"Live From" 2023 Baby Gators / Gatornationals

[Ken Miele]

Hey guys, what a long day. I will post photos of the semi's and the finals and the winners. I do have some thoughts, (good and bad) on the last 2 weeks of racing and will post them later. Right now here is Stock, an upset in the semi's with Brenda Grubbs taking out John Grey in a heads up match up. I will be back shortly with Super Stock.

[Ken Miele]

Super Stock semi's, finals and in the winner circle...

[Ken Miele]

Okay guys, my thoughts on the past two weeks of racing. First, I'm grateful that I get to race and cover the race. The weather has been great, we did have some down time during the Baby Gators along with traction issues. Its hard for me to make a call on what the issue was because I am not privy to what's going with the track crew. The next day the track seemed like it was better. All in all the Baby Gators went well, even though the scheduling seemed kind of strange. The Baby Gators are for the sportsman racer so I have been told, but every year it seems they take I little of the enhancement away from us. The Gators use to be the second biggest race of the year, and now its reduced to a points meet and low car count category national event.

The Baby Gators had 600 plus cars here, it still amazes me how much we support NHRA, but they treat us as liabilities instead of assets. The resources that racers have spent supporting NHRA for decades, yet NHRA takes a little bite from us every year, and we still come. Why do we keep coming back. If I did not have Class Racer I don't think I would be at another national event. The division races are much more enjoyable for me.

As you guys know I very rarely bash NHRA. I want them to do well, but its just got to the point where there is very little enjoyment at a national event, and except for the racers that have become good friends, its just hard to get that feeling that you want to be here. I understand NHRA has to be efficient, but the current management has no respect for the racers that support them the most. The sportsman are the back bone of what NHRA use to stand for, now its just a distant memory of what it use to be. I know I sound bitter, but many of you know me... I always like to stay up beat, but what happened today just put me in a mood. Not an angry mood, just a sad mood... things are changing and they are never going to get better... its so very sad.

So what happed today... well I'll tell ya. The day was going smooth no long down time from oil downs or issues, yet they schedule changed. So instead of running the sportsman that support NHRA all year long, go to 8 plus division races to get into these events, spend time and money, lots of money... lets just run a tesla down the track against a Charger... WTF. Who gives a rats *** about a tesla. What the hell does that have to do with drag racing. Do you think the fans want to see a hair dryer go down the track. Who the F makes these calls. Next we get a parade of cool cars, great we all love cool cars, but why. Junior Dragsters, yes they are the future, but come on, do the sportsman have to take a back seat to everyone. I understand the pros are the show, but its just getting worse for the sportsman.

So you wonder why this has made me sad. Well because of the schedule change, the sportsman were the last ones down the track... schedule said the pros would be the last down the track... why even have a schedule for the sportsman... really, why? Anyway, the sportsman did not get the usually ride back in front of the stands, where there was 100's if not thousands of fans waiting against the fences to just be a part of the the winners interviews. No Joe Castello, not Walley's, no camera crew. Just go to the staging lanes and wait for the pros to take their 40 minutes of photos so you can get your photos done in 5 minutes or less. Joe was down at the other end of the track to talk to the winners, but there was no fans to enjoy the winners. It may seem like a little thing and to the winners I am sure they did not mind, but its so sad that sportsman are hiding from the fans. Yes the fans come to see the pros, but they like us too, we are not a liability, we are an asset, its just NHRA has no clue how to use us as an asset.

So there it is, will I be back at another National... sure will, at least I know you like to see the coverage and that's what makes it worth it. Like I said in the beginning of this post, I am grateful I get to do this. Next race... D2 at Valdosta, GA, next week.

[Brett C]

Same thing happened at Indy last year.

[Keith 944]

Originally Posted by Brett C

Same thing happened at Indy last year.

Totally agree with Ken, also like to add downtrack prep, seems they only care about the first half I see a lot of cars out of control past the 1/8 mile, don’t we pay enough to prep the whole thing?

The allstars at Indy last year was rushed through and finished late with dew and crappy track Not at all showcased as it should have been, it was just keeping the officials from making their dinner plans
NHRA needs to wake up and do better!

