How much did the 90 percent nitro rule affect the outcome of the Top Fuel championship?
I was happy with the rule changes. It didn’t really factor into how the cars performed against each other, but I don’t think that was what the NHRA had intended. It is the crew chief’s job to accept the rules he is presented with and try and build the best watch, and I think that happened. In 1999 a lot of the cars were plagued with inconsistency, but not every team had the same problem. Look at the points between the 1999 and 2000 seasons. What it took to win the championship in ’99 would only be good enough for fourth place in 2000. A few cars stepped it up and won, but it was Gary Scelzi who won nine races and the title. When we win ours, that is how I want to do it, not backdoor it in. I don’t want to have to worry about counting points because when you win races the points will just be there. Q: What challenges has limiting the nitro percentage presented? A: What I think you saw happen in 2000 was that the 90 percent rule slowed some of the dragsters down more than others. Some cr
