How NHRA got started

Greg Hill · 01-28-2011, 09:23 AM

There is a great article in ND this week about how NHRA got their start. Read it and contrast it with what it's become. I realize things change but the basic premise of the organization is no where near what it started out as. Also when it started all racers involved, no suits. I think the management forgot where we came from.

jmcarter · 01-28-2011, 09:41 AM

X2 on it being great and quite the contrast to the current situation; and one would have to ask....aside from the strides in safety are the racers and even the spectators any better off today than they were in 1961? Think I'll ask Beard to make me a "Back to 61" bumper sticker.

George Fitzpatrick · 01-28-2011, 09:49 AM

With everything being rebooted today (Batman, spider man, 007,etc.) maybe it’s time reboot NHRA

Jason Oldfield · 01-28-2011, 01:24 PM

I blame Wally. I don't know if he just didn't know who he was hiring, or if he got greedy as life went on. But, in the end, he was the guy that assembled this pack of corporate clowns.

My guess is that he wanted help from the business side of things because he realized he didn't have the knowledge to be able to take NHRA where he thought it could go. Kudos to him for recognizing that, but shame on him for idly standing by and allowing the clowns to run away with the organization, when he should have owned up to the mistake, stepped in, and fired them.

But, maybe I'm giving Wally too much credit, and maybe he wasn't as intelligent as I thought he was...

Curmudgeon · 01-28-2011, 02:19 PM

Could be simply the rule of unintended consequences . When you start an enterprise you want it to grow , however as it grows it spirals out of your control until it becomes something you don not recognize . Like other motor sports as drag racing grew a professional class developed and to attract the nonracing spectator the focus was shifted to an easily digested format which pushes the grass roots competitors to the sidelines .

A100 · 01-28-2011, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Oldfield

I blame Wally. I don't know if he just didn't know who he was hiring, or if he got greedy as life went on. But, in the end, he was the guy that assembled this pack of corporate clowns.

My guess is that he wanted help from the business side of things because he realized he didn't have the knowledge to be able to take NHRA where he thought it could go. Kudos to him for recognizing that, but shame on him for idly standing by and allowing the clowns to run away with the organization, when he should have owned up to the mistake, stepped in, and fired them.

But, maybe I'm giving Wally too much credit, and maybe he wasn't as intelligent as I thought he was...

Seems like it was working fine until the Modified Producted protest at Indy. The powers of NHRA discovered that the members could decided what happened to NHRA. They set up a vote through a mail in ballot to modify how the voting process could happen.

The results were that they actually took the vote away from the members and put all decisions in the hands of the board of directors, who were at the time. Wally Parks, Dallas Gardner, Dick Wells, and Harvey Palash.

Harvey Palash (Diamond P fame) resigned. Dick Wells and Wally Parks died. Graham LIght and Peter Clifford were added. Gardner handed over NHRA to Tom Compton to run and he was also added to the board. They all work for NHRA except Gardner. From what I understand he retired from running NHRA to just being on the board which does include a small pay check so he can get by.

They have just added two more members to make six current board members.

billy leber · 01-28-2011, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jason oldfield

i blame wally. I don't know if he just didn't know who he was hiring, or if he got greedy as life went on. But, in the end, he was the guy that assembled this pack of corporate clowns.

My guess is that he wanted help from the business side of things because he realized he didn't have the knowledge to be able to take nhra where he thought it could go. Kudos to him for recognizing that, but shame on him for idly standing by and allowing the clowns to run away with the organization, when he should have owned up to the mistake, stepped in, and fired them.

But, maybe i'm giving wally too much credit, and maybe he wasn't as intelligent as i thought he was...

blasphemer !

Detroit Bob · 01-28-2011, 04:46 PM

If you guys go back far enough, and a lot of you do, there was always some controversy as to how NHRA was set up.
I will never forget an article in Cars Magazine I believe. The editor was Woody Hatten. In the article he asked when was the last time the members got to vote for the president of NHRA. Wally Parks was of course the perpetual president for life. But this was in the late 60's when the article was written. So questioning NHRA's org chart is nothing new.

Jason Oldfield · 01-28-2011, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billy leber

blasphemer !

I guess you could construe it like that. But, as time goes on, I'm thinking Wally was more like Ralph Wilson than Bill Gates. Even a blind squirrel will find a nut once in a while...

