My eyes finally clear of nitro-induced tears after last weekend's NHRA pro tour event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, we can clearly examine a few issues.

NHRA officials did everything they could to blame the speedway for a poorly prepared starting line, which caused nearly half the runs in Top Fuel eliminations Sunday to go up in smoke.

The wizards of the NHRA took control of the track Sunday because the traction was too good and they were concerned because the Goodyear racing slicks were crumbling, or "chunking," too much. The problem continued Sunday.

The NHRA should be lauded for voicing its safety concerns. But it's appalling that the tire problems continue nearly a year and a half after an apparent rear tire failure led to the death of Top Fuel driver Darrell Russell in an NHRA national event near St. Louis.

The Las Vegas speedway's dragstrip staff groomed the racing surface Friday and Saturday, when it produced the quickest 16-car field ever in the Nitro Funny Car class.

And the speedway boys prepared a track good enough for John Force to click off several runs in the 4.70-second range early this week.

The NHRA needs to become more proactive in tire durability. In order to manage the problem, the NHRA has restricted the percentage of nitro that teams can use and mandated use of electronics to limit engine speed.

Several teams were testing a new, supposedly safer tire at the speedway Monday. Goodyear and the NHRA need to finance a major tire test session before next season.

The NHRA screwed up track conditions Sunday, but I'll give it some credit for its part in the best-ever Nitro Funny Car points race.

Gary Scelzi is first, with teammate Ron Capps two points back in second and 13-time champion John Force 28 points behind the leader in third. The season ends next weekend in Pomona, Calif.

It's just too bad not enough folks know about the tight race.

The NHRA's choice of drivers to appear at the pre-event news conference here a week ago was a joke. Three of the five pro drivers were there only because their race teams are backed by event sponsors.

Of the drivers in the Funny Car battle, only Scelzi attended the news conference.

This week the NHRA conducted a national teleconference with the those drivers. Based on the questions asked during Thursday's conference, only a handful of reporters participated.

Perhaps the NHRA wanted to save this media attraction to promote a race at a track it operates instead of the event in Las Vegas, where the speedway gets half the ticket revenue.

If the NHRA can't get several national media outlets to report on drag racing during this points race that involves three of the most-quotable drivers in all of motor sports, then it should do one of two things:

Either hire someone capable of selling drag racing to mainstream motor sports media because it can't;

Or, get rid of the NHRA publicity department, because the only ones reporting on the sport regularly will do it regardless of whether the NHRA provides assistance or not.

If this Funny Car race doesn't muster new media, then nothing in the sport ever will.

Jeff Wolf's motor sports column is published Friday. He can be reached at 383-0247 or jwolf@reviewjournal.com.