Re: Gators S/SS Entries
 

You've got it, Larry. That and spectator response. Watch the stands fill as the fool cars come to the line. Then watch them empty as class cars come up. NHRA bottom line, spectator appeal, not what's right for the racers who come and spend their money and time.

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What would happen to a national event if there are no sportsman? The Pits are deserted and the manufactures row looks weird no one to show or sell their products, there is nothing going on in the pits no happening Pros are declining big time , Sportsman in my opinion have got to understand the Power Of Money we provide to NHRA, example Membership, Entry fees per year is huge do the math , The manufactures who sell to sportsman racers ,the ads in national dragster ,so forth and so on get the picture >the over view of a Huge happening in the pits cannot not ever happened without sportsman There is a huge underlying amount of money being spent by Sportsman racers of course in the High Performance Industry

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What would happen if there was no sportsman?
They will fill with jet cars or street outlaws
Racing national events are a privilege where your have to earn points to get in
Nhra could car less about our entry fee. PROVEN they haven’t add extra spots in a few years. They can do without us. Look at Englishtown. They can do without it
You gotta earn points plain and simple

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Correct on the earn points is a given

but do the math 500 race car per event times 24 events times say $500 per car is ??? looks around 6 mill per year to me just in entry fees give or take a few dollars just using this as an example ,all I would like NHRA to do is raise the Quota in Stock and Super Stock by 50 entries per event , since I am a Super Stock racer and like Stock

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Not buying this one for a minute. Take a look at the original charter for NHRA and why it was formed.
This reminds me of the old adage " A driver's license is a privilege , not a right"
(to drive on our own roads)

See my signature line below again v v

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Don, there are other classes effected by the quotas. What if they just allowed 50 more super class cars. We pay the same entry and require a lot less oversight. No tech other than seatbelts, fire suites and helmet, diaper and membership and license. Don’t need anybody working scale no fuel check no making sure the car has the right hood or is in the right class no tear downs don’t need to worry about track prep. We support the manufacturers same as S/SS and and there are way more of use than you.
I’ve seen the idea posted that they allow 70 entries in all the classes and 64 qualify and six don’t make the show. We would probably still need 4 grade points and there would still be people with not enough to enter. Heck if it only took 1 grade point someone would complain they only live a mile from track and should be given preference.

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Mark, love the Will Rogers line....yet another classic, only Mark Twain compares.

And devil's advocate here; if they increased the quotas at Gainesville you do know you'd be parked out by the University of Florida agriculture center, right? And if it rains...good luck. There's barely enough room on the asphalt for the Army campus, hospitality trailers for JFR/DSR, TRAXAS car track and the rest of the circus.

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It entertaining that no one remembers when it was NHRA's complete discretion to mail you back a packet of colored entry sheets of what events that you were qualified to enter based on the subjective judgement of someone in administrative offices. You submitted a request list and they decided which entry sheets you received. I get there was no social media but I don't remember all the complaining in the eighties when I got started about this process and it was not based on one objective thing.

Sure seems a lot easier to get a certain amount of grade points and know for sure where you stand. When I asked to get into a couple of races I remember being clearly told National events were a earned privilege to enter.

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Don, the NHRA is a Section 501(c)(6) not-for-profit. Above and beyond their expenses and their salaries, they don't care. They (apparently) aren't buying race tracks anymore and they certainly aren't hiring anymore personnel. So other than their skeleton crew and the Board-of-Directors salaries, their profits would have to go to the NHRA Museum or to keeping racers (small R on purpose) off of the streets.
Now, I'm going to print part of their "amended" charter and you can take out of it whatever you'd like.

Section 2,B., "The specific purpose of this corporation is to improve business conditions in the sport of drag racing and in the hot rod industry and to promote and advance the common business interests of those engaged in the sport of drag racing and in the hot rod industry, to promote safety, sportsmanship and fellowship and the exchange of knowledge and information among hot rod enthusiasts, and to carry on it's activities within the purview of Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and California Revenue and Taxation Code Section 23701c."

Now, what I'm reading here is if "Don Kennedy Race Cars" or "Don Kennedy" sponsoring a race car shows up at the gate to Gainesville and is denied access to the Gator Nationals, then the NHRA would be in default of Section 2,B. of it's charter AND it's Section 501(c)(6) status.

Not to mention, if I can get stupid for a minute (I'm good at stupid), wouldn't it be embarrassing if the Racers (capital R on purpose) who were refused entry staged an illegal street race on that long, straight road just outside of the track? I'm not condoning that this happen but there have been stranger forms of protests before.

