We have certainly not reached the performance level of these cars. They, NHRA and NASCAR have gone to great lengths to slow the cars down. NHRA has reduced the amount of nitro you are allowed to run from 95% to 90% to 80%, and will continue to do so to keep speeds down what they consider a safe level. Their belief is that the tires cannot take those high speeds and rotation, and still hold together. So they limit the nitro to slow the cars down. However, the crew chiefs have shown that they have the ability and knowledge, to make the speeds and elapsed times as quick as and quicker than when they were running 95% nitro. Funny Cars and Top Fuel Dragsters are still running 330 miles an hour and as quick as 4.43 seconds in the quarter mile. Will we ever see a sub-four second run? I for one do not believe we will, not because the cars cannot go that fast, but the powers that be will keep them from going those speeds. Safety equipment continues to evolve every year. Head and neck restraints are continuing to evolve, as does the design of the cars.
As long as there are people who are willing to push the envelope, and we have drivers willing to risk their life to drive these cars, we will continue to see advancement in both safety and speeds.
