Nitromater

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How does this impact NHRA long-term?

I believe IHRA is bad news for the PDRA and possibly the MWDRS. Both are predominantly 1/8 mile pro mod and sporstman series and the IHRA will pay more than those two organizations.
Depends on the schedule; word is IHRA is a 10-race series, so even if they are primarily in the eastern/middle part of the country, the season is March to early October... Seems that would leave at least 15 weekends available for the other 1/8th mile organizations to build a decent series around their dates.

Would they (PDRA/etc.) want more? Sure- come with more moolah and make it worth the team's while...
 
I agree. So hopefully he is far north of that number - the unfortunate other alternative is he is Evan Knoll the 2nd.

What I also find interesting is the Darana company certainly appears successful regardless of what the revenue and profits actually are. So it sure looks like he knows how to run a company. Given that, the fact he is trying to do everything all at once is pretty odd. He is getting the IHRA going, buying and improving tracks (supposedly with some big ones yet to come), getting involved in pulling, some other thing, and as of 2 days ago launching a oval track series https://ihra.com/press/2025/article...ar-series-reigniting-spirit-grassroots-racing and as announced on Nov 26, buying the WDRA. All this without yet having been able to put more than a handful of butts in seats at ihra events. The ihra drivers are happy, but without any fans in seats…..

I’ve worked at some big, successful companies and even they can’t do everything all at once. I also worked at a startup that tried to do that and it didn’t work.

So Darrel better be better than most to make all this successful.
the crowd at the last race at Galot was pretty good.
 
When you've been "the only game in town" for a long time or had that perceived attitude, it's only a matter of time before somebody come along that's been noting your "activities" knocks you off your arrogant little perch for a wake up call...

I'm not here to dog on any sanctioning body, but there's a definite perception from a lot of racers, they have grown tired of being less important of certain classes or the way they have been treated IMO.

The last race I attended this season was mostly 1\8 mile (WMDRS) .... the crowd was great - as was the action and I enjoyed it very well. I knew Clay when Evan "bought the team" and I really don't think Cuttel is going that route because the checks would have started bouncing months ago. he ain't playin' & he's serious about it.
Bobby Bennett realizes it too.
I want to see both NHRA and IHRA become wildly successful — so much so that their combined growth pushes drag racing to levels none of us could have imagined.


Some of THIS impacts NHRA too.

 
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It's not all doom and gloom for some folks and that's fine too.

I likes me all kinds of drag racin' - s|-|@t costs money and everyone deserves a good playground to take it out to play on & even break stuff IMO, if you don't care for it - do what you like, but I'll watch it.

Funny how history works, ain't it??


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The Martin story is more concerning than anything else. It points to systemic rot within NHRA. Reminds me of the Factory X debacle. Martin claims he built what NHRA outlined within their new nitro guidelines, then they had no plans for what to do.

Do the Tech people and Marketing people at NHRA ever talk to each other? There is a world where both work together, especially before a new class is created or major rule changes implemented..
 
If NHRA has the BEST show in town, why worry about IHRA ?

NHRA will worry because, after operating in a virtual monopoly regarding drag racing, the IHRA will represent free market competition, which could force change, and many institutions are resistant to change.

Not picking on NHRA, but the nature of sports leagues/associations tend to be monopolistic or oligopolistic. That's why a long time ago Congress gave the Anti-trust exemption to Major League Baseball, and why the USFL actually won against the NFL (but lost the damages).

I took from the Competition Plus article referenced in another post, that this competition could and should benefit both sanctioning bodies, and the consumer will also benefit too.
 
i was looking forward to watching more IHRA, but just read they are going to all 1/8 mile racing,so iam out,the only thing worst would be 4 wide 1/8
1/8 mile doesn't seem to be a good fit - to me - for the nitro classes, but I can live with it for the sportsman classes certainly. Would prefer that Pro Stock stick with 1/4 mile too.

Hey I've got one for you - how about 3-wides for when there's an odd numbered entry list? (just pulling your chain a little!)
 
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It looks like Gainesville is on top of first IHRA race in 26 if schedules are correct. Going to be interesting to see where everyone goes . Looks like 4 races are same weeks for both hras.
 
NHRA will worry because, after operating in a virtual monopoly regarding drag racing, the IHRA will represent free market competition, which could force change, and many institutions are resistant to change.

Not picking on NHRA, but the nature of sports leagues/associations tend to be monopolistic or oligopolistic. That's why a long time ago Congress gave the Anti-trust exemption to Major League Baseball, and why the USFL actually won against the NFL (but lost the damages).
For a parallel, look at the lawsuit in NASCAR with a couple teams and charters, one of which is Michael Jordan's team.

Also, 2 very high ranking NASCAR officials cluelessly texted awful things about Richard Childress (not part of the lawsuit). Who is the public going to side with: Arrogant corporate types or Dale Earnhardt's car owner? Why those 2 weren't publicly fired asap is beyond me.
 
It looks like Gainesville is on top of first IHRA race in 26 if schedules are correct. Going to be interesting to see where everyone goes . Looks like 4 races are same weeks for both hras.
Don’t put too much value on the previous ‘schedules’ you have seen…
 
The Martin story is more concerning than anything else. It points to systemic rot within NHRA. Reminds me of the Factory X debacle. Martin claims he built what NHRA outlined within their new nitro guidelines, then they had no plans for what to do.

Do the Tech people and Marketing people at NHRA ever talk to each other? There is a world where both work together, especially before a new class is created or major rule changes implemented..
I feel like this story isn't getting enough attention. Maybe it is somewhere? I'm not surprised by the outcome though.
 
For a parallel, look at the lawsuit in NASCAR with a couple teams and charters, one of which is Michael Jordan's team.

Also, 2 very high ranking NASCAR officials cluelessly texted awful things about Richard Childress (not part of the lawsuit). Who is the public going to side with: Arrogant corporate types or Dale Earnhardt's car owner? Why those 2 weren't publicly fired asap is beyond me.

I didn't know about that. Very interesting, thanks for letting me know.
 
The Martin story is more concerning than anything else. It points to systemic rot within NHRA. Reminds me of the Factory X debacle. Martin claims he built what NHRA outlined within their new nitro guidelines, then they had no plans for what to do.

Do the Tech people and Marketing people at NHRA ever talk to each other? There is a world where both work together, especially before a new class is created or major rule changes implemented..
Long before the Factory X debacle was the Pro Stock Truck one. Terrible optics, such a shame how that all went down.
 
Unfortunately when NHRA announced that they were having a Factory X category people were excited for a fresh new category to compete in. Fast foward... I feel bad for the teams that built cars to suit that class and got let down. Are racers that have the funds to build a car to meet that class getting smarter to realize that this was a pipe dream with no actual support or promotion of the class from the NHRA? Now that IHRA, Darryl is stomping into NHRA's footprint not to compete with them but offer another option without the Bull$hit that many racers have to deal with. Maybe NHRA should focus on providing support instead of looking at their high dollar paycheck to make the accounting bottom line look good for a Non-Profit.
 
Story I was told by a very reliable source who is one of the main guys at IHRA is at the beginning of the season Darrel put 300 mil in an account and said make it happen. Dont think money is or will be an issue
I got this info from a Drag boat racer. The payout in the Drag boat series is incredible compared to past years.

Darrel is putting 1.5 million Weekley into a trust. Just for the Drag Racing series. So that if anything happens to him both will be funded for 10 yrs after his death.
 

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