Some articles of interest:
UP FRONT: FACING UP TO A VERY TOUGH FUTURE – CompetitionPlus – December 30, 2011
Drag dollars & sense: The business Top Ten by Michael Knight – December 1, 2011
An aloof marketing department just doesn’t get it by Darr Hawthorne and Jeff Burk – November 8, 2011
Where are bracket racing and drag racing headed? by Jok Nicholson – October 13, 2011
On Sunday, September 19, 2011, Don Garlits joined Dave Despain on the set of “WindTunnel” to discuss the current status of the NHRA.
Rick Stewart recently retired as the NHRA Official Starter
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.
This first article regarding an “aloof marketing department” indicates that NHRA apparently intends to attempt to balance their books on the back of the Sportsman racers and those sponsors of Sportsman racing in my opinion. Recently it was the increase in membership fees, and in the future we’ll see more and more required safety products that require recertification every couple of years. All of this as participation continues to shrink in the poor economy!
In the Top Fuel ranks, look for the U.S. Army to back away from major sponorships soon. As the wars are drawing down and with the defense budget slated to shrink drastically while recruitment and retention numbers remain high due to the poor economy, I predict the DoD will curtail such sponsorships in the very near future. This would directly impact DSR.
Meanwhile, NHRA continues to pump out article after article on John Force and his family. I like JFR and Force has done a LOT for the sport, but there are many other racers in the ranks to report on. And a little air time and feature articles on some of the less notable racers just might help them to find sponsors in these tough times?
Since posting my comment here on Nov 29th, there has been a least four featured articles on JFR by NHRA either on their website or on their Facebook account in ONE WEEK!
Does Force now own NHRA or am I missing something?
I agree Roger. You should be writing for DRO as you stated everything he was “hinting at”
A few problems I see in my opinion are the fact that NHRA should change their name to No Hot Rods Allowed, They have three hours on TV but 2 hours of coverage on Top Fuel and Funny Car, then maybe one hour of Pro Stock which is the most competitive N/A class and represents Factory Hot Rods (Always used to!)
There will be no sponsors coming up for them as the NHRA does a poor job promoting anything but Top Fuel and Funny Car. The Sportsman Racers, in my opinion, are nothing but track warmers to keep the track warm while Top Fuel and Funny Car prepare for the next round, and it shouldn’t be like this
Warren Johnson said it a while back, while Pro Stock is over the edge, Warren said tracks are having to spend millions of dollars to keep up with Top Fuel and Funny Car for shut down area’s but they are not spending the time ON THE TRACK for Pro Stock, Super Stock, Stock, Bracket Racers, Super Classes etc. Warren said “That 32 cars are going to ruin it for all Drag Racers and they only make up less than 1% of the Drag Race World” (See Video from Firebird International Raceway in 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSlnjTSOQmg
NHRA has made their bed, why would we expect them to get out of bed, and re-structure their bed when its working fine for them, the NHRA, not the racers. One huge thing that would help is if EVERY member on the board were racers them selves, and we are not talking Warren Johnson, John Force or DSR. I’m talking true racers whom will look out for true racers. The Pro’s made their bed, they didn’t help Pro Stock Truck or MP so we will help them as much as they helped us!
Butch, some very good comments you made and thanks for the video link! As I’m sure you are aware the track prep is all about the fuel cars and not making the track bite what it once was because of the tire problems on the fuel cars. As you said, their program is completely geared to 32 race cars and the rest are of little consideration in my opinion.
Good to see you post again!! It has been awhile.
I agree and it has been a while. More time over the winter too, cabin fever
I really think NHRA needs to give viewers the option of what to see, where now they push Top Fuel and Funny Car. I’m not a NASCAR fan, but you know how I am, you have to respect what they do. NASCAR doesn’t attempt to push a specific series on you, by showing a BUSCH series, but only an hour and ten hours of the CUP series.
I think NHRA doing a “Fuel Class” show with Pro Mod and Alcohol Funny Car’s etc, a N/A show including Pro Stock, Stock, Super Stock and Comp, then a third show with all NOS cars and Bracket/Index cars.
Those are indeed three separate forms of Drag Racing crowds, and with those separate forms they will attract the correct sponsors, and the correct potential consumers buying from those sponsors as its their “niche”
I hope you guys had a good Thanksgiving!
The fact of the matter is that the Sportsman racers are not getting their moneys worth altogether along with the fans too! They keep raising the entry fees for the racers, ticket prices for the fans and to boot are paying out a heck of a lot less in contigency money. I guess the brass at NHRA figure what the heck, where else are you going to go race???
Problem is, the fans and racers have long memories. And once the downward spiral in attendence starts it is difficult to reverse.
For far too long NHRA and many track operators have believed they were the only show in town. Once they kill the golden goose – the fans and Sportsman racers – they may be wondering what happened…
Look around at your local track, I see the average age of the racers and fans increasing in what was once a young persons sport. Far fewer are getting into the sport.
I believe the article by CompetitionPlus entitled, “UP FRONT: FACING UP TO A VERY TOUGH FUTURE” paints a very realistic and frankly, depressing future for our sport.
There is no doubt that the teenagers of today have little interest in automobiles, let alone getting their hands dirty under the hood. My generation was practically born with the car gene in our DNA and for us guys it was girls and cars in high school – not necessarily in that order. 🙂
Frankly, I believe most of the future racers will come from familes of us that have long participated in the sport which would indicate an overall decline in fans & participants in the future.