No really. What are NHRA racers going to do?

[Jimi B]

Here me out. This all got started by reading loads of annoying facebook statuses and forum comments fraught with negative comments. I realize im a small time player, at the moment. But none the less, I wanted to talk about this.


While I am annoyed by a lot of statements that are made about our racing, a good deal of them are not with out merit. However I here a lot of complaining, and not a lot of action. The most action I see are the ones that are protesting NHRA. Which, lets be honest, the ones that are sitting out are the ones that are not racing for a host of other reasons. Not their disdained for NHRA. All though I do understand some of these reasons may be caused by NHRA or maybe even Obama according to some of you... And to the ones that may be sitting out solely for their dislike of NHRA, that is obviously your right. But for some of us that are still trying to live the dream and appreciate what NHRA started out as, a less radical but with more effort approach might be better. I'm sure its not the end of the world to some you after 20-40 years of racing, if NHRA crumbled to the ground. I acknowledge NHRA is a greed machine, and that it is a complete sham since they are not for profit... But I also think its some of the best drag racing. Yes we are racers there for the competition. But it is also a show. With out spectators we would be nowhere. I often think about how awesome it would of been to be around at OCIR, or just to be apart of those glory days. So, I want to go to a divisional race with Alcohol Cars. I want to go to a National with Nitro cars. I am thankful for the combo races and additional racing series because like a lot of us, id rather be at the track then most places most times, so any additional races out there Id like to be at. But like a lot of you, I grew up in NHRA. I think about winning a Wally multiple times a week at the most random times. Call us addicts/Koolaide drinkers, and Tom Compton Pablo Escobar/David Koresh. Whatever it is, we're not curable and we can only improve our quality of life.

So really. Instead of making threads on forums complaining and saying what can we do, lets do something. Something that is not a knee jerk reaction such as not renewing your membership, not racing NHRA etc. Something that keeps the the sport going. I understand some basics in business, law, economy etc, but a lawyer, economist, CEO I am not. Some of you may be those things or know a lot about them.


So first I have questions. Some of this is basic and I may even have an idea myself, but I want conversation going.

1. Should we take a deeper look at the higher paid people in NHRA to try to determine exactly how vilified they should be. We talk about their salaries, but how do their salaries relate to other organizations? Are they really that out of control?

2. What exactly does the NHRAs Not for profit status mean?

3. What are our rights as members? Can some of our ideas discussed actually be employed? Can we look for new leadership etc?

* In case this isnt another dead end thread that goes no where we can discuss what to do with the actual racing in another thread. This thread is about what we can do with in our rights as members to make our organization better to participate in.


We all have loads of ideas that would make the racing better, more fun, economical etc. What really is the hold up? I want to reiterate that i'm not one that wants to boycott NHRA and I am not out for any heads to roll ( until/unless determined thats exactly what needs to be done). I want to know what are our rights as members, and who, where, when we can do anything about it.

If it takes people. Put my name on the list do do my part and then some.

[Phillip marvetz]

Sorry Jimi but I am no longer a NHRA member and I wont be again until I see some real changes in they're ranks. That does not mean that I have quit racing though, I still run the full season of bracket races at my home track and we ran a IHRA Pro am race at Ashcroft just to see how they do things.
As members you have no rights, They were signed away years ago. I believe the only way NHRA will take notice of us little guy's is to hurt they're bank accounts. If NHRA crumbles someone will be there to pick up the pieces.
Maybe now that NHRA is going to allow roller rockers more guy's will be willing to run some IHRA races.

[Jimi B]

I already run roller rockers in my stocker lol.

Thanks for posting. 445 views and you were the 1st ha.


Im not even sure why I made this thread. I want to say either race or shut up and dont rain on our naive parade. But then again this a public forum with no direct affiliation to NHRA, and where many class racers chose to race elsewhere.


However, I am still curious if a large group of people chose to do something, what is our right to do?

[69Cobra]

You/we have no rights. We play by their rules or we take our toys and go home.

[ALMACK]

I was a member of NHRA for 30 years. I got hooked on class racing at the 1982 Winternationls. Those were great years !

After Wally Parks died, it appeared to me that the NHRA was slowly being run into the ground. I didn't renew my membership after that.

As posted above: Members do not have any rights. However, people do have the right to not give the organization their hard earned money.

Even if NHRA attendance slows way down and revenues drop off, the corporate suits can blame the downfall on the economy, not on company policy. Easy way out I suppose. No doubt some are packing their own golden parachute right now.

What can class racers do ? I don't have the answer.
Combo races appear to be the easiest start.
Non-NHRA sanctioned Sportsnationals type events are next and if the sponsors that NHRA just stung want to get on board that would be great !

Until then, one can only hope the IHRA grows and has more events throughout the country.

[Michael Beard]

You probably haven't gotten a lot of response due to the premise set forth in your original post. To paraphrase, 'If you have a problem with NHRA, I don't want to hear you quit, run other races, or complain. Oh, BTW, what can you do about your concerns?" You've taken everything off the table. They've proven time and time again that it's their ball and their court.

