Continuing the quota discussion
 

The quota discussion has been going on almost since NHRA implemented them. I understand space considerations, expense considerations, noise issues, etc. Why don’t we try and come up with some more ideas other than raise the quotas that NHRA might consider. In thinking about it, many of the National Event tracks have a large area available on the spectator side of the track. At the limited number of NASCAR races I have attended all of the venders, T-shirt and sovenier sales, etc have been located somewhere other than the pit area. Doesn’t seem to affect the traffic or sales of their items. What if at the tracks that could accommodate all of these things on the spectator side of the track moved manufacturers midway and the other vendors to that side of the track freeing up a large amount of pit space. Iknow you would still need the food and drink vendors on the pit side but I don’t see much downside to this. What do you think? Mike McMahan 2543 H/SA

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

You say that you understand the space, expense and noise issues. The one thing that you didn't mention, and is the most important if not the only reason the nhra won't raise the quotas, is time. If they wanted to raise quotas, they'd have to find more time in a day, or add another day to the events. TIME, is the problem.

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

I left time out on purpose. Tony. Wanted other people to bring up other concerns. Started this thread looking for positive ideas on ways to improve the situation. I hope everyone who comments on this thread with a problem will propose a solution to go along with it. I have not looked but with time being a legitimate concern were the quotas increased at the races where Pro Stock is not being contested. Seems like we should pick up the time for four qualifying sessions and four rounds of eliminations and a considerable amount of pit space. Mike McMahan. 2543 H/SA

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

The problem is MONEY. The pros and TV bring in the money and we cost nhra time and money, even though they are still a not for profit and need us to help keep that status.

Now in keeping with the nhra's desire for money, each Sportsman entry should be viewed as a commodity that it sells to a captive membership. One way to influence nhra's thinking may be to set all the quotas at 64 for national events save Indy. Then once the quotas are full nhra could add dollars to the entry fees. Lets say a race fills at 7 grade points. The value of the nhra entry commodity would increase for racers who want to enter with 6 grade points. Add $100.00 per grade point until a maximum of 90 entries have been sold for each category. In short, it falls on the racer. How damn bad do you want to race? It may cost a racer almost $700.00 if he/she has 3 grade points and the race is still open at 3 grade points. Like I said, how bad do you want to race? This way nhra is still living up to it's charter and the rest is on the racers, as far as entries are concerned. And you still have to park in the boonies!

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

Considering how much entering a NHRA National event costs the Sportsman racers, and the meager payouts, I find it hard to believe that the Sportsman racers are anything but a cash cow for NHRA. And that cash cow seems to not mind paying a lot of money to pit 1/2 mile away from the staging lanes, spend most of the 3 or 4 days waiting to make a pass, and if they do get a win, receive less $$$ than they would have 10 or 20 years ago.

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

And so it goes..
Gainesville took 7 gp's this year . Next year it will be 8.
I hate to give them any credit for doing anything , but it sure seems like they're doing something right.
More Div. participants = raised rates to the hosting track.

Meanwhile, some racers don't seem to have a problem with the ever increasing g.p. requirements.
As they say.."only the strong survive" .

They also say:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VrFV5r8cs0

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

Rory, I'm one of those guys. In '03 I won the World Nationals at Nowalk and I got 1500.00 from IHRA. In '14 I was lucky enough to win the Bristol National event. NHRA payed me 1200.00. LOL. But, I don't do it for the money, never have and never will. I race because that's what I do for fun. It's a hobby for me (and most of us, I'm sure). Because it's what I love to do. If the NHRA said, no more payouts, I'd still do it.

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

Tony great post, I feel the same way the little check is just a bonus. I'm just glad and thankful that I can afford to do this for the fun of it and the people I've been able to meet along the way.
Mike unfortunately I don't think there's much that we can do to change the current format because for 1: Its working great for them. As long as we continue to enter these Nationals the way we do they have no reason to change. They have it set to a point where they think it's most economical for them as far as running a national event and it helps sell the division format by making it important that we as racers attend.

