Stock and Super Stock Air Time

[MAURICE BLENDHEIM]

Originally Posted by Dago Red

This is a sort of rant, but more of a head scratching "what are they thinking" open talk with the NHRA (No Hot Rods Allowed).

Not that I expect that they'll listen, but here goes......

First off, I do not have a dog in this fight, I gave up racing Stock years ago, but no two classes are more near and dear to my heart. In order to watch them I have to dig around on You Tube to find, not surprisingly, well made and produced videos of St/SS qualifying, class runs, and rounds of divisional and national events.

My latest intel, has informed me that some of the better known video folks have been threatened will legal action if they continue.

To which I ask a very simple question of NHRA: WHY???

You don't EVER show any Stock or Super Stock racing on TV, so who are they competing with? I don't know what stick-and-ball sports marketing outfit you listen to, but I'm fed up with your 2 1/2 hour infomercial with a little racing sprinkled in it. I could not care less what some drivers favorite doll was when they were five, or where some crew chief's favorite fishing hole is, or what some chef is cooking for lunch for some pro team. RACING, GIVE ME RACE CARS RACING. I consider myself pretty smart and a keen observer. I know who sponsors who, I'll do my part.

You may not be able to see them from your air conditioned VIP boxes, but there's A LOT of empty seats at national events that you cannot hide with camera angles and colorful sponsor tarps (sorry, it's that keen observer thing again!). I stopped going when, after working my schedule out to see my two favorite classes (Stock/Super Stock) I arrive to find out they'd been changed because some professional dog-and-pony show ran too long, or some smacked-arse CEO who wouldn't know a drag race from a drag queen couldn't get there till later.

Well, if you take away the racing I want to see, then I'll protest with my billfold. There's plenty of REALLY good racing to take in: Nostalgia SS, pro mods, ADRL, Outlaw Fuel Altereds, the collection of Gasser Associations, even a good old fashioned Saturday night bracket race!

So let these folks post their videos. They're not hurting anyone, in fact, it's the ONLY way I've gotten to watch any door car action lately.

Well, I feel a little better having expressed my thoughts out loud, not that I expect any sort of reply, other than some sort of pompous grandstanding about intellectual property or some such nonsense.

NHRA, you can blow me off as just one dissatisfied race fan (and good riddance, yak-yak-yak) but you might want to unseat yourselves from your golden commodes long enough to see if other race fans, old dyed-in-the-wool race fans think like I do (check those grandstands...) The way my friends got treated in Houston was the tipping point for me. And now this video thing.

They couldn't stack arrogant that tall and not have it tip over...OR COULD THEY?

Dago Red... You've brought up some valid points, I know it was just a rant. This website has 11,859 members as of today. I don't believe there is one that officially is from the sanctioning body's corporate level. I enjoyed the "Live from" coverage we were getting on here, as well as many others I'm sure. The last "almost real" event coverage the sport had was the "Diamond P" series with Steve Evans, Bob Frey and Dave McClelland back in the 80's, even then it seemed like the audition for the "John Force Show ". My initial interest was sparked for the sport back in the 60's on "Wide World of Sports" and "Car and Track". Kinda' puzzling why NHR$ doesn't want to show the World the sport they represent at all levels with every exposing opportunity. Your post on this site won't be effectively read by those that you are "scratching your head about", you should print it off and send it to the CEO, along with a self addressed, stamped envelope and see if you get a response. If you do get an response post it on here and see what happens...JMO. MB.

[James L Miller]

I think the people that make the racing coverage for NHRA are journalism/liberal arts types that love to find drama in everything. Look at the TV car shows and it was more about drama between two guys than it was about someone that could actually make something and show how he did it. I think most of us want to see racing, but those jokers think we like all the drama BS. I liked the ESPN3 coverage except there was no announcer or even a down track camera at the finish line. It was almost "OK let the one camera run and let's go eat lunch before the Pros get back!"

I think the Sportsman coverage could be expanded to include more classes rather than just the alcohol classes. I do like seeing them, but I like stock and SS like most on here. I'm not sure I want to see every round of the Super classes, but the last couple of rounds would be cool. I think NHRA wants to control all the video for mostly legal reasons in case of an accident, but probably want control of anything they could make a dime off of even if they don't know how to do it themselves. Modern corporate thinking - we don't know what the hell we're doing, but we're not letting anyone else do it.