NHRA regulates off track behavior.........

[j gardiner]

The rights vs. privilege debate is all semantics. I have the right to own a gun but if I break the law I can lose it, so is it a right or a privilege.

[Michael Beard]

Originally Posted by Jim Craig

perhaps NHRA ought to buy some ad time during the 4 hour time slot (of "Motor Mondays" on Discovery) touting the advantages and benefits of being a member of the NHRA, they'd sure as hell be getting more looks at their prospective audience then they get on any given Saturday night at 2 am or Sunday night at 10. Got to look at it from the marketing side....it's all about the benjamins' and those guys are garning the most of it right now.

x2. They chose the route they did, which has generated a firestorm, instead of turning it into a positive and using the existing show as a platform to promote legal drag racing. They could have created incentives to draw the participants and its fans to sanctioned dragstrips (which tracks have independently already been doing), and created fun and safe events at those tracks where people could legally participate in the loosely structured environment they crave.

I personally couldn't stand more than 15-20 minutes of the show the one time I stumbled across it, but their reach and fan base is undeniable. The sanctioning body had an opportunity to turn the messaging in their favor, but their choices ended up alienating a large swath of their potential audience instead.

[SS Engine Guy]

Take that driving is a privilege statement and see how it holds up in a court with a real lawyer. Operating a motor vehicle in a licensed and legal manner is a right as a tax paying (which built the road) citizen. Know that a judge can not take or suspend your license? Only recommend to the transportation and licensing department that they be revoked for a certain length of time. And then as a US citizen you still have the right to have a review by that entity of whether the suspension, or length of suspension is warranted. Usually gets reduced or no suspension at all. Now back on topic. Maybe if the payouts were more for 6-7 rounds than what you can make in one pass on the street there would be less street racing. Don't take this as promoting street racing. Quit that back in my 20's when a guy rolled a nova on a country road one sat. nite. Luckily the guy wasn't hurt badly, but that crash, and the 45 min. wait for emergency crews ended my street racing days. Get off that wallet sanctioning bodies and pay real money if you want to do something about street racing. 2-3k including contingency is peanuts with what Sportsman racing has become today. We used to win 12-16k at a divisional before the for profit not for profit attitude prevailed and we just kept showing up. Some local tracks are offering grudge night with flashlight starts, no prep and timers turned off but still have to pass safety regs and have emergency crews on duty. Some are even free if you are running your car as a service to their communities. Maybe add some big money grudge racing to events instead of other bs filler. Might draw a crowd? But sanctioning bodies running your life? Not mine. Some very good suggestions have been posted here. Now somebody needs to get off their butt and implement them.

[j gardiner]

This is NHRA's problem in a nutshell. They have a whole gang of people in suits, board of directors, marketing department, etc. and they're getting crushed by a bunch of guys who were posting videos on youtube. and the only response they can come up with is threatening letters. No wonder drag racing is in the shape it is in. Maybe instead of banning those guys they should hire them.

[SSGT Mustang]

Originally Posted by Jeff Stout

Then all the Fast and Furious movies should not have been made by your thinking. Kids gravitate towards appearances towards the cars in the movies with there role racing, donuts, racing in traffic and swerving in and out of lanes. SO and what kids today do on the street is very different. Fast and Furious and what kids do today on the street are very much the same. I didn't see a letter written from NHRA to the producers.

Well, there are probably a lot of movies that shouldn't have been made, and that series would likely be at the top of my list of examples, but not because it involves racing.

There's a huge difference between some action movie and a "reality" TV show where cars that race at the track are brought out to race on the street, or made to look like they are racing on the street. Regardless that it's staged, the message is that street racing is cool, and it's so cool, look who we have here doing it.

I'm not trying to sound like a prick, but NHRA is an organization with membership and member tracks. Just like a country club, a biker gang or the NRA. You don't like the rules, go somewhere else to play.

NHRA shouldn't want any part of that crap. They are living up to their credo, and have sent a clear message that if you have a car and race on the street, don't expect to be welcome in our club.

[Michael K]

Could this be proof that the viewing audience is no longer interested in the NHRA pro categories? They seem to have gravitated towards the common guy and his personal ride......even though it's staged/produced.

[Alan Nyhus]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

x2. They chose the route they did, which has generated a firestorm, instead of turning it into a positive and using the existing show as a platform to promote legal drag racing. They could have created incentives to draw the participants and its fans to sanctioned dragstrips (which tracks have independently already been doing), and created fun and safe events at those tracks where people could legally participate in the loosely structured environment they crave.

I personally couldn't stand more than 15-20 minutes of the show the one time I stumbled across it, but their reach and fan base is undeniable. The sanctioning body had an opportunity to turn the messaging in their favor, but their choices ended up alienating a large swath of their potential audience instead.

Absolutely. And consider that the Street Outlaws show opens with a disclaimer: "Street racing is dangerous and highly illegal. Just because we're dumbazzes doesn't mean you should be."

Had NHRA bought some commercial time, the show would actually be supporting NHRA's position.

Who advises these guys on marketing strategy????

[SSGT Mustang]

Originally Posted by SS Engine Guy

Take that driving is a privilege statement and see how it holds up in a court with a real lawyer. Operating a motor vehicle in a licensed and legal manner is a right as a tax paying (which built the road) citizen.

I suppose. If you're OJ Simpson, you can get the right lawyer to make it look like you didn't kill your wife and her boyfriend. But that's not the point.

Taxpayers own the statehouse, the Whitehouse, whatever. Doesn't mean you can move in or take a piss on the stairs.

You do not have a right to drive. It is a privilege. It can be taken away any time the states wants to. Whether they do or not is irrelevant.

[SS Engine Guy]

[quote=SSGT Mustang;462360][QUOTE=SS Engine Guy;462350]Take that driving is a privilege statement and see how it holds up in a court with a real lawyer. Operating a motor vehicle in a licensed and legal manner is a right as a tax paying (which built the road) citizen. [QUOTE]



Taxpayers own the statehouse, the Whitehouse, whatever. Doesn't mean you can move in or take a piss on the stairs.

You do not have a right to drive. It is a privilege. It can be taken away any time the states wants to. Whether they do or not is irrelevant.[Quote]

What the "state" takes away can be overturned by a higher court. All this "politically correct" BS is why we are even talking about this. And while studying up on the law keep in mind that you are only entitled to as much justice as you can afford.

[Rose Racing]

Originally Posted by Dwight Southerland

Representing this as "their rights are being taken away" is a distortion. Nobody's rights are being threatened by NHRA's action. The racer in this incident can still carry on his life as he wishes even if it includes continuing to participate in illegal street racing. However, it is not a right to belong to NHRA, race at an NHRA event, or participate in the NHRA in any way. Private organizations do this kind of action all the time. Ask Michael Vick, Ray Rice, Pete Rose, Mike Tyson or any other of the many sports figures whose activities in their private life has affected their role in their respective sports organizations. I'm with NHRA on this one.

PETE ROSE BELONGS IN THE HALL!!! Sorry had to be random