U.S. Nationals schedule

[Frank Castros]

Billy,
Do you think he would be happy about the demoralized core group of racers and the current state of affairs? I respectfully and seriously doubt it.
Frank

[Greg Hill]

Originally Posted by Charley Downing

Mr Dyer its real easy for guys over 55 years old to say just don't go or boycott. You guys have been class racing for 35 plus years in some cases. Most still remember when class paid $1000 plus to win(pre 2000). For the rest of us younger racer its a tougher decision whether to attend or not. Its quite clear were all very disappointed in the schedule the last 2 years for the U.S. Nationals.

But what makes INDY, INDY is the friends/competitor's we have all made from different parts of the country that we only get to see and hang out with once or twice a year because of where everyone lives. Golfing Monday or Tuesday with friends you don't see on the regular, The Dinners, Lunch's, Bench racing, layer lane or Alvey boulevard parking with your friends and let's not forget late Thursday or Friday night after class eliminations down on Washington street at some of the finest Indianapolis entertainment.
This was/is the real part of what makes Indy, INDY. I don't know how many great people / racers from all around the country I would not have meet if it were not for the 7-8 days spent at the U.S. Nationals the past 25 years or so. This is what I think most of us struggle with when we talk about a U.S. Nationals boycott. Lets face it none of us are getting younger. But at the same time we all feel like an old abused dog. NHRA keeps kicking us and we keep coming back for more abuse. Only NHRA uses the word Enhancements not abuse. I mean with this new schedule if you have a issue on Q1 your done for the whole event more then likely. Indy was meet to be a marathon race not a 100 meter dash.

just a side note
I think I speak for 90% of us when I say INDY is not INDY with out racing on Monday. I mean look at the car count quota's as of today 150 total entry's for stk and SS with three weeks left before the race. 3 years ago both were full at a grade 4-5.

Charlie, this is one on the few times I agree with you 100%. Sportsman racers have enormous power to change how nhra operates, we just choose not to exercise that power. That power is of course not going. Getting sportsmen racers to do something in concert is like herding cats. I’m done racing, but I do have a 29 year old son that I’m sure would like to have somewhere to race in the next 40 years.

In my opinion nhra is going to have to implode before we have any kind of a sportsman friendly organization and even then there would have to be a group of smart, hard working younger folks that would agree to put something back together. Present management is going to ride this deal out as long as they keep getting their large salaries. Also keep in mind that the internal combustion engine is coming to an end in new cars and who knows what the future of drag racing is.

After being one of the original SRAC members, when I really thought that there was a chance for sportsmen racers to make change, I realized nhra was not serious about doing anything to help the sportsmen. Management doesn’t view us as customers that they need to please but junkies who need to get our fix from them. Until we use our power it will continue to get worse.

[Billy Nees]

Frank, I absolutely agree! Everybody makes mistakes but when people like you and I make mistakes it doesn't affect so many people.

[Frank Castros]

Wally Parks died 15 years ago at 94 years of age. I don't know how active or lucid he was the last few years of his life but I met him once in the late seventies or early eighties and I asked him if Super Stock and Stock Eliminators would still have a future being that Modified Eliminator got the kibosh and Pro Gas was in it's infancy soon to become S/G and he looked me in the eye and told me that the N.H.R.A was built on innovation and Stock bodied cars that Detroit's big three produced and as far as he was concerned it would always be that way. I believed him. The current leadership has no clue and are living off of his coattails.

[GTS340]

Originally Posted by Charley Downing

Mr Dyer its real easy for guys over 55 years old to say just don't go or boycott. You guys have been class racing for 35 plus years in some cases. Most still remember when class paid $1000 plus to win(pre 2000). For the rest of us younger racer its a tougher decision whether to attend or not. Its quite clear were all very disappointed in the schedule the last 2 years for the U.S. Nationals.

But what makes INDY, INDY is the friends/competitor's we have all made from different parts of the country that we only get to see and hang out with once or twice a year because of where everyone lives. Golfing Monday or Tuesday with friends you don't see on the regular, The Dinners, Lunch's, Bench racing, layer lane or Alvey boulevard parking with your friends and let's not forget late Thursday or Friday night after class eliminations down on Washington street at some of the finest Indianapolis entertainment.
This was/is the real part of what makes Indy, INDY. I don't know how many great people / racers from all around the country I would not have meet if it were not for the 7-8 days spent at the U.S. Nationals the past 25 years or so. This is what I think most of us struggle with when we talk about a U.S. Nationals boycott. Lets face it none of us are getting younger. But at the same time we all feel like an old abused dog. NHRA keeps kicking us and we keep coming back for more abuse. Only NHRA uses the word Enhancements not abuse. I mean with this new schedule if you have a issue on Q1 your done for the whole event more then likely. Indy was meet to be a marathon race not a 100 meter dash.

just a side note
I think I speak for 90% of us when I say INDY is not INDY with out racing on Monday. I mean look at the car count quota's as of today 150 total entry's for stk and SS with three weeks left before the race. 3 years ago both were full at a grade 4-5.

I'm turning 65 yrs in a month. After nearly 40 yrs of NHRA I'm still trying to win my first National event. Luckily I have some smaller divisional Wally trophies. I nearly throw up first round with excitement still. In 1982 Indy I believe we paid 15$ to pitch a tent in some farm field. I was with Stephen McGrath who was driving my car. Correct me if I'm wrong but outside of gate 17. The VW buses use to line up with signs telling the females" show your goods". It was a great pit area I recall for a young man at that time.
Stock alone would take nearly 2 hours to make one run there were so many. I still want to race Indy if I could buy a better tow vehicle. Takes everything I have to afford the car these days. Still have the 20 yr old heart and drive for the sport. Plus I want to win one more National event to make it an even 1. Enjoy what we have! Hope for better days to come.

Paul Haszlauer

[t.tosto]

As you can see from all these posts, we are as polarized as the Nation's politics.