Gas Money

[Alan Roehrich]

For the most part, NHRA's concern for their advantage stops at their bottom line. When their main focus is on the pro categories, TV time, and a sponsor for the pro side of the organization, it just isn't likely we'll get anything for towing or qualifying. Giving us a gas card that costs them $100 is like giving us National Event entry for Division race prices. I don't see it happening. Not even if we were able to have a major organized boycott, which ain't happening. Shoot, some races have car counts almost as low as 1/2 what they were a year or two ago, and NHRA hasn't offered much, if anything. And they aren't likely to.

Look at it like this, a hundred cars in a class is $25K for NHRA, 4 because of class rotation, and the fact that Comp and Top Alcohol don't generate the car count. And you don't see too many races with 4 classes with a car count of 100, either. But we'll leave it there for the sake of argument. To make the math easy, we'll say they pay $5K in purse to each class, counting round money, even though they don't. So that leaves $20K per class. That's $80K we generate, no fans included, before tech, time, space, and administrative costs. Then say you get the gas card deal. And qualify 64 cars. That's another $6400 out of that $20K, and now you're down to $13,600. But wait, if you qualify 64 cars, and send the rest home, how long before only 70 or so cars show at a race. Now they only get $17,500 to start with. Make the same cost subtractions, and you get $6100. Times 4 classes, and you gross $24,400, for 4 classes, again, BEFORE they take out for tech, time, space, and administrative costs. I just don't see it happening that way.

But I agree Terry, it's nice to dream.