NHRA Leadership question

[Ed Carpenter]

Originally Posted by Larry Guest

Royce Miller gets my vote.

Larry nice flag! Semper FI

[Pat Joffrion]

A little DID YA KNOW….

Three years ago I mailed a letter to each board member of NHRA offering to attend their board meetings to offer my input as a racer and as a track owner. A month passed without any acknowledgement from any of the board members.

A month later, after checking the latest aviation reports, I realized that perhaps my letters were lost during a mail delivery plane crash. So, I sent a second letter. Three years later I am still waiting for a reply.

Here is the first letter:

NO PROBLEM RACEWAY PARK, LLC.
6470 Hwy. 996
Belle Rose, LA 70341

December 24, 2008

Mr. Tom Compton – President
National Hot Rod Association
2035 Financial Way
Glendora, CA 91741

Dear Tom,

I would like to begin by first wishing everyone at NHRA the very best of the holiday season. With the current state of our national and global economy, we must continue to work together taking the necessary steps to keep our business of sports entertainment strong and viable.

It is obvious that in times like these, some bold decisions need to be made. In our region, during the past few months, we have seen several drag strips close their doors. Cherokee County and Red River raceways are two that are now closed. Both tracks hosted Lucas Oil events in the past few years.

While area tracks are closing their doors, No Problem Raceway has once again finished the best year ever since we opened our facility in 2001. We suffered through two devastating hurricanes which closed our gates for more than a month. Yet, through it all, we were able to keep our annual revenues increasing, and our net profit before depreciation is up over 200% from 2007.

During 2008 we added over $300,000 in capital improvements. We built a new all-aluminum 1500-seat grandstand on the spectator side; built a new 55’ x 35’ outdoor concert pavilion; purchased $100,000 of new track equipment; and spent $40,000 for new asphalt. All of this was completed using current cash flow; in addition, we reduced our outstanding loan principle by an extra $100,000.

We accomplished this by hard work, making good business decisions, and through diversification of track activities. With State Capital Raceway in our “back yard”, we cannot host successful drag racing events every weekend. We made the decision to work around their schedule and do something different when they host a drag race weekend. We host road racing, test-n-tune, drifting, midnight drags, and concerts while Baton Rouge is drag racing.

Our SportsNationals and Lucas Oil events were not as successful financially as in past years. However, we made up for the decrease in revenues by hosting “specialty” events. Arm Drop Live with Rich Christensen brought more spectators than any of our NHRA races. Area fans are attracted to his style of “heads-up” racing. We also hosted our own arm-drop races that drew large crowds. We now attract a large following of “street racers” that are now comfortable racing at a legal track. In 2008, I personally signed-off on over 50 new competition license applications for these former street guys.

We accomplished this by using “logic” in our conversations with the street racers. When I meet a street racer on a motorcycle at our track for the first time, I usually find their chain guard is not up to tech standards. Instead of giving them the 3rd degree, I ask them, “How many children do you have”? Then I ask them, “And how are you going to explain to them how stupid their father was for losing his left foot when a chain broke, because he didn’t have a decent chain guard”? I then hand them a business card for a local bike shop in his area that sells custom chain guards. When they return to NPR, they make a point to find me and show me their new guard.

I do the same with cars. When I inspect a new racer’s vehicle, I explain how some item on his vehicle needs to be modified. I then tell him, “Look guy, it’s your butt in the car, not mine. I’m just here to make sure that in the event that some other car gets squirrely and knocks you into the wall that you leave here with your butt in the same condition that it was in when you got here”. In my experience, the racers drop any resistance to my reasons for not allowing them to race with an unsafe car. It’s how you handle the customer that makes the difference.

Having been a successful racer, and going through all the hoops, I have been able to put my experience to good use running our facility. In the past, when I was travelling all over the country to different tracks, I was able to absorb both the good and bad attributes each facility displayed. I participated because it was “fun”. I was able to relax with my racing acquaintances each evening, sharing funny stories about our lives and experiences. But in the morning when I put on my racing helmet, they knew that I was nothing but serious until the win light came on.

While a formal announcement has not yet been released, Linda and I spent the past few days meeting with Paul and Carolyn Cartwright. After they got a chance to spend a day with us at our home, I took them to see No Problem Raceway, and they fell in love with our facility. We talked in detail as to how Linda and I work hard to make it fun for our customers, employees and sponsors. Paul and Carolyn completely understand how we feel a responsibility to “our people”. Most are like part of the family. A few racers are just not happy with their lives, period, and we cannot do anything to satisfy those folks. At the end of our visit, Paul, Carolyn, Linda and I agreed to have the Cartwright’s join our racing family. Paul will become track manager, and Carolyn will manage our ticket department. No Problem is a small operation compared to Memphis or Topeka. But, we work hard to operate one of the most financially successful motorsports facilities in the country, and we do it while having fun. Like my old grandpa once told me, “You don’t call it work son, if you enjoy what you do for a living”.

I am not attempting to portray my business style as being the solution for NHRA or its member tracks during this uncertain economic situation. But, I am willing to work with the board of directors to give input from the perspective of a racer, a track operator, a successful businessman, and an individual with years of experience in management and the financial accounting field. While I am not active in “the politics” of drag racing, I am suggesting that it may be good politics for your board of directors to appoint a member from the community of racers and track owners, even if the member served in an “advisory” capacity.

I have previously served on various boards and commissions in my lifetime, and I would enjoy the opportunity to put my experience where it can help our sport most. Thank you for your consideration.



Pat Joffrion



cc: Dallas Gardner
Peter Clifford
Dick Wells
Graham Light

[Randall Klein]

Wow! Not even the courtesy to reply. Sad, but confirmation of their ivory tower attitude. Just how inept can an organization be?

Pat, your clarity and passion are a glimmer of hope for the sportsman racer, that at some point things may change. Lead on.

[Dgal]

Pat,

You wrote an incredible letter and got no reply. It is understandable as to why.

You would end up making them look incompetent! They are doing a fairly good job on their own, but there isn't anyone there contrast just how far off the mark they really are.

Don

[novassdude]

Pat you need to write a how to book for track operators.

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by novassdude

Pat you need to write a how to book for track operators.

For sure.

[Bob Pagano]

Pat got 99% of what we get......nothing, the only answer I ever got out of Glendora was from Pat in Tech. Very few get answers, they dont have time to answer letters. There to busy filling their Golden Parachutes.

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by Bob Pagano

Pat got 99% of what we get......nothing, the only answer I ever got out of Glendora was from Pat in Tech. Very few get answers, they dont have time to answer letters. There to busy filling their Golden Parachutes.

I have talked to Pat in tech. Very helpful.

[Don Kennedy]

Every time I have had a question or concern it has been addressed by Graham Light , Peter Clifford or Tom Compton in a very professional way .

[Chad Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Don Kennedy

Every time I have had a question or concern it has been addressed by Graham Light , Peter Clifford or Tom Compton in a very professional way .

then why would they ignore one of their brightest, most profitable, most well respected track owners?