Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

I wish that we had our "Membership Vote" back. Do ya think that in this day-and-age, that would change things?

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Thanks Dennis, it is. Penn State, Finance Major. My daughter is there too and has two years to go.

https://i.imgur.com/cpPHnRu.jpg

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

opinion, assumption at best, a lie at worst. But again, NHRA National events were never about sportsman racers nor are they what puts spectators in the stands.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Yes it would, if it was set up for each category. And leave the day to day operations up to qualified people who have raced.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

I feel your pain Bruce...Isn’t life odd, 1320 ED doesn’t think we have a problem....I believe we do....Kinda reminds me of a man trying to build a wall, many think we don’t have a problem...I believe we do....carry on....

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

You are so far out in left field, it is hilarious. Run over to Amazon and buy a few books on the history of drag racing before making a bigger fool of yourself than you already have.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Yea Lee Valentine is out in that field with me. He too doesn't think there is a problem with NHRA Sportsman Racing and he's been doing this 55 years! But does agree stock eliminator racers have "always been crying about factors and rules,costs quotas etc."

Nuff said.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

At one time there were people in the stands when Super Stock was on the track.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...pssjehyqbz.jpg

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Bruce it's been inevitable that sportsman racers are going to be pushed out of national events with the size of rigs and the amount of crap NHRA tries to pack in. The worry is if they eliminate us altogether or have stand alone sportsman races. We don't have enough young racers coming in to stock and super stock to support the eliminator much longer.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

The world is changing, and so is everything in it. NHRA racing is not what it started out to be. It is more about the BIG show and what can be done to entertain the new crowds. As Lee mentioned a big part of the problem is space for rigs at each event. Not only the Pros and their multi rig teams (John Force and his 8 semis, as example), but the bigger and nicer rigs that many of the sportsman racers use.

If you want to see what real change is, just have a loved one die from cancer. As you all know I lost my wife last April and life is NOT the same, nor will it be for many years to come. The emotional, mental and financial strain has been and will be enormous. Yes, I am still trying to pick up the pieces.

I hope all involved in the sport can accomplish their goals. Let's all take life for what it is worth. The most important part of racing is the friends that we make along the way (yes winning is very cool, also) and I have made some great friends over the 49 years I have been going to drag strip around the northwest.

May GOD bless each and everyone one of you in your racing programs.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Well said Ron.
God Bless.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Lee, the very first race that nhra attempts to produce without Sportsman racers will put them in the entertainment busness without any premise for holding onto its coveted not for profit status. nhra has been a traveling entertainment show for years but it has always had the not for profit protections that the Sportsman racers have helped to protect. Compton found out when he tried to pedal off the Pros that it was a fools errand to separate them from the Sportsman racers. Compton, himself, said many times that he knew that nhra had not treated the Sportsman racers with the respect they deserve. He brought Len Imbrogno in to help fix the problems but never really supported him. And one more point, there is nothing wrong with encouraging nhra to improve relations with us. In fact it is healthy. There were a bunch of unhappy racers at Pomona for various reasons but most are too smart to come out here and be berated by a clown who has never raced with us.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Bruce I understand what you're saying and where you're coming from and I appreciate the effort. Don't under estimate Ed I am not a friend of his I just know of him and we have mutual friends in stock eliminator. He's more knowledgeable about what goes on in stock than a lot of stock racers,just a little rough on presentation.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Lee, I've seen enough of his posts, he's short on information and long on nusiance. I guess that's why he keeps getting "time-outs" on this site.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

I get how National events are a little more special for Stock and Super Stock racers at events where class eliminations are run. But otherwise, is that really a big problem?

With the low quotas, class can't be nearly as exciting as it would be if they ran it at divisional events with open entry fields.

As for the days of class cars filling the stands, that was back when every car in the field was produced within about 10 years of the event and the spectators could relate. It was less a car show and more like a grocery store parking lot full of fast cars.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Tony,

Do you race in Stock or Super Stock?