If someone would like me to post the entire NHRA charter for your reading enjoyment, just ask, I'll start a new thread.

Re: Gators S/SS Entries
 

Mr. 363, you bring up a valid point that I have never considered.To increase the car count by ten cars, NHRA would need an additional 60 spots for both stk and SS, sg and sc , and TD and TS if they are competing that weekend...It would be difficult to find the room at Gainesville BUT it could easily be done at Vegas......BTW if anyone ever figures out the NHRA business model, please pass it onto me......

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I have always thought that for ahfs to work you need a bump. If there were more than 64 superclass cars and a bump we would have to try to run .90 instead of just having a time trial. It would be a whole new challenge for the super class racers.
I don’t know why I’m posting my driver has 0 grade points and probably won’t have more than 1 or 2 after next year. After 25 years of chasing NHRA I give up. We have a great track 45 miles from home that runs 10 Q 16 races and we have the Midwest Super Comp Assoc. That runs 13 races with all but one being a weekend double and all are less than 200 miles from home.
Not mad at NHRA still love them just tired. Leave Sat. morning and be home Sat. or Sun. night.

Re: Gators S/SS Entries
 

Without quotas it would take 7 days to complete a race! Even with quotas, the current races get behind schedule which results in Sportsman getting bumped to late at night!

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This is going to open a fire storm! At Gainesville raceway they say that there isn't room for more racers do to space. The Pro's park their race rigs with all their equipment in the pits and their motor homes are parked outside the pit area. To open up space for more sportsman race cars, why doesn't NHRA have the large motor homes drop their trailers in the pits and put the motor homes outside like the pros? NHRA could impose a specified parking size per entry to allow more entries for the race. Just an Idea and observation!

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Let's just put your firestorm out. Think, the pro's only use the motorhome for sleeping (very few have young families, when they do they're in the pits) and the sportsmen are mostly families - put them outside? I think not. How about moving some of the "hospitality" ares outside? That'll free up quite a bit of space.

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SS 3718. That's funny, when I went to the Gators or The Southerns when we had over 100 entries in Stock the races were completed in plenty of time. But with low quotas, they can't get it done. BS. Only weather or oil downs slowed the show. Heck, they even have escorts with sirens to get the pros back to their pit areas to save their precious TV time.

Want to hear a good joke, some race tracks have four lanes and low quotas.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA 32 car fields in the future

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Now there's a no ****ter!!!

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I am not trying to cause issues or criticize anyone just trying to help NHRA make more money so the Sportsman purses can go up . It seems to me the Sportsman prize money have not gone up but down ????

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Why would you think that if NHRA made more money, any of it would go to the sportsman racers..........Really??????????????

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Because it is NHRA legally, ethically and even morally to create a level playing fields as a non profit entity and a major Sports provider with liberty and justice for all >LOL:D

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There is plenty of room in the pits at the Gators. Last year with out any officials parking the rigs racers took as much room as they could for their pit area. If there was a more efficient use of the pit area there would be more than enough room for more sportsman competitors. If racers took the minimum instead if the maximum pit space there would be room for everyone. There should be no motor homes of campers in the pit area that are not tow rigs. The manufacture midway and circus should be located in a better spot for access from both sides of the grand stands. There is a real nice pit spot at the finish line in the pine trees that used to be premium pit parking for racers. Now they have spectator campers and Barbeques set up there. There is also a ton of room at the go cart track. Its a little far to staging. We parked there last year for the points race and moved up for the gators when the others pulled out.

Re: Gators S/SS Entries
 

How many years ago was that? Not arguing but unfortunately that is not how it is today!

Want to hear a better joke, one of the races I went to last year had four lanes, low quotas, and we still ended up behind schedule and finishing the last couple rounds after the Pros were finished on Saturday night!

Based on the time it takes to complete races in the current state, I’m glad they have quotas!

Re: Gators S/SS Entries
 

Guys Nhra is killing pro stock slowly or as fast as legally possible
They just killed of The Hemi Challenge
They have room at most track we can agree on that
But. We Are Filler. Not The show. They only car about spectator $$$$
We are not there concern It’s 2018 it’s about Facebook and internet traffic
By the way I have Grade 8 and didn’t get in
PS. Billy hold a race outside of Gainesville.them cops are so big And intimidating looking I try not to look at them when pulling in. They mean business

Re: Gators S/SS Entries
 

SS3718, probably about 4 years ago at the Gators and 8 years at Atlanta. I guess things have changed dramatically. Still though, with large fields the races were still completed in time. Their remedy is probably 1st round goes out at 6:00 AM instead of 8:00

Yes, your joke is better. Actually sounds like an embarrassment.

