Bobby Bennett
Nitro Member
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2006
- Messages
- 1,805
- Age
- 57
- Location
- Spartanburg, SC
Now why doesn't this news surprise me.
Contracts or combinations that tend, or are designed, to eliminate or stifle competition, create a MONOPOLY, artificially maintain prices, or otherwise hamper or obstruct the course of trade as it would be carried on if it were left to the control of natural economic forces.
As used in the SHERMAN ANTI-TRUST ACT (15 U.S.C.A. § 1 et seq.), unreasonable restraints of trade are illegal per se and interfere with free competition in business and commercial transactions. Such restraint tends to restrict production, affect prices, or otherwise control the market to the detriment of purchasers or consumers of goods and services. A restraint of trade that is ordinarily reasonable can be rendered unreasonable if it is accompanied by a SPECIFIC INTENT to achieve the equivalent of a forbidden restraint.
Having read this, I ask: Is there a basis for MT and the other companies/Armed Forces, wanting to sponsor teams, supply tires, fuel,etc, or for that matter, the team owners, who have lost sponsors, to take this path, to court? Also, has anyone ever challenged, NHRA's status as a non-profit?
This doesn't apply in the case of sports -- look at MLB, NBA, etc. All of which intentionally create a monopoly. A monopoly which is specifically and explicitly sanctioned by congress.
And NHRA isn't preventing anyone from competing in drag racing, look at the IHRA, ADRL, etc. They are simply determining the conditions in which people can participate in their events. The rulebook has specific clauses that require approval by NHRA of all advertising and promotions, and which specify what products can be used. They don't need to specify a reason for any of their decisions in this area.
WRT non-profit status, here again, sports sanctioning bodies have special rules. NHRA is not a 501c3 (like a charity), they are a 501c6 which pertains to sports leagues and a number of type of similar organizations. All that is required to be a non-profit in this area is a limit on the distribution of profits to the shareholders and a few other such restrictions. The bar is pretty low to maintain that status. People have tried to challenge MLB and NFL on this, and have lost.
Bottom line....its NHRA's playground and no one is forcing you to play there. Autometer got the same thing recently. RacePak is the only allowed data acq system in PS.
Toby Graham
DragTraction.Com
They keep digging up cat turds in the sand box.With less and less kids playing in it!
way to gonhra, just shoot yourself in the other foot. will they NEVER learn??
Never mind.....don't answer that.