For Your Reading Pleasure....

[cicero819]

What would happen if no one registered for a National event. Would NHRA get the message. I know that if people stop coming to your local store the message is quite loud to the owners usually.Remember that NHRA needs you for your money that you bring in and the show that you contribute. As I fan that spectate many events a year, I have found throughout the recent years the total lack of care from NHRA to it's core customer the racer and it's spectators. Without your millions of dollars they're in trouble. Maybe just maybe this would get the ball going in finally having a real executive committee for the sportsman. I'm not NHRA bashing, they seem to do a good job without my help, I just want them to be more accountable to the racers who bring in all those millions they need to continue operating. I do care and do not want to see NHRA becoming a Fields Entertainment running John Force Snoopy Dog Funny Car! CR

[John Kissel]

I would try to go to The Gators especially to see Stock & SuperStock, and stay away from the sat. or sunday shows, but somehow I ended up there on sunday when they had just installed those "dumbo tron" t.v./commerical things 1/2 way down the track on either side grandstands. While I was sitting there watching them prep the track for what seemed like an eternity and listening to one commerical after another, wanting to see the finals, and thinking about the ride home to Arcadia, I had enough.It is like that nascar stuff, I'd pay $100.00 to see the '67 Permatex race, but you couldn't pay me to go to the current stuff.

[Bobby Fazio]

Originally Posted by Don Kennedy

The Problem all the racers do is complain to each other and never have a solution to their complaint to NHRA. We need to complaint about a problem and then offer a solution

This is the absolute truth and this is why nothing gets done. I wouldn't be surprised if Graham Light is being totally honest and really is ignorant to what is going on.

Us pulling our cars back to the lanes is a blessing for NHRA, less cars they have to wait for. Pro Stock or Fuel cars doing the same, now that gets ***** done. Separating us from Pros is not the answer, we currently have 0 fans watching us at divisionals and opens. Also, as outrageous as our entry fees are, they still don't need us! Do you know how much Lucas Oil, Mello Yello, PC Richard, and whoever is on the national event bill for the weekend are paying for this? Enough where they still don't need us for financial support. Ticket sales wouldn't suffer for us not being there, just crew passes. Big deal.

I don't watch pros but I go to their pits and talk to them and tell them I race super stock. Had a long talk with Morgan Lucas about it last year at the hotel. I like explaining the class to them, they are the ones that could potentially help us - Imagine the pros standing up for us..

I've emailed ESPN, NHRA, even John Force Racing! Trying to get us better coverage and better acquainted with the average fuel fan but I feel like I am the only one actually trying here. Kyle Ratliff, I do the same thing you do man, that's awesome.. anything to get get people interested in the sportsman categories, keep it up!

[Randall Klein]

A couple posts have stated zero fans for divisionals, and for the most part that's true, however Bader at Norwalk has the stands full for the Calvacade, and Cordova last year had a very good turnout.....Denver had a fair amount....it comes down to the local track promoter doing more than a half page ad in ND (which I believe is mandatory)

In discussing the potential monetary loss to NHRA if no sportsmen enter, I don't think anyone fully knows the TV $ support....could NHRA, like a lot of ball sports make it on that alone?with sportsman dollars as "gravy"...I don't know, but I have read where the empty seats at stadiums are less of a concern to team owners than the media sports dollars. ESPN has a lot of hours to fill (see bowling and poker), and no matter how lousy the program (to us) it is programming filler they need (w/o NASCAR)

For my 2 cents, I could see a replacement organization based on Sportsman and Nostalga Fuelers and Fuel F/C and Altereds for the noise and bang...the clinker is venues; possibly an auxilliary NHRA arm, that would reverse schedule: 2 day Pro Show at an Eastern venue with Real Racing at a western facility. It would take some vision and passion.......uh.....never mind.