Alternative tracks for Winters and Finals (2 Viewers)

[SundayNiagara]

Ms. St. Pierre, without in any way meaning to insult you, your comments simply ignore the marketing aspects of drag racing. If racers were allowed to determine when and where the races took place we might have one venue hosting five races – which would be disastrous in every respect.

You suggest giving extra races to zMax Dragway in Charlotte, yet the overwhelming evidence from the two races in 2011 is that they were financial busts. The fans clearly could care less about four-wide racing, which they’ve demonstrated by their unwillingness to purchase tickets. I don’t believe it’s a stretch to suggest they’ll have the same pathetic turnout of fans in 2012.

As to the fall race, there has never been a financially successful drag race in the Southeast after Labor Day. High school and college football rules, and motorsports suffers as a result of that shift in area fan interests.

Toby Graham is correct in pointing out the numerous ways in which Southern Californians can spend their entertainment dollars, and yes, they darn sure are fickle.

And yes, they need to change their marketing efforts, because even with new plans and concepts, they aren’t working.

There is something else at work here, and while I don’t have a single shred of statistical information to back this up, I suspect that a lot of people are so thrashed out from dealing with the traffic Monday through Friday, that it will take something extra-special to get them back in their cars on the weekend. I lived out there for 25 years and cannot understand how anyone can deal with that mess on a daily basis.

I wonder how many prospective ticket buyers, already emotionally used up by their daily drive, looked out the window on Friday or Saturday morning and said, “I’m not driving all the way out there to sit in the rain.” There’s no excuse for Sunday, when it was gorgeous, but maybe by then a lot of them simply said “The hell with it. I’m too tired to go.”

Chris Cook, if your scenario of Pomona somehow going away were to come to pass, NHRA would not wait until mid-March to stage its first race. By then every single bit of media momentum would be on NASCAR’s side.

Bakersfield needs far more than “nominal improvements” to bring it up to national event standards. It has lousy access, not nearly enough area hotels to accommodate the competitors and out of town fans, the pits are far too small and badly need repaving. Not now or ever a national event venue. If NHRA thought that place would work they would have done it long ago.

One final point. It’s incredibly easy to sit back and suggest we start the season here, then go there, then over here, and close out the year with the Finals at that place over there.

While you’re making up your schedule in your head you’re not even thinking about competitive NASCAR events within a reasonable driving distance of your race, you haven’t considered the fact that on your date is the State Fair, which draws 2 million visitors in 30 days, you haven’t considered the massive rock concert around the corner, nor have you considered that weekend is Rivalry Weekend, and your event town and everything around it is already booked by 70,000 crazed football fans.

In other words, there’s a heck of a lot more involved with making up a schedule than just slamming out dates. I know that NHRA works closely with other forms of motorsports to construct a schedule that works best for the racers and the organization. We may not like every aspect of it – I know a lot of people don’t – but by and large it’s a compromise, and we have to live with those adjustments.

Jon Asher
Senior Editor
CompetitionPlus.cm

Post of the day!

 

[NitroRichFire]

Say, you Californians may know the answer to this. Wasn't there a land development company called (I think if my memory serves me) Lewis Group Of Companies, eye balling the Pomona track property for development a couple of years ago? Or was it another company? The track is own by the county isn't it?

 

[Toejam]

Hey Jon, even though I don't think Pomona is going anywhere, I stated run the Gators (or SGMP/PBIR) on the WinterNats date, that way we don't have to wait til Mid March.

Access to Bakersfield is no worse than access to Indy. Indy's pits need repaved too. No one parks in grass at Bakersfield. I only suggested Bakersfield as a way for NHRA to stay in SoCal in the alternate Universe that would be a Pomona-less NHRA. As it stands now, I'm amazed Famoso pulls off the 2 biggest nostalgia meets of the year.

Chris, I have never been to Bakersfield, but at Indy I can get in and out of there faster than any other track via 10th street and Raceway.

 

[Draw 3D]

I grew up very close to Pomona and even worked at the Winternationals for a few years, I was in a car club that was associated with the Pomona Police Departments program to get street racers off the streets and to the drag strip and some of our car club meetings were held at the home of Bernie Partridge who was the NHRA Southwest Division Director at time and his son was in our car club so we got to work at the track.

The racetrack used to have racing besides the Winternats until one of the local residents got elected to City Hall where upon he started the down hill slide of less and less racing, mainly because of the noise.

You have to understand that hills surrounding the area used to be in the middle of nowhere and many well-off families had homes there.

I haven't been there for a few years but from what I last heard, the city allows only the little bit of racing because it brings in revenue when the fair is not open and if it wasn't for that, it would have been shut down decades ago.

Pomona is a very special place, once you've been there, you get the sense of its history, its pageantry and it still produces some awfully good numbers.

I don't doubt someday it will be shut down, and when it does, drag racing will have a big void to fill.

 

[glofria]

A couple of comments here. Chris your comment about NHRA events here in LA County is not correct. Your forgetting about the Long Beach Grand Prix.

I once again agree with Mr. Asher. And in addition about Famoso, it is surrounded by miles and miles of farming a ranch land. The last thing those folks want is more cars a trucks speeding down the back roads while they drive their equipment during the work day. A few times a years is tolerable.

I found out this morning that El Mirage was open this past weekend and that more than likely effected the gate at Pomona.

Lastly, I don't go to NHRA National events for many reason others have given. But, I also don't go because I can't help but feel that I'm in a media infomercial nightmare. Just give me some DRAG RACING!

