NHRA's New Budget Cut

Mark Yacavone · 01-05-2010, 05:38 PM

The top five execs have agreed to take a 20% ..... Nah, just kiddin' Here's the real deal;

In 2004 , when we went to Topeka and Indy, "my driver" was the 2003 Div. 7 Pro ET Race of Champions winner. For that accomplishment, he had a regular NHRA Gold Card, which he used for admission to those two events in Stock Eliminator.

This year he was again, the ROC winner and the Summit Series Pro ET World Champion for which ,among other things, he was awarded another Gold Card.
He just went to use it to enter a Nat'l event, and was told that card is no good. You can only use it for Pro ET. He's already a track champion, so he gets in free anyway, all he can do with that card now is use it for the bracket finals later this year.

Now ,according to the Div 7 office , that really was always the case. NHRA just let that slide, out of the goodness of their heart.

Any off you guys ever use a bracket-won Gold Card to enter S/SS?
Well , it ain't happenin' now. Nice .

cody pollage · 01-05-2010, 05:57 PM

Well D-4 (or maybe everybody but on D-4 site) just increased everybody crew $5 per day, and racer entry is an extra $10 for the Div. Races. Also, they said alcohol cars use to race free, and now they will have to pay an entry fee.

Chad Rhodes · 01-05-2010, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cody pollage

Well D-4 (or maybe everybody but on D-4 site) just increased everybody crew $5 per day, and racer entry is an extra $10 for the Div. Races. Also, they said alcohol cars use to race free, and now they will have to pay an entry fee.

its about time the mechanical rain delays had to pay an entry

Billy Nees · 01-05-2010, 06:38 PM

Mark, I've been lucky enough to have won a couple of Gold Cards although it was about a half a lifetime ago. I wore those suckers out running NHRA and bracket races! Even the big $$$ winter races one year.

Michael Beard · 01-05-2010, 06:48 PM

I have a Gold Card from winning the NHRA Div. 1 Bracket Finals in 1994. The card was good for 1 car and driver *AND* 1 crew member. There was no mention of bracket vs S/SS. Unfortunately, it was a few years before I started running Stock, so I had only used it to bracket race. I was going to help one of the NHRA Bracket Finals champs get started in Stock Eliminator this year, but when he found out his Gold Card wasn't good for Nat'l/Div'l races, he backed out, and NHRA failed to "set the hook" on yet another racer.

I won the IHRA Div. 2 East Bracket Finals this year, and received a Silver Card, (same deal as NHRA's "new" bracket-only Gold Card... not good for Pro-Ams or Nationals). Bracket Finals champs used to get "full" Gold Cards, up until about 5-6 years ago. I think Jim Cimarolli was among the first to receive the "revised" Gold Card, which was later renamed Silver Card to reduce confusion.

Toby Lang · 01-05-2010, 07:11 PM

Sounds about right. Goes along nicely with the index reduction to decrease participation in class racing. It removes one of the incentives for ET racers to step up.

Just like you think the person that runs .06 under their index shouldn't be able to win an event, NHRA is saying if you can't win a gold card at the divisional level, you shouldn't be able to use any other gold cards.

Should make a lot of people happy to see less bracket racers in stock/super stock.

-Toby

Mark Yacavone · 01-05-2010, 07:26 PM

Yep , It seems to me it would make sense from a business standpoint, to let a bracket racer run S/SS for a season. Then they could hook them for life at $270 plus, a shot .

Oh, and that was 5 tenths, not 6 Don't want to get too carried away all at once

Everett Vassar · 01-05-2010, 07:45 PM

We had confirmed with NHRA headquarters in Calif that Coltons gold card would be good for sportsman classes in Pomona.With no grade point.(Just in case).He even came on here to get you guys help.Then the D4 office called and said Sorry you need a grade point.Directly conflicts with what their website still says.They didnt say entry fee,s were not covered.Just said he needed a grade point.so maybe they downgraded the gold card again? We will be at the D4 banquet end of the month so maybe we can get this cleared up.

Michael Beard · 01-06-2010, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Yep , It seems to me it would make sense from a business standpoint, to let a bracket racer run S/SS for a season. Then they could hook them for life at $270 plus, a shot .

Ask guys like Chip Johnson and Chris Gulitti how much their Gold Cards cost them! LOL

Chris had always been "just" a bracket racer, then ran T/D after earning his Gold Card, and later built a T/S car, in which Bob Gulitti followed suit. Chip Johnson has had at least three different Stockers, a 10.90 car, a 9.90 car, and an 8.90 dragster since earning his Gold Card... not only did he get hooked on Div'l/Nat'l racing in a big way, but think about all of the additional money these guys have spent with manufacturers since they got hooked!

