NHRA Sold (2 Viewers)

[70AARCuda]

Wally said he is going to take care of the sportsmans..

NHRA will continue to be the premier sanctioning authority for drag racing. Additionally, we can now focus more directly on the sportsman and amateur levels of our sport. We are clearly in our best position ever to preserve, protect and promote all facets of drag racing, from the grassroots level on up. The financial resources we are receiving in this transaction assure us a lifetime of security and growth.

 

[Darryl]

That's a mouthful if it's really Wally speaking. Parks has never had any great love of 'Professional' drag racing. He saw the demise of the sport the first time they had to pay money to the Top Eliminator instead of crate engines and other racing parts. After all Wally came from a salt back groud and this might actually BE good for the Sportsman. Let's wait until this is approved AND they announce the structure for 2008.

 

[Gutter Brain]

Re: What??????????????

I'm thinking(?) that restrictive Pit access might be just around the corner! Liability is one thing any Corporation won't chance anything on!

I hope not, that is one of the cool things that seperates us from CRAPCAR and the other forms of racing.

I really hope that doesn't happen. I agree with John that the pit access is one of the best things for a fan. The is especially evident bringing a new fan too.
I would like NHRA to be more mainstream, but I don't know if we are going to all be happy with the results of that. Do we (fans) want to be as big as NASCAR? We will see how all this pans out I guess.

 

[K20A2]

That's a mouthful if it's really Wally speaking. Parks has never had any great love of 'Professional' drag racing. He saw the demise of the sport the first time they had to pay money to the Top Eliminator instead of crate engines and other racing parts. After all Wally came from a salt back groud and this might actually BE good for the Sportsman. Let's wait until this is approved AND they announce the structure for 2008.

I agree with you, I think this will be a good thing for the sportsman racers. I think these series are going to be run by people who actually care about sportsman racers and less about the bottom line. The only problem that I see is that the divide might grow greater trying to get from the sportsman ranks to the pro ranks.

 

[none]

Did the Pro Stock Truck lawsuit come into play?
On NHRA.Com they said under the deal NHRA would now be Debt Free, wonder what means?

 

[J.C.]

EIGHT BUCKS a share, people....

Called my broker- he's out (golfin, probably..), but this has the scent of a ground floor deal for us, folks.. Shareholders meeting, anyone?

As an active investor, I will be following HDP financials very carefuly after the acquisition. For now, HDP's last year of financials simply show them sitting on almost $150 million, waiting to pounce. Very simple cash flow and balance sheets.

The interesting report will be the first quarter after the NHRA acquisition. Now, NHRA financials will be reported to the general public since HDP is a public company! Up until now, NHRA financials have been a closely guarded secret.

You may see a small "pop" in HDP tommorow, but I think I'll wait for the first quarter financials to get an idea of what NHRA's financials really look like before I buy in.

 

[Sandy]

Re: What??????????????

HD Partners is a purchasing entity. I wouldn't bet against Bruton Smith or another entity being behind the actual transaction.

From your mouth to gods ears! Those were my next words. I just brought stock in HDP

 

[Raconteur]

Up until now, NHRA financials have been a closely guarded secret.

Oh Really, Drag Racing Online has been publishing the NHRA Tax Return for the past three years.

 

[yoda]

Re: What??????????????

I really hope that doesn't happen. I agree with John that the pit access is one of the best things for a fan. The is especially evident bringing a new fan too.
I would like NHRA to be more mainstream, but I don't know if we are going to all be happy with the results of that. Do we (fans) want to be as big as NASCAR? We will see how all this pans out I guess.

Not only is pit access a big selling point for any new fans- it is what keeps the current fans coming back. Cut that out and watch your gate reciepts drop.
When they review injuries due to spectator pit access, I'm sure they'll find (if they are even looking) that the number is pretty small, and the settlements for any that may have gone to trial even smaller. Bigger losses would be suffered by kicking the general public out of the pits..

 

[hellfirejim]

Been watching and reading all the fancy writting on this and that but the same question keeps coming back up, What does this really mean to drag racing in general and sportsman racing in Particular?????

