Big Tire & Small Tire Shootouts at National Events

[Nmbr1GMfan]

Originally Posted by Nathan Stinson

Seems like a lot of bitterness in the post here. How exactly did these racers being invited to a race for an exhibition affect the outcome of your race weekend? We all already know that most stock/SS guys don't care for any other class but what they run in, and that's cool, but why not educate yourselves instead of b*tching about something that you don't even want to understand?
I can't answer about the cars that you are speaking about, but I know earlier this year at the New England national event, NHRA ran a 8 car X275 race. I happen to run in the X275 class and I can tell you those guys are not rookie racers, in fact the guy that won the exhibition, Dean Marinis, has a Pro Mod car he has ran at NHRA national events. We have records and we have a national points fund, just not thru NHRA. In fact guys like me do business with people who are "class racers". I just picked up my cylinder heads for my X275 car from a pretty well known SS racer, Jimmy Bridges.
Do these cars belong at NHRA national events? Only NHRA knows what the future holds on that, but one thing I can tell you is people like myself and others with these cars, we are as much of a member of NHRA as you guys are. We pay membership, license, and chassis certification dues just like you guys, so whether you like it or not we are in the club too!
I think when Steve Jackson started running a Pro Mod this year, NHRA saw first hand what a following that the small tire radial world has, and like someone else mentioned I am sure they want to try and test the waters to cash in, and I don't blame anyone running a business for doing that! When guys like Donald Long can put on a race at SGMP and have to turn people away because the place is at capacity, and pay 60K winners purse, I am sure that gets NHRA's attention.

We all know why X275 is running at NHRA events, $$$$. Here's where the bitch is. Let's say you want to race at Donald's race and you are set to do so, then he limits the field to not a performance standard but how many of his events you've run in the past, now even though you may be a top performer you can't get in.... then he invites 30 lawn mowers to drag race in your place after you have been supporting since the beginning.