2021 schedule (2 Viewers)

[Jack]

2021's main purpose is to be a recovery year for the NHRA. Until the Covid question gets answered with more certainty and fans are able to return to the track in larger numbers, I don't see Friday qualifying returning anytime soon.. I'm happy to live with a two day pro show for 2021. Hopefully Camping World will be a critical link in a successful recovery.

 

[SundayNiagara]

mark, i'll give you a $1000 for your watch, but you've got 1 minute to decide. do you want my $1000 or not? you know the watch is worth at least $1200, but haven't had any offers lately,
and i'm standing in front of you with cash.......am i being an opportunist? and do you want to hold out for a better offer, or just sell at a fair price?

So, did NHRA ask for more than the near $6m per year they were getting from Coke? So far, the silence out of Glendora is deafening.

 

[Jimbo]

So, did NHRA ask for more than the near $6m per year they were getting from Coke? So far, the silence out of Glendora is deafening.

When your drowning do you really care who throws you the life preserver and rope?

Camping World came along at the perfect time to save the NHRA from their own demise. I would think they would be very very grateful!

Jm Hill

 

[SundayNiagara]

When your drowning do you really care who throws you the life preserver and rope?

Camping World came along at the perfect time to save the NHRA from their own demise. I would think they would be very very grateful!

Jm Hill

This is an email I received this morning from a trusted source:

No — but I’m guessing that Camping World has given NHRA an advance on their 2021 funding so that NHRA can pay this year’s champions. My sources report that NHRA plundered the Coca-cola championship money to pay the purses at the first three Indy races, leaving a total of only $200,000 with which to pay all four pro champions from this year.

 

[Jimbo]

This is an email I received this morning from a trusted source:

No — but I’m guessing that Camping World has given NHRA an advance on their 2021 funding so that NHRA can pay this year’s champions. My sources report that NHRA plundered the Coca-cola championship money to pay the purses at the first three Indy races, leaving a total of only $200,000 with which to pay all four pro champions from this year.

Wow, executives making between $300,000 and almost a million dollars a year and not much money left for the year champions.
If it's true that Camping World stepped in with money just to get through this year show that really speaks volumes for the way they are doing business.

I wonder if Marcus gets a seat on the board of directors?

Jim Hill

 

[Ramjet]

Wow, executives making between $300,000 and almost a million dollars a year and not much money left for the year champions.
If it's true that Camping World stepped in with money just to get through this year show that really speaks volumes for the way they are doing business.

I wonder if Marcus gets a seat on the board of directors?

Jim Hill

Something doesn't seem right here. This is what they were worth at the end of 2019. It says there was $49,990,000 in assets. You can't spend that much without someone going to jail. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/national-hot-rod-association,951686172/ Even with creative bookwork there has to be enough money to meet their obligations. Not for Profit & Non Profits are watched very closely and contrary to rumors from some the Guys in Glendora are not Gangsters. They can get in over their heads sometimes, but this is probably the best group there has been in charge of the NHRA.

 

[Professional Fan]

Something doesn't seem right here. This is what they were worth at the end of 2019. It says there was $49,990,000 in assets. You can't spend that much without someone going to jail. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/national-hot-rod-association,951686172/ Even with creative bookwork there has to be enough money to meet their obligations. Not for Profit & Non Profits are watched very closely and contrary to rumors from some the Guys in Glendora are not Gangsters. They can get in over their heads sometimes, but this is probably the best group there has been in charge of the NHRA.

Looking at the Form 990 for 12/31/2018, NHRA had about $5million in net cash (cash less accounts payable.) The big difference in assets is $30+ million in fixed assets-most likely the tracks NHRA owns, equipment, etc. Thus, the $49 million doesn't represent spendable money.

 

[mick]

........My sources report that NHRA plundered the Coca-cola championship money to pay the purses at the first three Indy races, leaving a total of only $200,000 with which to pay all four pro champions from this year.

so if coke bailed, and there was an unpaid balance for 2020, IMO nhra did the rite thing providing purse money for those once questionable july and august races.......IMO nhra felt an obligation
to put forth their best effort to appease coke and nhra/racer sponsors.......i'll bet if you polled the racers and asked them......what if there was no money left for the *2020 champions?, most would
say, 'at least we had an abbreviated season and there was 1st thru 16th place money available for the participants.'

 

[Chili]

I’m not going to pick on NHRA because it is 2020 and losing Mellow Yellow mid season could have ended NHRA for this year and possibly beyond. Its been a struggle for most all retail business and restaurants too. Race teams are not excluded from this either and most if not all have taken a major hit on financing as well. I think 2021 will be a lean year for the National tour because I doubt we see few if any new sponsors step up to fund cars after the year we have had. I would like to think that things will improve in 2021 going into 2022.

RICHARD FREEMAN: “NHRA DOESN’T UNDERSTAND WHO THEIR CUSTOMER IS” | Drag Illustrated

After a weekend that saw Richard Freeman’s Oklahoma-based Elite Motorsports team muster up a herculean effort in the midst of a pandemic-stricken race season to put two of their four full-time NHRA Pro Stock teams in title contention - one team leading the points - the business man and team...

dragillustrated.com

 

[T.Smith]

RICHARD FREEMAN: “NHRA DOESN’T UNDERSTAND WHO THEIR CUSTOMER IS” | Drag Illustrated

After a weekend that saw Richard Freeman’s Oklahoma-based Elite Motorsports team muster up a herculean effort in the midst of a pandemic-stricken race season to put two of their four full-time NHRA Pro Stock teams in title contention - one team leading the points - the business man and team...

dragillustrated.com

Oh please, he ain't going anywhere.

