Benefits of NHRA membership (1 Viewer)

[The Counterfeiter]

Had some time to kill today before leaving Indy and the guys with me wanted to see ORP. Gates were open, but we stopped at the office. Told the receptionist that I was a 22 year NHRA member and would like to show my friends the track. Was quickly informed that there was no way that was going to happen.
We then stopped off at Luczo Dragon Indycar shop. An hour tour and got to talk with a couple of the technicians. As we left we were given team shirts and driver autographed items.
Keep it up NHRA . . . I don't read ND anymore because it's all old news and at this point I really don't give a s$$t about being able to listen to audiocast qualifying. You won't get any more of my money.

 

[Silly Savage]

had some time to kill today before leaving indy and the guys with me wanted to see orp. Gates were open, but we stopped at the office. Told the receptionist that i was a 22 year nhra member and would like to show my friends the track. Was quickly informed that there was no way that was going to happen.
We then stopped off at luczo dragon indycar shop. An hour tour and got to talk with a couple of the technicians. As we left we were given team shirts and driver autographed items.
Keep it up nhra . . . I don't read nd anymore because it's all old news and at this point i really don't give a s$$t about being able to listen to audiocast qualifying. You won't get any more of my money.

amen!

 

[mick]

jim, don't know if you race or not, but i'm a non-racer that gave for many
years..........no longer, didn't see any real benefit either, especially with
advent of internet pretty much canceling any benefit of receiving digger
every week.
just think of every non-racer who pays upwards of $75/year or more.
it adds up........or takes away if many cancel, which i did about 7 yrs. ago.

 

[flash]

.....but, you get a pin and a decal.....

 

[none]

$75 a year, is that what it`s up to now!? There`s got to be a huge % of members canceling their membership at that price. I pulled the plug about 3 years ago, after being a member for 15 years, when it was $60 a year. Haven`t missed it one bit.

 

[mw6789]

I gave it up a few years ago---seemed like ND was just full of ads. Internet is quicker and better too.

 

[Jim]

Maybe it's just me but.......

....do they let you walk around BestBuy, Radio City Music Hall, your own company's premises, or the local baseball park when they're CLOSED?

You don't mention if there was any staff on-hand (other than the person in the office) or whether you called ahead and asked (nicely) when or if you could take a look around.

Membership may have it's rewards but "All Access" (under the circumstances you described) ain't one of 'em.

 

[n/a]

Re: Maybe it's just me but.......

....do they let you walk around BestBuy, Radio City Music Hall, your own company's premises, or the local baseball park when they're CLOSED?

You don't mention if there was any staff on-hand (other than the person in the office) or whether you called ahead and asked (nicely) when or if you could take a look around.

Membership may have it's rewards but "All Access" (under the circumstances you described) ain't one of 'em.

And the choir said…Amen!

 

[Pete]

I never received a copy of National Dragster within two weeks of the cover date, so I gave it up this year.

Jim

Same here Jim. I got better delivery service when I lived further away from the post office! They even missed a couple of copies....I probably had a huge fan in that office....

 

[Jenn]

Had some time to kill today before leaving Indy and the guys with me wanted to see ORP. Gates were open, but we stopped at the office. Told the receptionist that I was a 22 year NHRA member and would like to show my friends the track. Was quickly informed that there was no way that was going to happen.
We then stopped off at Luczo Dragon Indycar shop. An hour tour and got to talk with a couple of the technicians. As we left we were given team shirts and driver autographed items.
Keep it up NHRA . . . I don't read ND anymore because it's all old news and at this point I really don't give a s$$t about being able to listen to audiocast qualifying. You won't get any more of my money.

Oh good grief! Take the money you saved on the membership and buy a box of kleenex. My hubby is in the air force and he can't get into the BX after it's closed!

 

[BaldyLochs]

From a fan/non-competitor perspective - I too would call ahead to expect to do something like that. But, I also agree that with the electronic age we're in, NHRA has been slow to catch up. I still say they need to offer an E-membership tier option where you'd pay less than the full price, for unlimited access to audiocast, live timing, get a website logon with access to historical archives, photos, etc....and maybe offer some kind of mobile device application as an add-on/upgrade. Wouldn't include the paper copies of ND, or the pin, patch, membership card, rulebook, coupons, etc. I think would sell the crap out of that.

Honestly, for the fans, they need to out-perform (as if that's even possible) the likes of Competition Plus.com & dragracecentral.com in terms of accurate reporting and posting race results. At some point though, you start thinking about resources & funding; NHRA is not in the IT business. Still, there's alot of people just like Jim out there who are asking "what does this do for me"? NHRA needs to look at that

 

[Greg]

This is the first year since I joined in 1991 that I haven't renewed my membership, and I've found that I really don't miss it at all. I don't race divisionals or nationals and I rarely even race at an NHRA sanctioned track, so what's the point? This is also the first year that I've noticed I haven't even had a desire to watch the races that are on my dvr. Most have just been deleted this year. I don't know, I guess I'm just bored with it.

 

[Dick]

I let mine go when they quit have the free video offer to join up again.

 

[PJ]

Not fair to blast them on this one. No prior notice and even then not sure it would happen.


That said, after years as a member I dropped mine during season 1 of the c-down.

 

[vegasnitro]

I wouldn't go out to LVMS and expect to have the run of the place just because I have paid to attend a lot of races there.

 

[I was NITRO BREATH]

gave up my membership about 3-4 yrs ago. dont miss it. only benefit for me was the meager savings on race tkt. but i wonder if they still offer that. got real tired of the pins patches etc.

 

[Nunz]

National Dragster doesn't serve the same purpose as it did years ago, but I think Phil Burgess and the team have done a great job re-inventing ND. I mean, if it works out to $1.50 or whatever per issue, it's worth it now. Of course between TV and especially the internet, we don't need ND for results. But it has become more of a weekly magazine. It's in color, has lots of cool featurs on racers and cars, interviews, a fantastic nostalgia section, and so on. I probably sound like Phil's paying me but the reality is he's done a great job and I think it deserves a look from those of us who let it go.

 

[clwill]

Sure would mean something different if "membership" also meant voting rights, wouldn't it? I'd love to see membership include the right to vote on the members of the board...

As for me, I'm a member, but I have to be to be a licensed driver.

 

[Don Kennedy]

Chris : I know chris Blair and if you wanted to see the race track he would let you cause that is what is right >

 

[The Counterfeiter]

To clarify - I was not expecting a guided tour of the facility with no notice, just thought we would take a shot.
What irritated me was the fact that the receptionist did go back to an office where a couple of guys were sitting to ask them if it was possible. A person walking into the office and announcing he was an NHRA member obviously meant nothing to her. If she communicated this to these guys and they didn't bother to get up and explain policy, it indicated that membership means nothing. I left without pushing the issue.
Was I overly sensitive to being treated this way? Probably.
Just frustrated that fees continue to rise as benefits decrease.

If I came off as expecting too much, I apologize.