I don't give a dang whether it IS the current, and future, state of things. I hate how drag racing has become a sport of "buying in." And hit me, if you must, with all the comparisons to other sports ... even other racing. That it's all about the gitas, and whomever's bringing the most to the party gets to spin the steering wheel. I still don't give a dang.
Something elemental and very important is getting lost here. And if indeed this "money" approach to drag racing was actually working, why is attendance dropping? Why are old timers like me fleeing the sport? Why aren't kids showing interest?
Because professional drag racing's no longer about a small, tight-knit group tuning a car on some kind of an actual budget and then, winning. It's all about corporate sponsorship and huge, vastly-funded teams. And they rule the sport like Rosie O'Donnel at a buffet.
People, whether they're in Des Moines or Adelaide, don't relate to corporations. And they don't relate to a guy who's so rich he can literally do ANYTHING he wants. They relate to someone like them, someone who has to bust their arse to get what they want.
And no, knee-jerkers, this has nothing to do with nationality. It's about a sport finding a way to appeal to the fans they're supposed to be entertaining. And it ain't there anymore.
Call me a nostalgist, heck, call me whatever you want. But drag racing is dying a death so painful to watch I can't stand it.
Doc
P.S. Obviously I'm talking about the Pro ranks here. Sportsman racing is not, and never has been, how or why stands get packed. This, from a thirty-year veteran of Sportsman racing.