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

amen

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

Guys, This doesn’t affect me in the least. I’ve got 11 grade points. I’m thinking about all of the other racers who have not been able to race as much for whatever reason whether it’s family commitments, work or whatever. I want to find a way to keep these people enthused about our sport. I would like to see min 64 car fields to eliminate some of the bye runs. M8e McMahan 2543 H/SA

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

With past world champions
2018 division champs
Top 10 in the world 2018
You have your 64 +. Car fields. Problem solved
Being the divisionals are for Everybody
We as racers need to start run Class at divisionals
I mean divisionals are a circus index..racers track host race..jr dragsters leds
We are watching all this stuff With Nothing For Us.
They don’t want us at National Events we are too much work

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

NOT that "F" ing bad !

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

I like this too! Normally I wouldn't pay the extra money, but when I'm having people fly across the country to watch me race, it would be nice to be certain I could enter.

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

The real problem with the quotas is the amount of classes they have now running the national events. Back when I started the classes were
Too fuel
Funny car
Pro Comp
Pro stock
Comp
Modified
Super stock
Stock

Now
Too fuel
Funny car
Alcohol dragster
Alcohol funny car
Pro mod
Pro stock
Pro stock motorcycle
Too dragster
Top sportsman
Comp
Super stock
Stock
Super comp
Super gas
Super street

To make this happen NHRA has taken away quota from stock and Super stock to make room for these newer classes.
One other observation on my part. Provisional entries should never counted toward the quota seeing how they don’t need grade points to enter.

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

Unfortunately one problem I see is the withdrawal of racers at the last minute. The reason this is a problem is NHRA sets quotas based on previous attendance. Many times I see stock and super stock not at quota on the last day of entry because of all the withdrawals. It is a never ending downward spiral for quotas.

Only solutions I see is no refunds for withdrawals (sucks if you break your car). Hot rod drag week is a $400 pre entry and if you withdrawal no money back. Many big dollar bracket races are the same way.

alternate Change withdrawal dates. Make it 3 weeks before event or you do not get money back, so there will be time for others to change schedule so they can take off work and enter.

I would also like to see pit spaces assigned by amount of grade points. This way racers do not have to take off a whole week to get in line for stacking on monday to race on friday, especially since there is no thursday tech

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

I arrive at events as late as anybody. I have never been denied the opportunity to race because I didn't spend days in stacking.

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

I would say top to bottom all of the racers with provisional entries try to enter after the field is full. Very few forget and enter before that final Monday the week of the race. So in effect the racers with provisional entries are not counted until the quota is full. Hats off to former World Champs, top ten in national points, last years race winner, and divisional champs for waiting to enter .

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

Larry, This is from the NHRA website. No one can enter after the field is closed.

Provisional entries must enter the event online at www.nhraeventreg.com
prior to the deadline date/time (1:00 PM
Pacific time Monday of race week). Provisional entries WILL NOT be
accepted after the event deadline date/time. A provisional driver that enters an event and then withdraws, will NOT be allowed to re-enter.

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

I think what Larry meant was that provisionals are usually nice about letting the quota fill before they enter so their entries don't affect the car count. They still get their entries in before the deadline, just after the quota got filled.

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Dan I changed closed to full. How I wrote it was incorrect thanks for the correction.

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Ok, since NHRA lets them in even with a full quota anyway, why make them wait?
Seems simple, just let them enter anytime and have it not count against the tally.

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I agree.

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I agree also, I know of a couple times when someone waited till the last day and forgot until it was too late. Right Dan Fletcher lol?

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They would have to reprogram the computer! :rolleyes:

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

NHRA only wants the amount of cars on the quota, so when provisionals go in early, there can't be any bounce ins unless the quota drops below cars called for. So if there are withdrawals NHRA still hovers around the number of cars posted. For people wanting to get in because of withdrawals, the provisionals should be curtious to hold off till last call. They don't have to, they earned their spot, but it would be nice.

Casey Miles
"F" Stock!

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

They would have to hire some one because there is no one there smart enough to do that !

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Myron, gotta be a high school in the area with a work program right?

Re: Continuing the quota discussion
 

All of this is good discussion.
The driving force in Quotas if multi faceted.
All the Things that have been mentioned before, space, Pro's, Ect.
Then there is participation at Divisional events. The biggie! These events are a commodity that NHRA sells. They are forcing racers to attend the divisional races for "Grade Points" That automatically makes the Divisional race worth more as a sellable product.. NHRA guarantee of XXX cars (consisting of the NHRA member cars in Each division).
The buying track owner can be pretty sure he will get XX number of the XXX division members. That gives him confidence he will have Racers to make a profit off his investment... Like they say.. follow the money.