NHRA's New Budget Cut
 

The top five execs have agreed to take a 20% ..... Nah, just kiddin' Here's the real deal;

In 2004 , when we went to Topeka and Indy, "my driver" was the 2003 Div. 7 Pro ET Race of Champions winner. For that accomplishment, he had a regular NHRA Gold Card, which he used for admission to those two events in Stock Eliminator.

This year he was again, the ROC winner and the Summit Series Pro ET World Champion for which ,among other things, he was awarded another Gold Card.
He just went to use it to enter a Nat'l event, and was told that card is no good. You can only use it for Pro ET. He's already a track champion, so he gets in free anyway, all he can do with that card now is use it for the bracket finals later this year.

Now ,according to the Div 7 office , that really was always the case. NHRA just let that slide, out of the goodness of their heart.

Any off you guys ever use a bracket-won Gold Card to enter S/SS?
Well , it ain't happenin' now. Nice .

Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut
 

Well D-4 (or maybe everybody but on D-4 site) just increased everybody crew $5 per day, and racer entry is an extra $10 for the Div. Races. Also, they said alcohol cars use to race free, and now they will have to pay an entry fee.

Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut
 

its about time the mechanical rain delays had to pay an entry

Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut
 

Mark, I've been lucky enough to have won a couple of Gold Cards although it was about a half a lifetime ago. I wore those suckers out running NHRA and bracket races! Even the big $$$ winter races one year.

Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut
 

I have a Gold Card from winning the NHRA Div. 1 Bracket Finals in 1994. The card was good for 1 car and driver *AND* 1 crew member. There was no mention of bracket vs S/SS. Unfortunately, it was a few years before I started running Stock, so I had only used it to bracket race. I was going to help one of the NHRA Bracket Finals champs get started in Stock Eliminator this year, but when he found out his Gold Card wasn't good for Nat'l/Div'l races, he backed out, and NHRA failed to "set the hook" on yet another racer.

I won the IHRA Div. 2 East Bracket Finals this year, and received a Silver Card, (same deal as NHRA's "new" bracket-only Gold Card... not good for Pro-Ams or Nationals). Bracket Finals champs used to get "full" Gold Cards, up until about 5-6 years ago. I think Jim Cimarolli was among the first to receive the "revised" Gold Card, which was later renamed Silver Card to reduce confusion.

Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut
 

Sounds about right. Goes along nicely with the index reduction to decrease participation in class racing. It removes one of the incentives for ET racers to step up.

Just like you think the person that runs .06 under their index shouldn't be able to win an event, NHRA is saying if you can't win a gold card at the divisional level, you shouldn't be able to use any other gold cards.

Should make a lot of people happy to see less bracket racers in stock/super stock.


-Toby

Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut
 

Yep , It seems to me it would make sense from a business standpoint, to let a bracket racer run S/SS for a season. Then they could hook them for life at $270 plus, a shot .

Oh, and that was 5 tenths, not 6 Don't want to get too carried away all at once

Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut
 

We had confirmed with NHRA headquarters in Calif that Coltons gold card would be good for sportsman classes in Pomona.With no grade point.(Just in case).He even came on here to get you guys help.Then the D4 office called and said Sorry you need a grade point.Directly conflicts with what their website still says.They didnt say entry fee,s were not covered.Just said he needed a grade point.so maybe they downgraded the gold card again? We will be at the D4 banquet end of the month so maybe we can get this cleared up.

Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut
 

Ask guys like Chip Johnson and Chris Gulitti how much their Gold Cards cost them! LOL :D Chris had always been "just" a bracket racer, then ran T/D after earning his Gold Card, and later built a T/S car, in which Bob Gulitti followed suit. Chip Johnson has had at least three different Stockers, a 10.90 car, a 9.90 car, and an 8.90 dragster since earning his Gold Card... not only did he get hooked on Div'l/Nat'l racing in a big way, but think about all of the additional money these guys have spent with manufacturers since they got hooked!

Re: NHRA's New Budget Cut
 

I had a gold card from the ET Summit Series and it was good for NHRA National events only, they didn't honor it for divisionals for Stock. I called California when I had it and they assured me that an NHRA gold card would be at National events. I race a number of National events in Stock Eliminator on their dime with no hassels.
Casey Miles
248H