So...................

[John DiBartolomeo]

I sort of have to agree with Jack... How did this go from SRAC to doom and gloom? First of all, I was in Gainesville and I have to tell you that I saw the same thing Kenny did. Six, seven and eight deep at the fences and full stands. Car counts down slightly, but I think that's what we're going to see in the future. SRAC? Gotta agree that it sort of went downhill but I think part of the problem was they (NHRA) had good intentions but are now faced with survival. Bigger fish to fry kind of thing. Although I believe you still have to keep your sights set on the future and regardless of the fact we have been told the sportsman are financial losers, they are STILL the backbone of the sport and what it was built on. The SRAC has lost some of it's punch but when you want something done, "they" still return phone calls and are willing to listen. And like Kenny, I too like to drink from the glass and would rather think it's half-full, which it is. Don't put your faith in the what the media tells you. Cause there the ones who put us in the position we're in today.

[Bruce Noland]

John,

Thanks for allowing Billy and me to use your computer. You have a very nice rig.

Just a couple of points of respectful disagreement. The car count was down over 20% (over 100 cars) from the already reduced quota. That's not a little bit. The back lots have been jammed full in the past and they were not this year.

The media, which you are part of, did not put us in the position we are in today. The media may be telling us about our problems on a non stop basis, but the media did not make the decisions that have brought this country to it's knees.

It's important to cautiously examine both sides of the coin when we are confronted with unprecedented financial pressures.

[Ken Miele]

John,

I thought I was imagining the crowds, thanks for telling the folks the same thing that I had seen.

Me and Bruce are totally on the opposite ends of what we see at the track. The quota might be off 20%, but the actual car numbers are only down 10% from last years gators. I don't think that is all the bad given the slower economy we have now.

As I said to Bruce in a email, examining both side of the coin is fine, but the majority feel the sky is falling. My view, like John's, is things are not as bad as we are lead to believe, and feel it should noted.

John, I have to plead guilty in taking this thread off topic. SRAC was something we needed, hopefully in the future it will be better.

[CBS]

Remember Bruce.....Super gas was not contested....that contributed to the low car count......

and cut with the doom and gloom....

I agree with John.....

I still get plenty of SRAC questions....and they are answered quickly by NHRA....


Rock Haas

[Bruce Noland]

CBS,
The reduced quota accounted for the dropped category. So they were still off over 100 cars and down over 200 cars from years gone by. And bye they are!

Cut with the doom and gloom?????

Kenny and I agree that these discussions are important for the racers.

[partsbob67]

could it be the fault of those damn cobra jets? half full or half empty things are bad for some folks. others are doing better. could it be in their attitudes? i don't know. i think the media makes mountains out of negativity and sucks alot of people in it. everybody is worried about tomorrow, back when things were good they didn't seem to worry, just get another loan and buy something else they didn't need. now they have to pay for how they played.

[SC1317]

Originally Posted by CBS

Remember Bruce.....Super gas was not contested....that contributed to the low car count......

and cut with the doom and gloom....

I agree with John.....

I still get plenty of SRAC questions....and they are answered quickly by NHRA....


Rock Haas

Alot of super gas cars entered in s/c. If I'm not mistaken, all the other sportsman classes were only 75% full or less. I think that counts as low car count. So the question is... has the SRAC addressed the issue of not dropping a class so maybe more cars that can't switch classes may enter?

[Bruce Noland]

Partsbob 67,

On March 21, 08 I started a thread " According to Alan Greenspan", it had 57 replies and over 5,000 views. I don't think any of the Ford Guys or anyone connected to the CJ's were upset about that one. The thread won't open now for some reason, but my post basically stated that we should watch our money because hard times are coming. I don't think the thread was controversial - that was one year ago.

[partsbob67]

Originally Posted by Bruce Noland

Partsbob 67,

On March 21, 08 I started a thread " According to Alan Greenspan", it had 57 replies and over 5,000 views. I don't think any of the Ford Guys or anyone connected to the CJ's were upset about that one. The thread won't open now for some reason, but my post basically stated that we should watch our money because hard times are coming. I don't think the thread was controversial - that was one year ago.

i read that thread and i thought you were correct in your prediction.

[Lynn A McCarty]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

Lynn, if GM was making money before gas hit $4 a gallon, why were they continually posting quarterly losses in the millions, and even billions, of dollars, for the last several years?

It's real easy to try to lay the blame for this massive mess we're in on a short term period of $4 a gallon gas and a "credit crunch". But it ignores all of the real factors. Gas prices and financial institutions collapsing were not the cause, gas prices were an excuse, and the collapses were a symptom of the base problem.

I can lay out the failures at GM, it'll take a while, but they are obvious. The question is, will you listen, or are you convinced it is "credit" driven? By the way, easy credit is what got us here, the lack of it, if it is really lacking, is not why we are here.

Alan,

You are totally missing the point. Just because someone does things you can criticize in hindsight, doesnt make you correct. Rick Waggoner himself said GM was making a profit on capital hill during the senate hearings before the current economic crises. So were a lot of companies.

It is credit driven. I would say well over 1/2 the people reading this thread dont have a credit score 750 or above. Doesnt matter if they build a ZL1 Camaros, if you cant finance it. How many have $30k to pay cash for a car? Not many.

Watch the credit loosen, and watch sales go back up. The liberal agenda to force the auto industry to build hybrids and left wing agenda products doesnt fly no matter how you prop it up. Surely you know that manufacturing can make a profit even though the company is writing it down?

If your wife is spending all your money doesnt mean your engine building business isnt making money. GM is undergoing global restructuring. It would take a book to write explanations. When I was working for Ford financial in 1999 they were making $10,500 on a Navagator and $5500 on a F150 pick up average. They lost money on every car. Want to know why they built SUV's and trucks?

Below is an explanation of what I am talking about.

http://www.gm.com/corporate/investor...r/letter1.html