The same answer gets reflected back, only time will tell before we see what is REALLY going to happen with the sale of NHRA. All the fancy talk aside they really did sell the NHRA as we know it. The pro side was where all the activity and TV and sposors were, IE: the business end of it and now that is gone to the new owners.

If you are half full type of person it could very well be good for the sportsman and BTW, are the alky cars considered part of the pro show or sportsman?????

A lot of questions without many answers. Hope it turns out well.

jim

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

Been watching and reading all the fancy writting on this and that but the same question keeps coming back up, What does this really mean to drag racing in general and sportsman racing in Particular?????
jim

Let's take a look at a possible worse-case scenario and say they kill everything we all love about drag racing and ultimately shoot themselves in the foot. I guarantee clubs, specialty events, match race booking of shows and possibly alternative sanctioning bodies will gain strength and ultimately sift to the top.

Let's all stay positive and conduct business as usual until this acquisition proves unacceptable or even fatal. At that point, we'll all jump on another bandwagon back to the grass roots that can spawn the appropriate alternative into "The place to race." It will take more than a failed sanctioning body to kill our sport. Many others have come and gone and we're still racing aren't we?

 

[Erik]

wonder if they knew about this deal before they created the "chase"?!?!

 

[J.C.]

Oh Really, Drag Racing Online has been publishing the NHRA Tax Return for the past three years.

That's a tax return. They will be required to reveal much more details in their quarterly financial statement as a publicly traded company. Tax returns are very high level financials and are usually produced with one goal in mind - to reduce taxes paid.

I'm not saying the tax returns are "cooked", just that quarterly financial statements from publicly traded companies are much more detailed and revealing of what is really happening in the company than are tax returns.

 

[Darryl]

Drag racing will not die folks, only the face will change. Drag racing is not just nitro cars and thousands of spectators in the stands. Drag racing is 60 Top Comp cars, 50 Super Gas cars and another 50 Super Comp cars, all at one track on one weekend and having fun. Drag racing is a participant sport where we all get to play between watching the money go down the track the OTHER 23 weekends a year. In some ways who cares what happens as long as NHRA is around to sanction tracks and make certain they can get insurance. Even better if they give us a series of our own to play in.

 

[.]

Wow, didn't see this one coming. I sure hope this leads to better things for NHRA and all the racers.

 

[NitroRichFire]

Lets all hope better days are ahead for all of us, fans, racers and empolyees! Better bleacher seats, seats with backs on them and that are angled down the track so theres no need to stand up, like Bristol. More sponsors, so we don't have racers sitting on the sidelines, wondering when that big deal will come. Better TV coverage. But as in all things in life time will tell.

 

[BaldyLochs]

Reminds me of Cory Mac' situation with Carrier. So the deal is official. Let the thick wallet owners & the Glendora Brass chew on the fat.... we got a race in 2 days at a top notch facility in front of lots of fans all over the globe.....don't let this become a distraction this weekend for the fans who pay good money to get through the gates, and for the many competitors who are there doing what they love!

 

[Suzie Q]

The same "board" is still there for the NHRA just in a different title capacity. It looks like, to me, a little bit of "3 card Monty" for the time being. With the amount of dollars put down, there seems to be a huge marketing plan in the works. I would hope that it means bigger payouts in all catagories (the NHRA made money so now they can pay the sportsman catagories what they are worth!) and the new owners will find more money to pay the pro catagoies decent checks from a boost in advertising. Whatever the connection is with whomever this group is, I pray they will do the right thing and take the sport to the next level as it is well deserved. I have to say again.............ie......Dick Lahaie.............a fresh set of eyes may make all the difference.

As if we don't have enough to deal with! Geeeeeeze!!! 4 weeks off...........the new points system.................and now THIS!!!

I am checking into "Promises Rehab Center"!!!!!!

 

[Toejam]

Reading NHRA's Q & A about this, they make it seem as though Nothing will change. I find that hard to believe, Corporations don't get involved unless it's profitable. It won't be long before the New Powers at be decide what is profitable and what is not.

 

[NitroRichFire]

If you are interested, the link below is some ultra, heavy duty information on HD Partners Acquisition Corporation.

http://ipo.nasdaq.com/edgar_conv_html\2006\05\03\0001104659-06-030399.html