National event chaos?
 

Rumor has it, and this is a rumor but should not be taken lightly, that at National Events in 2017 there will be no rig stacking prior to gates being opened, no tech inspection and random pair first round.
Please notify any powers to be how these would be detrimental.

Re: National event chaos?
 

Reminds me of some idiot funny car racer buying a sanctioning body in 1987/88.

Re: National event chaos?
 

No tech is the last straw. The death of class racing.

Re: National event chaos?
 

Sure does.

Re: National event chaos?
 

Did you see how much money NHRA supposedly lost.


From Dragracingonline

No profit, no joy found in NHRA's 2015 tax return

The Agent has just skimmed the NHRA's 2015 tax return and the news isn't good. Their gross income is down from 2014 by $2,000,000 going from about $99.5 million to $97.5 million. The company lost 5.7 million for the 2015 season.
Some quick math after looking at the membership revenue indicates that the association could have lost close to 20 percent of their members between 2014 and 2015. One thing that jumped out at the Agent was that former president Tom Compton was paid just over a million bucks in 2015 including a severance package.
No matter how you look at the NHRA, from a business point of view Peter Clifford and his management team have some issues they are going to have to deal with. One thing is absolute and that is currently the NHRA is both a non-profit and money-losing business. [12/02/16]

Re: National event chaos?
 

Would that be the sportsman hater Billy Meyer....

Re: National event chaos?
 

What's the mindset behind that idea?

Re: National event chaos?
 

Cutting costs. They're probably about to lay off some event support staff. No tech, no qualifying, and no stacking means less staff to pay.

Of course, those people make a mere pittance to begin with, and do it for the love of the sport and the racers. They're not where NHRA spends money anyway. But bean counters see them as unnecessary.

Re: National event chaos?
 

There's always IHRA, where the powers listen to the people

Re: National event chaos?
 

Been coming to this point for years....

Re: National event chaos?
 

I heard the same thing from a close source...I emailed about how much of an besue this will be!! A few officials will be let go next year. ..

Re: National event chaos?
 

My business plan was always to take care of your customers. NHRA seems to disagree with me on this theory

Looks like 20% of their "customers" have spoken. Do you think NHRA is listening.....


United we stand Divided we fall

Re: National event chaos?
 

Look at the gap. If their topline dropped 2 million and they know they squandered association dollars to the tune of a million to pay off Compton, that is not as concerning to me as the increase in cost. That didn't come from sportsman support in most cases. Now rain and reschedules can sure cause increases overall. I just hope they know what they are looking at. It also seems as though they don't realize that no one in this chain HAS to participate. NHRAdepends on discretionary spending from fans AND racers alike. They don't seem to understand that if they make the racing experience bad for racers, just like fans, we will take our money elsewhere. That goes for pros as well. I sure want it all to succeed, because I love class racing, but I sure as heck don't have confidence in most of their decision makers. When you have bean counters and lawyers making the decisions and no real influence from people that love and understand the racer , it is no surprise that their strategy in key areas miss the mark. I don't even want to get into marketing, they don't seem to be even minor league. The contingency program is embarrassing, etc. They need to open their ears to track owners and some key business minded racers that have racing in their hearts and business acumen in their brains. They don't realize that the things that have created value to the racer such as the structure, the incredible large base of members, the network of tracks all supported by the local staff was what made NHRA stand out. If you cut away staff and structure such as tech and all of the niceties that we expected for our money, you are no longer special. You are just a commodity. It quickly goes downhill because the many smaller associations can compete and really do better than NHRA because NHRA chose to stop supporting us. Track owners are not dumb either. If NHRA fails to provide value, they will figure out how to make money without them.

They don't have to chose the wrong path. Even in difficult times, the majority of us want NHRA to succeed and we want to participate. They need to listen and come up with a better plan. When they have a plan,,they need to execute the plan. If the teams in Glendora are in place due to nepotism and buddy deals, but they aren't effective, cut them.Don't cut the staff that are customer facing.

Re: National event chaos?
 

Excellent post James. We've all over paid for years to be there because it was "special", but in the most simple of terms, the NHRA national event experience has totally lost that feeling of "being special". Obviously, there are much better overall values n the market place for a $330 entry fee. Nero grab your fiddle...

Re: National event chaos?
 

maybe it's time to do whatever it is we would have to do to get our "NHRA Member" vote back!

Re: National event chaos?
 

NHRA is failing from the top down and it's painfull to see and be a part of.

James post is spot on and tells it like it is....

In Oct. at Maple Grove, we spoke to one of our NHRA folks who does national events. They get paid a ridiculously low amount to work events and do it as many do more for the love of the sport and the people they are with....

Cutting costs by cutting personnel there is unwise....

They cut personnel that do story write-ups in ND after someone wins and that has had a very negative effect with anyone I talk to...

Winning an NHRA event used to be a big deal......pretty much any event they had...

It's nothing like it once was and it will cost them in the end if they continue as they are.

Re: National event chaos?
 

Wife is after me to quit racing. Maybe it's time. Sad deal.

Re: National event chaos?
 

A lot of good points here. I think NHRA needs to hear them, live, and in person.

It seems that several of us are going to the PRI Show, perhaps we should all get together and go to the NHRA booth.

A visit with NHRA to explain to them what WE spend in order to enjoy the sport, and what we are looking for, and feel what we are within reason in expecting from them when we get there.

Re: National event chaos?
 

