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Imagine the NFL shortening the football field to 80 yards for half the season.

That's similar to what the NHRA did last weekend in the aftermath of Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta's death from injuries suffered June 21 in a crash at Englishtown, N.J.

The sanctioning body believed it needed to take drastic action to keep its drivers safe, and did so. It shortened the distance for Top Fuel and Funny Car runs to 1,000 feet, a reduction of 320 feet, for the rest of the season. The move, probably temporary, adds length to the shutdown areas at every track, giving drivers more time to get their cars stopped.

Since the sport's inception, cars have raced at a distance of a quarter-mile. But for the rest of 2008, there will be no more rewrites to the record book.

"Safety comes first and, sometimes, tradition has to go out the window," said Graham Light, NHRA senior VP of racing operations. "Not everybody likes it, and we understand that. Our goal is to go back to the quarter-mile distance next season after we've looked at ways to slow the cars down."

The decision gives the NHRA time to study how to modify cars and tracks.

"They did the right thing," said Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher. "We'll figure out how to race at that distance and what we need to do to succeed."

The NHRA's preliminary investigation of Kalitta's crash showed multiple failures. The engine exploded as the car traveled at about 300 mph, and the brakes don't appear to have worked. Kalitta's parachutes did not deploy, and his car ran through a pea gravel pit and jumped into the air. It flew over the catch fence and collided with a TV camera boom.

AP

On June 21, Scott Kalitta's Funny Car burns as it heads down the track in Englishtown, N.J.

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Changes from the braking system in the cars to the shutdown areas on the tracks could be mandated before the end of the season. Texas Motorplex owner Billy Meyer is planning alterations before the NHRA arrives in Ennis in September.

"We have one of the longer racetracks and longer shutdown areas," Meyer said last week, "but we will probably extend that area because we have the land to do it."

Meyer said he'll make sure the guardrails at the end of the track past the stands are high enough. The track might also look at using a different type of sand and pea gravel in its pit if it's determined that it would help slow the cars.

Meyer said the races can be just as good at 300 mph, the speed the cars reach at the shorter distance, as at 330 mph. Fans still see a big flame, smell the nitro and see side-by-side, high-speed racing.

"It's still drag racing," Meyer said. "You can't see this kind of racing anywhere else."

Rankings include drivers from all professional racing series and are based on wins, trends, contributions to the sport and not just driving ability. (Rankings from previous week in parentheses)

1. (1) Kyle Busch (NASCAR): Won Nationwide and Cup races at Chicagoland Speedway

2. (2) Lewis Hamilton (F1): Heads to German Grand Prix atop standings

3. (4) Scott Dixon (IndyCar): Fourth win of the season at Nashville

4. (3) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (NASCAR): Still second in points as teams head to Indianapolis

5. (NR) Tony Schumacher (NHRA): Six Top Fuel wins this year

6. (6) Felipe Massa (F1): Was second last time F1 raced at Hockenheim, in 2006

7. (NR) Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR): Team could be figuring things out at right time

8. (8) Kimi Raikkonen (F1): Looking for third win of the season

9. (NR) Greg Biffle (NASCAR): Returning to early-season form?

10. (5) Tony Kanaan (IndyCar): Fourth at Nashville, fourth in points

Dropped out: Jeff Burton (NASCAR), Robert Kubica (F1), Tony Pedregon (NHRA)

Lucky seven: Kyle Busch's incredible run continued with a Cup win at Chicagoland, his seventh of 2008.

100: Scott Dixon's IndyCar Series win at Nashville gave Chip Ganassi Racing its 100th victory.

Jumpers: Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick each leaped four spots in the Sprint Cup standings with top-five finishes at Chicagoland. Biffle is seventh, Harvick ninth.

Tonys: Tony Stewart was fifth at Chicago, and Tony Schumacher won for the sixth time in Top Fuel.

Roller coaster: Inconsistent Denny Hamlin was 40th at Chicago and slipped five spots to 12th in the standings.

Mechanical failure: That's what hurt Ryan Briscoe at Nashville, dropping him to eighth in IndyCar points.

Slipping Sam: Sam Hornish Jr. has finished outside the top 20 in his last six Cup races.

Hall of Fame: The team was penalized for changing driver J.J. Yeley's drinking system without NASCAR supervision. The team is 38th in owner points.