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Regarding the CHP incident, the neighborhoods hating racing at their fairgrounds. Maybe the teams should get together and veto Pomona as a track they will race at..

Great idea, but the teams have proven they don't have the stuff to stand up to the HRA.

 

[Suzanne]

My bad. I wasnt thinking about the financial aspects at all when I posted. I was thinking on the lines of a nice track, and racing friendly areas. Oh well.


I would like to thank Eugene for bringing up slot car racing. I looked up that track and now have a great place to take my grandsons.

 

[mike]

My bad. I wasnt thinking about the financial aspects at all when I posted. I was thinking on the lines of a nice track, and racing friendly areas. Oh well.

Pomona is hardly a dive. Sure it is not fancy like Vegas, but the seats are fine, the viewing is excellent and the track ALWAYS! produces great racing, last week was another example of that. The vibe is always special at Pomona and the parties at the end of the World Finals are always a blast. I'm sorry, but I don't need a bunch of bright lights and casino's after I'm done at the track. Ill take Disneyland over all that any day.

 

[clwill]

There is something magical about Pomona. Not sure what it is, but it's really hard to ignore it. Just walking onto the grounds makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Maybe it's the fact that it's the first race of the year after a cold boring winter without racing. At the Winternationals, hope springs eternal, every team on the property has a chance for this to be THEIR year.

Maybe it's the fact that it all comes down to this one weekend. At the Finals, it's really down to the meat of the problem. Perform or it's all over. And it's rarely a boring show at the Finals, especially with the countdown.

Maybe it's the history. It's hard to be there, in SoCal where the whole thing started, and not feel it in the air.

I don't know what it is. But it's there. Yes the track is WAY too short. Yes, they charge an arm and a leg for parking and food. Yes, NHRA only owns the actual track surface and a few feet on either side of it. Yes, there are silly curfew rules because of a few squeaky neighbors.

But come on, it's Pomona.

 

[mike]

There is something magical about Pomona. Not sure what it is, but it's really hard to ignore it. Just walking onto the grounds makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Maybe it's the fact that it's the first race of the year after a cold boring winter without racing. At the Winternationals, hope springs eternal, every team on the property has a chance for this to be THEIR year.

Maybe it's the fact that it all comes down to this one weekend. At the Finals, it's really down to the meat of the problem. Perform or it's all over. And it's rarely a boring show at the Finals, especially with the countdown.

Maybe it's the history. It's hard to be there, in SoCal where the whole thing started, and not feel it in the air.

I don't know what it is. But it's there. Yes the track is WAY too short. Yes, they charge an arm and a leg for parking and food. Yes, NHRA only owns the actual track surface and a few feet on either side of it. Yes, there are silly curfew rules because of a few squeaky neighbors.

But come on, it's Pomona.

Well put Christopher. I still get a buzz thinking about the times I've been there, it gives me goosebumps, and puts a smile on my face. I'm hoping ill be there in Feb, and taking my sister for her first visit. She is very excited about attending Pomona. After all, it is a special place to go watch racing.

 

[Toejam]

My bad. I wasnt thinking about the financial aspects at all when I posted. I was thinking on the lines of a nice track, and racing friendly areas. Oh well.

Suzanne, I take it you never went to Pomona before they built those Permanent stands in '93-'94? That was a Dump....

 

[Nick Name]

Pomona is the last standing venue for where drag racing originated. All you need to do is attend one race in Pomona and you will understand. Every time I am there, I think about how bad ass drag racing must have been 40 years ago. There isn't another race track in existence on the west coast that can offer that I believe.

Guess you haven't been to Bakersfield.

 

[TooTall999]

My earliest drag racing memory is seeing the Winternationals at Pomona on Wide World of Sports back in the 60's. Pomona is and always should be preserved as hallowed ground. SoCal has lost enough classic tracks to development etc. While it wouldn't bother me so much to see the finals contested at another track, there is and should only be one home for the Winternationals. I was fortunate enough to attend the Winters in 2000, and yes the vibe there is pretty unique, probably only matched by the vibe at Indy or Gainesville. I'm sure Wally Parks is rolling over in his grave at the very thought of moving the Winters away from Pomona...the idea is pure blasphemy.

 

[Toejam]

Guess you haven't been to Bakersfield.

I thought Santa Ana and Inyokern were the first Strips in So. cal?

 

[yoda]

I thought Santa Ana and Inyokern were the first Strips in So. cal?

Goleta....

 

[mick]

where's the talk of a potential new track in santa maria - what an awesome
area - exploding population (relatives that live there tell me very much
a working class population increase....i.e. race fans).
everyone would be in place for alan's memorial golf tourny.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

Can't say, I've never been to Pomona.

 

[.]

where's the talk of a potential new track in santa maria - what an awesome
area - exploding population (relatives that live there tell me very much
a working class population increase....i.e. race fans).
everyone would be in place for alan's memorial golf tourny.

Some slight tweaks to your info:

The talk is that the track is going to be 1/8th mile and under IHRA sanction.
Exploding illegal population. I doubt very much they will be going to any races.
It's Blaine's memorial.

 

[mick]

Some slight tweaks to your info:

The talk is that the track is going to be 1/8th mile and under IHRA sanction.
Exploding illegal population. I doubt very much they will be going to any races.
It's Blaine's memorial.

sorry paul - i meant alan who puts the tourny on.
you're rite, i do recall reading about the 1/8 and IHRA - my bad.

 

[mike]

alan's memorial golf tourny.

*Blaine's