Great Interview

[Nunz]

From a major player in the sport, lots of food for thought...

::rag Racing Online::: INNERView – Jeff Stange - 10/09/13

 

[Muddy]

He says what many on this board have also said but he speaks with a grest deal more credibility, influence and authority. NHRA should wake up and work on their foundation before their house crumbles.

Perhaps Joe will respect his opinion a bit more than he has some of the "geezers" on this board. I don't think anyone thinks drag racing will disappear but it will change drastically over the next few years. JMO

 

[Fast Al]

Great interview. I have always used Strange products for my stuff, not only because it works, but dealing with them has always been a pleasure. I believe he is correct, in that NHRA does not appeal to young folks anymore with stuff that's relevant to them. If serious changes are not made in the near future, the future of NHRA's growth becomes stagnant, and or going backwards. Us old guys ain't gonna be around supporting the sport forever. New trends need to be brought in and mixed with the old. Bean counters are necessary, but so are forward thinking people that know the sport, and are willing to take chances for it to appeal to the younger set. (off soapbox).

 

[Toejam]

Perhaps Joe will respect his opinion a bit more than he has some of the "geezers" on this board. I don't think anyone thinks drag racing will disappear but it will change drastically over the next few years. JMO

Well he certainly didn't throw out the typical "How awesome it was in 1972" that you hear in here! But I do agree that NHRA's marketing strategies are Dinosaur, and they need to attract a younger Demographic! But that in itself would piss the Geezers off more than anything! If the NHRA wasn't around, the Bluehairs wouldn't have anything to talk about other than how wonderful Drag racing was in the 1960's!

 

[Muddy]

Well he certainly didn't throw out the typical "How awesome it was in 1972" that you hear in here! But I do agree that NHRA's marketing strategies are Dinosaur, and they need to attract a younger Demographic! But that in itself would piss the Geezers off more than anything! If the NHRA wasn't around, the Bluehairs wouldn't have anything to talk about other than how wonderful Drag racing was in the 1960's!

There is some truth in what you say and I respect your opinion but in all honesty it was more fun because there was several hundred fuel cars across the nation. So naturally there was many more real characters because of the larger cast.

I think we all realize the days of 2 or 3 guys building a fuel car out of ass national and campaiging it are gone forever. What most of us geezers want is for NHRA to be most about ALL racers and less about the dollar. Somewhere there is a mix that will meet the needs of today and into the future.

Remember some of us "geezers" put our heart and soul in drag racing so we tend to care a great deal about its direction.

 

[Nick Name]

There is some truth in what you say and I respect your opinion but in all honesty it was more fun because there was several hundred fuel cars across the nation. So naturally there was many more real characters because of the larger cast.

I think we all realize the days of 2 or 3 guys building a fuel car out of ass national and campaiging it are gone forever. What most of us geezers want is for NHRA to be most about ALL racers and less about the dollar. Somewhere there is a mix that will meet the needs of today and into the future.

Remember some of us "geezers" put our heart and soul in drag racing so we tend to care a great deal about its direction.

It is not possible to explain the real fun era of drag racing to someone who was not there.

If Joe had been there 45 years ago, he would have been running a fuel car with a couple of buddies, instead of flying all over watching someone else do it.

 

[d'kid]

Two Races left in my last season of watching 'the big show' NHRA style... It's gotten to the point of S.O.S. ... spec messes, boredom has set in.... Funny thing is, crews, drivers, crew chiefs, owners (for the most part) pretty much seem like good people.

Seems kinda funny that ESPN has the weekend storylines figured out by Q2 if not on Thursday...

and thanks Joe... for helping me realize there's not much I like about big show drag racing left...

d'kid

 

[vegasnitro]

Two Races left in my last season of watching 'the big show' NHRA style... It's gotten to the point of S.O.S. ... spec messes, boredom has set in.... Funny thing is, crews, drivers, crew chiefs, owners (for the most part) pretty much seem like good people.

Seems kinda funny that ESPN has the weekend storylines figured out by Q2 if not on Thursday...

and thanks Joe... for helping me realize there's not much I like about big show drag racing left...

d'kid

My Dad feels the same way Karl. I find myself having to keep him interested. He despises the countdown, cookie cutter cars and the same faces in the winner's circle. Don't get him started on 1000ft racing, he always says "ET's shouldn't start with 3's". He still goes to Indy, but that has become more about seeing old friends and hanging in the campground than it is about the racing. He watches most of the races with me on TV, but if it wasn't for the fast forward button on the DVR, I doubt he would.

I try to convince him that the racing is better and more competitive now than it has ever been ... But he ain't buying what I am selling LOL.

 

[d'kid]

My Dad feels the same way Karl. I find myself having to keep him interested. He despises the countdown, cookie cutter cars and the same faces in the winner's circle. Don't get him started on 1000ft racing, he always says "ET's shouldn't start with 3's". He still goes to Indy, but that has become more about seeing old friends and hanging in the campground than it is about the racing. He watches most of the races with me on TV, but if it wasn't for the fast forward button on the DVR, I doubt he would.

