2008 Schedule (3 Viewers)

[sugarbear]

Bring back the fall Houston race!

Would be nice to bring the fall race back to houston. The weather conditions are much better in the fall. We could see more record breaking times in houston again.......

 

[luxexpress]

NED has over the years been (I probably dont have the order right-correct me please) NHRA-AHRA-NHRA-IHRA-NHRA-IHRA. They were trying to get a nationals back when their track was up to "par" with other tracks at the time. (state of the art circa 1980) I havent been there in a few years, but I dont see the size + layout fitting a full blown NHRA race. This on top of the fact it is 20 miles to the nearest hiway. And I wouldnt want to be the one that has to pay the rainout insurance.
Heres another guess-is there still a track in Liester,NY? Is it IHRA? You get a race out that way, you BETTER have Pro Mod!

Leister is still there but would need MAJOR upgrades to run a NHRA event. The IHRA stopped running national events there because the owner would not spend the money to add concrete guardrails. Besides that, the track would need a new tower, more paving and grandstands. It would however, be able to really bring in a crowd because the place was always packed for the IHRA events.

 

[Nunz]

Aaron, everything you said about the track in Leicester is accurate. I can make it from my house to that track in less than an hour, it's our home track. It has huge, huge potential, but as you stated, the owner has no interest in upgrading. I miss the IHRA events there, back in the day it was one of the best attended events for the IHRA. Plus, it's out in the boonies, so there are no encroachment fears. And, it has a very long shutdown. However, to be an NHRA facility, it would require several million dollars in upgrades. It is a track that deserves that kind of investment, but I don't think we'll see it anytime soon.

 

[Forcefan1]

I was told a few weeks ago that it may be Columbus also......National Trail is one of the tracks to go with the HD partners deal.

I guess this is getting interesting or maybe pure speculation. I spoke with a National Trail Raceway front office employee today and asked if there was any talks about the future of getting a natioanl event back....I got an instant "No Comment"....I was then pointed to an article that ran in the papers here in Ohio when the event was pulled and it states that NHRA was talking at that time with NTR about a large event ( Possibly a Nationals ) or a smaller event ( All star of NHRA drivers type ) to replace the Nationals. I then asked if the Holley Hot Rod Reunion that was moved here was that event and I got another instant "No Comment".

And the plot thickens......................................LOL..........................

 

[PJ]

I guess this is getting interesting or maybe pure speculation. I spoke with a National Trail Raceway front office employee today and asked if there was any talks about the future of getting a natioanl event back....I got an instant "No Comment"....I was then pointed to an article that ran in the papers here in Ohio when the event was pulled and it states that NHRA was talking at that time with NTR about a large event ( Possibly a Nationals ) or a smaller event ( All star of NHRA drivers type ) to replace the Nationals. I then asked if the Holley Hot Rod Reunion that was moved here was that event and I got another instant "No Comment".

And the plot thickens......................................LOL..........................

Being from the midwest I wouldn't mind another one in Colombus but too be honest we do have enough. Chicago, Indy, Norwalk, St louis and Reading are all close. Even Bristol and Memphis are reasonably in the neighborhod.

I would think the NE, southern Florida or Canada would be the best option to open the sport up to new fans

 

[NHRAMike]

One can look at it in another way. The NHRA is divided into seven geographic sections, and each division has at least one race, but let's break it down into each division and see who has the least and who has the most:

Div.1 - Two: Englishtown and Maple Grove
Div 2 - Four: Gainesville, Atlanta, Bristol, and Richmond
Div 3 - Four: Madison, Chicago, Norwalk, and Indy
Div 4 - Three: Houston, Memphis, and Dallas
Div 5 - Three: Topeka, Denver, and Brainerd
Div 6 - ONE : Seattle
Div 7 - Six : Pomona, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Sonoma, Las Vegas, and Pomona

So by my count, the most deserving division would be Division Six, with second option being Division One. Of course this is just my opinion, but since I am an NHRA member, I'm pretty sure that Tom Compton will be calling me sometime in the next week just to verify that all these figures are accurate.

Peace,
NHRAMike

 

[Bobby]

I don't ever remember the new england funny car nationals being rained out in september.

The IRL couldn't get any attention in New Hampshire but that may have been partly due to the track owner in Louden not really caring much about it.

I don't see why with the right PR a race in EPPING wouldn't work.
Build a campground. Call it Brainerd East.

 

[jarracing]

I think it would be nice to have a race somewhere in Oregon. We don't have many events here on the west coast, particularly the northwest. Plus all of the Super Chevy shows are on the eastern half of the states.

 

[sdwarf36]

I don't ever remember the new england funny car nationals being rained out in september.

The IRL couldn't get any attention in New Hampshire but that may have been partly due to the track owner in Louden not really caring much about it.

I don't see why with the right PR a race in EPPING wouldn't work.
Build a campground. Call it Brainerd East.

I've camped at the track-and at the campground closeby (3 oaks?) I'm sure the race would end up being known as the Mosquito Nationals!

 

[MoparBilly]

Going off Mike's count of Nationals per Division...We definitely need another one in Division 7!!!

Seriously though, the only Div 6 track capable of holding a National is in the middle of nowhere Montana...

The last 2 years the National and Divisional schedules have came out much ealier than years past...hopefully a trend that continues. Ther are plans to be made!!

 

[d'kid]

Gee Mike, I thought we were in Div 1. Not that I really care that way, but I really feel they should divide the country in 8 divisions...

 

[Sully]

They do divide it into eight divisions - the USA has seven, the rest of the world is Division 8.

 

[Bob]

They do divide it into eight divisions - the USA has seven, the rest of the world is Division 8.

When did Canada and Mexico become part of the USA?

 

[d'kid]

They do divide it into eight divisions - the USA has seven, the rest of the world is Division 8.

Then the World Champion should be a Run Off with the Aussie National Champ, The Japanese National Champ, The American National Champ, and the European Champ???????

 

[exponentialpi]

Going off Mike's count of Nationals per Division...We definitely need another one in Division 7!!!

Seriously though, the only Div 6 track capable of holding a National is in the middle of nowhere Montana...

The last 2 years the National and Divisional schedules have came out much ealier than years past...hopefully a trend that continues. Ther are plans to be made!!

Montana isn't that big.......

Its hard to say where the new race will go, but I have to agree that the NE and NW need some more races. It isn't easy making races when you have to fly almost everywhere.

FYI, if they ever get moving, their will be a facility outside Boise, ID that will be able to host National Events, lessening the crunch on Div. 6.

 

[Jim]

They do divide it into eight divisions - the USA has seven, the rest of the world is Division 8.

Not quite. Quebec is in Division One.

And for the person listing the tracks in each division that have national events and points meets, Richmond is also in Division One, so that makes the total three.

Jim

 

[d'kid]

Jim,

Those people on the left coast wish Virginia was Div 2... and growing up in Lost Angels, I kinda understand why they think we're southeastern.... where I'm sitting right now, it's closer to Reading Pa. than Bristol TN. Travel wise, kinda like driving from Mt. Shasta to Eugene (to Reading) and Reno to Portland (to Bristol)

Heck, NYC is a shorter drive from here than Los Angels to Frisco....