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

For what it's worth,

Everything is more expensive - building and maintaining a competitive car and the costs of running it, travel and tow rigs, entries and the costs of membership, license,etc. - everything. NHRA has grown substantially in every way possible in the last 20 years. When has there ever been a meaningful increase in the purse for any of the Sportsman classes at any of the races run under the NHRA banner, national or divisional? Sure, there are guys who can race and not care about it, but for others, it makes a difference, and it should reflect the supposed and inferred importance of the events. Personally, I may never win a damn thing, but it's a collective insult to all the Sportsman classes to spend the money, absorb the increases and never see an increase for their efforts.

Contingencies. Money available to winning racers from companies as a reward for purchasing and using specific items and also advertising. A substantial benefit and incentive to participate with NHRA. Is it really necessary to treat this program, paid for by the participating companies, as a cash cow to the point where they all tell NHRA to pack sand? Is anyone really putting any effort into this anymore? The decline of available contingencies is money out of racers pockets. Sure, the economy was bad, companies change priorities, etc., but how much effort is really being put into getting sponsors involved and keeping them? The Manufacturers Midway used to be a great place to interact with these companies. Now it's a shell of what it was.

Integrity. Times change, parts get superseded, things get approved and accepted, that's a given. But not teching or looking at these cars, unwritten "winks and nods" and treating enforcement as an afterthought, is a lack of respect for the integrity of the rules that make class racing different from a bracket race at the local track. Those differences are real to people competing and they expect them to be central part of NHRA's conduct of the events. That means providing tech guys and not sticker hander outers.

Sure, it would be nice, but I don't expect "The Company" to do anything other than continue to focus on the TV product, monetize everything as much as possible and make everything else as cheap, trouble free, and as easy to run as possible. I'd really like to be proven wrong.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

I'm just a lurker, but Stock /Super Stock are my favorite classes. Please make my day and tell me 1320racer is on a permanent vacation!

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

What part of the truth and the facts don’t you like? :p

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

It's more your abrasive attitude!

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Overall I'm not at all worried about NHRA doing away with sportsman racing, as I've said before they need us and now more than ever. What does concern me are some of the issues stated above already. One thing we should remember though, it's about sportsman racing not just Stock and SS, these other classes are just as important as they give us a much bigger voice and as some of you know I started racing in the Super classes. We must refrain about making any recommendations about just Stock or SS if we want to be taking seriously otherwise it becomes just a one-sided agenda.
First of all I would like to see quotas for all sportsman classes increased somewhat to more realistic versions of a few years ago. For Heavens sake 70 or 75 per class would look like Indy at this point. I feel they are keeping it to a bare necessity of what's the income they need from us at each event and it could easily be risen up some without creating too much of a schedule conflict. It's been done in the past and can be done again, I know some of it has to do with pit space at certain places but not all. Over the last couple years at Charlotte for instance there has been plenty of room left on the sportsman side that they have turned into Gold parking and there is plenty of places for those to be parked elsewhere.
My other concern would be cost vs payout, it is ridiculous but it will not stop me from doing this. I as well the vast majority don't do it for the money ofcourse but I got to admit a little bigger check wouldn't hurt my feelings a little and might even give me a little more leeway with my financial director at home.
I started following Stock and SS in the mid to late 80's and it's obviously not what it was then but I don't feel we or sportsman racing are on life support just yet. Actually over the last couple of seasons I've noticed a little bit of increase in car counts. There's still some new people trickling in across various classes and there's the appointment of Charles Myers by NHRA as sportsman relations director. Charles loves sportsman racing especially Stock and SS and has dreamed of working in this capacity since he was a kid. He will do good things for us I believe and may just be the voice we've been needing in Glendora for a while. Hope everyone has a great season and I look forward to seeing you all at the races.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Pity there wasn't a wall when your ancestors came to this country...


pS

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

NO politics, Please!

