NHRA Pro Classes Sold? (1 Viewer)

[vegasnitro]

Rumor at DRO is that NHRA has sold the Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock classes to an entertainment company (no mention of Pro Stock Motorcycle). The deal is said to be structured exactly as the failed HD Partners deal in 2007 (which if memory serves was $120 million for the pro classes and 5 NHRA owned tracks). There is no mention of the tracks being sold in the blurb at DRO however.

http://dragracingonline.com/agent1320/2015/1320-xvii_2-21.html

 

[FABMAN]

The one thing I don't understand about the sale, how can you sell something you don't own. All teams in the three Pro categories are independent contractors, they don't have to race at a NHRA event. It sure looks like there is some financial issues at Glendora. They have been making a lot of changes for 2015 and I doubt if Tom Compton has had a change of heart. I hope whats going on stays a rumor I think things need to change but this just doesn't sound right.

 

[.]

I just saw this on DRO too. Makes little sense, but not much of what Compton and Light do makes sense anyway.

 

[vegasnitro]

The one thing I don't understand about the sale, how can you sell something you don't own. All teams in the three Pro categories are independent contractors, they don't have to race at a NHRA event. It sure looks like there is some financial issues at Glendora. They have been making a lot of changes for 2015 and I doubt if Tom Compton has had a change of heart. I hope whats going on stays a rumor I think things need to change but this just doesn't sound right.

Basically, NHRA would stop sanctioning Pro Races and become Sportsman only. The new owners would contract to take over the Mello Yello series and run it as scheduled (and presumably the ESPN TV deal). The points funds, event payouts and TV exposure will keep all of the Pros in line with the new owners for the most part, and it is not like they really have anywhere else to race. If the rumor is true, I wouldn't expect any changes for this season, but it will be real interesting to see what happens going forward.

 

[Toejam]

Since everything Jeff BUrk says or writes about NHRA is negative, I'm suspicious already! Having said that, is this just another deal like Federal Mogul had with the alcohol classes in the 90's?

 

[Butch]

I'M calling BS

 

[yoda]

Reinhart.... Go for the raise TODAY!!

 

[StockersRock]

I'll wait for a Bobby Bennett article. The Agent tends to be a worse fisherman than I am.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

One can only hope..........

 

[RebilasPhoto]

Sure hope its true! Id imagine if they raised nitro winners purse to 100k for race win that they wouldn't bitch about the 45 minute turnaround time so the sport can be live and taken seriously finally!

 

[Butch]

For the sake of the sport and the racers I hope it's true. Having someone running the show who knows what they are doing should increase the payout for the Pro's. The PRO racers could form a union for collective bargaining with ownership instead of having things shoved down their throats in a like it or leave attitude that Compton has. More fans would be in the stands because business people who knew what they were doing would be in charge. They would look at what it would take to fill the seats unlike the current management team who could care less about what's happening to the sport. From a marketing stand point more fans would make the cost per impression lower. As a result drag racing becomes a viable marketing tool for a larger number of companies who are looking to attract their market share. As a result the racers should be able to ask for more sponsorship dollars.

The sportsmen racers will finally get the attention and funding they deserve and have always asked for but have never been given.

Splitting off the Pro's isn't new for those of us old enough to remember BIG'S all pro show they were great for the fans and for the racers.

Please don't let me wake up and find out that this was a dream.

OK go ahead a take your cheap shots but with the right management team the concept will work.

 

[vegasnitro]

There is no racing series on the planet that will EVER collectively bargain anything, let alone form a union. It just will NEVER happen. The team owners will always look out for their team first, team owners want the say as to who they employ for drivers irrespective of any union meddling and the manufacturers/suppliers/sponsors enjoy the freedom of coming and going as they please. All of their disparate interests couldn't possibly be represented in one collectively bargained position.

With all of that being said, I am not going to get excited or depressed until we find out who the new owners are or aren't. I always believe it is better the devil you know than the devil you don't ... We know what Compton and his group are, we have no idea what the new group are up to. Compton hasn't been all bad, he has keep a title sponsor for the series, expanded the schedule, he has kept the racing same day on ESPN2 and every other racing series in America (save NASCAR) would KILL to have NHRA's gate receipts, even if they are down. And every other drag racing series in America has either imploded or gone to a booked-in format in the last few years, while Compton has kept NHRA a viable open format racing series. Granted, that appears to be the ceiling of what he can accomplish but there is something to be said for keeping the ship upright when everyone else's is sinking. Room for growth and improvement? Absolutely. We will see if the new owners are up to the task.

 

[handsome]

Since everything Jeff BUrk says or writes about NHRA is negative, I'm suspicious already! Having said that, is this just another deal like Federal Mogul had with the alcohol classes in the 90's?

I'm sure that's what it is.. just a way to pad pockets in NHRA.. no reason for everyone to think the world is coming to an end.. It will still be JFR , DSR and KMS fuel classes no matter who pays the bills

 

[PJ]

I need to see and know what the new groups plan is before I get excited. Like Chris said, not everything the NHRA has done has been bad but there is certainly areas that can improve.
Change just for the sake of change is foolish (ie countdown). Let's see what the plan is before we decide.

 

[yoda]

I agree, PJ... As much as we all may believe that the folks in the Ivory Tower of G may not know how to run the show, they actually may have a clue in regards on how to keep a circus this big (and expensive) constantly moving. It may seem like The Don, Papa John and Forrest make all the calls, but trust that all their decisions ultimately pass over a desk that knows how to take all their suggestions/requests/demands and make them work for the show that is out there now. The only sports and entertainment promotion companies out there now big enough to broker and float this deal will make what we have now look like students of Ghandi. There are a lot of people that have little idea what this sport is about in a position to be running this sport if this deal IS REAL and goes that direction (been to a concert lately? Coachella/Bonnaroo? Check out THOSE costs...).

Hoping its a rumor and nothing more.

 

[rckymtn3]

There is no racing series on the planet that will EVER collectively bargain anything, let alone form a union. It just will NEVER happen. The team owners will always look out for their team first.

It's true. Just look at F1. Back when Bernie first structured the TV deal that made F1 what it is today, he went around to all the owners at the time and said "We all split the cost of buying F1 franchise, and we each have a share of the TV contracts and proceeds of marketing." No one took him up on it.

Now Bernie's a gazillionaire, and the teams all race for whatever Bernie feels like sharing.

Bet they wish they had THAT weekend to do over again.

 

[vegasnitro]

It's true. Just look at F1. Back when Bernie first structured the TV deal that made F1 what it is today, he went around to all the owners at the time and said "We all split the cost of buying F1 franchise, and we each have a share of the TV contracts and proceeds of marketing." No one took him up on it.

Now Bernie's a gazillionaire, and the teams all race for whatever Bernie feels like sharing.

Bet they wish they had THAT weekend to do over again.

Ahhhh yes ... the FISA-FOCA war ... Bernie played all sides to the middle there. He was the commercial rights holder AND owned the Brabham F1 team AND was the factory BMW team AND was some drivers manager, even if they didn't race for his team or manufacturer! Conflicts of interest be dammed, he wound up basically owning and running everything and from '82 onwards, it was his World.

 

[StockersRock]

There is no racing series on the planet that will EVER collectively bargain anything, let alone form a union. It just will NEVER happen. The team owners will always look out for their team first, team owners want the say as to who they employ for drivers irrespective of any union meddling and the manufacturers/suppliers/sponsors enjoy the freedom of coming and going as they please. All of their disparate interests couldn't possibly be represented in one collectively bargained position.

The rumors are rumbling heavy in Supercross right now. But I agree, I'm not sure how they could all make it work.