Billy as usual is right on the money, time to give our vote back that they stole many years ago. I decided four years ago to stop supporting NHRA, no more paying for membership, I stop going to National events and attended mostly Divisionals because this is where you see and meet the real racers.In their income return you have to take into account the money losing ESPN TV broadcast that they produce for entising prospecting advertising dollars to help selling their shows and of course the Pro circuit. This is a bankrupt way of thinking that will only cause your business to fail, if your product is any good it will sell. I've seen a lot of business go this way. NASCA founder Bill France always made sure that the fannies in the seats counted more than any TV broadcast they could generate, he counted the tv revenue as a side order of fries. The problem I fear is that too many people at the top aren't invested in this sport, financially or practically. We need our voices to be heard, racers and fans. Claude R.

Re: National event chaos?
 

Lots of opinions but I haven't noticed anyone posting what they want from NHRA or what they want NHRA to do for the sportsman racers. By telling NHRA what the sportsman racers want (as a group and not 100's of different opinions) is a starting place to try to move this along.

Re: National event chaos?
 

NHRA was holding its head above water until this latest TV venture. It is costing them a bunch more money than they were first planning on. Thats right! NHRA has to pay to be on TV. You would think it would be the other way around but it is not. The money they take in at events is not covering what they are paying out for TV coverage. So where do the bean counters cut costs. Where else but in the Tech Dept. No tech at National events will save the company, so the bean counters think.

Of course we all know that will only bring on "National event chaos."

Re: National event chaos?
 

You guys are waiting to talk to the wrong people. Instead of waiting for NHRA to listen, why not start talking to racers?

If there's one thing that this election cycle has taught us is that one guy with influence and leadership can mobilize a great many people who are sick and tired of being ignored and taken advantage of.

You have at least three serious hitters posting in this thread alone. If one or more starts mobilizing racers to boycott ALL national events this year, then perhaps NHRA will finally take notice.

For my money, I'd like to see that person create their own nationwide sportsman series that is indeed special for everyone. Look at what Pete Biondo has done with the Springfling, and others have done with Sports Nationals, etc.

Talk to Bader. Talk to Dave Ley. Talk to Mark Williams. Talk to all the companies that used to post contingency. Get them involved, get the tracks involved (Numidia stands out, and so do other tracks in D1 alone).

For some of you guys, you're seeing your livelihood at risk. Take a stand, and take the lead. People will listen to you.

From my point of view, NHRA represents California, which has become synonymous with austerity, mismanagement, and corruption.

You will never change NHRA unless they are hit seriously in the pocketbook. One million for a guy who had to step down for a substance abuse problem will look like a drop in the bucket compared to a nationwide boycott of racers. Who knows? You could end up creating a phenomenal series that benefits everyone, and everyone can feel good about, including sponsors and the tracks themselves.

Re: National event chaos?
 

This is pretty good thinking.

Re: National event chaos?
 

Could someone refresh me on how the board took over
& members lost their vote/voice.
Was it not on some small technicality.

Re: National event chaos?
 

In 1981 the members gave their right to vote to the board.

Re: National event chaos?
 

Exactly what does "No Tech" mean?

Mike A114
P/SA

Re: National event chaos?
 

Humm, That is typical of big business. Let the Minimum Wage employees go and keep the highly paid managers, CEO and board members. But wait a minute.. NHRA is a 501-c Non Profit. Those highly paid managers work hard at spending all the money to keep NHRA from making a profit.
I think I would take a long hard look at some of those expenses before operating without vital employees. If this is true it doesn't speak well for what the leadership sees in the future of NHRA. Hey, I'm just saying here, no knocks.. JMHO

Re: National event chaos?
 

Without class racers there will be plenty of room for 90 racers , that helps with no tech

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Interesting. That's about the time Modified Eliminator was killed off.

Re: National event chaos?
 

Jeff, just imagine what Sportsman Racers could do if we DID get our vote back now that we have this new-fangled internet!

Re: National event chaos?
 

My thoughts exactly

Re: National event chaos?
 

I had the opportunity to do this at Pomona. Fill out your tech card and take it to the credential trailer. Was it a big deal? I don't think so.

Is there a minimum grade point to be selected? I would hope there would be something in place that would keep a new car or a new racer from being able to race without teching car.

My guess is that it's to cut back on personnel on the day or days before the race starts?

Re: National event chaos?
 

I agree accept if they need to pay someone to tech a new guy while others don't tech I assume he will just be getting paid to stand around?

Re: National event chaos?
 

Most National events require 3 or 4 grade points to enter now it seems so unless the driver is bringing a different car he has already been through tech several times recently.
I don't agree that this is where NHRA should be looking to cut cost but most bean counters start this way.....

Re: National event chaos?
 

With all these cut backs, I can see them eliminating heads up and any pairings. I hope I'm wrong, but this looks like the end might be sooner than we think for S/SS class as we know it. No tech and random pairing, sounds bad to me

Re: National event chaos?
 

X2 Todd

Re: National event chaos?
 

So, Jeff, how many SRAC members do you expect at PRI? Are you attending?

Re: National event chaos?
 

Billy, sounds like we need to drain the Swamp ??? Didn't we just do this in our latest Election because they wouldn't listen to the People !!!!
Maybe it's Time for a Change ?

Re: National event chaos?
 

Alan, I am not going. My company employee party is the Sat. night and last time we went we saw yall and had to cut it a day short because of weather, so we aren't going. Wish I was. I really enjoy PRI. Have fun and have one (or two) for me.

Re: National event chaos?
 

I didn't understand the "no tech" answer, just the general check in when you arrive? also what does "rig stacking" mean? I'm new to this