NHRA Please Read

[Ken Miele]

Looking at quota's is not an accurate gauge of racer participation. In 1998 there was 11 classes with a total of 428 cars. 2008 there was 473 cars with a total of 12 classes. This year there are 371 cars with 9 classes. Given the classes are less for this year, racer participation is only slightly down. The doom and gloom that some people are saying is simple not true. Yes, things are down, but the sky is not falling in.

Alan, thanks for making my point. Things have not changed since the 70's. Why do racers continue to support NHRA. When I became a member, I did not read the part where I would have a say in how to run NHRA. Expecting or implying that members have the right to tell NHRA how to run there organization is wrong in my opinion. We can express how we feel, and if they do not listen we should find another place to race.

Bo, I understand why members are upset, but people have a choice, and they need to make it if they feel so strongly about how bad NHRA treats them.

[Don Kennedy]

I agree with Ken completely . if a racer does not to race with NHRA don't.
I am a supporter of NHRA and I hope the "minority" who complain on this site are smart enough to know both sides of the so called problem that the "minority' have brought up and not just complain after only knowing one side of the so called problem they think is going on>

I know that the majority of the racers understand some of the issues that NHRA may be having.

I do know NHRA is very concerned about the Sportsman racers big time and just because they (NHRA) don't openly discuss these concerns does not make them not CARE ABOUT THE SPORTSMAN RACERS.

I can assure all racers since I have talked to NHRA they are doing what every business in the US is doing tighting up their belt so to speak , and this is effecting everyone who racers not just the sportsman . .

Now if the small amount that NHRA is raising our costs will affect your racing then take your huge racing operations and go some where else. I do know that I have a very small trailer and Dually and a old up dated race car with about a $250,000 operation which is not much since I see some of the racers rigs which are over kill in costs which is not bad but if the amount of NHRA cost increases effects your racing, sell your big old giant rig to tighten up your belt to go racing or quit..

I would be interested in knowing just how much More the new rates will cost the average racer per year??? I be it is so small that it is almost nothing ? Anyone knows how much more the new cost will be please post the amount >

[Kandra Villani]

Regarding the comments that seem to be made over and over again when someone complains about how they don't like the new NHRA polices, such as "don't go, go to IHRA, go race somewhere else" Well...it just shows that sometimes racers live in their own geography and don't think of the "whole". Please explain WHERE those of us in Division 5 (and most of D7, D6) can GO??? I should say, the WESTERN part of D5. LOL. Just to race NHRA our CLOSEST races are OVER 400 miles away. Denver is IT!!! Denver is an NHRA race. So you must be saying that this means we MUST race NHRA, or just quit??? Those of us that have taken some time off to start our families, and have 75% finished stockers sitting in our garages, are very frustrated. We don't have the ability to just up and travel over 600+ miles to support an organization that has refused to move west (IHRA). We are fed up with the rising costs (we have TWO drivers in our household, not just one as most), each change nickels and dimes us to the point we can't participate in our hobby. We just have to deal??? WHY???? I always used the argument here in Colorado that I don't ski because I could head to the track, have a great day, and even have the shot of winning most of my entry back! I can hardly use that anymore.

I understand both sides of this argument, but I don't understand why those that feel NHRA is just in what they are doing are so free to tell the rest of us to just take our business somewhere else. WE CAN'T. If you lived in a small town, next nearest grocery store is in the next town over 400 miles away, and you just can't handle the prices of the groceries and lack of quality, and poor service and the fact they don't have maybe a specific medication available in your pharmacy, what would you do? Would you try to get them to carry the item, fix their prices, fix their quality and customer service, or just drive the 800 mile round trip weekly to buy your groceries and medication?

NHRA provides something, and unfortunately, they DO have a monopoly on most of the market. I can't just go to another provider here.

I can complain, make my feelings and unhappiness known in HOPES that the one provider we have makes a change.


Kandra Villani

Super Stock
Hopefully have a stocker....maybe not..... 79 Firebird, almost finished, might be for sale.... takers???

