Haddock booted for the season?

[my friends call me Zappy]

BINGO...we have a winner

 

[vegasnitro]

Are they suspending him or his team? If they are suspending him, put Tommy Johnson, JR or JR Todd in the car for Vegas and Pomona and still entertain the potential sponsors for next year and earn a few bucks. If they are suspending his team, lease it out to someone else (for no fee of course) and bring out the flopper ... and still entertain the potential sponsors for next year and earn a few bucks.

 

[mastertone]

Safety is definitely a priority, but I don't think the punishment fits the crime. I can guarantee that if this was a big name team it would have been handled differently.

Oh yea? all you people that disagree with NHRA's decision think about this, what if that spark plug hit your child in the eye? He should be gone!

 

[Treeshaker]

Racers are notorious for going $20,000.00 in debt to get $10,000.00 in cash.

Could it be that the NHRA is trying to help Terry in a subtle way to take some time off and regroup? They are allowing him to do match races, doesn't that tell you something? He is down to one motor put together from donated parts.

It is not going to hurt his sponsor searches by missing these two events. He has done a good job this year considering his resources.

 

[rollingthunder]

I agree with Virgil. I also see the other side of it. Big name team do the same thing. Bristol final with melanie and mike neff. There was alot of unsafe things going on in that race. They knew the car would blow up with the potential of things possibly hitting spectators but racers will still race it. Just incase melanie crossed the line.

The back of the ticket says you know it is dangerous and you accept the responsibilty. If you don't stay home and play checkers.

 

[Nunz]

If I was Terry, I would take the sponsors to Vegas and/or Pomona, allow them to see the opportunity for marketing up close and in person, and focus on closing a deal. Terry HAS done a great job this year, and fortunately his proposal can now include tons of video and articles that have spotlighted him this year. Any serious potential sponsor that has an interest in Terry can see he is going to be one of the best "bang for the buck" racers out there.

 

[Greg]

He did have at least one company that was going to be in Vegas, talking to him for next year. I doubt not being there with his car is going to help those talks.

 

[Just Paul]

They knew the car would blow up with the potential of things possibly hitting spectators but racers will still race it. Just incase melanie crossed the line.

Yeah, but Mike Neff had no idea what was going on. The crew told him on the radio, but Mike was trying to talk at the same time and didn't get the message. Otherwise, he would not have driven it as far as he did.

 

[jackass]

Racers are notorious for going $20,000.00 in debt to get $10,000.00 in cash.

Could it be that the NHRA is trying to help Terry in a subtle way to take some time off and regroup? They are allowing him to do match races, doesn't that tell you something? He is down to one motor put together from donated parts.

It is not going to hurt his sponsor searches by missing these two events. He has done a good job this year considering his resources.

Now Virgil.. thats just common sense....


And your definitly right....No it won't hurt him not being there... he's proven he has the drive to do the job,.. and a tune up that when the parts are good will make great passes and round wins...... so the resumee is packed for what the sponsor needs to know..."If this guy had money .. he could do well"....


Billy

 

[BrettV]

Any serious potential sponsor that has an interest in Terry can see he is going to be one of the best "bang for the buck" racers out there.

I'm sure the pun was unintentional

 

[Bill]

I like what Virgil says but what really bothers me is the way it was handled. Obviously, I was not there and not privy to conversations but yes, spark plugs can kill someone, so can errant wheels. If they really believe Terry needs to take a breath, then tell the guy (a) we really appreciate you being here, (b) you really screwed up and could have killed someone including yourself, and (c) you're down to your last bullet and need to regroup. Here's some extra travelling money for all your efforts but go home and regroup. Everyone including Terry would go home with their dignity spared and we would see Terry next year at the Winternationals and their wouldn't be a dark cloud hanging over him or the NHRA.

I've worked for 35 years at a large corporation who sponsors NASCAR and NHRA cars and races. We try to be fair and transparent in everything we do. We don't throw people under the bus and strive to maintain long term commitments. The knuckleheads at Glendora need serious corporate sensitivity training because they are playing in the big leagues. There's too many gaffs over there and some are just plain embarrassing.

 

[kegs]

NHRA is "ALLOWING" him to match race!! Where in the US is there going to be a match race this late in the year?

 

[Sophia]

I thought it was a pretty serious safety issue and NHRA is making a statement that they are taking safety serious. What if someone was hit by a plug? Then everyone would be wanting to hang Terry's team and not NHRA. Could they not have sent a guy to another team to get some parts?

I thought Terry's response to the whole deal was handled well and he seems like a real good guy.

 

[PJ]

Kinda hard to argue against the safety violation.

 

[Bullet]

Kinda hard to argue against the safety violation.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

 

[Toejam]

Racers are notorious for going $20,000.00 in debt to get $10,000.00 in cash.

Could it be that the NHRA is trying to help Terry in a subtle way to take some time off and regroup? They are allowing him to do match races, doesn't that tell you something? He is down to one motor put together from donated parts.

It is not going to hurt his sponsor searches by missing these two events. He has done a good job this year considering his resources.

I guess Virgil is speaking from experience! That $10,000 seems attractive to even the lowest budget racer, even though they can't possibly compete to that much!

 

[Rajunz]

Or the fact hes been on fire (or unable to back up)in 50% of his runs over the last couple of races?

They probably did him a favor. He hasn't been able to make it down the track in the last month or so, not without blowing the thing apart. He's running on worn out or borrowed parts that are thrown together in a haste (without sleep), a major incident is sure to happen soon enough. Take the time off and regroup for next season.

 

[Randy]

Before all this safety stuff parts were landing in the grandstands. Pushrods piercing arms, spark plugs hitting people, blower chunks landing in the parking lot, complete tire and wheel assemblies going a hundred miles an hour through the pits, and my all time favorite was when we all dove under pick up trucks in dragster staging past the finish line at OCIR in 1980 or so when Larry Bowers blew the clutch and bellhousing out of his dragster at the top end. A floater out of the clutch took off like a Frisbee, hung in the air, came down on the pits, hit some guy then flew across the freeway never to be found.

Someone had to be the adult and tell Terry he needs to stop and regroup. The guy is out of money and out of parts. My question is, what is he trying to accomplish at this point? He is risking lives by running parts past their economic and physical life just to race a car one more weekend. Why?

NHRA did him a favor. They also did his fellow racers a favor, the fans a favor, and the name of safety a favor. I can guarantee you if anyone in TAD or TA/FC, comp or any other class was throwing parts and oil on the ground like he has been lately we'd be shown the door for more than just two races. If we mickey mouse'd (no disrespect meant to the real Mckey Mouse) our safety equipment we'd be done for a year.

RG

.

 

[Hey you!]

What about Cory Mac? He fireballed two engines yesterday and if I remember right he fireballed one in the finals last week too didn't he? Does NHRA need to have them take a break to regroup?

 

[Marchboom]

I'm sure there is more to this story than we know about. NHRA has to take safety seriously as the consequences of over looking a safety issue can cost them lots of $$$. Can you say vicarious liability? I'm sure the insurance companies have voiced their "opinion" on the safety violation enforcement policy. Plus, we don't need any bad press due to an accident.

This is a general statement, not targeted at Terry.