$ cuts? (1 Viewer)

Why should the NHRA comment on the payouts? That is between the racer and the sanctioning body. If a team feels it is not in their financial interest to come, don’t. Yes as fans it sucks to have 12 cars entered, yes it sucks some cars may do only one qualifying run, but the status of the world right now I will settle for any racing. Right now there is no simple answer. In today’s time with short fields many of the smaller teams may say, I will go make one Q run, maybe idle down the track, and roll the dice on race day and be ahead of the game rather than 17 cars showing up having to make all the qualifying runs. We just don’t know what a car owner is thinking. BTW NASCAR stopped publishing their payouts several years ago.
 
Just for the record, the winner's purse took the biggest hit, the qualifying money was only cut $500 this time. I'm not saying it doesn't suck for all involved, but if you are surviving on qualifying money, it didn't get cut as much. Before Covid it was $10,000. In Indy it was $7,500 it is now $7,000

I'm certainly not saying this is good, everyone is hurting, but if qualifying money is keeping you in the game, you got the smallest cut. I'm sure I will get lit up for this, but NHRA is trying to minimize the hit for the ones who need it most. Losing $3K is never good, but it is better than losing $7,500.

Just my opinion, flame away.

Alan
 
Just for the record, the winner's purse took the biggest hit, the qualifying money was only cut $500 this time. I'm not saying it doesn't suck for all involved, but if you are surviving on qualifying money, it didn't get cut as much. Before Covid it was $10,000. In Indy it was $7,500 it is now $7,000

I'm certainly not saying this is good, everyone is hurting, but if qualifying money is keeping you in the game, you got the smallest cut. I'm sure I will get lit up for this, but NHRA is trying to minimize the hit for the ones who need it most. Losing $3K is never good, but it is better than losing $7,500.

Just my opinion, flame away.

Alan
no flaming here! given whats going on, its hard to jump on the nhra, as their main source of income, is the gate receipts. which is taking a massive hit due to the pandemic . I just hope the nhra is only paying, the personnel, who are essential to the running of a national event and any current essential admin personnel plus utilities and with the remaining funds going to the racers
 
Why not take advantage of the situation and throw your hat in the ring.

That truck must have pulled a race car trailer from the time it was new and only did a limited schedule because with only 150,000 miles it is just getting broke in. A freight truck that old would have over a million miles on it by now. The last race car hauler I drove was a 2010 Volvo and it had 760,000. I was averaging around 50,000 miles a year for the full tour, but a freight truck will average at least a 150,000 + miles a year. Unless there was a type o and it actually had 150,000 on an inframe.
 
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Why should the NHRA comment on the payouts? That is between the racer and the sanctioning body. If a team feels it is not in their financial interest to come, don’t. Yes as fans it sucks to have 12 cars entered, yes it sucks some cars may do only one qualifying run, but the status of the world right now I will settle for any racing. Right now there is no simple answer. In today’s time with short fields many of the smaller teams may say, I will go make one Q run, maybe idle down the track, and roll the dice on race day and be ahead of the game rather than 17 cars showing up having to make all the qualifying runs. We just don’t know what a car owner is thinking. BTW NASCAR stopped publishing their payouts several years ago.

I am simply saying when you make drastic changes which is what a 67% pay cut is it might help to explain your position and why it was necessary.

I know the obvious answer is that your running out of money but is that because there was not enough money was put in reserves in the first place or is this simply the way you run the business?

Right now the N.H.R.A. looks like a company in search of a white knight to pump in a few million dollars just to say afloat and maybe get to race another day.

We are all hoping and that by 2021 the coronavirus is over but what if it is not over. How would they be able to continue in operation without cash flow?

Selling assets off is one method of raising money. Right now the way forward is simply not clear but at least explaining to all of the members of the N.H.R.A. what going on is a step in the right direction and just might clear the air.

Just my opinion. Jim Hill
 
Them running the races in Indy was helping the racers. I guess with 75% less revenue they should bankrupt themselves? That's not too bright...... You need to take a step back and think about this in a logical manner.
So a 70% cut in purse is Helping Racers?
 
That truck must have pulled a race car trailer from the time it was new and only did a limited schedule because with only 150,000 miles it is just getting broke in. A freight truck that old would have over a million miles on it by now. The last race car hauler I drove was a 2010 Volvo and it had 760,000. I was averaging around 50,000 miles a year for the full tour, but a freight truck will average at least a 150,000 + miles a year. Unless there was a type o and it actually had 150,000 on an inframe.

I don't know if this is a new truck or something Jim had previously; and, I believe he was starting off running a limited schedule this year; but, the operation was already hurting as early as February.

Back to the original subject.
I don't think the size of the payouts is the root issue, it's that the two classes are inherently (and overly) expensive to run in the first place, and you can either shut up and accept that it's a big money game and everything that goes with it, or not; there's a reason why there aren't many thousandaires in premier level yacht or horse racing and I doubt the winner's main goal is the prize money anyway. If it's "not worth it to work" due to the costs involved, then maybe your "service" is overpriced for the market you're currently in.

