The IRS and NHRA, you gotta see this.

[Tom Meyer]

Look at PINKS they filled the stands , You know the difference between sex and rape, salemenship. Nhra has been raping us all these years, but keep selling it to us. We on this site wine all the the time but untill we do something it will never change. Tom

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Tom Meyer

Look at PINKS they filled the stands , You know the difference between sex and rape, salemenship. Nhra has been raping us all these years, but keep selling it to us. We on this site wine all the the time but untill we do something it will never change. Tom

Tom,
Something is being done now. Whether or not it will work out in our favor remains to be seen. But even now, there are just as many people whining about something being done as there are supporting it.

The true test of it all will come IF things fall our way, and something is done about NHRA being taken from its members. Then we'll find out if people want to do something, see something done, or whine about it.

The question is, if it comes to pass that NHRA once again becomes a true membership run organization, how many people will step up to actually try to improve our situation, how many will support those who do, and how many will either complain, or do nothing at all.

[Alan Roehrich]

I keep seeing people saying "the complaint was filed because someone thinks Tom Compton makes too much money".

That's a crock. Look, no one would give a damn if there were 10 people on the NHRA board of directors, each one making $1 million a year a piece, if NHRA were truly healthy, and being run properly, for the benefit of ALL of the membership.

[Rick Bailey]

Well said !

[Greg Hill]

The way NHRA operates can be traced back to at least 1981 when they had an illegal vote and took our voting rights as members away. Prior to that time I think a case could be made that they operated in a manner that generally benefited the members. Once they got control with no accountability their primary goal was to maximize revenue. When Dallas Gardner took over it became even more so and when Compton arrived it really got into high gear. In 1987 when they became a 501-C6 non profit according to the by-laws they still had 4 classes of members. Right now according to Linda Louie, their in house lawyer, they are a California mutual benefit corporation with no members. The 501 C6 status was granted in part because the IRS thought they were a membership based organization and were operating in the interests of the members.

I don't think many if any of you think the management of NHRA is operating in the bests interests of it's members. This needs to change. As a non profit company their primary responsibility needs to be doing what's best for the members not what's best for them personally. Until we get our voting rights back I don't see any of this changing.

[Sean Kennedy]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

I keep seeing people saying "the complaint was filed because someone thinks Tom Compton makes too much money".

That's a crock. Look, no one would give a damn if there were 10 people on the NHRA board of directors, each one making $1 million a year a piece, if NHRA were truly healthy, and being run properly, for the benefit of ALL of the membership.

Completely agree, also with your previous post stating class racing could thrive. I tend to agree with this line of thinking.

Unfortunately, a big chunk of the guys you are trying to tell this to don't even unload their cars unless it's for an NHRA divisional or national event. These guys aren't going to hear anything but the sky is falling. Hopefully, when and if this stuff ever hits the fan, they will see past their own noses and race somewhere else.

[GarysZ24]

Sean,

You and all others who think like you are the reason I was happy and honored to be at the S.I.R. racer meeting/banquet last Saturday (in Tucson, because there racers have a chance to embrace a new option for their sanctioning dollar. If it happens, then NHRA is going to have some competition they haven't had out west here since the old AHRA days, and that will bring about some more focus on us sportsman class racers than we've been getting lately (especially if other tracks follow S.I.R.'s possible lead)? One can only hope.....

[Sean Kennedy]

Originally Posted by GarysZ24

Sean,

You and all others who think like you are the reason I was happy and honored to be at the S.I.R. racer meeting/banquet last Saturday (in Tucson, because there racers have a chance to embrace a new option for their sanctioning dollar. If it happens, then NHRA is going to have some competition they haven't had out west here since the old AHRA days, and that will bring about some more focus on us sportsman class racers than we've been getting lately (especially if other tracks follow S.I.R.'s possible lead)? One can only hope.....

I'm all for the IHRA, and I hope it goes well. We have a potential new track coming in the northwest and I really hope they look at the IHRA.

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Sean Kennedy

I'm all for the IHRA, and I hope it goes well. We have a potential new track coming in the northwest and I really hope they look at the IHRA.

Well Sean, since S.I.R.'s an official IHRA track as of tomorrow morning, I'll be looking forward to what happens next out here in our half of the country? The rumor mill stated that several other tracks (like the one you speak of), were waiting for SIR to decide how they were going to go, and now we all know. I hope this is just the beginning of many transitions from national to international, because then it won't really matter so much what becomes of this IRS mess NHRA is involved in. I now know of a former NHRA (only) racer who's glad he had an option last year, because he won nearly $20,000 in cash and prizes as a result of winning his "No Box" national championship back in Va.!!!

[Toby Lang]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

They've also spent plenty of time telling us that we "don't generate a profit", and that we "take up way too much time and space that would be better utilized by the pros".

I'd be interested to know who told you this. I doubt anybody with any real authority has said this. Or is this just what you think they think? I know I haven't heard this from anybody with NHRA. If it were true, why haven't they done away with us already?

Ever since I've been reading internet drag racing forums (1995 Compuserve) people have been saying the same thing: That NHRA is going to do away with the sportsman classes, especially Stock and Super Stock. They don't need us. They could save money by not hiring as many tech officials. No tech. No teardowns etc...

The fact is, when I went to the Jegs all-stars race in 1998 and 2002 Graham Light spoke at the racer's banquet. He said you may have heard rumors that we are going to do away with the sportsman classes. He assured us that was not true and the sportsman classes are a very important part of their program.

Well, guess what? It's 10-15 years later and the sportsman classes are still here.


-Toby