Greg Hill · 01-30-2011, 11:45 AM

Go to the SCCA site and look at their by laws. They are a non profit organization who posts their by laws on their web site. They started out just about like NHRA but they have stayed pretty true to their founding mission statement. Even though times have changed and the racing may be different, they still have the interests of their members and sports car racing in general as their primary goal.

How many of us have even seen the by -laws of NHRA. Notice how SCCA has a member meeting each year along with a member convention. The members elect a board of directors who hire the president and decide on his compensation. This is how NHRA should be. It should not be controlled by a small group who has their own interests as the primary goal. The NHRA board has violated not only the law but the spirit in which NHRA was founded.

01-28-2011, 09:23 AM	#1
Greg Hill VIP Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Louisville , KY Posts: 1,995 Likes: 67 Liked 270 Times in 68 Posts	How NHRA got started There is a great article in ND this week about how NHRA got their start. Read it and contrast it with what it's become. I realize things change but the basic premise of the organization is no where near what it started out as. Also when it started all racers involved, no suits. I think the management forgot where we came from. __________________ Greg Hill 4171 STK

01-28-2011, 09:41 AM	#2
jmcarter VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Richmond Hill GA (and Port Ludlow WA) Posts: 4,213 Likes: 2,168 Liked 2,946 Times in 906 Posts	Re: How NHRA got started X2 on it being great and quite the contrast to the current situation; and one would have to ask....aside from the strides in safety are the racers and even the spectators any better off today than they were in 1961? Think I'll ask Beard to make me a "Back to 61" bumper sticker. __________________ Jim Carter 2340 Super Stock 2340 SST/2340 Stock Set another place at the table

01-28-2011, 09:49 AM	#3
George Fitzpatrick Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: West Babylon, NY Posts: 342 Likes: 98 Liked 98 Times in 23 Posts	Re: How NHRA got started With everything being rebooted today (Batman, spider man, 007,etc.) maybe it’s time reboot NHRA __________________ George Fitzpatrick 426 HEMI STK, SS

01-28-2011, 01:24 PM	#4
Jason Oldfield Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 619 Likes: 1 Liked 10 Times in 4 Posts	Re: How NHRA got started I blame Wally. I don't know if he just didn't know who he was hiring, or if he got greedy as life went on. But, in the end, he was the guy that assembled this pack of corporate clowns. My guess is that he wanted help from the business side of things because he realized he didn't have the knowledge to be able to take NHRA where he thought it could go. Kudos to him for recognizing that, but shame on him for idly standing by and allowing the clowns to run away with the organization, when he should have owned up to the mistake, stepped in, and fired them. But, maybe I'm giving Wally too much credit, and maybe he wasn't as intelligent as I thought he was... __________________ Jason Oldfield S/G & S/St 1838

01-28-2011, 02:19 PM	#5
Curmudgeon Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Asheville,N.C. Posts: 54 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How NHRA got started Could be simply the rule of unintended consequences . When you start an enterprise you want it to grow , however as it grows it spirals out of your control until it becomes something you don not recognize . Like other motor sports as drag racing grew a professional class developed and to attract the nonracing spectator the focus was shifted to an easily digested format which pushes the grass roots competitors to the sidelines .

01-28-2011, 04:46 PM	#8
Detroit Bob Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Grosse Pointe Woods Mi Posts: 88 Likes: 0 Liked 10 Times in 3 Posts	Re: How NHRA got started If you guys go back far enough, and a lot of you do, there was always some controversy as to how NHRA was set up. I will never forget an article in Cars Magazine I believe. The editor was Woody Hatten. In the article he asked when was the last time the members got to vote for the president of NHRA. Wally Parks was of course the perpetual president for life. But this was in the late 60's when the article was written. So questioning NHRA's org chart is nothing new. __________________ Bob Kowal STK 345

01-30-2011, 11:45 AM	#10
Greg Hill VIP Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Louisville , KY Posts: 1,995 Likes: 67 Liked 270 Times in 68 Posts	Re: How NHRA got started Go to the SCCA site and look at their by laws. They are a non profit organization who posts their by laws on their web site. They started out just about like NHRA but they have stayed pretty true to their founding mission statement. Even though times have changed and the racing may be different, they still have the interests of their members and sports car racing in general as their primary goal. How many of us have even seen the by -laws of NHRA. Notice how SCCA has a member meeting each year along with a member convention. The members elect a board of directors who hire the president and decide on his compensation. This is how NHRA should be. It should not be controlled by a small group who has their own interests as the primary goal. The NHRA board has violated not only the law but the spirit in which NHRA was founded. __________________ Greg Hill 4171 STK