Personally, I think the NHRA's main objective at the moment should be to increase the number of pro (nitro) cars at an event, it's like injecting cash flow; but, I don't think you're going to attract many newcomers to TF when it's an expensive buy-in and costs are $20k per run. If NHRA isn't looking at something like becoming more small team friendly like Funny Car Chaos or United Funny Car as a class and a way to build out some nitro fields and bring new blood in, then I think racing's going to pass them by as the current TF and FC get faster, more expensive, have less places to run, and become an exhibition or cackle car at selected tracks rather than a race. Like jet cars. "Come out to the track and relive the days of 12,000 horsepower, when these monsters were king of the drag strip at 330mph+! Sunday, Sunday, Sunday..."

Bottom line though is track length is finite while speed isn't, (and which also costs money,) so NHRA/racing will inevitably need to change one way or another to be able to work within the boundaries of costs, speed, and real estate, or all three, in front of them to survive. The current status quo is not sustainable.
 
As of today Sept 11th, 12 for TF and 14 for FC. Currently Kalitta Racing is not entered.

Kalitta will be there with all three cars.
B8A0C34D-C791-4140-A085-A3302E003B81.jpeg
 
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I am simply saying when you make drastic changes which is what a 67% pay cut is it might help to explain your position and why it was necessary.
Explain it to who? Who do they owe an explanation to? A bunch of keyboard crewchiefs on a niche site? Racers/team owners are linked to the success of NHRA and I can guarantee understand why NHRA has to do what it is doing (reference C. Ped's video).

It serves zero purpose for NHRA to discuss financial matters on a public facing website.

The only criticism I have, and I think it's pretty mild, is that NHRA should have just kept all of the racing at Indy with the reduced payouts. Being able to sleep in ones own bed at night and not have to pay airfare, hotels, meals, etc. is definitely "scratch my back and I'll scratch yours". Are the part timers outside of the area going to complain still? Probably. Nobody said this was going to be easy.
 
Explain it to who? Who do they owe an explanation to? A bunch of keyboard crewchiefs on a niche site? Racers/team owners are linked to the success of NHRA and I can guarantee understand why NHRA has to do what it is doing (reference C. Ped's video).

It serves zero purpose for NHRA to discuss financial matters on a public facing website.

The only criticism I have, and I think it's pretty mild, is that NHRA should have just kept all of the racing at Indy with the reduced payouts. Being able to sleep in ones own bed at night and not have to pay airfare, hotels, meals, etc. is definitely "scratch my back and I'll scratch yours". Are the part timers outside of the area going to complain still? Probably. Nobody said this was going to be easy.

Dennis Munise:
Maybe their next move will be to say everyone is just racing for trophies and there will be no more pay-out money.

Jim Hill
 
One of the cost factors for the Indy track is that NHRA owns the track and doesn't have to split the gate for running a race.
 
If NHRA doesn't have any ticket sales, they have no money to pay purses AND employee salaries, its just that simple.

This is decision time for Pro racing. Either keep hoping you can sell those very expensive event tickets to schmoes like us or you can market the sport at a much higher level and create a more robust revenue stream. No other option exist.
 
That truck must have pulled a race car trailer from the time it was new and only did a limited schedule because with only 150,000 miles it is just getting broke in. A freight truck that old would have over a million miles on it by now. The last race car hauler I drove was a 2010 Volvo and it had 760,000. I was averaging around 50,000 miles a year for the full tour, but a freight truck will average at least a 150,000 + miles a year. Unless there was a type o and it actually had 150,000 on an inframe.
That was Mike Strasburg's hauler, he bought his entire operation last summer and If I remember correctly, Mike only ran the west coast races when he ran top fuel.
 
That was Mike Strasburg's hauler, he bought his entire operation last summer and If I remember correctly, Mike only ran the west coast races when he ran top fuel.
Yep, I knew it was Strasburg's old hauler but I didn't know if they bought the truck new or not. If I remember right the driver use to wear a black cowboy hat when he was at the track. I know I have pitted next to that hauler a few times over the past few years in Vegas.
 
It baffles me some don't understand how basic business works, muchless a company, corporation, organization, association, or even a bake sale operates.

It is beyond me how some maintain a checkbook.

This is my quote from another thread - Which is better suited for this one.
A rainy day account is one thing. Who planned for a rainy year. Muchless 2

We use to hear a % of people are one paycheck away from living in the riverbottoms or ? Well, here we are.

Look how many businesses and companies have had to cut the cord because of this. As well as those who are doing everything they have to, too wait it out.

I hope we are able to get through this quicker than it appears.

Even the best laid plans can turn turd in a hurry.

Bashing is not a plan or even constructive. It is tearing down

Goodluck to us all.
More so the world.
 
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That was Mike Strasburg's hauler, he bought his entire operation last summer and If I remember correctly, Mike only ran the west coast races when he ran top fuel.
Saw Strasburg run at Epping NH which is about 20 miles west of the Atlantic.
 
I know the obvious answer is that your running out of money but is that because there was not enough money was put in reserves in the first place or is this simply the way you run the business?

NHRA is a non-profit organization, not a business. Non-profit organizations have limits on how much money they can keep in reserve.
 
If i were a race team owner the only way i would continue to race is if the nhra showed me proof that all nhra executives and the such were ALSO taking a cut in pay.Someone on here showed the pay of alot of the nhra execs.If the racers have to take a pay cut because times are tough,shouldn't the people running the company do so as well.If they really want the company to survive and the racing to continue,it only makes sense that EVERYONE takes a hit not just the race teams.
 
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