The IRS and NHRA, you gotta see this.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

But, how many paying spectators would there be? Sadly, nobody pays to watch us. Look in the stands when the fuel cars are done. Heck, hardly any of them watch Pro Stock. Nobody watches the Alky cars either. Even fewer the index cars, which I understand. :-)

The question is: Why?

And the answer is: Because no one spends any money or time to promote us.

NHRA spends millions to promote Top Fuel and Funny Car. If they spent a million dollars to promote anything else, I'd be surprised.

Spectators do not buy tickets to see us because no one is selling tickets to see us.

The only marketing that caters to Stock and Super Stock is the marketing by companies that sell parts to us.

The most time NHRA has dedicated to us is when they've explained to us that "no one watches you because they are not smart enough to understand the classes". That's a Hell of a way to think and talk about your fans.

Well, maybe I wasn't being quite fair there. 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".

And like I said, they've sold the racers on that very idea.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

But, how many paying spectators would there be? Sadly, nobody pays to watch us. Look in the stands when the fuel cars are done. Heck, hardly any of them watch Pro Stock. Nobody watches the Alky cars either. Even fewer the index cars, which I understand. :-)

All I can say is we had a ton of spectators at the "US Class Nationals" about 10 years ago and there was not a single Pro car or circus act on the grounds. Sportsman racing will and can survive if the racers want to support it and its run and marketed correctly. You might find you can walk away with more round and win/runnner up money without having to wait 6 months for a company to send you decal money either with a true sportsman association and race event. You just wouldnt get the oppertunity to run in the Pro/Alky/Jet car oil/kerocine if thats what you would prefer.....LOL. The sky isnt falling yet. The NHRA isnt the only option on the block and without them holding the good tracks hostage such a venue could and would be run at the better tracks ! I never could understand the die hard NHRA mentality I guess. You guys must really like taking it up your shorts. If this offends you then Im sorry but some need to sit back and re think what your addicted to.

[Rich Biebel]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

I have to wonder why it is people are so convinced that sportsman racing cannot survive, and even thrive, without the pro circus. You know, to hear some people talk, you'd think that drag racing never even existed before the entire program was taken over by the multi million dollar chinese fire drill that is the professional circus freak show.

If nothing else, the marketing job NHRA has done on the average sportsman racer, selling him on the idea that he is nobody without the traveling pros, ranks right up there with Madoff, and the guys at Enron, you have to give them credit for that.

I mean, where would we be without some guy riding around shooting t-shirts into the stands with an air cannon, and getting people to run around in circles pouring sports drinks all over themselves until they get dizzy and puke? What would we do without that horrendous racket they call music blaring out of the speakers during all that down time, and the "announcer" screaming about the points standings? You know, maybe it would be completely impossible to actually race cars without all that added "mind numbing entertainment".

This is a very accurate post Alan......and I agree 100%

NHRA Drag Racing was started by Wally & Co in an effort to get young kids like myself off the streets and into an organized legitamite form of racing. I for one bought into it immediately in my youth as the street racing scene was not for me. It was more about who could sucker someone into an unfair race and steal whatever you agreed to race for. It also was dangerous and illegal..........

Todays drag racing is nothing more than a 3 ring Circus and I opted out of it a long time ago at the national level for that exact reason......


No matter what happens to NHRA it will never be right untill either we vote on the board of directors or it has racers or former racers running things with input directly from the various categories.


What exactly does Tom Compton do for his compensation package? As far as being a leader and the face of Drag Racing......he is neither to me. Has he been instrumental in the success of the organization?

My thumb goes down on him and his crew.......