Personally, I try to not spend a lot of time beating my head against a wall. If I have a concern, I voice that concern, and if it's still a repeated problem, I vote with my feet. That's not just NHRA -- it's like that with anything: Restaurants or other stores, etc. That *is* your "right as a member". You cannot force NHRA's hand. If they can't see that their business model is resulting in fewer racers, spectators, and fans... well?

So far this year, I have run 71 races in 38 events in 10 different states. That includes NHRA (minimal), IHRA, S/SS Combos, and bracket racing from the local to Big Buck levels. I've also announced at multiple events, write race coverage for a magazine, and coming up Thanksgiving weekend, my promotions partner Anthony Walton and I will be presenting a major Footbrake event of our own. Additionally, my business's customers are all drag racers, promoters, and tracks. So, I'm not sitting on the couch. Everything I do in life revolves around drag racing.

[chris3racing]

Well I have been wondering how much longer it would be before NHRA got to this site. Jimi B your a racer that NHRA is looking for. I will never slam any young racer for enjoying drag racing at any level; however, NHRA as many of us "old time racer" will remember is not the same. NHRA is listed as a non-profit; however, they have been recently under investigation by the IRS for the amounts of money they collect and the salaries that the "higher ups" are making each year. The fees and the requirements for sportsman racers continue to increase, while the Big Money team do not have to pay their share. Go to the competition plus web site and look at NHRA's attack on the sponsors. Spectators are down, in this economy the average joe can not afford to tak his family to the racers. Sportsman racer car counts are down due to the costs to participate, stingent car requirements and just the treatment of the racers in general. No matter how many complaints they receive there does not seem to be any interest on NHRA's part to improve any of these issues. As I posted on Class Racer website with the treatment of companies like Jegs, Summit and all others there are a lot of great race tracks that would greatly appreciate the companies coming to see them with their money to put on a race. As racers, and I have being doing it for over 30 years, we should participate at these events outside of NHRA to show support to companies and organizations which appreciate us bringing our cars and spending our money to participate. Maybe the people at NHRA who make the mulit-hundreds of thousands of dollar salaries will understand where their salaries come from and it is not from racers like John Force, Don Shumacher, Greg Anderson and others; however, based on the latest news out of NHRA these guys should be defending their sponsors and the money that the companies pay them to participate.

[Rollins_2241]

As much as many people, particularly bracket racers, don't want to admit it, there are some unique features of NHRA drag racing that keep me coming back:

Publicity. ND has a much wider circulation than any other sanctioning body's. Yes, they mostly get read on the toilet, but I get calls for months after winning an NHRA race from people who read about it. Quick: who won the Thursday $10K bracket race at SGMP? Yeah, they had one. No, I don't remember either. And I was in at 7 cars. But I know who's leading the Jeg's points in Top Dragster or is national champ in Super Stock.

Safety. I crashed and could have died this year - at an NHRA-owned track with an ALS ambulance there for a test and tune. I shudder to think what would have happened at some other tracks. That stuff costs money. When you race at a Lucas Oil or Full Throttle event, that's what you're paying for. They actually care if your helmet is on in the shutdown area. They care if you are wearing arm restraints in the water box (if I hadn't been, my wife would be wiping my butt for the rest of my life). Nothing else matters once the shiny side is no longer up.

Fair competition. Yes, electronics and other issues have advanced faster than they can keep up. At least they weigh the cars, care about the rules, put cars on a ladder the same way every race, and keep the points updated. How many of you have seen a "house car" "put back in the race" at a big-buck bracket event after a "bad timing issue"?

Schedule. I'm too old to race until 3 in the morning four days in a row. Those days were fun in the old B&M series and such, but I like knowing what they plan to do and when. No, they can't control the weather, and neither can IHRA.

Their biggest weakness is "not invented here" mentality. Their senior staff should all be required to "mystery shop" by attending, as a racer or spectator, one IHRA, one ADRL, one big-buck bracket race, and one heads-up outlaw race per year, to see how other events are putting thousands of spectators in the seats and 400 cars in the pits. What works and what doesn't. Then they should contact every lapsed member they can find from the past 5 years and do a quick survey of why. Finally, they should poll racers who quit or have not run a class when they consider a rules change - not the current population of class racers whose primary interest is protecting their competitive position.

That was more than two cents, but thanks for listening.

[Michael Beard]

Quick: who won the Thursday $10K bracket race at SGMP?

Timmy "Two Toes" Smith. And then he backed it up with a win on Friday, too, to collect a big bonus.

Sorry. I'm a fan of the sport. BUT the point rings true. That major point... RECOGNITION. It's not just National Dragster. It's "LIVE from" on ClassRacer, it's Live Timing/Audio/Video, it's Drag Racing Action magazine, it's Drag Review. Used to be TV coverage on IHRA. I think the series that REALLY work hard on the providing timely real coverage and human interest stories of their events are the ones that will rise to the top. If nobody knew about a Wally, nobody would care if they won one. It's coveted because of its history and the recognition that goes with it.

[Ed Fernandez]

Until NHRA either changes direction or loses it's contract lock on the tracks around the country,NHRA still is in control of the board. Once the exclusive contracts run out then IHRA,ADRL etc. will have the opportunity to set up shop.