Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat event
 

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

https://dragillustrated.com/shannon-...ra-appearance/

Well here you go !!

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

She wants a Wally....WHY NOT! They give them out at Walmart now for buying a 12pk of Monster Energy Drink don't they? I know they gave them out at my home track this past weekend for a Summit race so why not these quasi street racers. The planet is on a new axis my friends.

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

Let me see here now.. I have to ask myself what it is I am missing here.

I for one, as well as most of you here have spent the better part of my life racing stock.

I love the racing the people and being around racers I have watched for years and new comers as well.

We all for the most part have seen things we may, or may not approve of in regards to all sorts of things that happen in racing. I think that keeps it interesting.


However, after spending countless hours & dollars pouring a driving passion in to our class racing.

I find it disheartening to be put on a 65 or so, car quota and needing to have the appropriate amount of "grade points" to attend a national event,
only to have the, top folks in charge, "invite" a few "other racers" to attend.

It seems to be a bit of a slap in the face to the faithful disciples of stock and super stock racing as well as all the other sportsman class racers.

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

So, Glen whats new.

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

Well... nothing.

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

THE ANSWER..... In this area it Midwest Class Races !! Best payout around, Sat and Sun races for S & SS !!

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

Well, isn't that just special?

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

And the PAYOUT is BETTER than a Points meet !

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

As sgt. Shultz would say,....VERY INTERESTING....seems as though the marketing boys at NHRA are grasping at straws ......

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

NHRA has no idea that the best show they have is already at the track. I guess 90% or more of the Sunday crowd does not realize there were more than 8 stk/ss cars on the grounds for the weekend. There is nothing subtle about NHRA management's turn away from our classes. They either don't care or don't like stk/ss or even worse they don't recognize the quality of cars and competition on the track. We have new vs old cars, fast vs slow, 100 to 150 mph. I bet the car down the first early drag strip had DOORS. Our race cars today, STOCK and SUPER STOCK, are the evolution of that first car.

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

So are they going to make the national event a "no prep" race?
400 spectators betting at the starting line and thousands more leaning on the guardwalls will love seeing the fuelers bounce off the walls.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5RV7AQ1juY

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

Cant wait to see how NHRA handles cars bouncing off walls and contaminating the race surface. Maybe they will impose a fine ! Sounds like win/win. Cant wait to see all the fans bum rush the starting line too! Best decision yet! This is Russias fault!

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

Will the cars be teched or do they just fill out a tech card for notifying next of kin?

1/8 mile or 1/4 mile?

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

What Tech? I thought we are on the honor system now.

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

The video reminds me of what my local track in Darlington looks like every week. Grudge racing is big around here. Standing at the starting line like a crew member and gambling on a particular racecar/driver gives the fans a more personal reason to have a stake in the outcome of every race.

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

It's bad to say but we Stock racers look like our own worst enemy right now talking about quotas. We cried like a bunch of college girls after the election over Gainesville and in the end didn't fill the quota they gave us. I doubt they will want to listen to a whole lot more......

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

You have that right on the money!!!
The MCR S/SS races are BY FAR superior, to our other options!

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

That's some real "class" folks there...

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

You are kidding yourself. Those of us on this forum may see it that way, but the average spectator just wants to see cars running on the edge. Nitro, Pro Mod, drag radial, no prep. The alcohol cars are very quick, Pro Stock is quick, but spectators can't tell one run from the next.

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

James
If the shootout cars get to Run Stock Eliminator as well as the shootout, than you have to add 22 more cars to the 65 cars you have now.
So, Yes i think they met the 70 car quota.

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

This won't last long when these racers find out they have to pay an entry fee, buy memberships, random pee tests, have to race at divisional races to be able to attend the big shows, buy insurance for golf cart/scooters... did I miss anything?

