I have a dream.............
 

........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)

Re: I have a dream.............
 

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

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

Re: I have a dream.............
 

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.

Re: I have a dream.............
 

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 !

Re: I have a dream.............
 

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.

Re: I have a dream.............
 

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

Re: I have a dream.............
 

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......

Re: I have a dream.............
 

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

Re: I have a dream.............
 

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........

Re: I have a dream.............
 

I am pretty sure the first year Michael did the race there was a real good turn out. The second year There was scheduling issues and there were other events that seemed to take some of the car count away. It’s too bad that it did not work out and the promoters could make a few bucks or at least break even the first few years. Any new event will have to build a following and some history. Thanks to Michael for attempting.

Re: I have a dream.............
 

NMCA runs one event in Florida. For the past 2 years and again this year the NMCA race is the same weekend as the Baby Gators. If it was any other weekend either before or after the Gatornationals weekends they would have a much better car count. I just don’t understand why they would purposely shout themselves in the foot like that. I would love to run that race but with the grade point thing and it being my home division it just does not make sense to skip the NHRA race to attend the NMCA event.

Re: I have a dream.............
 

Correct Mike, the first year did have a nice turnout BUT ....the second year tanked. Michael put his money and AZZ on the line and we let him down.....All the complaining about NHRA and most of us are standing in line to take more abuse. .STRANGE ......

Re: I have a dream.............
 

No the date and location were horrible. 2 weeks before US NATS and at Columbus(National Trails) in August.

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My son Jon Irving ( BoulderCitytrailers.com) is sponsoring a Stock/SS Combo at LVMS on the weekend of March 22. This is in conjunction with
Muscle Cars at the Strip and the stands are usually pretty full because we are the Stars for a change. 100 % payback plus a decent purse and contigency as well we hope. If he gets at least 16 cars he will do it
regularly.

His phone is (702) 563 -9144 Before 8 PM

If you give him a chance to give you a quote on your next trailer
it would help him to do this regularly.

Re: I have a dream.............
 

If it was me I would stay away from "association"

I would just promote indavidual races at differenat race tracks across the counrty. Put together a list of classes and the class rules and see who shows up. Think something like a big buck bracket race but with classes.

As soon as you make it an association with champions and crap people will start getting stuiped.

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I would have to agree but, ....Michael was hell bent on making this weekend work. The weather was actually nice, just not much participation....

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Where are these NMCA races?

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NMCA 2020 schedule

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It bears repeating, if NMCA really wanted to attract class racers they might consider not throwing dates on top of traditional dates/events of some very popular NHRA races. Certainly respect all those who choose NMCA over NHRA; think Dennis, Doug etc. have a great idea running both NSS and Class but with only one car and a set number of races I can only focus on the D2 schedule plus possibly BG and Indy.

Re: I have a dream.............
 

Initially, I thought the same thing Jim, BUT....they have SO many classes AND they do not CATER to us...and rightly so....haven’t heard many bad words about this organization and I do believe they are racer friendly....Unfortunately the NMCA will be no help for racers left of the Mississippi.....

Re: I have a dream.............
 

And yet the class Nationals had NHRA and IHRA people working for it in Tech, tear downs, Fuel check, scales, stating line crew, etc.

Re: I have a dream.............
 

I like the NMCA nostalgia Muscle car class with the 1/4 second different index's but I hate the UGLY hood scoops that were never original that a lot of these cars have on them ! Same for the N/SS class. Some scoops look like crap that show up on the cars that never came with one. !:cool:

Re: I have a dream.............
 

C, That class was originally called Nostalgia Jr. Stock. I believe Travis Miller suggested it.
The cars had to loosely appear "stock". It wasn't long before a few guys started pushing the rules..For instance , a 66 Chevy II with the "327 /350 " combo ,showed up with a dual feed Holley, automatic trans, and racing seats. Those guys didn't get it , or didn't want to. The associations didn't want to turn the guys away, so it morphed into another index bracket. It could have been a fun deal, with all the interest in restored Jr Stockers.

Re: I have a dream.............
 

nmca races: Would like to run the NMCA but there's not a single race west of the mississippi river.

Re: I have a dream.............
 

You could up and move east !:D