Does anybody really care?

John DiBartolomeo · 06-10-2015, 06:44 AM

http://www.dragracingscene.com/colum...-tom-compton/#

RJ Sledge · 06-10-2015, 09:44 AM

A question John....

Then why the post and the article??

Sportsman Racers have seen the "Regression" of NHRA through their own eye's and a large percentage are grossly underwhelmed with the results. We would like to see changes that benefit "our" group. This will probably never happen, but we can dream.

We realize that the "Pro's" are what but the large majority of butts in the seats, but have seen our segment of the "Show" continue to shrink along with payouts and the increase of questionable "Enhancements". Nearly a hundred years ago I was extremely lucky and managed to win the 1989 US Nationals in Stock Eliminator, I still have my homemade check sheet for what I earned that Labor Day weekend. Winning B/SA Class and the Eliminator I totaled over $15,000.00. What did last years winner in Stock collect??

JMO mind you, but things that I am involved in and the cost associated with it makes me wonder WTF is going on. So yeah, to me it matters, and as the late, Great George Jones once said, "I Still Care".

RJ Sledge

Joe Santangelo · 06-10-2015, 10:08 AM

Great read John, as usual.

FS Fan · 06-10-2015, 10:13 AM

RJ,

What car were you running in 1989 when you won?

Ed Wright · 06-10-2015, 10:28 AM

R.J.'s $15000.00 1989 dollars were worth a lot more than our 2015 dollars as well. A guy could build a good car for 15K in '89. If you have to buy your engines, it would probably buy you a freshen up today.

Mickey Whaley · 06-10-2015, 01:52 PM

man the beach is looking good!

Bruce Noland · 06-10-2015, 02:21 PM

Several years ago Tom Compton stood up at a meeting with Sportsman racers and said he knew that nhra had not been treating the Sportsman racers very well. He said that things were going to change. Now, why has nhra been treating the Sportsman racers so poorly? Tom admits they have not treated us well and yet nothing has changed. Apparently empty words coming from a man who is running on empty. Aside from the personal tragedy of a man's career running of the tracks. Why should we care is a more important question. And I do empathize with his personal problems but he's presented himself to us as an unsympathetic man.

Lyn Smith · 06-10-2015, 03:51 PM

Bruce maybe he is gone now because he didn't make good on his promise.LOL

Alan Roehrich · 06-10-2015, 09:27 PM

I wish the man no personal ill or tragedy. For the human part of his plight, I consider him to be just that, a human, and hope that his personal life improves.

However, I'd like to see him and his ilk gone from NHRA, and yesterday would not be soon enough.

As far as the apathy of sportsman racers to the lack of his presence in the day to day operations of NHRA, it seems to me that most sportsman racers have resigned themselves to the way NHRA is treating them, and it makes no difference whose face is put on that. First and foremost, they want more than anything to race, and they wish NHRA would treat them the way they should be treated. So, they race, and they make the best of the situation as it stands. I can't really see where it should matter whose face NHRA puts on it.

Another Friendly Racer · 06-11-2015, 10:58 AM

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, $15,000 in 1989 has the same buying power as $28,621 today. What does a national event winner + class winner pull in today after contingencies ?

06-10-2015, 06:44 AM	#1
John DiBartolomeo Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Beaver Springs, PA Posts: 494 Likes: 1 Liked 1,282 Times in 159 Posts	Does anybody really care? http://www.dragracingscene.com/colum...-tom-compton/# __________________ John DiBartolomeo DRC Race Products DragRacingActionOnline.com

06-10-2015, 09:44 AM	#2
RJ Sledge Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 783 Likes: 498 Liked 288 Times in 90 Posts	Re: Does anybody really care? A question John.... Then why the post and the article?? Sportsman Racers have seen the "Regression" of NHRA through their own eye's and a large percentage are grossly underwhelmed with the results. We would like to see changes that benefit "our" group. This will probably never happen, but we can dream. We realize that the "Pro's" are what but the large majority of butts in the seats, but have seen our segment of the "Show" continue to shrink along with payouts and the increase of questionable "Enhancements". Nearly a hundred years ago I was extremely lucky and managed to win the 1989 US Nationals in Stock Eliminator, I still have my homemade check sheet for what I earned that Labor Day weekend. Winning B/SA Class and the Eliminator I totaled over $15,000.00. What did last years winner in Stock collect?? JMO mind you, but things that I am involved in and the cost associated with it makes me wonder WTF is going on. So yeah, to me it matters, and as the late, Great George Jones once said, "I Still Care". RJ Sledge Last edited by RJ Sledge; 06-10-2015 at 09:47 AM.

06-10-2015, 10:08 AM	#3
Joe Santangelo Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: MARLBOROUGH CT Posts: 163 Likes: 226 Liked 206 Times in 20 Posts	Re: Does anybody really care? Great read John, as usual.

06-10-2015, 10:13 AM	#4
FS Fan Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 34 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Does anybody really care? RJ, What car were you running in 1989 when you won?

06-10-2015, 10:28 AM	#5
Ed Wright Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Sand Springs, OK Posts: 8,132 Likes: 896 Liked 390 Times in 170 Posts	Re: Does anybody really care? R.J.'s $15000.00 1989 dollars were worth a lot more than our 2015 dollars as well. A guy could build a good car for 15K in '89. If you have to buy your engines, it would probably buy you a freshen up today. __________________ Ed Wright 4156 SS/JA

06-10-2015, 01:52 PM	#6
Mickey Whaley VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,220 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Does anybody really care? man the beach is looking good!

06-10-2015, 02:21 PM	#7
Bruce Noland VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 1,855 Likes: 83 Liked 444 Times in 145 Posts	Re: Does anybody really care? Several years ago Tom Compton stood up at a meeting with Sportsman racers and said he knew that nhra had not been treating the Sportsman racers very well. He said that things were going to change. Now, why has nhra been treating the Sportsman racers so poorly? Tom admits they have not treated us well and yet nothing has changed. Apparently empty words coming from a man who is running on empty. Aside from the personal tragedy of a man's career running of the tracks. Why should we care is a more important question. And I do empathize with his personal problems but he's presented himself to us as an unsympathetic man. __________________ Bruce Noland 1788 STK

06-10-2015, 03:51 PM	#8
Lyn Smith VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Pontiac,il. Posts: 1,199 Likes: 282 Liked 964 Times in 194 Posts	Re: Does anybody really care? Bruce maybe he is gone now because he didn't make good on his promise.LOL

06-10-2015, 09:27 PM	#9
Alan Roehrich Veteran Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 5,105 Likes: 1,564 Liked 1,789 Times in 408 Posts	Re: Does anybody really care? I wish the man no personal ill or tragedy. For the human part of his plight, I consider him to be just that, a human, and hope that his personal life improves. However, I'd like to see him and his ilk gone from NHRA, and yesterday would not be soon enough. As far as the apathy of sportsman racers to the lack of his presence in the day to day operations of NHRA, it seems to me that most sportsman racers have resigned themselves to the way NHRA is treating them, and it makes no difference whose face is put on that. First and foremost, they want more than anything to race, and they wish NHRA would treat them the way they should be treated. So, they race, and they make the best of the situation as it stands. I can't really see where it should matter whose face NHRA puts on it. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S

06-11-2015, 10:58 AM	#10
Another Friendly Racer Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 152 Likes: 0 Liked 19 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Does anybody really care? According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, $15,000 in 1989 has the same buying power as $28,621 today. What does a national event winner + class winner pull in today after contingencies ?