NHRA as seen by the pros.

[Bobby Zlatkin]

We have all seen many posts here the last few months citing the economic plight of the sporsman racer for the upcoming season and NHRA being totally oblivious to this.

There was a recent article (Jan. 12) in Auto Week magazine looking at the current situation from the pros viewpoint. I know no one feels any empathy for the pros who have painted themselves into a corner, to where none of them can now afford to race out of their own pocket. But, the article is very interesting.

It tells of the withdrawal of major sponsors (corporate partners) and of the professional drivers who have lost their rides. Of how there are going to be fields that aren't going to be filled this year, especially in top fuel. Let me quote the last three paragraphs of the article;

"With the new season looming, NHRA has a third of it's events available for sponsorship. Officials haven't acknowledged any of the corporate fallout while raising the costs of in-pit hospitality for individual race teams."

"If the current management had to answer to stock holders, they'd be run out of town, one prominent team owner said (we know that wouldn't have been the Ford Sponsored NHRA poster boy). This is the worst economic crisis to hit our sport ever, and they have decided to stick their heads in the sand. They're a joke."

"Calls to NHRA management seeking coment were not returned as of Auto Week's deadline."

NASCAR is in the same position, with 750 full time crewman jobs lost so far, but at least they acknowledge it and are trying to work through it. I never thought of it this way before, but who are the NHRA officials responsible to? Us, the members? Then why can't we do something about it. Why shouldn't they feel the pinch in their pocket books too? It's like the corporate bailouts, no accountability.

[tpoh815]

Hmmm- wondering what the fallout will bring?

[Robert Swartz]

Originally Posted by tpoh815

Hmmm- wondering what the fallout will bring?

Maybe the opportunity to do as has been suggested. For those that want to race, it may be back into our own hands.

By this, I mean, if the (or a) major national organization declines in it's ability to support or promote races. Then it will be up to track owners, racers and those that desire to support racers to keep this hobby alive. These ideas of local/regional support series and organizations may not be as far fetched as many would like to believe.

My bracket car, which has been parked for 20 years, is still in pieces and our class car is still in the planning stages. I'm working just to get back onto a race track. I'm open to listening to anything anyone in the Indiana/Ohio/Illinois/Kentucky/Michigan area has to offer. If I'm currently not ready to race, I'd be willing to do what I could to help those that can take the track. It would have to start somewhere?

[qwiked]

Maybe the demise of NHRA wouldn't be a bad thing for the class racer?? I know of a number of Stockers and Super Stockers that haven't been raced in years because the owners are fed up with NHRA treating the class racers like "filler" while charging them a great deal of money to wait around and "fill"--Back in the day the local tracks would promote S/SS combo races and they were the "show"--

[Bobby Zlatkin]

The profesional racers interests and the sportsman's interests are very different. They do it for a living and we do it for fun.

The answer may be some of these colalitions that are being formed. Jim Woods and his Florida group or the newly formed Carolina Class Racer's Assoc. or some super class groups being formed. They are in the early teething stages, but every one seems to really enjoy these events.

The tracks that are hosting these events have shown that they want us. Not as filler, but as the show. That's who we should be supporting, the local track owners that have shown that they really want us. Not the fat cats in Glendora who think of us only as whining step children.

Trouble is, we look at the sactioning bodies for our rules. They set our standards and provide us with our guidelines. And that's their main hold over us. They let us think they really wanted racer imput through our racer representatives but we saw where that went. It was just just lip service. While they control the rules, they have us in a headlock. They've got us.

The answer to that; I don't have a clue.

[Michael Lyons]

I feel really bad for all those pro racers that might have to go out and get a real job now... poor babies

[Chris Cogan]

