What's up with NHRA logic?

[Bob Don]

Originally Posted by James Perrone

Rules is rules... Go bracket racing..Right?
Wait till Etown National .I have 5 grade might not get in closest track for me
I will show them [nhra] I will go to 4 wide North Carolina
Also by next week former world champs will enter.It will fill up.
There are other options.Also saw your old photos on YB..the camaro was fast back then

I'm with you, James. I want to enter Supernats but with a grade 4, I might be on the outside looking in. Needing grade points to enter a national is nothing new. When I started racing in the mid 70s, the division office would send you a request sheet for the national events you wanted to enter. You checked off the races and they sent you back the applications. These application forms had the number of division races you attended in the corner.

[Lew Silverman]

So let's ask ourselves - Why is there a quota system at all? The reason I hear most often is that there is limited parking area in the pits at most events, so they (NHRA) have to restrict entries to a manageable level. True?

The only other reason I can see for mandating a quota is that they need to print an entry list for the event program! How would it look if you just showed up?

Lew

[Dwight Southerland]

Originally Posted by Jack Matyas

Jim - Read what you are saying - its their job to keep control of the entries - look at the IHRA - they never know how many are going to show up .How could you properly staff a race like Indy when you haven't a clue who will show up at the gate ?

Jack, there's another way to look at it. It's NHRA's job to hold races and insure the races are run safely, consistently and orderly. If you think that means "control of the entries", so be it. They ran races for years quite successfully without knowing who or how many would show up. I can still remember when you could purchase an entry to a national event at the gate. I also remember over 600 stock, super stock and modified entries at Indy. It's about control and money - your money.

[Jack Matyas]

Originally Posted by Dwight Southerland

Jack, there's another way to look at it. It's NHRA's job to hold races and insure the races are run safely, consistently and orderly. If you think that means "control of the entries", so be it. They ran races for years quite successfully without knowing who or how many would show up. I can still remember when you could purchase an entry to a national event at the gate. I also remember over 600 stock, super stock and modified entries at Indy. It's about control and money - your money.

Dwight - You have some valid points - they did run things differently back in the Seventies - we even got a Sunday morning time shot .But today fitting six hundred entries is hard - we now tow with motorhomes and have stackers in that space - not to mention the Pro's (ala John Force types with plenty of sponsor rigs ) - we just don't fit in the same space we once did .

Yes , its about control - but remember - its their bat and ball we're playing with .

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Jack Matyas

Yes , its about control - but remember - its their bat and ball we're playing with .

Jack, just don't forget that each membership and every entry fee helps pay for the upkeep and their ability to have "their bat and ball"!

[buzzinhalfdozen]

I think what you all are missing is NHRA is NOT the only game in town (per sa) if I don't like the way I'm being treated by any business I'll simply go somewhere else. I know I've read all the reasons racers give for not racing with another organization, some may be valid, however from reading quite a few posts over the years it's apparent there's a few that are disenchanted with the way they feel NHRA is treating them. Looks like you have a few options here....post on web sites....quit attending their races...OR heaven forbib find another organization to race with. There's always going to be something that happens to someone that P's them off, happened to me a few years ago with IHRA so I quit going to their races I felt I was right and they felt they were right, so I exercised my right to spend my money elsewhere. There are a few things that NHRA does that doesn't exactly thrill me but for the most part I like racing with them and enjoy the people I've met along the way. I guess the point I'm trying to make is if you're not happy with them show them the only way it really matters quit doing business with them. Joe

[Dwight Southerland]

Originally Posted by Jack Matyas

Yes , its about control - but remember - its their bat and ball we're playing with .

They are the ones playing the game; the racers are the bat and ball.

[Lew Silverman]

Originally Posted by RacingRicki

I thought the grade point system was to ensure that racers support the divisional races and/or national open series. If you don't race the divisional's you can't race the national's.

That's the way the system is supposed to work, those who race the divisional program get first crack at the limited number (quota) of available entries into the national events. The greater the participation, the earlier the members can be guaranteed a spot in the field. That makes some sense.

What doesn't make sense, at least to me, is if there are unused entries available after a certain date, why can't a dues-paying member of the association be given an entry? They already have a cut-off date published in advance anyway. Are people being punished because they haven't raced in the divisional program? Just thinking out loud!

Lew