I try to convince him that the racing is better and more competitive now than it has ever been ... But he ain't buying what I am selling LOL.

Swamp Rat & Greek are geezers... thrown in Snake & Goose I guess... just about every one I watched as a teen...

I'm not a Geezer and I don't believe anyone in my generation is... Compton, WJ, Force, The Don, Mike Dunn... I started going to the races, by myself in '67/'68... you know 13 or 14... Mouse went with me to the points meet at Suffolk airport out here in Va. when she was three, K'dubs was about a year old his first time....

Needless to say, I would NEVER call Joe a young whippersnapper or whatever that term is...(has something to do with driving a hitched team, I believe, which would make someone old)

I grew up an Angel and an LA Rams fan also and unlike some people,I saw the XB70 in the Air... whatever... with the average male ages on dad's side... I just over the half way point... so I can't be a geezer...

d'kid

 

[Nunz]

My dad raced Comp in the '60s & '70s, so I've seen almost all of it. Is there any sport, or activity at all, that is is the same today as it was 10, 20, 50 years ago? Nope. Everything changes. We complain about "spec cars" and lack of diversity and innovation. Well, we can't have it all. If the rules weren't reeled in on parts development, and things were truly unlimited, where would we be? 350 MPH cars that cost $10 mil a year? I don't know. I do know that while there's a long list of things that need serious attention, drag racing is still exciting, today. I go to Indy every year, and have a blast. I went to Maple Grove 2 weeks ago, for Friday qualifying, and had a blast. Stood at the 1000ft mark for the first time in years, it was awesome. And, I'm surprised nobody started a thread about the huge crowd. We pulled in about 1:00pm Friday and the stands were PACKED, I heard it was a record for friday. So while I posted a link to the Stange interview, because it's a great snapshot of the industery from an insider, I still enjoy the sport immensely. Like most here, I do believe we need some leadership and a vision to improve things and secure the future.

 

[Toejam]

It is not possible to explain the real fun era of drag racing to someone who was not there.

If Joe had been there 45 years ago, he would have been running a fuel car with a couple of buddies, instead of flying all over watching someone else do it.

Wrong, I am not a mechanic admittedly so, I let the experts do the wrenching! I think a lot of you would love to see the NHRA go bankrupt, just to satisfy your egos!

 

[Toejam]

There is some truth in what you say and I respect your opinion but in all honesty it was more fun because there was several hundred fuel cars across the nation. So naturally there was many more real characters because of the larger cast.

I think we all realize the days of 2 or 3 guys building a fuel car out of ass national and campaiging it are gone forever. What most of us geezers want is for NHRA to be most about ALL racers and less about the dollar. Somewhere there is a mix that will meet the needs of today and into the future.

Remember some of us "geezers" put our heart and soul in drag racing so we tend to care a great deal about its direction.

Well back in the Golden era as you call it, Fuel cars ran in the 6's, today's Nostalgia cars fit your idea of Mom and Pop Fuel cars! And I bet there was a HUGE Performance Gap between the haves and have nots! There was very little parody in those days!

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Two Races left in my last season of watching 'the big show' NHRA style... It's gotten to the point of S.O.S. ... spec messes, boredom has set in.... Funny thing is, crews, drivers, crew chiefs, owners (for the most part) pretty much seem like good people.

Seems kinda funny that ESPN has the weekend storylines figured out by Q2 if not on Thursday...

and thanks Joe... for helping me realize there's not much I like about big show drag racing left...

d'kid

Karl, don't give up sir. If everyone does, then where will we be........??

 

[yoda]

Wrong, I am not a mechanic admittedly so, I let the experts do the wrenching! I think a lot of you would love to see the NHRA go bankrupt, just to satisfy your egos!

If the tree died and fell in the forest, would anybody hear? Doubtful, with the exception of the few standing around the base of the rotting tree as it fell upon them.

Drag racing will survive if NHRA went down. It would be a different sport than what this group around here has become accustomed to- that is possibly a good thing. Then, as the sport rose from again from its own wrecked carcass, maybe it could return attractive to not only a new generation of fans and competitors, but also to those that survived the initial demise and fall.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Post of the day right there.

 

[megadeth]

For a so-called non profit organization the top brass are making some serious money!

Maybe they should trim the fat!

 

[Paul]

For a so-called non profit organization the top brass are making some serious money!

Maybe they should trim the fat!

Unfortunately without a member revolt it will never happen.

The guys that are in charge of trimming the fat are same guys that are the fat.

The only really smart thing they ever did was do a snow job on the members to eliminate their ability to elect board members.

This elimination of any member control of a business league non-profit organization is not how they are supposed to be run.

Given the current poor performance of the board if the members really wanted to change this situation they could. It would take a majority of the members to band together to pull this off, hopefully some day that will happen.