Ocean Racer
Nitro Member
I agree that you can't discount Bazemores prospective in spite of how you feel about him personally. Here is a Guy that started from scratch and made it to the pinnacle of the sport which is what most people I suspect aspire to do - he is not a "poser", he lived it, put his money where his mouth was when he was emptying his own bank account to buy NITRO and had a steadfast commitment to his principals about how he wanted to race that caused him to leave the sport when he couldn't make it happen his way.
I have been a fan of NHRA since I crewed for a top fuel team for a few years when I was a kid. I agree with a lot of what is being said here and almost everything Bazemore said in his article. I raced Offshore Powerboats professionally for 14 years also raced Unlimited Pro Buggies with Lucas Oil closed course and have been involved with professional motorsports as a team owner and racer for my entire life. What I see happening with NHRA is very similar to what has happened to Offshore Powerboat Racing over the last 25 years although Powerboat racing really never had the same opportunities for success that Drag Racing at the professional levels did.
If you eliminate all of the cars in the pro categories that don't have "real" sponsorship there are not a lot of cars left. When I say "real" sponsorship, I'm talking about arms length sponsorship where the dollars that flow to the team from that Sponsor are enough to run the car, the team and pay the owner and Driver a fair salary for the professions they have chosen. As I see it, it is NOT a REAL sponsorship if the sponsors name on the side is a company owned or controlled by the Owner or Drivers or their relative i.e uncle, father, best friend, cousin etc. A car and team that has a "real" sponsorship (as I see it) means the teams operations do not require supplementation by some super wealthy individual to exist or survive. If you agree with this, then I suspect (don't know for sure, just my gut) you eliminate the following teams:
All Al Anabi cars as this is clearly a team run by a person with a personal affinity for Drag Racing so AlBaloshi & Langdon, gone
The GEICO car would be out because Morgan is a "Lucas" not arms length
Bill Millers car - out
All Kalitta cars - There are some "brand names" on the cars but smart money says Connie has to write some big "true-up" checks at the end of the year to "balance" the books so Doug Kalitta & Grubnic TF and Worshams funny car, out
You could argue that the Massey TF car would be out - looks like a "sympathy" sponsorship deal to me. All of a sudden Shoe decides battery Extender needs a TF car? hmmm
Tommy Johnson Jr Funny Car - out
Dejoria - Patron Funny Car - out
Head Funny Car - out
Both Torrence TF cars - out
Chrisman TF - out
Bode FC - out
Diehl FC - out
Summit PS, Anderson, Line, Nobile - questionable but I suspect out
Brogdon PS - Out
Coughlin PS- Out
Mcgaha PS- Out
Both Johhny Gray PS's - out
What we have battled in Offshore Racing for years was the presence of wealthy individuals who wanted to race and didn't care about the cost, so they simply spend whatever was necessary to go racing "their" way. Sponsors had little to no interest in the sport because of constant rule changes and the sport was difficult to cover because of the venues and race course challenges.
With the NHRA, it seems that Sponsors are not seeing the value, so they are leaving for other advertising vehicles. We are 8 months away from the end of the Season and don't hear about Force signing new Sponsors to replace Ford and Castrol. like him or not, between him and his kids he probably gets 10x the amount of press as the average Pro driver/team so if he can't get it done what does that say?
Take if from me as I've lived it - a sport that dominated by wealthy individuals with an affinity for that particular sport is doomed without definitive Sponsorship funds driving a large number of teams.
I don't have immediate solutions, but there is no denying the problem. I can't even stand to watch a single lap of a NASCAR race but I was in Vegas at the Wynn Hotel a few months ago when they had their awards ceremony and I couldn't help but notice of the number of people - drivers, crew chiefs etc who were wearing wristwatches that cost over $20,000.00 walking around in $2,000.00 suits. They are doing something right.
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