So what is taking up all the time that quotas have to be lowered.

Bingo, James you are correct. BTW, all the big cops are at the race, the smaller ones are along 301 & 24 in Waldo handing out tickets, with the same explanation "If you were going about two mile an hour less I would've given you a warning".

Ron Ortiz
U/SA we don't need no stinkin quotas.

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I have known a lot of business plans in my life time and one of them is when a business is making a lot of money and has a lot of customers they then start to raise their prices and start limiting the amount of work load as they still maintain their bottom line UNTIl the customer base dries up and the cost to be their customers is no longer a value > The business wakes up and says what happened to all our customers??? we were so great in our business design ,Then almost immediately new decision makers are brought in to make big changes without experience in this business then the demise starts (just some thoughts)
This happens all the time in big businesses and as sad as it is most of the decision makers fail to see the reasons their company is no longer what it used to be and so the older decision makers retire

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Smartest man on these BS postings. Quit NHRA and race local circuits. Save your money ! Just my opinion. BUT.....Maybe if some of you had supported IHRA then NHRA would not be the only circus act in town now. You whined about payouts, contingencies, etc. but no one showed up. How long would your business or company you worked for could stay in business without customers ????? No wonder they had to cut back on $$$$$. True the World Champ was won before about1/2 half of the season was over the way they had it set up but Myron got PAID the full amount in stock. He went to the races. Oh well.....its over and it is what it is. Racing in NHRA would be about as much fun as being in Viet Nam all over again for me.

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Nice attitude.....Some people work for a living and can't make 15 races a year......just saying.......

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Lenny
One of the issues in the west are there are very few Drag strips . I lived in Phx closest was Chandler 30 miles further away was Somona 16 hour away then Denver 16 hours away then the closets was Vegas 6 hours away the Fontana 6 hours away and that my friend is the problem , All the racers know how to get grade points it is a given but the amount of travel is huge compared to back east and the racing population is about 70 % less racers ,a racer hurts something and misses a race or two then they are locked out even for a year. of course saving the money going to a National event may not be all that bad ,except I have a lot of friends That I enjoy at the national event s

Re: Gators S/SS Entries
 

If NHRA wanted to make a lot of friends with Sportsman Racers they could rent Orlando or SGMP on Wednesday before the Gators and have Stock and Super Stock all run 3 or 4 rounds then the drivers that are still in would go to Gainesville to finish the race. That way they could run as many cars that want to run 128 or more in each class because it being the first race of the year there's a lot of interest in seeing what you have been working on all winter is going to work. I know NHRA has rented Orlando in past due to heavy rains they had at Gainesville it was a lake. They ran a few rounds and the cars that were still in went up to Gainesville to finish the race. I know the NHRA crew would have to drive down there to put on the race. That might cut into there profit margin. Just a thought. Kenney Kelley

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I can see this being a #1 priority for the NHRA staff at the next meeting..............
Dan

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X2 with Techman-Danny...this has not been REAL happy off-season...sadly don't have answer/solution...Drake

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I work for the man. Never get to a race early enough to be teched before the morning the event begins, and I run the first and third classes out here in D5. Sleep up in the riser of the 5th wheel trailer next to all the spare parts. If the track doesn't have a shower, neither do I.

The system is what it is. National events are not a priority for me. It probably sounds crazy, but I prefer divisionals. You're wasting your time and energy if you think anyone cares why you couldn't get into an event. If it's really important to you, then you make it happen. If you want to say it is important but aren't fully behind it, then you can come on here and complain about why you didn't get in.

I live in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. I may have it just slightly better than you did out west as far as travel to run divisionals and nationals.

Building a car for class racing and complaining about all the travel is like building a house near the airport or racetrack and complaining about the noise.

Re: Gators S/SS Entries
 

Well we have our first former or current world champ enter the Gators, none other than L. Scott Libersher in FS/B '18 COPO #3662. Scott was the 71st entry in Stock. "I see now" said the blind man, a Silver card for Mr. Libersher top ten finish in Factory Showdown.

Can you use owner points for someone who does not have a grade five? If a racer uses owner points how many times can the owner do this?

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Great freaking job right there entering with 5 weeks left! To each their own.....

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He’s entered in Factory Showdown with one COPO and Stock with another. Didn’t realize they could do that but since non-qualifiers don’t bump into Stock now guess it’s okay.