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Ken Miele

The Baby Gators had 600 plus cars here, it still amazes me how much we support NHRA, but they treat us as liabilities instead of assets. The resources that racers have spent supporting NHRA for decades, yet NHRA takes a little bite from us every year, and we still come. Why do we keep coming back. If I did not have Class Racer I don't think I would be at another national event. The division races are much more enjoyable for me.

So what happed today... well I'll tell ya. The day was going smooth no long down time from oil downs or issues, yet they schedule changed. So instead of running the sportsman that support NHRA all year long, go to 8 plus division races to get into these events, spend time and money, lots of money... lets just run a tesla down the track against a Charger... WTF. Who gives a rats *** about a tesla. What the hell does that have to do with drag racing.

I understand the pros are the show, but its just getting worse for the sportsman.

I feel your pain Ken! I gave up Natl. Events YEARS ago for EXACTLY the same reasons that you've mentioned.

All of the "distractions" that you've mentioned are there because a prominent Sponsor/Benefactor WANTED them there and the NHRA or someone IN the NHRA stood to benefit from those "distractions" being there. I hate to say it but they pay better than you do.

The Pros aren't even the "show" anymore. The Sponsors are. Kinda like network TV.

Maybe it's time for me to try and find and dust off my old thread regarding Tom Compton's idea to "split" the Pros and Sportsmen!

[Spyphish]

LEMONS 24 Baby....... 7th car!!!!!!!

[Mike McCandless]

It's ran as a straight business that needs to be profitable. Those making the decisions are making the decisions they believe will give NHRA the best ROI. They might not be making the best choices, but I'd bet that's the reason these decisions are made. Easier to make those decisions for the now vs the future. If sponsor X will pay Y for something to happen, they'll take the path of least resistance vs building something long term.

I can promise you that 99% of people in the stands have zero clue how difficult it is to enter stock/super stock and be competitive. Yet, optically, it's the class most can relate to because the cars are real cars they've seen before. I believe there is a way to make S/SS more relevant and part of the bigger show, but it wouldn't be easy or fast. Like it or not, social media and video consumption is at an all time high. NHRA won't do this, because they'd default to the bigger classes, but a "drive to survive" type of series for S/SS in my opinion, is the only solution to gain fan interest.

If you profiled 4-6 people in each class that were running nationals schedules and divisional's, I think you could make something compelling. Make it in consumable video content, no more than 30 min per episode with 2 races per episode. If people can't relate to the struggle, I'm not sure you get them engaged. There has to be a human interest element to this. Looking back now, I would do anything to be able to go back and profile the insane things we had to do for Jason to win D2 last year in Stock. It would have made for an insane TV show, with the outcome being decided at the last race of the year in the finals against the team owner of the car. You couldn't have scripted it any better. We need stories like that to get out, hook people and that's how you get things to change. NHRA has to believe the class provides a positive ROI, otherwise it will get cast to the side.

In the cold world of business, why would NHRA care about any non pro class? They're looked at as filler that don't bring fans to the track. If any sportsman class was instantly dropped, what's the overall impact financially to NHRA? Knowing they'd just put in another class or expand the field to get the count it needs? S/SS have decades of work put in them by the participants. As much as we all bitch, we're not going anywhere, NHRA knows that. If we do, they'll just pull something off the shelf to replace it. It would be sad, but that's my guess.

My worthless .02

[1347]

With no clear channel of communication of why they do what they do to the sportsman racers at National Events, I really don't think it will get any better.
After I watched the stands dump out as they were running FSS after the pros Saturday, I realized 90% of the fan is a fan of FC TFD and Pro stock car and motorcycle.
The call outs and all that other bull**** with announcers standing on stage like a DJ is what the common fan likes. We are a victim of society, not NHRA.
We need to just come to the realization that we class race because we like it. Not because we are the show. Just look in any high school parking lot to see that muscle cars are not attracting the youth.

[James Perrone]

Well said YO Ken
I think I feel the same way
We are not forgotten by NHRA
We are there piggybank $$$$
We print the $$. They spend it anyway they want