I've been mulling over how to approach this discussion for a couple days. Lots of valid thoughts and opinions flowing here with some people I have a lot of respect for (Jon, Wes, Lance, Virgil, etc).
First, a disclaimer - I'm an announcer for IHRA. Been there during the "traditional days" and during the current Nitro Jam period. Hell, I was on the crew for the last IHRA event at Norwalk (myself, Unk, and Brian Olson).
I can see both sides of this thing, I really can.
During the salad days of the traditional format the nitro fields were filled out with lots of privateers. The Doc Sipple's of the world and guys like that. Given today's economic circumstances, those fields would be decimated. Also, the NHRA's "testing" rules would prevent any crossover of consequence to help fill stuff out. Looking at just the "halo" classes, sticking with that format would have resulted in imminent failure.
The things that made me wince were the loss of Alky Funny Cars, Pro Mods, and far earlier, Nitro Harleys. I'm an idiot with a microphone, I am not privy to the discussions or decision making process so I don't know how that all went down. I think the Harleys were lured into the NHRA fray with a bunch of promises that ended up being empty. The other two classes seem to have have been internal decisions.
I don't think that playing the less attractive little sister to the NHRA is a viable business plan in this marketplace. My personal opinion.
As far as the Nitro Jam format and stuff goes...
I have called several of the events. Each one of them has been wall to wall people. Last year I did Baton Rouge and Grand Bend as that's what my schedule would allow. Both places were packed to the rafters for the length of the event (two days in Louisiana and three days in Canada). We (IHRA people) were treated like royalty. It was pretty wild to be honest. People in Canada actually came up to the tower and asked to hang out with us after the event. I enjoyed a couple LaBatt Blue beers with a throng of fans after we were all done for the weekend and was almost embarrassed by their appreciation of the event. In Louisiana we had the same reception.
I think on some level, it is disrespectful to the racers to call these events somehow illegitimate. Drag racers race. Jay Turner was racing his balls off when he climbed off the back of a nitro harley in Baton Rouge at 160mph...Mike McIntire was racing his balls off when he smashed his funny car into the wall in Canada.
I totally get the opinion regarding the "circus" aspect of these shows and it does not offend me or anything like that. The idea that the guys out there on the track are somehow following a script is not true and is demeaning to them.
I love these events because nearly every one of the racers in both the pro and sportsman categories is face first into their race car between rounds. It is gritty, it is bloody, it is a level of reality that you aren't going to find in a farm of haulers six wide for one super team.
That's my rambling two cents. I'm a heretic regarding drag racing in a lot of ways I guess. The only drag racing that sucks to me is no drag racing. It annoys the hell out of my wife when I sit in the bathroom and scream into a comb, announcing the traffic passing the front of our house. Doing it at a strip in front of a crowd, any crowd, is better for me.
Respectfully,
Brian
