BACK TO THE STARTING LINE.(Competition)

Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH

What a strange, star-crossed year 2007 was for the National Hot Rod Association. It saw the institution of the NHRA's touted, complex countdown formula that pared the championship field to the final race. It also saw the complex sale of the NHRA's pro-racing assets to a group called HD Partners, which, if it hadn't recently been voted down by shareholders, would have brought extensive broadcast connections to the table.

But it also saw the death of John Force Racing driver Eric Medlen on March 23, after his Funny Car suffered a tire failure in testing at Gainesville Raceway in Florida. Six months later to the day, John Force himself was seriously injured in a crash at the Texas Motorplex, when his car was ripped in half.

And five days later, beloved NHRA founder Wally Parks died at 94.

So, almost everyone involved in drag racing was ready to get on with 2008.

Early on, things were looking good, as Speedway Motorsports, the owner of multiple NASCAR tracks and four NHRA drag strips, formally announced it would build a new drag strip in Charlotte, North Carolina, next to its Lowe's Motor Speedway NASCAR track.

Speedway Motorsports CEO Bruton Smith announced his intention to build the track months ago but ran afoul of the local government and various citizens groups concerned about-among other things-noise. Smith threatened to move not only the future drag strip but the entire 1.5-mile speedway, and his plans were approved. Lesson: Don't bluff Bruton Smith.