What's up with NHRA logic?

[Dwight Southerland]

Originally Posted by Jack Matyas

Jim - Read what you are saying - its their job to keep control of the entries - look at the IHRA - they never know how many are going to show up .How could you properly staff a race like Indy when you haven't a clue who will show up at the gate ?

Jack, there's another way to look at it. It's NHRA's job to hold races and insure the races are run safely, consistently and orderly. If you think that means "control of the entries", so be it. They ran races for years quite successfully without knowing who or how many would show up. I can still remember when you could purchase an entry to a national event at the gate. I also remember over 600 stock, super stock and modified entries at Indy. It's about control and money - your money.

[Jack Matyas]

Originally Posted by Dwight Southerland

Jack, there's another way to look at it. It's NHRA's job to hold races and insure the races are run safely, consistently and orderly. If you think that means "control of the entries", so be it. They ran races for years quite successfully without knowing who or how many would show up. I can still remember when you could purchase an entry to a national event at the gate. I also remember over 600 stock, super stock and modified entries at Indy. It's about control and money - your money.

Dwight - You have some valid points - they did run things differently back in the Seventies - we even got a Sunday morning time shot .But today fitting six hundred entries is hard - we now tow with motorhomes and have stackers in that space - not to mention the Pro's (ala John Force types with plenty of sponsor rigs ) - we just don't fit in the same space we once did .

Yes , its about control - but remember - its their bat and ball we're playing with .

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Jack Matyas

Yes , its about control - but remember - its their bat and ball we're playing with .

Jack, just don't forget that each membership and every entry fee helps pay for the upkeep and their ability to have "their bat and ball"!

[Casey Miles]

If I didn't have a grade point, this link would have even been opened. But, the entry level should be at 1 grade point and because of BS rule put into place by who knows, NHRA will not allow me to get an entry. I've been raceing Stock since 1974, holding a NHRA memebership and comp number, NHRA doesn't give a s**t!

James: My car was the s**t back in the day. That was with a Muncie trans and stock valve springs. 98 lbs on the seat and 206 open lbs. With all the new stuff, I haven't seen much improvement, but I'm getting old too.

[Ron Ortiz]

I fully understand the grade point system, always have always will. The PROBLEM is with the amount of entries per category. Why did they start the gators with only 55 Super Stock quota. 80 Stock, 70 S/G, and 100 S/C. And "class" racing for Stk and SS on top of it. That is stupid. Finally, SS was increased to 80 due to a flood of entries by the third week. Hey, common sense, but it stopped there.

Nothing against the S/C guys, but their rigs are all going to be long, why 100 then, while the others have less amount quota. Don't give me that BS of limited space, I've been pitted at the gators outside the fence and in the parking lot for too many years. It does not matter if you get there on Tuesday or Thursday, you're in the boondocks. The only time spectators see your car is on the way in to the gate or on the way out.

A major problem is that they are shrinking the quotas and giving more space to the "NHRA Needy". I said years ago that they were little by little eliminating bottom sportsman from National Events. Gators in the past were 128, then 100, then 90, now 80, why? With the advent of geographical "Sportsnationals" you can see the trend happening. It's coming. If they only have a 64 car field they would be happy, then your grade point system is a joke. You all know they treat you like crap, why else would you run eliminations at 8:00 AM, then at 10:00 PM on occasion. Yeah, I love racing, but not at 8:00 AM, especially with the sun looking down the track at you, heck I could not find the tree last year as I came out of the water box, much less see the bulbs.

Spectators love fuel cars at night, why don't they qualify at night to free up time trials during the day for other classes, that is just a lost opportunity to increase spectator presence, which results in more spending.

Jack, you said, " its their job to keep control of the entries - look at the IHRA - they never know how many are going to show up .How could you properly staff a race like Indy when you haven't a clue who will show up at the gate ?
Answer, you can enter the gators with 1 grade point up to March 5th, the race is the 8th, kind of like showing up at the gate. All they know is that only 80 can enter and that's what they go by. Staffing is predictable, this applies to an IHRA event like wise, but the option of entering on race day is a benefit to the racer, and the sanctioning body as it is increased revenue, without the loss of control.

You all need to take a real close look at the way things are happening, it is becoming obvious that only the "select" will be racing at future national events.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA only 13 from FL

[Jack Matyas]

Originally Posted by Ron Ortiz

Jack, you said, " its their job to keep control of the entries - look at the IHRA - they never know how many are going to show up .How could you properly staff a race like Indy when you haven't a clue who will show up at the gate ?
Answer, you can enter the gators with 1 grade point up to March 5th, the race is the 8th, kind of like showing up at the gate. All they know is that only 80 can enter and that's what they go by. Staffing is predictable, this applies to an IHRA event like wise, but the option of entering on race day is a benefit to the racer, and the sanctioning body as it is increased revenue, without the loss of control.

You all need to take a real close look at the way things are happening, it is becoming obvious that only the "select" will be racing at future national events.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA only 13 from FL

Ron - If everyone paid at the gate no one would pre-enter and staffing would still be an issue regardless of what the quota is .As far as the IHRA goes they have never had an 80 car Stock field ( in recent years ) - most are like 25 or 30 tops .

Select racers at National events - nope but they are the ones with grade points - and they earned them by going to the Lucas races .

[Toby Lang]

Do you even have to be there to get a grade point? Do you have to have a car? There were a few SS racers at Phoenix who got two grade points each by teching into stock or maybe they just had to buy a tech card. Maybe they teched in rental cars I don't know.

Do you know anybody at SGMP or Houston that could try to tech in for you or at least ask? I know it will cost $160 or whatever, but at least you would have a chance to enter the Gators.


-Toby

[buzzinhalfdozen]

I think what you all are missing is NHRA is NOT the only game in town (per sa) if I don't like the way I'm being treated by any business I'll simply go somewhere else. I know I've read all the reasons racers give for not racing with another organization, some may be valid, however from reading quite a few posts over the years it's apparent there's a few that are disenchanted with the way they feel NHRA is treating them. Looks like you have a few options here....post on web sites....quit attending their races...OR heaven forbib find another organization to race with. There's always going to be something that happens to someone that P's them off, happened to me a few years ago with IHRA so I quit going to their races I felt I was right and they felt they were right, so I exercised my right to spend my money elsewhere. There are a few things that NHRA does that doesn't exactly thrill me but for the most part I like racing with them and enjoy the people I've met along the way. I guess the point I'm trying to make is if you're not happy with them show them the only way it really matters quit doing business with them. Joe

[Dwight Southerland]

Originally Posted by Jack Matyas

Yes , its about control - but remember - its their bat and ball we're playing with .

They are the ones playing the game; the racers are the bat and ball.

[Greg Hill]

If you don't go to national events you don't have to put up with their BS. I haven't been to one since 2008 and haven't missed a thing. Between points races, Ihra races, opens and local combo races I can race between 12 to 15 weekends a year and that is all I want.