Mr. Asher, sir, you are right....as always. Thank you for eloquently expressing the thoughts and ideas of so many of us.
It's NHRA's circus during a national event, kids. A host track takes care of toilets, trash, track-owned concessions, and spectator parking....for the most part. There are other areas that I won't bore you with. But...NHRA sets the event schedule, ticket prices, parks the racers, "preps" the track, conducts the racing, determines the event budget, and on and on. If you have a bad experience at any NHRA national event, there is a 90% chance that the reason would fall on NHRA's shoulders, not the host track.
It pains me that NHRA has devolved to this point. I have very dear and close friends that are directly affected by NHRA's ignorance and arrogance. The events that have transpired over the course of the last 10 or so years really have me questioning my sustained and future participation with the organization. Here's an incomplete list in no particular order...
Sportsman racing reduction at national events
"Quality" of the television package
Attitude
Exclusive supplier agreements for critical items (fuel, tires)
Stunting the evolution of the Top Fuel Dragster
Rev Limiters in nitro racing (these only belong in sportsman classes)
CIC (Competition Index Control)
Pro Stock Truck
POWERade
Attitude
The death of Darrell Russell (and subsequent failures)
Tires
Track condition
Rick Stewart
HD Partners
Eric Medlen
Las Vegas 1 2008
Nitrogate
85%
Anything less than 99.99% in A/FD
No AF/FC (injected nitro funny car in TAFC)
The Countdown
Lack of proper promotion and development of the Lucas series
Increasing weight minimums in professional categories
OK...get my point? While most of those items only affect the quality of the "big show" their effects bleed into the overall success of each and every track and participant. We, racers, simply cannot continue to be willing volunteers to this constant abuse. From a fan's point of view, how is any of this year's racing been entertaining or a good value for the money spent?
Support your local track. Urge them to switch to IHRA sanction and do so for the long run (not year-to-year as too many have done). Thumb your noses at anything NHRA has to offer. And, maybe someday the stars of the sport will finally say enough is enough and refuse to participate in NHRA's game.