What happened to the Keystone Race?

[Randall Klein]

May be an interesting Test Case, of how the program runs and spectator reaction to almost no Sportsman cars. Maybe NHRA has enough time to book in some wheelstanders etc as filler

I think this occurred at the Gators one year where the Sportsmen were shipped off to Orlando, but I can't remember any pushback comments made from Gainesville spectators...did they miss us? I'm sure Dragster wouldn't mention any negativity.

With alcohol and Comp, they may schedule it to cut down time.

I know one year at Columbus on Sunday a father with two young boys came by our trailor and asked where all the cars were, as they had come to watch S & SS....we told them to contact the track or NHRA, but who does that, and would NHRA respond to 1 or 2 complaints?

[rognelson777]

Just out at state college last weekend in a 32' motorhome class A. Also many diesel pusher s there. Drove thru over a foot of water on rte 83 on the way. Fields are grass there but all access roads and paths are gravel or paved. One motorhome was stuck and that was it. Estimated 400 motorhomes and fifth wheel campers there. Maybe someone from maple grove should go to Penn State and check out their work. This is a ongoing problem,needs to be fixed.

[Chris Kilraine]

Originally Posted by Dave Ribeiro

Joe & Claude,

It's all about supply & demand , but NHRA won't react till the $$$$
stops coming in everyone weekend ...The little guy continues to carry the burden, paying more & getting less ... It's about Choices & being treated Fair and having Fun ... The weather just makes it Worst, but we are still the Customer & control where we spend our money ???
Maybe it's time NHRA makes some changes, for the better......?

Dave,
You could not have said it better, but let us face the fact; everybody, for years, has been complaining about how NHRA does not support the sportsman racers...and what does everybody do about it?.....Continue to support, spend money, get pushed out, and then everyone else has to hear about it on someway or another (mostly here). How many times did you touch a hot stove when you were little until you realized it hurt and you were not going to do it again????

It is never going to change!

This year, as I did race more than I usually do, it made me realize how nice IHRA really is to the sportsman racer; able to make a lot of runs down the track with the double race format, eat food-drink beer-spend time with the family, and have fun with almost all the racers that WERE NOT complain about being treated like this!!!....

I do not mean this post to be a "marketing" or a commercial push for IHRA because I do disagree with the 1/8th mile deals but I can tell you that I have not been pushed out or treated unfairly with them ever! I wasactually hoping to race more NHRA DIVISIONALS this year, but the more and more I see with the format and the so called hospitality NHRA shows to the sportsman racer...I will pass!

Just my 2 cents.........

[Greg Hill]

Over the last 3 years I have not attended a NHRA National event. This has been my choice. I don't like how we are treated at them. When you continue to patronize an organization who obviously doesn't give a crap about you, their customers, they have no incentive to change their behavior. I don't like being told all the things i can't do at National events. I have been able to race as much as I want by going to divisional races, opens, combos and one sports national race. The main reason I quit going to Nationals was the introduction of the Cobra Jet and Drag Pack cars. What I've realized over the past 3 years is that I haven't missed Nationals one bit and I don't think I would start going to them even if the new cars end up in their own classes.

All that being said I do miss seeing friends that I saw at Nationals that I don't get to see any more.

[cicero819]

Originally Posted by Greg Hill

Over the last 3 years I have not attended a NHRA National event. This has been my choice. I don't like how we are treated at them. When you continue to patronize an organization who obviously doesn't give a crap about you, their customers, they have no incentive to change their behavior. I don't like being told all the things i can't do at National events. I have been able to race as much as I want by going to divisional races, opens, combos and one sports national race. The main reason I quit going to Nationals was the introduction of the Cobra Jet and Drag Pack cars. What I've realized over the past 3 years is that I haven't missed Nationals one bit and I don't think I would start going to them even if the new cars end up in their own classes.

All that being said I do miss seeing friends that I saw at Nationals that I don't get to see any more.

X2, If more people did what Mr Hill did in protest, NHRA would be fast in reacting. What about all the people who plan their holidays around the races, as a paying spectator I feel cheated by a sub par product. I have nothing against rain and flooding problems(NHRA can't do nothing about it) but irrigation problem in these days are inexcusable with the technology available these days. I understand everything about tax evaluation on land improvements but I'm sure that a compromise can be reach with the county tax assements. Also why not have a car show and tech at the same time to promote the race. Jack, it was the minimum that NHRA could do for you, the racers, was to send the proper ranking officers of the company to come and meet you and the racers to explain themselves, they should have someone there all the time to keep you guys informed at all times, since most have internet services on their Blackberries or in their motorhome they should have a proper on site service to provide to the minute information. You guys pay three time the going rate to race for three time less the money paid, they owe you at least that much. I have four friends(spectators who enjoy only sportsman racing only) who have already left and driven back home when they found out about the cancellation. (Too late for them and too bad for their holidays taken from work). Look, this year I attended INDY and will probably make it to Las Vegas and Pomona, I spend my money with NHRA but would like to know that I'm at least considered as a paying customer. Claude Ruel