The State Of Sportsman Racing - Interesting Read
 

From Drag Illustrated.

http://www.dragillustrated-digital.c...110?pg=88#pg88

Page 88-99.

Discuss among yourself.

Re: The State Of Sportsman Racing - Interesting Read
 

Good read!

Re: The State Of Sportsman Racing - Interesting Read
 

Sad but true. I remember a time when there was 6 NHRA tracks with in 4 hours from where I lived and they ran all sportsman classes every weekend. There were even a couple of Ihra tracks close that ran classes. What seems to have happened is the tracks run the weekly bracket programs and anyone can race. Few rules and expenses. When the tracks stopped running classes it seems like a natural evolution especially in these hard times races went to what paid and they could afford. The pride money at a lot of local tracks rivals what winning a sanctioned event would pay without the travel, expenses and the rules

Re: The State Of Sportsman Racing - Interesting Read
 

Nothing in that article related to Stock and Super Stock racing except for Mike Beard talking about how he pretty much quit racing NHRA and IHRA in order to go bracket racing. Didn't whet my interest at all. Jim

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Re: The State Of Sportsman Racing - Interesting Read
 

I couldn't agree with you more, Jim.

Re: The State Of Sportsman Racing - Interesting Read
 

My questions:

Is there really any way to drive the cost of class racing(Stock, Super Stock, Comp) down?

Is there a way to make it more accessible locally?
For me, we had once a year Stock/Super Stock combo races at our local tracks(Prescott and Centerville) that always peaked my interest when I was young. The rest was nurtured at NHRA events.

How do entry level cost compare to what we had ten years ago?

Will we ever be able to shorten our divisional races into one or two day events to make it easier for people to enter these events?

When was the last big money class race(Stock, Super Stock, Comp) that we've seen and where are the sponsors to make something like that happen now?
I'm assuming if the location was right, you could get lots of Stockers and Super Stockers in the same place for a big money purse like some of these bracket races.

What can we as a group(racers, fans, and fut racers) that care about the future of class racing do to make things better?

Re: The State Of Sportsman Racing - Interesting Read
 

I see their points on the NHRA class racing vs. bracket racing.

I have noticed more of the big buck bracket races popping up in KY.

I still like my Stockers, but I can see where running a separate bracket race every day could be more appealing than one race for the whole weekend and if you go out 1st rd., then there is no 2nd chance.

Re: The State Of Sportsman Racing - Interesting Read
 

My questions:

Is there really any way to drive the cost of class racing(Stock, Super Stock, Comp) down?
* Allow Pump Gas to be used or mixed with Race Gas
* Safety Harnesses Certify for 5 years instead of 2 years.
* Helmets extend all 5 years helmets for 8 years

Is there a way to make it more accessible locally?
For me, we had once a year Stock/Super Stock combo races at our local tracks(Prescott and Centerville) that always peaked my interest when I was young. The rest was nurtured at NHRA events.
*Advertising locally and far enough into the rural areas.

How do entry level cost compare to what we had ten years ago?
* About the same for the times

Will we ever be able to shorten our divisional races into one or two day events to make it easier for people to enter these events?
* Love to see a 3 Race Weekend

When was the last big money class race(Stock, Super Stock, Comp) that we've seen and where are the sponsors to make something like that happen now?
* Before they treated the Sportsman Classes as Amateur Racers!

I'm assuming if the location was right, you could get lots of Stockers and Super Stockers in the same place for a big money purse like some of these bracket races.
* Invite none industry vendors to help sponsor racing!

What can we as a group(racers, fans, and fut racers) that care about the future of class racing do to make things better?
* You just started it .. ;-)
!

Re: The State Of Sportsman Racing - Interesting Read
 

I've always felt that for the majority of Class racers, National Events are a waste of time and especially, money. We are treated (as someone above said) like amateurs (I might even say bracket racers) and our actual participation in the event is so limited that it's like we aren't even there. I personally don't enjoy them as much as a Divisional Event, because we are nothing but "filler" that appears to do little more than annoy NHRA. I would honestly like a more organized and extensive Divisional and National Open schedule and just be eliminated from participation in National Events. Also continue the recent practice of having multiple races within a given weekend, encourage the setting of National Records again, by awarding Divisional points for setting them and ban cheaters for life when they are caught. We have to accept that we just don't mean anything to NHRA and they are slowly doing what they can to eliminate Class legal cars from competition. When Super Street gets better parking spots at an event than Stock and Super Stock, you don't have to be a genius to see that our time is past.

Re: The State Of Sportsman Racing - Interesting Read
 

You guys crack me up. Michael Beard put his nuts on the line for a Big$$$ Stk/SS race and gets hardly no participation, he busts his butt getting sponsors to support his race but the racers stay home....What can we do ? Absolutely NOTHING. ...Too many agendas .....