Most of the safety related rules are a result of something happening or nearly happening and the reaction to that. Others are a response to cars going quicker and faster all the time or the availability of new technology. How many 7 second dragsters were bracket racing 20 years ago? Cars are rapidly evolving and the rules have to keep up. A national organization that can keep up with the information and respond with a change in rules and guidelines is the best way to do that.

NHRA's safety rules are developed with the worst case scenario in mind. Maybe your belts are OK after 2 years, but somewhere there is a 350lb. knucklehead who's belts have drug on the ground, had weld sparks all over them, been left in the rain or in an area of high ozone and this is the guy who needs to change his belts out. Somewhere, somebody built a car with exhaust pipe, regardless what the rule book said, and killed or crippled himself. Now we all have to change our belts out and have our cages inspected. NHRA is not interested, for many reasons, in the racer or local tech guy, or lack of, making those decisions.

If a failure or an accident happens once, it can happen again. Often, we don't know what incident triggered a specific rule change. Look at Top Fuel and Funny Car, the accidents that have occurred there, and the response to those in the rules. We know about those because of the "stars" who were involved. Do you think Billy Bob getting killed at some po-dunk track in the woods, because his cage came apart or his WalMart helmet split in half will get any attention on the other side of the country?

People getting hurt or killed is bad for all of us. It's bad publicity, it closes race tracks, it makes insurance premiums go up and it takes money from the sport and gives it to lawyers. Say what you will about their business practices, but without NHRA leading the way on safety guidelines for cars, tracks, driver, etc., the sport would look very different, if it existed at all.

My cars were always legal and I didn't b*&#h and cry about the rules, because I figure that somebody, somewhere may know more than I do. My choice was as simple as yours, do what the rule book says or park it and get yourself a street car.