If an advocate could be found - what would you say?

[Pistol Pete]

Well said Ron.
God Bless.

[Bruce Noland]

Lee, the very first race that nhra attempts to produce without Sportsman racers will put them in the entertainment busness without any premise for holding onto its coveted not for profit status. nhra has been a traveling entertainment show for years but it has always had the not for profit protections that the Sportsman racers have helped to protect. Compton found out when he tried to pedal off the Pros that it was a fools errand to separate them from the Sportsman racers. Compton, himself, said many times that he knew that nhra had not treated the Sportsman racers with the respect they deserve. He brought Len Imbrogno in to help fix the problems but never really supported him. And one more point, there is nothing wrong with encouraging nhra to improve relations with us. In fact it is healthy. There were a bunch of unhappy racers at Pomona for various reasons but most are too smart to come out here and be berated by a clown who has never raced with us.

[Lee Valentine]

Bruce I understand what you're saying and where you're coming from and I appreciate the effort. Don't under estimate Ed I am not a friend of his I just know of him and we have mutual friends in stock eliminator. He's more knowledgeable about what goes on in stock than a lot of stock racers,just a little rough on presentation.

[Bruce Noland]

Lee, I've seen enough of his posts, he's short on information and long on nusiance. I guess that's why he keeps getting "time-outs" on this site.

[Lenny5160]

Originally Posted by Bruce Noland

This issue isn't as much about the rules - it's about an organization that is pushing out the Sportsman racers of all categories from National events.

I get how National events are a little more special for Stock and Super Stock racers at events where class eliminations are run. But otherwise, is that really a big problem?

With the low quotas, class can't be nearly as exciting as it would be if they ran it at divisional events with open entry fields.

As for the days of class cars filling the stands, that was back when every car in the field was produced within about 10 years of the event and the spectators could relate. It was less a car show and more like a grocery store parking lot full of fast cars.

[Bruce Noland]

Tony,

Do you race in Stock or Super Stock?

[CMcAllister]

For what it's worth,

Everything is more expensive - building and maintaining a competitive car and the costs of running it, travel and tow rigs, entries and the costs of membership, license,etc. - everything. NHRA has grown substantially in every way possible in the last 20 years. When has there ever been a meaningful increase in the purse for any of the Sportsman classes at any of the races run under the NHRA banner, national or divisional? Sure, there are guys who can race and not care about it, but for others, it makes a difference, and it should reflect the supposed and inferred importance of the events. Personally, I may never win a damn thing, but it's a collective insult to all the Sportsman classes to spend the money, absorb the increases and never see an increase for their efforts.

Contingencies. Money available to winning racers from companies as a reward for purchasing and using specific items and also advertising. A substantial benefit and incentive to participate with NHRA. Is it really necessary to treat this program, paid for by the participating companies, as a cash cow to the point where they all tell NHRA to pack sand? Is anyone really putting any effort into this anymore? The decline of available contingencies is money out of racers pockets. Sure, the economy was bad, companies change priorities, etc., but how much effort is really being put into getting sponsors involved and keeping them? The Manufacturers Midway used to be a great place to interact with these companies. Now it's a shell of what it was.

Integrity. Times change, parts get superseded, things get approved and accepted, that's a given. But not teching or looking at these cars, unwritten "winks and nods" and treating enforcement as an afterthought, is a lack of respect for the integrity of the rules that make class racing different from a bracket race at the local track. Those differences are real to people competing and they expect them to be central part of NHRA's conduct of the events. That means providing tech guys and not sticker hander outers.

Sure, it would be nice, but I don't expect "The Company" to do anything other than continue to focus on the TV product, monetize everything as much as possible and make everything else as cheap, trouble free, and as easy to run as possible. I'd really like to be proven wrong.

[mopacltd]

I'm just a lurker, but Stock /Super Stock are my favorite classes. Please make my day and tell me 1320racer is on a permanent vacation!

[1320racer]

What part of the truth and the facts don’t you like?

[mopacltd]

It's more your abrasive attitude!