Those in the professional ranks need to wake up. Last year at the Norwalk event, rain cut Saturday's activities short so I ventured into the pro pits as the masses were heading toward the parking lot. I looked like a minnow trying to swim into an opposing stream of salmon! Anyway, eventhough I was wet all the way to my BVD's, I was rewarded in the fact that most of the pro guys were still out (under their awnings) tidying up for the day and the crowd was almost non-existent. I am a avid pro stock fan, so I was hanging out around the pro stock boys and many of them had taken their ropes down and allowed me to check out their cars up close. I was in gearhead heaven. I had an opportunity to speak with a very well known driver while I was checking out his car and I asked him why he wasn't using titanium fasterners on his beadlock wheels. Many teams do. His response was, "Well, I've only got so big a budget each year and eventhough I considered them because it is the right thing to do for performance, I opted to spend my money elsewhere." I then looked over his shoulder and this is what I observed: Two 53' transport trailers and matching rigs to pull them. Two custom pusher RV's with a tent between them and about 20 people fine dining on steaks coming off the grill. Two portable air conditioning units providing cool air for the guests and also branched off to provide cool air to the cars (note plural) radiators. About a dozen crew members all dressed in matching uniforms, Custom golf carts, etc........I was speechless. Here was a guy who has won numerous championships and wouldn't spend $700 to reduce nearly a pound of rotating mass, but had all the comfort items that don't help those cars get down the track any quicker or faster. UNBELIEVEABLE!!! I was totally and utterly dumbfounded. I don't know about any of the rest of you, but if I could afford to run pro stock, I would tow to the races with my 3/4 suburban and a 28' enclosed trailer and put all of my available racing budget into making the car as nasty as possible. I can remember going to the races with my dad and we would sleep in the back of the crew cab or in a sleeping bag under the open trailer. We probably didn't smell to well by Sunday, but we were there to race........PERIOD!!! Nothing else mattered. I'm sure many of you have similar stories. Let's hear them. Check out the picture of the Grump's operation back in the day. Nothing fancy, all about the racing.

[danny waters sr]

He was probably doing all that to keep his sponsors.( assuming he had sponsors). A lot in a sponsorship is P R work . I know as we were fotunate enough to have a large sponsorship program with STANBACK headache powders back in the late 90's and 2000 for a sportsman program. We actually did some things out of our pocket to promote them in diff ways. Sure makes a diff when they left. We now have MOSER ENGINEERING as our sponsor thru 2010 , and will do the same for them. Maybe he rather to save and keep his sponsor than to loose 1 pound .Maybe he can get them (screws) this year .

[Chris Cogan]

Mr. Waters,
I totally get what you are saying, but I think this guy could have easily given his "guests" the same level of comfort and still found ways to budget an extra couple grand to equip his cars with quicker stuff. For example, he could have forgone the billet aluminum golf cart wheels and put that money into making his RACECAR wheels more competitive. Afterall, sponsors pay him the big $$$$ to win races and to put their logo in front of the masses to move/sell whatever product or service they provide. Not so they can eat grilled steak at the racetrack. I do not disagree with you regarding taking care of your sponsors, but come on! Those guys are supposed to be professional racers because they are the best of the best at winning races by out performing the next guy, not because they know how to throw the best party.

[Robert Swartz]

Originally Posted by Chris Cogan

Mr. Waters,
I totally get what you are saying, but I think this guy could have easily given his "guests" the same level of comfort and still found ways to budget an extra couple grand to equip his cars with quicker stuff. For example, he could have forgone the billet aluminum golf cart wheels and put that money into making his RACECAR wheels more competitive. Afterall, sponsors pay him the big $$$$ to win races and to put their logo in front of the masses to move/sell whatever product or service they provide. Not so they can eat grilled steak at the racetrack. I do not disagree with you regarding taking care of your sponsors, but come on! Those guys are supposed to be professional racers because they are the best of the best at winning races by out performing the next guy, not because they know how to throw the best party.

Pros vs. sportsman, two entirely different worlds, for the majority of us. Bear with me here, I've been away from this for a long time. I was blown away recently when I saw a sportsman car pull into Ohio Valley with a semi? I'm simply refurbing the same old open trailer that my partner and I have been towing around since 1976! I'd love to have a "mobile garage" and I've found a few relatively inexpensive trailers. For now, I can't justify a monthly payment on one, I'd rather concentrate the money into building my cars.

We had a thread on this awhile back, I still remember flat towing to the track. Things get bad, this may make a comeback, LOL! In fact, I still had my old tow bar until a few months ago, my son offered to "clean" out the junk in the shed over the hill, he sold it for scrap.

The current economic situation will sort alot of things out shortly. Most of the local tracks I visited last year, I was shocked by the low car counts. I don't anticipate this year being alot different. For those doing this for a living, it's going to be a lot tougher.