For Your Reading Pleasure....

KRatcliff · 05-10-2013, 07:27 AM

Have you noticed at the Houston divisionals one or more of the high schools will bring a bus load or two of students? I think they do this at other tracks, but I am not sure.

The kids seem to roam the pits in groups and are truly interested in the cars, engines, etc... Must be an automotive class or something, but there are also several girls. Not that girls don't take those classes because I realize they do.

Whatever it is, I try to take as much time as I can to explain the car and each time I ask them if they want to sit in the car. They always do and hand their phone or camera to their buddy to take pics of them in the car. You can see a small transformation of the whole concept becoming a little more real.

Slowly, but surely we are gaining fans of people that we don't even know by doing things like this.

jmcarter · 05-10-2013, 08:46 AM

Graham Light's defensive posturing in the article shows just how out of touch NHRA is....really sad when Jim Hughes pulls his team and you read Mark Lelchook's account of his run and helpless feeling standing at the end of the track while people are asking them to stop running cars and they continue on until a racer is fatally injured. Recall the Phoenix fiasco of three years ago when Larry Morgan and others simply pulled their Pro Stock cars back to the pits and it finally got their attention. Granted, any sportsman class refusing to run is not going to be as effective but somebody has to demonstrate that this crap has to stop.

Would it be so terrible to withdraw from a race when you think people are needlessly put at risk and then just go bracket race for a while?

cicero819 · 05-10-2013, 09:01 AM

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 · 05-10-2013, 09:27 AM

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.

05-10-2013, 07:27 AM	#1
KRatcliff Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 765 Likes: 75 Liked 524 Times in 141 Posts	Re: For Your Reading Pleasure.... Have you noticed at the Houston divisionals one or more of the high schools will bring a bus load or two of students? I think they do this at other tracks, but I am not sure. The kids seem to roam the pits in groups and are truly interested in the cars, engines, etc... Must be an automotive class or something, but there are also several girls. Not that girls don't take those classes because I realize they do. Whatever it is, I try to take as much time as I can to explain the car and each time I ask them if they want to sit in the car. They always do and hand their phone or camera to their buddy to take pics of them in the car. You can see a small transformation of the whole concept becoming a little more real. Slowly, but surely we are gaining fans of people that we don't even know by doing things like this.

05-10-2013, 08:46 AM	#2
jmcarter VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Richmond Hill GA (and Port Ludlow WA) Posts: 4,295 Likes: 2,375 Liked 3,174 Times in 971 Posts	Re: For Your Reading Pleasure.... Graham Light's defensive posturing in the article shows just how out of touch NHRA is....really sad when Jim Hughes pulls his team and you read Mark Lelchook's account of his run and helpless feeling standing at the end of the track while people are asking them to stop running cars and they continue on until a racer is fatally injured. Recall the Phoenix fiasco of three years ago when Larry Morgan and others simply pulled their Pro Stock cars back to the pits and it finally got their attention. Granted, any sportsman class refusing to run is not going to be as effective but somebody has to demonstrate that this crap has to stop. Would it be so terrible to withdraw from a race when you think people are needlessly put at risk and then just go bracket race for a while? __________________ Jim Carter 2340 Super Stock 2340 SST/2340 Stock Set another place at the table

05-10-2013, 09:01 AM	#3
cicero819 VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Aylmer Quebec, Canada Posts: 1,086 Likes: 31 Liked 69 Times in 30 Posts	Re: For Your Reading Pleasure.... 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

05-10-2013, 09:27 AM	#4
John Kissel Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Colt's Neck, n.j. Posts: 349 Likes: 766 Liked 230 Times in 94 Posts	Re: For Your Reading Pleasure.... 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.