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

I have been Drag racing since 1963 and in my opinion that the sportsman racer is the minor leagues so to speak .now after stating that I feel the NHRA along with Alan Reinhardt, Mike English, Brian Lohnes , Bob Unkerfer and Johnny Motto and other veteran announcers can and should promote the Sportsman racers .These announcers have a Huge following as well as great personality’s and they have the knowledge to talk about the sportsman racers and they also need information to talk about at the event they are the best. NHRA just needs to unleash the criterial with them these announcers can and will make a difference with fans and now talking about the racers . The announcers are kind of doing this now and are gradually going towards the promotion of sportsman racing The fans I talk to are interested in all aspects of racing .They just need to be educated towads the sportsman type of racing . There are many ways to educate the fans and it starts with NHRA . there are literally thousands of stories about sportsman racer that could be told by NHRA . The Dwindling Pros stories have been told hundreds of times and most of the fans have heard them way to many times .The Sportsman racers have better stories as well as the ability to create a huge fan base by NHRA as well as by the racers them selves . There are a huge amount of untold stories about the racers out there and that is one way to get fans in the stands to watch the sportsman racers ,The fans are there to watch racing and just need to educated about us.. I just fell off my soapbox .LOL stay tune I can and will get back on my soap box .:D

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

Click on the link to see my soapbox

https://scontent.fphx1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...32&oe=5928E8E5

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out - I agree but I think Judge Chamberlin in this clip is NHRA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD-AXgYO0lo

Just a little levity


Ron

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

How can they possibly huddle up close to the car crowding the starting line like in the video ?

...or will NHRA relax their starting line rule just for the grudge racers ?

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

I also feel that NHRA has a huge concern about Sportsman racing welfare. They just have not really realized how important we are > I don’t blame them they just need to be educated . The Sportsman racers are a very important Profit center for NHRA and they cannot do without us and we can’t do without them it is a true two way street .
I would like to see a meeting with all NHRA decision makers with some sportsman racers who can meet with NHRA without having a personal agenda to discuss common issues . I do know NHRA decisions makers will listen and that NHRA are not as most assume against the sportsman racer, they just might surprise all with a meeting to solve all of our issues in general with NHRA Drag racing . I feel that NHRA and NHRA sportsman racers may not understand the huge profit centers and huge issues of racers and NHRA now, and in some cases NHRA has a misunderstanding as well > we are in this together and whatever decisions NHRA makes it will affect all racers just need to have better communication and a few meetings with the movers and shakers of sportsman racing ,no not their friends or sponsors real racers who can discuss issues without a persona gain or agenda .Long time ago we did meet with NHRA and it was a productive meeting and there were a few racers there who had no personal agenda just wanted to solve issues for overall success of Drag racing .

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

Some Issues that may need to be discussed with NHRA are :
The Purse.
Stacking early.
National event quotas.
Tech Procedures.
Track Prep( which lately has been good.)
Run order Super Stock needs to run after Super Comp then track prep will be easier as super comp burns thru the line.
Entry fees .

?? anyone else has some issues needed to be solved or at least discussed feel free to list them

my email address is donkennedy1@cox.net .Phone number is 602-284-6240

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

Don, I disagree. I think the current management at NHRA, and especially the bean counters controlling the decisions with the money, have zero regard for sportsman drag racing. The only thing they have the slightest regard for is the short term bottom line. Further, they are firmly convinced, with no small amount of help from the racers, that the sportsman racers will take whatever NHRA feels like giving them, and keep right on paying for it.

Are there good people within NHRA who do care, and do want to do what is right for sportsman drag racers? Sure. But they have no decision making power, and precious little influence with those who do. Further, upper management and the bean counters would just as soon see any friends we do have within the organization gone. You need only witness the way they treat those people, and how very few are left.

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

Alan : not sure your assessment of NHRA is really accurate > If I were a bean counter and I did not know about Drag racing and I figured out that the sportsman racer brings in appx 3 to 4 million dollars a year or more it would be hard as a bean counter to not see the value of that money coming in especially if it goes away

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

The problem is that it appears the money brought in by Sportsman drag racing is the ONLY reason NHRA has any regard for it.

Nothing they do impacts the car counts in a meaningful way, so everything must be good, right?

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

One way to look at the
issues is NHRA is a Business, and most of the time to a drag racer our racing is a Hobby, there has to be a fine line that all can live with and succeed. this is hard to do in some instances.