 

[mgty3whlr]

Especially with all the money he rakes in leasing engines.

 

[Jimbo]

Especially with all the money he rakes in leasing engines.

I sure hope the NHRA is listening to what Richard Freeman said and understands what may be at stake.

The coronavirus made things really bad for the NHRA in 2020 but let's be honest a lot of the stuff going on with the NHRA and drag racing, in general, has been going on for a number of years.

Not being able to secure a TV deal without paying them to show the races have really not helped the sport and it makes it harder to find sponsorship for many teams.

Having Camping World step into the picture has a major sponsor might just have saved the NHRA in many ways.

I can only hope that 2021 is better than 2020

Just my opinion. Jim Hill

 

[Luke Nieuwhof]

Richard is a highly successful businessman and a committed drag racer, but I’m not sure if he is on the money here.
His central point is that racers are the customer. That might be true for a bracket race, but professional racing is a different beast. The prize money he laments losing only exists because spectators attend racers and sponsors are interested in the audience available at the track and in TV. There are far less spectators this season for the NHRA and so less prize money.
Secondly, the class needs to have some accountability. The harsh reality is Pro Stock does not pull in enough spectators or TV viewers of its own accord to fund huge prize money, and I suspect it is subsidized by the nitro classes. It has done little over the years to make itself more appealing to spectators, with decisions more often made around securing hundredths of a second, than hundreds of people.
As a drag racing tragic I love Pro Stock, but I can’t find any way to argue that it has the mainstream appeal needed to get big money on the table.

 

[Dragracer]

The PRO classes - T/F, F/C & Pro Stock. They are what the Mello Yello Series was and what Coke sponsored which was for 24 T/F & F/C and 19 Pro Stock races. None of the other classes. The Pro stock bikes, pro mods and sportsman racing all have sponsors and are not supported by the Series Sponsor. Coke paid NHRA 1/2 of the contract $$ for 2020 in October 2019. NHRA had Coke money to run a 1/2 season without losing any money which would have been 12 races. They will only be running 11 races this year so why did NHRA need to reduces the purses to the racers when the PRO classes were paid for.? I looked at NHRA's tax return and about 1/2 is from spectators so obviously they didn't have the income expected but to make up that loss by taking it from the PRO racers is unconscionable.

 

[Jimbo]

The PRO classes - T/F, F/C & Pro Stock. They are what the Mello Yello Series was and what Coke sponsored which was for 24 T/F & F/C and 19 Pro Stock races. None of the other classes. The Pro stock bikes, pro mods and sportsman racing all have sponsors and are not supported by the Series Sponsor. Coke paid NHRA 1/2 of the contract $$ for 2020 in October 2019. NHRA had Coke money to run a 1/2 season without losing any money which would have been 12 races. They will only be running 11 races this year so why did NHRA need to reduces the purses to the racers when the PRO classes were paid for.? I looked at NHRA's tax return and about 1/2 is from spectators so obviously they didn't have the income expected but to make up that loss by taking it from the PRO racers is unconscionable.

Maybe the timing is right for another association to form and offer the racers a better deal and see how many of the racers are willing to give it a try.
With people like Burton Smith who already own a number of drag strips and circle tracks that would solve part of their problem of drag strips to run on.
He also has deep pockets to fund the entire thing if he wanted to and he may also have the connections for better TV coverage.

I believe a number of years ago he was considering trying to purchase the NHRA at one point.

Just thinking out loud. Jim Hill

 

[Jimbo]

Maybe the timing is right for another association to form and offer the racers a better deal and see how many of the racers are willing to give it a try.
With people like Burton Smith who already own a number of drag strips and circle tracks that would solve part of their problem of drag strips to run on.
He also has deep pockets to fund the entire thing if he wanted to and he may also have the connections for better TV coverage.

I believe a number of years ago he was considering trying to purchase the NHRA at one point.

Just thinking out loud. Jim Hill

Burton Smith owns the following, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Texas Motor Speedway.

He seems to already have a number of pieces of the puzzle in place if he wanted to get involved with drag racing.
Drag Racing in my opinion needs someone who is a real promoter kind of like Humpy Wheeler was when he ran Charlottle years ago and he always put on spectacular events for everyone to enjoy.

In many ways, that is what drag racing today needs to spark more interest for the fans and it just might help get better TV coverage.

Jim Hill

 

[SundayNiagara]

Burton Smith owns the following, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Texas Motor Speedway.

He seems to already have a number of pieces of the puzzle in place if he wanted to get involved with drag racing.
Drag Racing in my opinion needs someone who is a real promoter kind of like Humpy Wheeler was when he ran Charlottle years ago and he always put on spectacular events for everyone to enjoy.

In many ways, that is what drag racing today needs to spark more interest for the fans and it just might help get better TV coverage.

Jim Hill

I would rather it be, Roger Penske.

 

[Dragracer]

I would rather it be, Roger Penske.

Wouldn't we all.