Did Anybody Else Catch This?!

[Tom P]

Originally Posted by Wade Mahaffey

I was at SEMA last week, and boy was that a site to see. I can say that there are plenty folks left, that love the car culture. I have been to PRI several times, but SEMA is about more than drag racing and the show was at least five times larger that PRI.

True enough, it is all types of racing and other car stuff, show cars, restoration, trucks, etc.

But it's still an automotive trade show and what was disturbing to me was there were hardly any or no line ups to get an autograph from Don Garlits, Tom McEwen, Don Prudhomme, Richard Petty or Mario Andretti (the last two guys mostly ran in circles, just a little drag racing) but the lineup to see some MMA fighter there was a thousand people long. As many "Affliction" shirts as there were car event shirts.

Sure some cool drag stuff there though, the Mach IV and Backup Pickup in Galpins tent, the MT tires booth had the monocoque 70 Mustang funny car and Challenger1 speed record car, newly restored Joe Shubeck AA/FD in the front hall, the EMPI Lightning Bug in the "window tint building" that Gale Banks diesel dragster, etc.

But Warren is right, the attendance is also misleading since many people are just there for the noise and to get drunk and can't be counted on to sustain the sport. If fuel cars next year were almost silent but running 2's at 400mph those people would not be back because they aren't the automotive diehards the sport used to have and still needs.

[Rose Racing]

Originally Posted by Tom P

True enough, it is all types of racing and other car stuff, show cars, restoration, trucks, etc.

But it's still an automotive trade show and what was disturbing to me was there were hardly any or no line ups to get an autograph from Don Garlits, Tom McEwen, Don Prudhomme, Richard Petty or Mario Andretti (the last two guys mostly ran in circles, just a little drag racing) but the lineup to see some MMA fighter there was a thousand people long. As many "Affliction" shirts as there were car event shirts.

Sure some cool drag stuff there though, the Mach IV and Backup Pickup in Galpins tent, the MT tires booth had the monocoque 70 Mustang funny car and Challenger1 speed record car, newly restored Joe Shubeck AA/FD in the front hall, the EMPI Lightning Bug in the "window tint building" that Gale Banks diesel dragster, etc.

But Warren is right, the attendance is also misleading since many people are just there for the noise and to get drunk and can't be counted on to sustain the sport. If fuel cars next year were almost silent but running 2's at 400mph those people would not be back because they aren't the automotive diehards the sport used to have and still needs.

Because they have fastly over the years been alienating us diehards! I have a very hard time watching Pro Stock and pro Mod or any Door Car class between all the Nitro Nuts running up and down the stands on Sundays at the Nationals Event at Norwalk and next year im only going Thursday because of all the hassles and most of the diehards have left because of the BS that NHRA has become and I cant even watch NHRA telecasts anymore heck i got more entertainment this summer watching the Cinci Reds and Cleveland Indians than watching the NHRA telecasts and im actually getting National Dragster for the first time on the hope that I get Sportsman coverage but an dredding all the extra crap in em with the Pros. IHRA was a great organization for the diehards when it was real racing back in its days till about 07 4 days for 40 bucks and more Sportsman and awesome pros(Mountain Motor Pro Stock and Pro Mod) and half the BS and Crowd! I dispise all this gimick crap that NHRA and Competition Plus wants to put on with Social media outlets and shorter race days and crap Drag Racing is A LOOOONG Days Sport like Baseball your not going to shorten it or make it go half the time.Drag Racing lasts a full day if you dont want to be at the track for a full day dont come. Rant Over sorry for the long post