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

you forgot about Brian Lohnes

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

Don, I have considerable respect for your opinion, and admire your optimism a great deal.

Let me preface this by saying that I'm still on the path to building or buying a stocker, I'm still working on stuff for my best friend and partner, as well as other people. I have no desire to see the sport I love dearly continue to circle the drain. My goal in life, at 53, is to be like my hero, Jimmy Bridges, and be doing this when I'm well into my seventies and beyond.

That being said, I've crunched the numbers myself, and while we do spend a ton of money with NHRA, I also realize that reality and the long term view often have very little bearing on the modern business plan in America, which is most often based on short term short sighted goals and gains, regardless of the long term.

Even with my love of the sport, and my decision to make every effort to continue, I will not fool myself into believing that NHRA wants us, likes us, and cares about us. To be honest, we're a lot like an abused spouse. We want to believe things will get better, but most often it ends badly.

I do this because I love it. I love my friends, who are family to me, the racers like the Hills, the Welfels, the Walther, the Maggarts, the Tuetons, the Helms family, the Mattinglys, and dozens of others, the staff, Travis Miller, Dave Ley, Bill Floyd, and a dozen others. I plan to keep doing it. I may not keep doing it with NHRA. I plan to build a cool car that I love, a traditional stocker, that will be competitive, even without a soft factor, so whether or not NHRA tanks, or gets rid of us, I'll have a keeper that I'll enjoy.

The flip side is that NHRA has had ample opportunities over the years to improve the lot of the racers. They have chosen to do otherwise every single time. Higher entry fees, more fees, more hassles, worse treatment, they're run off the sponsors. The purse has effectively dropped 75% when you look at contingency payout too.

And if you think they're not inviting these other classes as a way of shopping for a replacement for our classes, you need to take off your rose colored glasses.

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

James

It's pretty much the norm to have 10% of the field drop out as the race gets close either due to the car breaking. Car not ready in time or personal issues that may come into play. This year Stock closed at the gators with 5 grade. SS closed at 4. This means the fields were closed at least a month prior to the race. Stock is still over quota at the gators when you count the shoot out cars that were removed from the quota. There was a mad scramble by several racers to get in SS at the last minute. The quota should be adjusted to reflect the average drop out amount.

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

Mike I am aware that there normally are a few that drop out but I thought we looked a bit foolish this year after all the stink over the shootout cars taking up quota and then at the end there was not enough to fill the spots vacated. Turns out I would've taken a spot had I not had problems myself at the points race. And yes if we hadn't gotten the shootout cars out there would've been some left out, I just thought myself it would've looked better if all 70 of those spots would've been filled in the end to those that made the decision to pull the shootout cars out in the first place.

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

Opps he will never forgive me he is ranked right up their.with the best.darn I missed him sorry about that

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

Alan, two main points in your post are so damn true;
Like an abused spouse
They're shopping for a replacement.

Spouse abuses the other and no matter what is done they continually keep coming back, now the spouse is seeing someone else in front of them and they're STILL in denial that there is something wrong.
I guess I'm ok with sharing them...wtf??? Maybe it'll get better, wtf???

Local or ihra is the only thing they will understand. Let your feet do the talking, it's obvious there are places that will welcome you outside this "marriage".

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

If everyone banded togeather and boycotted a race, Like Indy, it might open the eyes and minds. If most of the Sportsman racers pulled out and didnt show up? A shot heard around the world.WOW

Re: Nhra strikes again - must read for stk/ss at ned nat eve
 

Alan You have hit the nail right on the head !!! It's one of the few businesses that I know where you can treat your customers like ##it and they keep comming back for more. It's only for the love of the sport by all us racers pros and sportman that we are still there. Sad they have chased off so many sponsers too. Now if they were making a ton of money I quess we would have a hard time arguing with their logic. But with them loosing money year after year what can they be possible be thinking. We can only hope that they loose enough that they are forced to sell. BP

Alan what combo are you thinking about building? I to have been thinking about jumping back in. I have been looking at the 1970 camaro 402/405 hp or a 1971 corvette either the 454/420 hp or the 350/270 hp. I think I could get either of them to run the index.