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Or yours.....pS

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

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Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Just some thoughts. It would be nice even with the quota's for a National Events anyone with a grade point of six or more could get in as long as they entered during the six grade point time line. Why not also open quota's for one class at each National event. The events that have stock class or super stock class open up to 128. Other events open quota's for the rest of sportsman racing one class at each event. I still think they miss the boat on marketing sportsman classes. Today social media is king in marketing. How much would it cost to have someone market our classes threw social media. As most that know me I started a Burger business 4 years ago in a location that was a Friendly's. They went out of business in this location. In this town of only 24,000 people there is already 2 Wendy's 2 Mc Donald's a Five Guys and a Burger King along with another burger place that has been open for 40 years. Everyone told me I was nuts and the last thing this town needed was another burger place. I marketed the heck out of this place threw every way possible. Last yr we did 1.3 million in sales and this year we project to be close to 1.5 .. My point is if I didn't work as hard as I did to market it I would have been out of business. Why would anyone object to having sportsman classes marketed threw every means possible to see where it could go. Ed I agree the local events like Divisional's are good and the NHRA people that we know and see at these events are great and do a really good job. I also agree with you that everything including sportsman racing and drag racing in general has an expiration date. But why would anyone object to try and do anything we can do to extend the end and make what we already have even greater. BP

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Another one crawls out from under his rock.
This is called CLASS Racer, not the Prius Times..Take a hike, holding hands with your buddy.

https://i.postimg.cc/prNV7h4h/stupidpost.jpg

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

How's things in Birtherstan, Mark?


pS

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

I haven't yet, but you never know. Why do you ask?

I interpret your question and my reply of "no" to mean that whatever I have to say is worthless here.

Personally, I don't see all the hype about national events. My favorite events are divisionals. I run my local national event because it is close and another chance to run Super Comp. One year I ran two nationals because I had a gold card. That said, a national event poses unique challenges due to the schedule and I'd love to win one.

In my post, I made an honest effort to think of how other classes would be affected differently if sportsman racers were pushed out of national events. That's why I brought up class eliminations although that doesn't happen at all events. That is a unique element to nationals. If they were to contest class at an equivalent number of divisionals, what else is missing from your sportsman racing experience?

If I'm wrong, I'm happy to be wrong as long as I learn something as a result.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Sorry for continuing the side tracking of this thread. But If they would do it the right way. There would be no need for a wall. And it seems to me that's all anybody really wants. Some did like this guy.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

I don't know what that means.. All Greek to me

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

What if the N.H.R.A. allowed Competition, Super Stock and Stock eliminators to compete at selected regional national events including class eliminations and higher payouts?
Just for example Pomona, Gainesville, Maple Grove, Joliet, Ennis, Las Vegas and Indy.
Would that satisfy the needs of these racers who enjoy national events?

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

I’m a bit confounded by some of the attacks here. Ken needs to get out the Ban(g) stick....we are in a community, a kindler gentler version as opposed to YB and FB.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

You are indeed wrong. There lots of folks who race the Super Categories and Stock or Super Stock. If you you already race in Stock or Super Stock you would already have an insight to the question you asked previously. Also, I asked for comments from all Categories because the quota system effects all of us.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

What kind of reply is that? People race them because they are there, myself included. If they weren't there, I'd move along to what was available and it would be fine.

I'm interested in what would really be taken away if nationals weren't an option, and class eliminations were still contested elsewhere.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Frank, if you added Brainerd, Seattle and Topeka, that would be a good
representation of the country. The Pro Stockers like a reduced schedule,
and the expense that goes with it. Since we are confident that prize money will not increase in comparison to entry fees, let's reduce our
expenses. Division and National Points would be best 5 out of 6
division races, and best 2 out of 3, or 2 out of 4 National events.
That reduces NHRA's cash flow, which I'm not trying to do, but something has to give. My two cents, no change given. J.R.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Tony,
In short, I said lots of folks run in several categories and if you ran in Stock or Super Stock you would have a better insight into your class racing question. And then I said that I had invited comments from all Categories? What else am I missing here????

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Your two cents worth is very much appreciated.

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

I'm interested in a little more insight than the sportsman racing version of "it's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand."

Re: If an advocate could be found - what would you say?
 

Ok, specifically you made a comment about your opinion not being of any real value on this thread. And I said you were wrong, but I did not specifically address the value of your comment. Now you're not happy about being wrong.