The show is NOW done with cordoned off areas, at the beginning of the show 3+ years ago I don't believe the same was true. When they re-run the first season shows you don't see extra lights, hidden emergency vehicles etc. that you do now.
Remember the furor the NHRA had with the show in the beginning about glorification of street racing, pulling Justin's NHRA credentials etc.?
Discovery probably started the whole series on a shoestring and now that it's a hit cable series making money they've restructured the filming so that the cast is semi safe so they're not going to be sued in the case of someone being hurt or worse.
Justin knows what's changed since the beginning of the show, if he's allowed to comment on it is another thing.
Since the whole thing is done in a straight line on dumb as-phalt, the thing that keeps me watching it is the Pontiac powered car is #1 on the list.
__________________
Brad Yost
1973 T/A (SOLD)
2005 GTO
1984 Grand Prix
100% Pontiacs in my driveway!!! What's in your driveway?
If you don't take some of the RACETRACK home with you, Ya got cheated 
  
|