ASHER'S COLUMN on COMP PLUS!!! HOME RUN!!!
- Thread starter Tim5636sc
- Start date
Fuel FC Fan
Nitro Member
Wow, that was a great read!!
The part about Kenny B. gave me goosebumps, would've loved to seen that.
Like the old saying goes....."loose Lips, Sink Ships".
I hope DSR's primary's stay strong through this.
The humiliation and personal embarrassment would kill me.
I hate it when that happens.
The part about Kenny B. gave me goosebumps, would've loved to seen that.
Like the old saying goes....."loose Lips, Sink Ships".
I hope DSR's primary's stay strong through this.
The humiliation and personal embarrassment would kill me.
I hate it when that happens.
FC Girl
Nitro Member
Article is Very interesting. My only observation about the low car count in Sportsman is: 160 S/C Cars not allowed to compete at a track that has More than Enough Room to accomodate that many rigs.
Same thing is going to happen a L.V.2 No Stock or S/S competition, so there goes the 160 or more cars in the overall car count.
Still, a very interesting article. Makes you wonder if Indy will be a 2 lane race this year. It was a left lane track last year.
Same thing is going to happen a L.V.2 No Stock or S/S competition, so there goes the 160 or more cars in the overall car count.
Still, a very interesting article. Makes you wonder if Indy will be a 2 lane race this year. It was a left lane track last year.
FABMAN
Nitro Member
When NHRA comes to the track for an event, they take control of everything, it's like they own the track.
Wes
Nitro Member
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.
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.
D
Nitro Member
D
Nitro Member
At NHRA events they dictate ticket policy, NOT the Track owners.
hellfirejim
Nitro Member
First I would like to cogratulate Mr. Asher for the guts to write what is not only obvious to many but what needed to be brought to the light of day. I was a member of NHRA since 1963 but as you can see I said was. They no longer offer a product I care about or want to be involved directly with. Do I follow it? No not the NHRA but many of the people and teams in the sport I do follow. I Tivo the shows but I have found that I check out the computer first and then if the people/teams I follow have lost early, most of the time I delete the show without watching it.
Had an interesting experience back in my TAFC days. At a nation IHRA event we were actually treated like they were glad to see us. Instead of coming around and yelling at us to hurry up and get in line and all the usual BS they came around and just checked to make sure we were doing ok and was there any problems.
I guess the bottom line to this is I will probably spend my money to go to an IHRA event before an NHRA event. Also I will also throw in that I have found a number of interesting smaller circuits that fit my interests a lot better and CHEAPER than the NHRA big show.
ok rant over. Excellent article.
jim
Had an interesting experience back in my TAFC days. At a nation IHRA event we were actually treated like they were glad to see us. Instead of coming around and yelling at us to hurry up and get in line and all the usual BS they came around and just checked to make sure we were doing ok and was there any problems.
I guess the bottom line to this is I will probably spend my money to go to an IHRA event before an NHRA event. Also I will also throw in that I have found a number of interesting smaller circuits that fit my interests a lot better and CHEAPER than the NHRA big show.
ok rant over. Excellent article.
jim
Like everyone else here. I think that Jon nailed it with his article. I just don't understand why PRO seems to be a such a quiet entity. What purpose is it serving? Let's face it, we all know drag racing will continue in some fashion, as there are many, many different organizations and circuits where people can race, and pretty serious cars for that matter. This whole discussion really revolves around the pro show, and to simplify it even further, the 2 nitro categories. No offense to PS and PSB, because I enjoy all the classes, but let's face it, professional drag racing, from live events to TV to corporate sponsorships is for the most part centered around the fuel cars. And to break it down even further, of the say, 40 fuel cars on average at a national event, how many people out of the 40 teams are really professional racers? What I'm getting at, is there are really just a few people that can have a HUGE impact on what happens to the sport going forward. Yet, it seems nobody is standing up to these guys at the helm in Glendora. Not sure why not. Another thought I had, is this: In this day and age, $120M is really not a huge amount of money, there are enough players in this sport who could probably create a fund to buy the NHRA, and really put their destiny in their own hands.
The Swegian
Nitro Member
It was a great article. Sadly, nothing will change. Just like the racers, I'll continue to attend events. At what point will that change for me? Can't say right now, I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
Greggo
Nitro Member
Same thoughts crossed my mind as well.
DrRocket
Nitro Member
You know as well as I that the people who REALLY need to see this article will not go near it.
The truth hurts too much.
