National Events 305.00???WTF

[G E T Racin]

NHRA won't be getting my 305.
Division 1 won't be getting my 170.
NESSA will be getting my 40.

Kenny - great bbq last year. I elect you to do one after every race!!!!!!!!
(Paula and I will help)

Dave - I'll race against you anytime. You'll be out in front where I can keep an eye on you- lol

[sc1153]

North east super comp association and Bracket racing are looking better and better. NHRA is signing their own grave, they are not making enough money due to less car count so the GENIOUS idea is to RAISE the entry fee? and leave the payout the same? the contingency sponsors are dropping like flies. I get more and more fed up every year!

i have been thinking of buying a boat, that looks like its becoming the cheaper route. $305 buys alot of beer, bait, and food.

I say everyone take $305 and buy hookers instead, because at least if you are getting F***ED you will be treated nicely by the hooker. NHRA doesnt even put out. LOL

[voltdr]

Originally Posted by Charlie Yannetti

My question at this point would be, if this has been done for National Events, is it going to trickle down to the Divisional Events.. and if so, when to we hear about it, at the entry gate.. that's where I got the news of the last entry fee increases.. good thing I had extra cash that weekend, but we didn't eat as good.. LOL

That being said.. you will see me and my crew at the races anyway, cause that's what I choose to do.. BUT.. after paying out around $2600 to insure my stuff last year, and probably facing an increase in that for next year, why should I pay another $35 per race to NHRA??.. I attended 13 events last year which would be an additional $450 or so next year.. not really a big hit spread out over a year, but I'm not seeing or hearing any give-backs.. like increasing the payouts so if you happen to win a race, you might break even on the insurance increases..

I would be interested to hear from the SRAC about their input and concerns in this area.. as well as from the guys involved in on track crashes last year as to how the insurance worked for them.. if everyone is satisfied, then I'm good..

This "insurance" increase is only at National events. This is due to having the pro cars there, especially the TF and FC. The fuel cars get in for free and it costs everyone else because they can't keep from blowing up and catching on fire. I think they should keep the oil-down penalties in place from Pomona/2010. Maybe the insurance wouldn't be so high if they only have four cars racing.
Dan

[frank v]

Originally Posted by voltdr

This "insurance" increase is only at National events. This is due to having the pro cars there, especially the TF and FC. The fuel cars get in for free and it costs everyone else because they can't keep from blowing up and catching on fire. I think they should keep the oil-down penalties in place from Pomona/2010. Maybe the insurance wouldn't be so high if they only have four cars racing.
Dan

then let the pros pay for the increase.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by frank v

then let the pros pay for the increase.

Yeah right.....LOL

[BKSG1198]

Originally Posted by frank v

then let the pros pay for the increase.

I read this on DRO under the 1320 agent deal....I wonder how true it really is so they run 23 National Events at $ 95.00 per event = $ 2185.00 which their sponsors basically pay for. Just remember we took it in the rear last year which the increase in License and Chas Cert being doubled, I think they will wait till next year to do divisional increases because if they did it now....the s**t would hit the fan!

NHRA raises entry fee for sportsman racers

The price of racing with the NHRA as a sportsman racer is going up for the 2011 season. Several NHRA sportsman racers contacted DRO to let us know that when they went to pay their entry fee into the NHRA Winternationals next January the price went up $35 dollars to a total of $305.

Many complained that not only did their fees increase but the pro drivers don’t have to pay an entry fee. But that is just not correct. All NHRA pro entries do have to pay an insurance charge for each event if they want to race. At least the sportsman aren’t carrying the whole load. The “High Sheriff’s from Glendora make everybody pay to play.[12/16/2010]

[Chuck Westcott]

I had a lengthy conversation with an NHRA official last evening and I was told that all the Pro's including Alky teams pay insurance fees for national events and that their fees have also increased for 2011.
I was also told that most likely in 2011 that all ProTeams entering a national event would be paying entrance fees from the Pro's on down the ladder.
Does that make me feel better?- not really, but is does level the playing field. In addition fees on divisional events are mandated by the division directors, I guess that's why I pay $150 in div 2 and $175 in Div 1 or vice versa, can't remember. It's also up to division directors to structure fees for the catagories, IE: Alky teams don't pay. Why? I'm not sure, maybe that will change in 2011.
Bottom line- If you want to play your gona have to Pay. I know that I will.

[Tom Joseph]

Originally Posted by slow dragster

OK.......beating a dead horse again.

