Re: Big Tire & Small Tire Shootouts at National Events
 

Dave , I'm not buying that logic at the present time.
There are plenty of 70 y.o.'s left, who's money is no good anymore.
I guess they never heard of..Dance with the one who brung ya.

At least they could be nice to us and hold the door while they boot us in the ***.

Re: Big Tire & Small Tire Shootouts at National Events
 

It just seems that they are smiling while planning something completely different than Stock. I understand that markets change, it seems they do too and are looking for other ways to attract racers and spectators. As long as they choose not to communicate with their "club members", we'll find out what they're planning when they do.

How many people understand the evolution of Stock? Twenty years ago I would explain it to non-racers and they could at least understand (sorta) what I was doing. I've been an arm chair racer since then, but I don't even begin to try to explain where Stock is now to people. We look at it as a performance based class; they (I assume) look at it as a very labor intensive class. Being that they are non-profit, I guess they're looking for something easier, since making money surely isn't a concern. (maybe a touch of sarcasm there)

Re: Big Tire & Small Tire Shootouts at National Events
 

Seems like a lot of bitterness in the post here. How exactly did these racers being invited to a race for an exhibition affect the outcome of your race weekend? We all already know that most stock/SS guys don't care for any other class but what they run in, and that's cool, but why not educate yourselves instead of b*tching about something that you don't even want to understand?
I can't answer about the cars that you are speaking about, but I know earlier this year at the New England national event, NHRA ran a 8 car X275 race. I happen to run in the X275 class and I can tell you those guys are not rookie racers, in fact the guy that won the exhibition, Dean Marinis, has a Pro Mod car he has ran at NHRA national events. We have records and we have a national points fund, just not thru NHRA. In fact guys like me do business with people who are "class racers". I just picked up my cylinder heads for my X275 car from a pretty well known SS racer, Jimmy Bridges.
Do these cars belong at NHRA national events? Only NHRA knows what the future holds on that, but one thing I can tell you is people like myself and others with these cars, we are as much of a member of NHRA as you guys are. We pay membership, license, and chassis certification dues just like you guys, so whether you like it or not we are in the club too!
I think when Steve Jackson started running a Pro Mod this year, NHRA saw first hand what a following that the small tire radial world has, and like someone else mentioned I am sure they want to try and test the waters to cash in, and I don't blame anyone running a business for doing that! When guys like Donald Long can put on a race at SGMP and have to turn people away because the place is at capacity, and pay 60K winners purse, I am sure that gets NHRA's attention.

Re: Big Tire & Small Tire Shootouts at National Events
 

It all boils down to this. If you add another class one of the existing classes has to be reduced in the number of participants that are allowed into the event. NHRA has been consistently reducing the quota for the sportsman racers such as stock and Super Stock. This is the main reason that the S/SS guys have a bad taste in their mouth about the bracket cars and classes that historically have not been a part of the national event program. S/SS class competitors have to attend the divisional races to get enough grade points to be able to enter the nationals. This is expensive to do because of the travel and days away from work. NHRA added TD and TS to the program and that is one of the reasons that the S/SS quotas have been reduced to the numbers they are now. If the X275 guys already have a sanctioning body that runs their events why do they want to invade the races that we race at. We don't ask to run at your events. There are no NHRA records or an actual class in the rule book for X275.

Re: Big Tire & Small Tire Shootouts at National Events
 

That's just it, they didn't ask to be there, they were invited. Who knows if it will ever even happen again. Its hard for me to believe that 8 cars being invited to a race for a one day program (it was ran on Friday start to finish), put out any class racers. That's hardly an invasion!

Re: Big Tire & Small Tire Shootouts at National Events
 

I heard the privilege to perform and be part of the show was north of $50,000 paid for by the Street Outlaws TV people.

Lots of hot dogs will get sold.

On the TV show they have some real high dollar cars and technology - they are not junkers or ghetto.

I don't know why they are not running at night after our program - like they do in most of the TV shows.

Its all about "show me the money".

Should have added a rock concert with some metal or hair band from the 80s -- then maybe the 70 year old racers would stay.

Ron

Re: Big Tire & Small Tire Shootouts at National Events
 

No bitterness just the facts......

Every Sportsman Racer needs grade points to enter National Events...

You earn them by attending the LODRS Division Events......

Pay my dues, pay my way......No way

You think that you are a real drag racer?????

Try using a rule book........

I have nothing against bracket racers because they are doing there own thing....But I take exception when they effect the ability of Class Racers to do theirs......

Re: Big Tire & Small Tire Shootouts at National Events
 

Did you ever take the time to notice that they (the NHRA Board-of-Directors) always manage to make enough money to cover their over sized saleries?

Re: Big Tire & Small Tire Shootouts at National Events
 

Yep bitterness you can feel it exuding from your post. First of all if the sanctioning body invited someone they don't need any points for anything. Also every racer doesn't need grade points. I personally know people that have raced national events by claiming someone else as the car owner but that driver had no grade points. Like I asked earlier were you or anyone else denied entry because of this side show? Yes I am a real racer and yes I race using a rule book. If any class racer can't do their own thing it isn't because of this.

Re: Big Tire & Small Tire Shootouts at National Events
 

Yes racers have been denied due to being told not enough time in the weekend to race larger fields. So the max amount per class is dropped and now guys with 2 or 3 grade points can not entry. Those are the racers not allowed to race. Bracket events can run nearly twice as many pairs in one day the a national can. Why?
If it helps the Wallys we're made of acrylic.