Casey Miles · 01-06-2010, 11:11 AM

I had a gold card from the ET Summit Series and it was good for NHRA National events only, they didn't honor it for divisionals for Stock. I called California when I had it and they assured me that an NHRA gold card would be at National events. I race a number of National events in Stock Eliminator on their dime with no hassels.
Casey Miles
248H

01-05-2010, 05:38 PM	#1
Mark Yacavone Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Miles From Nowhere Posts: 7,807 Likes: 2,897 Liked 5,109 Times in 1,947 Posts	NHRA's New Budget Cut The top five execs have agreed to take a 20% ..... Nah, just kiddin' Here's the real deal; In 2004 , when we went to Topeka and Indy, "my driver" was the 2003 Div. 7 Pro ET Race of Champions winner. For that accomplishment, he had a regular NHRA Gold Card, which he used for admission to those two events in Stock Eliminator. This year he was again, the ROC winner and the Summit Series Pro ET World Champion for which ,among other things, he was awarded another Gold Card. He just went to use it to enter a Nat'l event, and was told that card is no good. You can only use it for Pro ET. He's already a track champion, so he gets in free anyway, all he can do with that card now is use it for the bracket finals later this year. Now ,according to the Div 7 office , that really was always the case. NHRA just let that slide, out of the goodness of their heart. Any off you guys ever use a bracket-won Gold Card to enter S/SS? Well , it ain't happenin' now. Nice . __________________ "We are lucky we don't get as much Government as we pay for." Will Rogers

01-05-2010, 05:57 PM	#2
cody pollage Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 117 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut Well D-4 (or maybe everybody but on D-4 site) just increased everybody crew $5 per day, and racer entry is an extra $10 for the Div. Races. Also, they said alcohol cars use to race free, and now they will have to pay an entry fee.

01-05-2010, 06:38 PM	#4
Billy Nees VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: On a hilltop in Pa. Posts: 4,485 Likes: 3,587 Liked 7,682 Times in 1,730 Posts	Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut Mark, I've been lucky enough to have won a couple of Gold Cards although it was about a half a lifetime ago. I wore those suckers out running NHRA and bracket races! Even the big $$$ winter races one year. __________________ Billy Nees 1188 STK, SS I'm not spending 100K to win 2K

01-05-2010, 06:48 PM	#5
Michael Beard VIP Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 4,060 Likes: 0 Liked 13 Times in 9 Posts	Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut I have a Gold Card from winning the NHRA Div. 1 Bracket Finals in 1994. The card was good for 1 car and driver AND 1 crew member. There was no mention of bracket vs S/SS. Unfortunately, it was a few years before I started running Stock, so I had only used it to bracket race. I was going to help one of the NHRA Bracket Finals champs get started in Stock Eliminator this year, but when he found out his Gold Card wasn't good for Nat'l/Div'l races, he backed out, and NHRA failed to "set the hook" on yet another racer. I won the IHRA Div. 2 East Bracket Finals this year, and received a Silver Card, (same deal as NHRA's "new" bracket-only Gold Card... not good for Pro-Ams or Nationals). Bracket Finals champs used to get "full" Gold Cards, up until about 5-6 years ago. I think Jim Cimarolli was among the first to receive the "revised" Gold Card, which was later renamed Silver Card to reduce confusion. __________________ Michael Beard - NHRA/IHRA 3216 S/SS

01-05-2010, 07:11 PM	#6
Toby Lang VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Auburn, WA Posts: 2,133 Likes: 2 Liked 2 Times in 1 Post	Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut Sounds about right. Goes along nicely with the index reduction to decrease participation in class racing. It removes one of the incentives for ET racers to step up. Just like you think the person that runs .06 under their index shouldn't be able to win an event, NHRA is saying if you can't win a gold card at the divisional level, you shouldn't be able to use any other gold cards. Should make a lot of people happy to see less bracket racers in stock/super stock. -Toby

01-05-2010, 07:26 PM	#7
Mark Yacavone Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Miles From Nowhere Posts: 7,807 Likes: 2,897 Liked 5,109 Times in 1,947 Posts	Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut Yep , It seems to me it would make sense from a business standpoint, to let a bracket racer run S/SS for a season. Then they could hook them for life at $270 plus, a shot . Oh, and that was 5 tenths, not 6 Don't want to get too carried away all at once __________________ "We are lucky we don't get as much Government as we pay for." Will Rogers

01-05-2010, 07:45 PM	#8
Everett Vassar Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Kennedale,Tx Posts: 227 Likes: 0 Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut We had confirmed with NHRA headquarters in Calif that Coltons gold card would be good for sportsman classes in Pomona.With no grade point.(Just in case).He even came on here to get you guys help.Then the D4 office called and said Sorry you need a grade point.Directly conflicts with what their website still says.They didnt say entry fee,s were not covered.Just said he needed a grade point.so maybe they downgraded the gold card again? We will be at the D4 banquet end of the month so maybe we can get this cleared up.

01-06-2010, 11:11 AM	#10
Casey Miles Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 703 Likes: 127 Liked 488 Times in 90 Posts	Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut I had a gold card from the ET Summit Series and it was good for NHRA National events only, they didn't honor it for divisionals for Stock. I called California when I had it and they assured me that an NHRA gold card would be at National events. I race a number of National events in Stock Eliminator on their dime with no hassels. Casey Miles 248H