NHRA's Response - Summernationals

[Dan Fahey]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Dan, I've been sitting here trying to figure out how to respond to your post. Chad has said it as good as I can figure. If the NHRA is behaving like parents then they're very neglectful parents!

You are correct... !!!

However, I am not going to condone Mr. Barton's behavior.



D

[Dan Fahey]

Originally Posted by Chad Rhodes

Two questions

1. In the several years preceding this, has anyone used professional tactics to get NHRA's attention, and actually accomplish positive change?

2. Did David Barton get NHRA's attention?

1: YES.... I have !!

2: YES he got a $2500 fine

[Chad Rhodes]

Here's my final thought on this. Look how many posts are in this thread, the original about him being fined, and the one offering assistance. Now look at the number of views. Here we are a week later still talking about piss poor track conditions, and one racers reaction to it. Would this issue have even been more than a blip on the radar in the "live from" thread if it weren't for David's actions?

[Dan Fahey]

Originally Posted by Chad Rhodes

Here's my final thought on this. Look how many posts are in this thread, the original about him being fined, and the one offering assistance. Now look at the number of views. Here we are a week later still talking about piss poor track conditions, and one racers reaction to it. Would this issue have even been more than a blip on the radar in the "live from" thread if it weren't for David's actions?

NO Chad......
I agree with you.
It was necessary for him to bring it up and lash out.

But he crossed the line !
And there are times that you need to cross the line.
An act of courage is doing what you think is right and taking your lumps and moving on.

My question where were the other racers with the same ire supporting Dave on that fateful day?

Dan

[7423]

It's not about what he was attempting to say.
It's all about how he said it!!

And BTW..............if the next one or two national events have no traction issues for 9" tire cars, this will all be swept under the rug.
That would be my humble opinion.

[Dan Fahey]

Originally Posted by 7423

It's not about what he was attempting to say.
It's all about how he said it!!

And BTW..............if the next one or two national events have no traction issues for 9" tire cars, this will all be swept under the rug.
That would be my humble opinion.

Hope not.
Dave has a key point the Pros have been complaining about too.
One track will hold the HP the other is slippery.
Which is why lane choice is key to winning and it should not be.

D

[Alex Denysenko]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

It's extraordinarily rare that I ever encountered a traction issue at any IHRA event, but one year at a Bracket Finals many years ago, we were there on Wednesday for an Early Bird Gambler's race. A couple of the local staff had recently quit, and didn't tell anyone, so they were short handed, and whoever the guy was on the starting line (IHRA starter wasn't due in until the next day) must've thought his job entailed nothing more than flipping the switch. I blew the tires off in a pile of rocks on the starting line. Didn't even throw stuff in my logbook. Parked the car in my pit, got out, and stomped toward the starting line. Didn't holler, just grabbed a push broom and started working. This guy didn't even glance at me sideways like "Who's on my starting line?" Nothing. After awhile, one of the EMT's must've felt bad for me, because he grabbed the other broom and started helping. We got the line back into shape. If you drag junk into the burnout box, you're going to get junk on the starting line. It still amazes me that people don't clean out their wheel wells/rocker panels. I still get funny looks when I'm cleaning mine in the lanes... often come up with half a handful of sand or pebbles, depending on where you're pitted. With the regular staff in place, it was fine the rest of the weekend.

I worked the starting line at Quaker City before and discovered (self-evidently) that if you KEEP the starting line clean, it stays clean. I'd be over the rail every pair to get any tiny dot of fluid or pebble. Let it build up, and you're going to have trouble bringing it back around. Ran two complete rounds of time trials with 260 cars without so much as a touch-up, and the place would still take your shoes off.

Sometimes you're going to have problems that are out of your control. The best thing you can do is recognize a problem when it starts, and get on top of it as quickly as possible. We run some big money bracket races in November, and cold temps come into play at night. We've learned: If the sun is down, any time there's not a car going down the track, the drag needs to be on the track. There's no more helpless feeling for a promoter than seeing the track not working.

I've got Redman in charge of the line at the Class Nationals next year, and we'll give him all the tools he needs to do what he knows to do. Done!

There you go! ANY track will hook if properly prepped, we had 145 degree plus track temps EVRY DAY AT BYRON, and EVERYBODY HOOKED , NOBODY CRASHED! So what's NHRA's excuse? Because we cared and we had Bill redman Floyd taking care of tthe starting line and I gave him carte blanch with it he was in charge and it flat worked
As far as organizing or forming a union, Jeff Tueton tried that many years ago by forming the SRA all on his onw nickel too I might mention, of which I am proud to say that I was a charter member,(I still have SRA decals on my cars) all he got for his efforts was a lot of bitching and moaning for his efforts both NHRA and IHRA implimented several new positive sportsman policies that were directly the result of Jeff's hard work.
Did we get NHRA's attention back in 2001? HELL YA! but that's another story for another time.

[Mike Brogniez]

Track prep back in the days......
MB

[John Bender]

First, let me say nhra should deffinately recind the fine, as they admitted they had a crappy staring line. In years past when we had the Summernationals in the heat of June and July, nhra people would show up on Monday or Tuesday before the race and take over the track, so that the racers could perform to the best of their abbilities and the fans got to see a good show. I was at Englishtown, but not competing. The starting line was a complete joke. I have been racing Stock Eliminator and brackets since 1964, this was the poorest i have ever seen a starting line. I also put some of the blame on Englishtown Raceway Park for letting the track go to the condition it is in. There seems to be very little time or money spent on the track surface compaired to what it used to be.

Second, my reply to Dan. I don't know you, but to compare running a national event to reffing a soccer game is a stretch. Did David Barton go a little too far? Maybe. But it got the attention of a lot of people. Sometime you just have to say whats on your mind at that very instant, and that is what he did. I don't know if you are a racer, but i can tell you this. From AAA/S down to W/SA, the guys and girls who build and race these cars have not only a LOT of money invested in them, but also a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. And to lose a race because of something that is completely out of your control is ludicrise, absurd, and anger inticing.

Thats my nickle's worth. John Bender 1969 E/SA

P.S. Lets see what the starting line is like at Bristol

[Bruce Noland]

John,
It appears that Dan does not race at nhra National or Divisional races. He has no skin in this game and simply wishes to be a keyboard pontificator.