[Adger Smith]

John DiBartolomeo ask 'What can be done about it" Thanks John with that question I'll step up on my soap box.
I'll take a stab at what I see as from a former track owner. I think what NHRA has done to divisional track operators has had a major shock to the sport. They have imposed quotas. In good times quotas are used to limit participation and take the cream of the crop. That is not so good in bad times. Divisional races are no place for quotas. That is fine that we have to earn some grade points to enter National events. By quotas I'm talking about car counts that earn a track owner money. In a conversation with a gentleman that is very well connected in our sport I learned that the break even point for a divisional track owner is 400 cars. Yet by mandate NHRA has a 32 car comp field and a 32 car Top sportsman field and a 32 car Top dragster field. Add to that an 8 car top alky dragster and an 8 car Top alky flopper classes. "IF" those fields are full you still have only 112 cars at the track. That leaves only 6 other classes to bring in 300 cars to make the magic 400 even money point.
Quotas kill the incentive for teams "On the bubble" to spend time and money traveling to a divisional race. Some well healed guy says"They just need to work on their program"and "Spend more" to be competitive. Ever though they are maxed out as to what they can afford to spend on their program? Don't they deserve to race too?
I'll make my point with the recent Tulsa Divisional race. Here is the Car count:
Here is Tulsa
> Total car count: 342
> TAD 10
> TAFC 5
> T/D 32
> T/S 28
> COMP 24
> SS 44
> STK 32
> SC 74
> SG 38
> SST 46
> BMX 9
If Comp, T/S and T/D had been All Run fields the Tulsa owners might not have taken a bath at the gate. You also have 2 high pay out classes that had only 15 cars. TAFC & TAD. I have heard it said that track owners could "Book A Show" for the same $$ and make more $$ and have a better show.
It doesn't take a math expert to see that NHRA needs to "Fix" this problem for the track owner that wants a divisional race. If something isn't done soon it may be hard for NHRA to get tracks to buy into a Divisional race. Where does that leave us racers? Fewer races farther apart so we have to travel more, spend more.
Make the divisional races "All Run" fields and help the car counts.
The cars are out there. Give them an incentive to go to the races. No one wants to spend $600 to $1000 and get a DNQ.
Another way to help out would be knock off the two most costly classes and spend a little more round money on other classes. Round money "IS " another incentive for racers. When a guy gets ANYTHING back it makes it easier for him to justify the expenses to a spouse or significant other....Yes, a spouse or significant other does figure into the state of the economy and if we race or sit home being the family man.
O.K. these are just my opinions about problems in our sport.
Off the Soap Box..