The California hot-fodders' sport has over the years been organized into a complex and ""bewildering array of classes."" Jackson reminds us that there are now 145 different grades of competition--pro and amateur, stock car to top fuelers--and even the drivers can't remember them all. This hard-cover introduction may not be the cheapest way to start learning, but with good photos by Leslie Lovett of National Dragster and a respectable pace it should be one of the year's more promising racing entries.