Ford Flex, and I've just finished a look at the lovely Infiniti G35 Journey. Recently, Birchard took a long ride in the Infiniti EX35 and was impressed. So, Infinitis are proving themselves strong. More, Hal Wood just did a review of the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid, with photography by Birchard. If you need big, this is the way to go!

This is the Infiniti G35 Journey. We think you should run to your dealer for a test drive!

Tom Benford has contributed an article on the 1956 (you read that right!) Continental Mark II. If you're in need of a flashback, this is it. Hey, Elvis was alive at that point. You can see Tom's article in the Reviews Section. 

In case you've never run into Tom Benford (unlikely, mind you!) you can find out more information about him and his latest publication, The Garage and Workshop Gear Guide, which is a generic tome on tools, gear and how to use 'em. See the News Section for the info.

At SpeedStyle we give you the zippidy-do of cars, the real love! But, are you looking for the nuts and bolts of the business side of the equation? If so, check out http://www.automotivedigest.com/view_art.asp?articlesID=24106.

Good things stick around: So, take a look in the Features Section at a track car called the Fusion FRC-14. SpeedStyle Magazine Motorsports Editor Butch Noble and I recently made the trek to Thunderhill to see the car in action . . . and we got to experience it out on the track. Wow! Not only does the car look spectacular, but it works at high speed. 

The Red Bull Air Race in Stockholm -- originally scheduled for this weekend (July 5th-6th) -- has been cancelled. The official statement said: "A late change in the location of the race area  impacted  flight operations. Officials stated that this move compromised the safety and quality of the race. Despite efforts to ensure the race would go ahead, the decision was made to withdraw the application for the fourth stop of the World Series." So, the next stop on the 10-race schedule is July 19th-20th at Erasmusrburg, Rortterdam.

Yes, this '69 Dodge Coronet could be yours!

One lucky winner will drive away in a beautifully restored 1969 Dodge Coronet R/T powered by a monstrous 375-horsepower 440 Magnum V-8! For all the details, and filling out an entry form, click on www.musclecarsweepstakes.com. See the story in the News Section.

Models of the present and past, in a 2-pack!

If you'd like to see a different spin on things, from a guy who knows what he's talking about, you need to check out Gil Bouffard's Fastlines International at http://www.fastlinesinternational.com/index.html .

We like linkin' here, and if you're into street rods, give this site a look -- www.streetrodsunlimited.com.