[chris3racing]

I am not trying to further this argument, I am now trying to understand how this works. On NHRA "Competition" they have the entry summary. This has a "quota" of cars in each class, example being 24 Top Fuel, 24 Funny Cars 130 Super Stock. I go to the entry list and only 20 Top Fuel, 17 Funny Cars and 77 Super Stocks, how is that filled.

When I started back racing, away for over 30 years, and wanted to go to Charlotte and someone told me I could not go. I called NHRA and was told that having license, having a car, having entry fee and expense money did not allow me to race at the only NHRA track in my area. I'm sorry but that is not the way it use to be.

[buzzinhalfdozen]

Mr. Kennedy, I think you made a good point in your post"they (NHRA) don't want to openly discuss it. This seems to be the thing that at least I believe upsets most of the racers. They(NHRA) just hand down their decisions without so much as a paragraph before hand stating what they are considering. If you notice the IHRA did send out a letter putting the racers fears to rest that they were not going to follow suit on the increases. I believe that a little communication towards the sportsman racers by NHRA would have at least lessened the sting of this increase. I'm not bragging up IHRA however they do seem to be more in touch with their sportsman racers. Joe

[Kandra Villani]

Don: Just in Competition numbers and Membership renewal (we buy an associate membership) we are looking at approximately $300 just for me and Tony to renew comp numbers (we each have 3 so we can race Stock, Super Stock, or ET, which ever we are running due to availability of cars since NHRA and LOCAL tracks won't let you run your stock number in any other class, even for one race). That's one race entry fee that we now can't budget.

May not be much to you, and if you know me, you KNOW we don't have a HUGE racing operation, never had, but as has always been the problem, everyone assumes you MUST spend to race. I have a 1996 F350 and currently NO trailer unless borrowed, usually open. I have a half finished car that I've been working on since I've known you. So I'm just supposed to take it in the rear end and not race??? Lovely.

You have great race programs in Arizona, I'm assuming. I don't have that availability, so what EXACTLY do you want us to do??? WHERE do we take our racing??? Bandimere is most likely doing away with any combo races they had, or have at least thought of doing so for the last few years. 4 races a year to race at locally doesn't justify a car, but WHY should I have to give up my car because some organization has a monopoly on the market???

Just questions, not a complaint per se, but it's always easy to tell someone to go somewhere else if they don't like something, there has to be somewhere else for them to go.

Kandra

[Brian Hummell]

my NHRA membership ran out last month.Along with my number. I had sent the membership department an email asking if they had a membership could be had at a lower cost without the National dragster. which in my house gose in the trash most of the time right away. My point was I only wanted it for the insurance for when racing and a rulebook. That is all I needed it for. my answer was they had a 6 month membership avilable.
From My driveway it is 60.3 miles to martin Ihra track , 61.7 miles to stanton nhra track.
Now granted in the last five years my racing has been none exsitant but i have been around. and have put a daughter threw college. tution is not cheap but her education is paid for.

When looking at what has happened over the last 10 years with both IHRA to has been less advasive then the NHRA. I am leaning Twords the IHRA simply because there is less to deal with and the cost.

Somewere in the NHRA there should be a charter or bylaws that states how officials are elected or apointed to the board. as members is not a vote involved to elect board members.

I am not suprised to see this coming down the pike. but this is a lot of how things are run in the US. If you do not see it look closer. It is a shame this is happening. NHRA has made a profit for a long time but we as sportsman racer never really saw any benfits of it.

Independent racing venues are looking better also Brian

[Ron Ortiz]

Mr. Kennedy,

You have a $250,000 operation. Well no doubt that the increases have not much an effect on you, so your statement about what to do is correct for your situation. You may not have the big rig that some others have, but your logic is right in line with the amount of money you can win to break even with your operation.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA some people just don't get it

[Pistol Pete]

Sally, You had a Great Post.

Alan, You are Soooo Right about us being robbed....

We need to form our own organization period......

[Bruce Noland]

Don,
Are you posting that you own a $250,000.00 racing operation?