I have a dream.............

[00SSCamaroZ]

........of a new association for the sportsman racer. One that has classes ranging from pro stock to pure stock. No super classes, no dragsters, no top this top that. Just classes such as stock,super stock, modified as the main draw. Maybe even find a way to add in the tuner crowd.

Now with all the money in the pits these days surely someone could come up with something to relieve nhra of the majority of their sportsman classes.
If the tracks and sponsors didn't have such high fees to pay to the assoc. they could then actually pay the racers more and sponsor more races.

Now I know from reading these forums that to wade into this pool is an exercise in insanity. No matter what, there is a group of racers that is unhappy and will always bitch, complain, quit etc. However if a new leadership came in and made the investment in equipment and personnel and said this is how it is and remained consistent with the rules I think it could work.

What do you think??? (be kind)

[DYER]

good idea but hard to put togetter .thats whyi am going to run nmca s/ss

[voltdr]

Good idea. Why don't you start that up right away?
Dan

[jmcarter]

IMHO we’re far better off running the local class racing associations which in turn helps the host tracks. And don’t think something which pulls from those and the NMCA is in our best interest.

[Dan Fahey]

Originally Posted by jmcarter

IMHO we’re far better off running the local class racing associations which in turn helps the host tracks.
And don’t think something which pulls from those and the NMCA is in our best interest.

Very much agree
Love the independent S/SS Associations.
They put the fun factor back into racing.

Some ideas
Have two heats a day. More fun more runs.

Good opportunity to sell Pure Stock to attract new racers.
The Chevy SS, G8, Dodges, Mustangs are becoming more affordable.
Great way to mentor new racers.

Ask IHRA, AHRA, NMCA to share race Dates or assist the Associations.
Run the S/SS Association as a separate Eliminator

Develop a Cross-Share Point System
Incentive to race two or three different Association races.
Especially if they are within a 4 hour driving window.

Start posting Track Class Records.
Nothing like Bragging Rights, most tracks have scales.
Also helps the Announcer peek interest with Spectators.

Have Ad hoc Heads-Up Challenges like an A/SA vs an SS/FA
Two Racers challenging each other who may have near performance capability !

Organize a few Division or National style Meets.

One thing that is lacking is better Marketing and Advertisement.
Post the races in National Newspapers and Periodicals.
Should be no cost as Associations are Non-profit.
Papers Like Hits on their sites.

All about the Fun !

[GHoef]

There is a giant hurdle that anyone attempting to "alleviate" NHRA of their S/SS classes will face. And guess what ? You cannot buy it. NHRA has it in spades and it cannot be purchased.... it's called LEGITIMACY.

Tracks, personnel, equipment, insurance, leadership, money and sponsors are all part of a solid plan to sustain a racing venture, but to truly lure NHRA S/SS racers away from NHRA will be VERY difficult to achieve because of the Legitimacy that NHRA possesses.

Due to the span of time that NHRA has been around, it is a multi generational sport. Case in point, my late grandfather, Bill Hoefer (and his brother John) won the Street Eliminator national championship in 1964. Thus the beginning of my families drag racing story, which saw my father Willie Hoefer campaign multiple S/SS throughout the 70's-80's l. He would win a SS national event @ Bandimere in 84, 2 D7 NHRA Summit Series championships (06 - 16) and 1 NHRA Summit Series National Championship in 06. He has an office with several Wally trophies on the shelves.

My entire life, I've wanted to race S/SS in NHRA and dreamed of earning a WALLY (like many others) of my own and what that would mean to me and my family. Well in 2018, I went out with my dad's 2016 D-7 Championship car and won the D-7 NHRA Summit Series Championship and along with it my own Wally.

We are a 3 generation family of NHRA champions (not to mention the multiple NHRA champioships of C.W. Sacha and Craig Hoefer) and I don't think my father and I had ever hugged and cried together before, as I came back to the tower to celebrate the win. I knew it meant everything to me, but even more so, I knew what it meant to him and my late grandfather's legacy.

Besides the multi generational aspect, there are iconic drivers and cars that have come and gone and with those, stories of races won and lost, trips across the country only to lose by a thou in the final round, all catalogued in our beloved National Dragster Magazine. Either by actually racing against or by simply reading about, men and women who would other wise not even be recognized in their local grocery store, became our household names because of the Legitimacy NHRA.

And so, the iconic and seemingly unchanged NHRA logo and unique trophy that countless men and women have strived for no matter what the cost, both financial and personal will continue to be the bar for S/SS excellence until someone can create Legitimacy for racers to buy into. Maybe in the future I'll be striving to win a "Rampy" or a "Fletchy" but for now my NHRA Wally is my most coveted racing achievement and I'm not alone in that statement.

One thing is certain though, if NHRA is going to continue to push the everyday Joe out of the show with diminished S/SS class car counts, I think there will be an opportunity for major change on the horizon and I wish the best to whomever attempts to spearhead that attempt.

[Capri]

And WHAM!!!!!!!!!!! The US Classnationals was born...........................

[MR DERBY CITY]

Originally Posted by Capri

And WHAM!!!!!!!!!!! The US Classnationals was born...........................

Not only BORN, but well ATTENDED !!!!.....Thanks to Alex, Tony and Ron Leek. ........ and when Michael Beard resurrected the idea.......Well, not many racers supported it......

[00SSCamaroZ]

I agree with most of the responses, especially GHoef's. It's just my opinion nhra could do more for the racers than they do. Purses have always been a joke to me compared to the money taken in. But I don't have any answers. With little to no competition nhra can do as they please. It just seems to me that if there is all this money being generated by the sportsman racer someone would come up with a better plan to maybe spread that around a little better. AHH, I shouldn't think so much

[GUMP]

Originally Posted by jmcarter

IMHO we’re far better off running the local class racing associations which in turn helps the host tracks. And don’t think something which pulls from those and the NMCA is in our best interest.

I agree that supporting a local series is important. That can be a fun week-to-week hobby. If you want to make it cool run more heads-up.

You are selling the NMCA short. They run a very good program. If we gave them more cars I feel strongly that they would do much more for us. I know they want to run class. They just need more cars.

FYI, If you don't want to go heads-up, YOU ARE A BRACKET RACER........