National event chaos?

[Rick Schilling]

Originally Posted by Grey Ghost

What has happened to NHRA is all to typical of corporate America today. Walley Parks, Henery Ford, Lee Iacocca all had a vision AND experience in their respective industries. Walley raced, Henery actually built his first cars, Lee came up through the ranks and knew the business. Now the board of directors, most of them without experience in the industry whose board they sit on, hire a "bean counting" cost cutting CEO to run a business he/she has no experience in. The business course they took at Harvard was taught by a professor who most likely had no "real" world experience in any type of industry. All they know is theory with no understanding of the "nuts and bolts" they manage.

The one size fits all business plan / mentallity is a sure thing if failure is the desired outcome.

Pretty well sums it up. I would just add that the only reason more don't fail is because they pretty much all operate in the same manner.

[Dale Hulquist]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Hey, hang on there a minute Sparky! I'm not just a participant here even though NHRA would like to think so. I'm a membership paying, card carrying member who, thanks to their new membership and number policy is paid in through the end of 2018! They've got a couple of years yet to listen to my complaints.
If you don't like the hand you're dealt and you're the only guy in the game that don't like his hand, then get up. However, If everyone at the table don't like his hand, I wouldn't want to be the dealer!

My thoughts exactly Billy Nees, were you born in Texas ?

[Grey Ghost]

NHRA is ALL in with the pro classes and has been since they quit running the pro classes at the divisional level. I remember when Jeb Allen (world champion at the time), Frank Hawley, Vern Moats, John Hagen, Tom Hoover and many others passing though or needed a divisional race would show up at Thunder Valley in Marion, SD to run the points meet. Combined with the independent local teams, more times than not, there were enough cars to fill out the 8 car field. THE STANDS WERE FULL!! It was a "local" national event.

As it is now those who do not live close to a National event track and are not die hard fans are not going to drive hours to a race. Points meets today draw only a fraction of fans they use to. There are few if any local pro teams, the expense of running such a team is out of hand. The fan interest just is not there. If you have to pay a network to televise your sport it is like an infomercial /advertisement. Without fan base / sponsor advertising revenue will never support any type of sport at this level.

As for the Sportsman classes at most National events, they are a "fill" in between Pro class rounds. I do not mean that in a bad way but most fans show up to watch the pro cars. I have only ever competed at 2 National events and they were very special to me. The 85 North Stars and the 90 Heartlands (where i recieved my only Wally).

Sportsman racing WILL survive. It does not need a national venue...all it needs is YOU to support your local track.

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Grey Ghost

Sportsman racing WILL survive. It does not need a national venue...all it needs is YOU to support your local track.

And there you have it!
A few years ago I was talking to the local track owner and asked him "what would happen if the sanctioning body goes belly up". He told me that the track would open just like nothing happened. Within a week, he and the other local tracks would put together a bracket program and there would be a bracket finals at the end of the year.
I see no reason why the local "Divisions" wouldn't do the same thing.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Hey, hang on there a minute Sparky! I'm not just a participant here even though NHRA would like to think so. I'm a membership paying, card carrying member who, thanks to their new membership and number policy is paid in through the end of 2018! They've got a couple of years yet to listen to my complaints.
If you don't like the hand you're dealt and you're the only guy in the game that don't like his hand, then get up. However, If everyone at the table don't like his hand, I wouldn't want to be the dealer!

Agreed.

We can exercise both options at once, by taking our grievances to NHRA, as a relatively organized group, and with the help of the people we buy our parts from. And we can organize at the grass roots level at our local tracks and in our divisions.

[Ok stocker]

Originally Posted by Grey Ghost

NHRA is ALL in with the pro classes and has been since they quit running the pro classes at the divisional level. I remember when Jeb Allen (world champion at the time), Frank Hawley, Vern Moats, John Hagen, Tom Hoover and many others passing though or needed a divisional race would show up at Thunder Valley in Marion, SD to run the points meet. Combined with the independent local teams, more times than not, there were enough cars to fill out the 8 car field. THE STANDS WERE FULL!! It was a "local" national event.

As it is now those who do not live close to a National event track and are not die hard fans are not going to drive hours to a race. Points meets today draw only a fraction of fans they use to. There are few if any local pro teams, the expense of running such a team is out of hand. The fan interest just is not there. If you have to pay a network to televise your sport it is like an infomercial /advertisement. Without fan base / sponsor advertising revenue will never support any type of sport at this level.

As for the Sportsman classes at most National events, they are a "fill" in between Pro class rounds. I do not mean that in a bad way but most fans show up to watch the pro cars. I have only ever competed at 2 National events and they were very special to me. The 85 North Stars and the 90 Heartlands (where i recieved my only Wally).

Sportsman racing WILL survive. It does not need a national venue...all it needs is YOU to support your local track.

I agree that when pro cars were run at divisional it made all races like national events for the fans. If they did this again it might open the door for low or no fund teams to compete again and they would probably help fill the starving pro fields at national events. Also filling the stands. I think most casual fans just think the divisional races are overpriced bracket races because they don't understand the classes.

[Mike Pearson]

Originally Posted by Ok stocker

I agree that when pro cars were run at divisional it made all races like national events for the fans. If they did this again it might open the door for low or no fund teams to compete again and they would probably help fill the starving pro fields at national events. Also filling the stands. I think most casual fans just think the divisional races are overpriced bracket races because they don't understand the classes.

If you remember when the pros ran at the divisional events there were no super comp, gas and street. Also no TS and TD classes. No Jr dragsters either. Only stock, SS, Modified and Comp then the pro classes. There aren't enough pros left in existence to race at the divisional level again. Plus there is not enough time with the other classes that are in the program now. Some of the divisions have snowmobile and 3-4 classes of Harleys running too.

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

This is about math, and economics.

The question is, who do the numbers favor?

Trump! Dear Mr. President, Can you step in and clean up things?
BTW, our STOCK needs help too...

One can wish right?

[DIV3CR]

Back in the 60s & 70s at a points meet they didn't pair
first round of Modified eliminator the rest of the rounds I
don't remember. When Great Lakes Dragway and Byron
stopped running class Ron Leek told me it cost too much
for class racing, with bracket racing they just made sure
each car had all its lug nuts.When you race they still need to
tech in cars if only for safety.


Robert Keller 62 Corvette G/G 1970-1978

[boostedf22c]

If there is no tech how are they going to class cars?