NHRA has new President announced at SEMA

[ironpony]

Any one have details? I heard a few things but can not confirm and do not want to start a rumor.

 

[MM]

https://www.nhra.com/news/2017/nhra...sident-peter-clifford-chief-executive-officer

 

[SundayNiagara]

And the million dollar question is: Has he ever raced? Or just another bean counter?

Not dogging him already, but there really needs to be some car guys at the the top of this organization that is all about.....cars.

He started as a DD, which can't hurt.

 

[vegasnitro]

This seems like a "logical division of duties". Make Clifford CEO and he handles all business and finance decisions and retains the ultimate veto. Let Cromwell be President, and he handles all operational/racing decisions. Both guys should be in their element.

 

[SoCal Racer]

He started as a DD, which can't hurt.

Agree, and that does sound like someone who may have his finger on the pulse of racers.

One of the complaints of racers - sportsman anyway - is that they feel NHRA has been out of touch with their needs. To Peter Clifford's credit, I saw him in the pits more in his two years as president than Compton in his fifteen.

 

[FABMAN]

Just what they need another 6 figure employee !!!

 

[ironpony]

Just what they need another 6 figure employee !!!

Probably 7 figure, I believe they are all over a million a year

 

[Nunz]

Probably 7 figure, I believe they are all over a million a year

Not totally out of line for execs running a company doing around 100mil in revenues. And I’m ballparking, but you get the idea.

 

[Cliff]

How do you think the sport would have become if someone like Don Garlits ran the NHRA?

 

[Bobby Bennett]

no offense, but would have failed miserably

 

[megadeth]

no offense, but would have failed miserably

I agree they would probably be all electric vehicles by now! LOL

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

The success and/or failure of ANY business usually runs much deeper than the figure head. Great leaders don't necessarily need to know everything about the subject matter to which they take a team to manage. The important trait is having the ability to motivate.

Having the right people on the bus, and those people in the right seats. Good to Great. One of the best books I've ever read with regards to that sort of thing. Show me a business, be it successful or failed, and I'll show you a business that very likely followed that simple principle or didn't, respectively.

Sean D

 

[glofria]

Sean, I concur. However, rather than having the ability to motivate, should have the ability to inspire others.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140512234002-23063390-motivation-inspiration

 

[ironpony]

A successful business man surrounds himself with smart people who fit the job they need to do. I believe like a lot of Govt. the people at NHRA have extremely large budgets from income they do not actually "earn" and waste a good potion of it. If the NHRA was a private held business you would see a lot of fat cut and spending that has a ROI.

 

[.]

A few photogs I'm friends with on FB say he's very media friendly. Instead of barking orders for somebody to do something they say he jumps in and helps get things done himself. He sounds like a great choice.

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

Sean, I concur. However, rather than having the ability to motivate, should have the ability to inspire others.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140512234002-23063390-motivation-inspiration

Prior to reading that, I would've normally lumped those two words close enough together to make them basically the same. That's a good little read. Thank you for posting that.

My post was primarily geared towards the notion that if Big ran the sanctioning body that it would miserably fail, which isn't fair to just say/assume. Now, I would also say that I feel the same way, simply because I personally believe his ego would likely overrun the better judgment it would take to make sure the team was solid top to bottom and the necessary delegation of duties to be done would be empowered. But until that team was in place and you knew who's responsible for what decisions, it's just not a fair assessment...........for anybody.

Sean D

 

[ironpony]

Don Garlits is a little to "I" team for running a show.
I can do it I can do it I can do it
I lost some respect for his accomplishments when he built the single wing canopy car to run 300 mph.
He bad mouthed a lot of people, pounding his chest how great he was and then KB went 300 mph first.

 

[vegasnitro]

The success and/or failure of ANY business usually runs much deeper than the figure head. Great leaders don't necessarily need to know everything about the subject matter to which they take a team to manage. The important trait is having the ability to motivate.

Having the right people on the bus, and those people in the right seats. Good to Great. One of the best books I've ever read with regards to that sort of thing. Show me a business, be it successful or failed, and I'll show you a business that very likely followed that simple principle or didn't, respectively.

Sean D

A long time ago, when he owned fuel teams in the NHRA, I read Joe Gibbs' book (Fourth and One) and he basically says the same thing. Hire good people, put them in the right job and get out of their way.

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

A long time ago, when he owned fuel teams in the NHRA, I read Joe Gibbs' book (Fourth and One) and he basically says the same thing. Hire good people, put them in the right job and get out of their way.

The challenge I've see with that over the years is each individual's competence to know where they fit best. Once you get a team of people gathered whose parked egos allow that to happen, the sky is the limit.

That sounds like a good read. I may have to look that up. Thanks.

Sean D