NHRA Sold

[chop]

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

Bruton had built some awesome facilities, but I'm not convinced he's a Drag racing fan.

DING DING DING. I was @ the International Motorsports Hall Of Fame ceremonies when WJ & Bruton among others were inducted. When Bruton spoke,he talked only about his NASCAR accomplishments/tracks and NEVER once mentioned his dragracing ventures. If it's him or somebody else behind this,things are a changin for sure.

 

[Snacks]

Does this mean there will be a Nitromater 2 to cover the dog and pony circus?

 

[Joker]

Personally, I dont think that the sportsman guys will see a penny from this.

 

[Alan]

Evan Knoll, Mike Ashley, Don Schumacher, Matt Smith, Alan Reinhart....

What are your guys' take on this, if any of you would like to share. Looking for a perspective from owners, racers, etc.

 

[Nick Name]

So I wonder who owns the race tracks.

Jay

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

So I wonder who owns the race tracks.

Jay

I believe it stated that all assets of the NHRA were included in the transaction. That would include the NHRA owned tracks only.

 

[TAFC 5 81]

HD may be able to get a TV package that pays NHRA (not vise versa). However, I wonder if HD can "fix stupid" with the same staff in the ivory tower.

 

[rocketman]

This could good for those that want to see a bigger and slicker pro show with bigger purses and sponsors.

Reading between the lines I think NHRA Pro Drag Racing and the NHRA Sportsman series might seperate leaving the nationals events to be pro only and NHRA events to be sportsman only. Just a guess.

 

[JL]

This could good for those that want to see a bigger and slicker pro show with bigger purses and sponsors.

Reading between the lines I think NHRA Pro Drag Racing and the NHRA Sportsman series might seperate leaving the nationals events to be pro only and NHRA events to be sportsman only. Just a guess.

I tend to agree... And to Joe about profitability, I bet they are profitable... Where else does all of the entry and ticket sales money go? Not to The pros and surely not to the sportsman!

 

[StockersRock]

"I felt a great disturbance in the force." -Obi Wan

Post of the year!

 

[Turtle]

How many of you guys would still go to the racers if it did go more like NASCAR (as in restricted pit access ect.)???

 

[Tom]

How many of you guys would still go to the racers if it did go more like NASCAR (as in restricted pit access ect.)???

Not me. A huge part of the enjoyment for my family and I is the open pit policy, a huge turn off to ASSCAR. To even work on the Late Model I crew on, I have to not only pay the theiving c---suckers at ASSCAR nearly $200 for a crewmans license, I also get bent over to the tune of $40-50 PER RACE to even get into the pits. NHRA's "Every ticket is a pit pass" policy offers the fans a huge return on the money paid and seperates them from the over sanitized ASSCAR dog and pony show. It is also a hell of a way to introduce new fans to the sport. Show them the show on TV and then take them into the pits at a national event and 99 out of 100 get hooked the first time they get a good wiff of Nitro or Alcohol. Walk them up to the ropes when a fuel car lights off and they instantly can't get enough all of a sudden. But if you take those same "non car" folks to the drags and they have to sit in the stands all day, then they are likely NOT to enjoy it.

I must say, this not only broadsided me, I smell a huge steaming pile about to drop on us. I know I should think positive especially since we don't yet know all of the details, but look at ASSCAR. Tom Cruise rides around in a Cup car, and next thing you know, coporate America makes a big circus out of the series, they take massive dump after dump on the sports roots, and now it is so sterilized, hollywood and yuppie that it makes me want to puke. So yeah, excuse me if I don't think going huge corporate will have a positive effect on the sport.

 

[yoda]

How many of you guys would still go to the racers if it did go more like NASCAR (as in restricted pit access ect.)???

After almost 40 years of pit access, starting at Lions, if they said "no mas", you'd never see me at at a race again.. All of the good stuff takes place in the pits, IMHO..

 

[D]

I'm uneasy about this, but will wait to see if they truly take NHRA global.

S/F
D

 

[ProStockJunkie]

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

Bruton had built some awesome facilities, but I'm not convinced he's a Drag racing fan. Bruton's in the business of making $$$, and how this all will impact this sport is anyone's guess! I'm thinking(?) that restrictive Pit access might be just around the corner! Liability is one thing any Corporation won't chance anything on!

From Drag Race Central announcement.

"The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series currently consists of 23 national events held at locations across the country. These multi-day events, which can draw as many as 125,000 spectators over three or more days, provide fans, racers and sponsors a unique ability to interact with each other through access to the racer pit area. In addition, NHRA's Nitro Alley display and interactive area located at each national event provides fans with a race-related entertainment experience, including the ability to get behind the wheel themselves in motorcycle and funny car simulators. All 23 national events are aired exclusively on ESPN2."

HD Partners Acquisition Corporation Announces Proposed Acquisition of NHRA Pro Racing

 

[Ken]

Let's remember that NHRA is not the only drag racing out there. There's IHRA running a great program - just wish there was an IHRA event a bit closer to me. There's also NSCA, ADRL, Fast Ford Weekends, and a really neat street car series running at E-Town and Atco, with pro stock/pro mod street cars running in the sixes. And the Lucas Oil divisional series has alky cars and lot's of sportsman cars. As long as the big names show up to race, so will the fans. Personally, I don't think much will change at NHRA, except Tom Compton and crew will now be accountable to someone outside his circle of "yes men".

 

[Jim]

Fundamentally, something had to be done to provide for the future of Sportsmen and Pro Racing. This structure SEEMS to ensure that there is some (?how much?) dough available to support the "amateur" side while "Professionals" will be operating the "Professional" side.

Putting on my "cynical" hat:
Who ARE these guys?
1.)If they purchased the physical assets (i.e. the owned tracks) this was a givaway.
2.) This has all the elements of an insider/current management buyout with little regard for fairness to the "current owner" (whoever THAT is).
3.) I'm generally skeptical of ANY investor who doesn't have much "skin-in-the-game". Given an IPO that raised $150 Million (not a HUGE deal really)for unspecified acquisitions and, then, $100 Million to acquire NHRA, they appear to have minimized any personal risk.
3.) As typical with LBO's, I foresee a "flip" sometime down-the-road (sooner than later)to a real owner/operator (like Bruton Smith) for a price more reflective of fair value - with an enormous payday to the current gang of "management".
Unfortunately, the non-profit structure seems to obscure much of the due-diligence one would customarily do in a deal like this.
At this point, I have more concerns about fairness (to the not for profit <Sportsman> interests) and enrichment of current management who may have put personal interests before fiduciary responsability to "stakeholders".
Let's see what develops.

 

[Leon]

How many of you guys would still go to the racers if it did go more like NASCAR (as in restricted pit access ect.)???

Not me! That's what i love about it.In the early days we would sneek in to the pits if we didn't have the extra $2.00.

 

[d'kid]

Just gonna sit here and see how the next couple of weeks shake out...

I believe I read a few minutes ago that the Tracks were sold as part of the deal. This is good, NHRA had no business owning tracks...

 

[Chili]

Hopefully this will mean that Pro Mod can get added as a pro class. The purchase included only the 4 current pro classes, but hopefully the HD group will expand it to add Pro Mods as well. My other big concern is how this will effect National Event ticket prices.