Despite the significant increase in NHRA membership fees this year, suddenly their publication, National Dragster, has shrunk in physical size and thickness. This also impacts the ad space for those using the publication as a sales tool.
What does NHRA say? Well, you have to really search for it! Scroll down on this NHRA.com page you will see how excited they are about the “new look” at:
About Roger
Driver of our '57 Chev from 1972-2019, Vietnam veteran (A Troop, 3/17th Air Cavalry Scout helicopter Line Chief and later Cobra Periodic Inspection team leader), retired ASE rated automotive mechanic. Roger became involved in drag racing during his high school days and after his stint in the Army ran E & F/MP [Modified Production] here in Division 6 before switching to bracket racing when the '57 became obsolete for class racing. He often raced at Puyallup, Kent-Pacific Raceways, Bremerton, Portland & the original Mission, B.C. track.
BIG FRIGGIN’ DEAL! NATIONAL DRAGSTER IN COLOR, I’VE BEEN PUTTIN STUFF IN COLOR SINCE PRE-SCHOOL AND DIDN’T CHARGE ANYONE EXTRA TO DO IT! JUST ANOTHER WAY TO CHARGE MORE AND DO LESS! SUCH IS LIFE!
This is the part I just love:
“No one – either in print or on the Internet – shows the love to the NHRA Sportsman racer the way National DRAGSTER does, and we’re proud of that. Ask any of our writers, and they’ll tell you that their post-event interviews with the Sportsman winners are often the highlight of their weeks. And now to be able to tell their stories and show off their cars in color is a huge home run for us.”
Their LOVE for the Sportsman racers? We’re the cash cow that keeps NHRA going!
Phil Burgess at NHRA asked for our feedback on their new downsized National Dragster. Well, here’s mine below.
To: pburgess@nhra.com
Sent: 11/6/2009 12:17:32 P.M. Pacific Standard Time
Subj: National DRAGSTER wish list
Phil,
You stated;
“No one – either in print or on the Internet – shows the love to the NHRA Sportsman racer the way National DRAGSTER does, and we’re proud of that. Ask any of our writers, and they’ll tell you that their post-event interviews with the Sportsman winners are often the highlight of their weeks. And now to be able to tell their stories and show off their cars in color is a huge home run for us.”
The fact remains the ND was shrunk without any notice to my knowledge to the membership, which also impacts the size of ads paid for by companies using ND as a sales tool.
As a Sportsman racer who has been racing since the 60’s, I’ve seen, firsthand, how much NHRA loves us. Particularly those of us who raced in Modified Eliminator.
The Sportsman racer has been the cash cow for NHRA, and frankly, many of us are getting very frustrated with higher membership fees, entry fees and being generally ignored by the NHRA. Unless that attitude changes I’m not predicting a bright future for NHRA.
Roger Young
On Jan 5, 2010 Jeff Burke wrote in-part;
“The NHRA will announce that National Dragster will go from its current schedule of 48 times per year to 24 times or even may turn into a monthly magazine… and they will do it for purely financial reasons.”
See: http://www.dragracingonline.com/burksblast/xi_12-6.html
This would NOT surprise me if it becomes fact, and my guess is that the NHRA membership fees will not be rolled back to reflect fewer publications. Again, the Sportsman racer is the cash cow for NHRA in my opinion!
I have to admit that the past several issues have more articles of interest to the racing community. Let’s hope that recent trend continues!