I think several people have asked what is the insurance and what does it cover. I am sure once again no one from the sanctioning body can come up with an answer to the question.

I can! At Ennis I was talking to a vendor I know on Qual day and an NHRA official mentioned that how mad Graham was over the increasing pit vehicle accidents such as hitting spectators looking for a reason to sue somebody and running in to other cars. I'm not sure if the life insurance and body ins for the top fuel and alky guys is part of us or they pay more but Insurance has gone nuts since Obama care was passed. I insure several employees and I had a 12% raise last year in health ins costs,17% Jan 1 2011 and was warned of another 21% in 2012. Whether or not this is justified that's for another forum but it's a fact ask any small business man or gal what it's going to cost when pre existing conditions are mandatory to cover. I got the same email you all got from IHRA last week that they were not raiseing any costs to the sportsmen so you will have a place to race because last time I looked this is not the NHRA Classracer forum.
I forgot. Graham Light also is considering restricting pit vehicles unless they are towing a race car so keep those kids off of them and drive carfully and no sweat. I'd like to see an NHRA official comment but I agree with the kid thing as some parents let these 10 yr olds drive the big 4 wheelers around the pits and thats just dumb.

[Jason Oldfield]

I have an idea...how about Tom Compton takes a reduction in salary from $700,000/year to something a little more reasonable so that all of us sportsman racers don't have to take it in the *****? With 23 national events and assuming 100 cars per class in S/G & S/C, add in another 400 competitors for S/St for 6 national events, and you end up with about 5,000 total S/C, S/G and S/St competitors at NHRA national events. If Tom Compton reduced his salary from $700,000 to a VERY HEALTHY $450,000, we could reduce the insurance surcharge by $50 per entry to $40.

Now, if we could get Mr. "I work 10 hours per week for NHRA" Dallas Gardner to reduce his yearly salary from $325,000 to $200,000, we could reduce the insurance surcharge another $25 per entry to $15. I know it might be a little much to ask a guy who only works 10 hours per week to reduce his yearly salary to a paltry $200,000 per year, but to me it seems that the circumstances may warrant the sacrifice.

Oh, and let's not forget Graham Light ($325,000), John Siragusa ($425,000), Peter Clifford ($375,000), Gary Darcy ($375,000), and Glen Gray ($300,000). Asking them to each take a $25,000/year reduction in salary would not only eliminate the remaining $15 of the insurance surcharge, but with the surplus we could actually reduce the entry fee by $10/each as well.

http://www.dragracingonline.com/anal...ge-4-Large.gif

I won't include the few other paupers on the above list as clearly they're just scraping by with their $225,000 - $250,000 annual salaries, and we couldn't possibly ask them to to reduce their compensation from a not-for-profit company.

My guess is that Mr. Compton is looking to buy himself a new Aston Martin V12 Vantage, and can't quite figure out how he can justify the purchase to his wife. So, raise the insurance surcharge $35 (about a 60% increase) and BINGO! Instant $175,000 from the Super Class racers to pay for the Vantage.

I can't believe all you guys who are just shrugging it off and saying, "Eh, who cares...it's only an extra $35 per entry, and that's a drop in the bucket compared to what I pay to race at one of these events." Though that may be true (it's only going to be about a 3.5% increase for the TOTAL cost to attend one of these events, assuming you're only bringing one car), what NHRA is doing is the 2011 version of nickel and dime-ing us to death. Where does it all end?

[Tom Joseph]

Jason I don't think this will be shrugged off in fact I think it will hurt them. I sold my SC car because I usually go alone and it's just too much for my,not gettn any younger, *** running two cars so I got a new SG Vette that will run both easily and I can have more fun. I plan to race with my son in Pro Modified,FREE ENTRY, more this year and that is fun. as I said in my last post,which is rare for me, that IHRA is still in business and much cheaper. Now Bo Upton will call and cuss me out for encouraging you to go to IHRA because he won a Chithouse full of money there last year Scott Lawton won one ever heard of Steve Furr he's not too good to run IHRA and they got paid and I can keep naming them so how much did the majority of these NHRA only dudes on here win but after all are most of these guys banging the keyboard really in it to win money? Of course they are if they're breathing and walk upright which is a challenge ,I'm sure, for some. A lot of guys just think NHRA is all there is but they are wrong. I went to Darlington labor Day instead of Indy and had a much better time and will do it again this coming year. Just a thought and for salary cuts..forget it..won't happen.