You have to look at National events for sportman for what it is, a social event to hang out with guys you only get to see a few times a year. The new electronic registering and such is also nice, keeps the waiting in lines down, so there.....there is something they have done to make racing a better experience.
However, the rising cost of entry (and hidden cost they put in such as surcharges, and increased crew cost), and the total lack of respect and general attitude at national event is horrible. They often forget that we are the customer, and the 400 sportman cars paying 500 hundred to race (or more) for the weekend to win a couple grand....along with the membership fees is what keeps them wearing their little suits and putting food on their plates (yea sponsorship helps but those are also dollars they are stealing from race teams that don't have cash rolling into them in membership fees).....so I don't owe the NHRA nothing for giving me a place to race.
Think of it this way, if I we all payed my grandma the money we pay NHRA she could do the same thing, give us a great place to race.....because it would be her freaking job....what she gets paid for...you know. If I come out and my trash man didn't take out my trash I wouldn't say "well he left all my stinking crap in my driveway but at least he left me a trash can to keep it in" ....I would say "that jerk didn't hold up his side of the bargain and I think I'll find someone else to do it"....by the way.....did I mention that I'm not racing at HPT this year (fist time since '88) just for that reason...too expensive, not enough "fun".
