Nitrogate......The Don answers!

[Paul]

Thank you Don and Jim for your posts here, it is really helpful in understanding the situation. This is one big mess that was all started by the NHRA handing the situation unprofessionally (ESPN airing) and unfortunately the damage has been done to the reputation of DSR and his sponsors (read the comp plus message board and look at the ESPN poll in the racing section). We can only hope the NHRA will say they made a mistake and this is all one big misunderstanding.

 

[Von Halen]

I am struggling to keep Oakley in the game.

This right here, to me, is the scariest statement in this whole thread.

Jim, why are you "struggling to keep Oakley in the game"?

I know a lot of us here buy all the Oakley gear we can afford. I just purchased my first two pairs of prescription Oakley's. I wear an Oakley belt daily. And have a lot of other Oakley products. I bet most of the other members here do too. And that Oakley store at the events....it is swamped no matter where they are parked! Now if you would just let me put together an Oakley Youth Hockey Organization here in Michigan.

Seriously, I hope Oakley stays in Drag Racing. I don't believe this one piece of bad press, which really hasn't been specifically put on Oakley, will deter too many people, if anyone, from purchasing Oakley products.

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

This is a shame on so many levels:
NHRA should be ashamed of taking this public in such a manner as they did.
It's a shame that an owner of Don's stature should have to explain his actions/intentions to the public.
It's a bigger shame that Jim Jannard has anything to do with this mess after all he has done for this sport.
What a shame to think Oakley's sponsorship has been compromised in any way due to such an incident.
. . . and I am most ashamed we have a member who has been incapable of understanding the principle's side of such a complex story (most of which he is assuredly not privy to) and thus publicly calling out Jim Jannard in such a fashion as he has.

I'm really ashamed of you Paul Flies.
Surely, you must understand how much more to this story there is that you will never know, yet you persist in playing first fiddle despite your outsider's position. What a shame.

 

[jOkA!]

Joker - You need to make the picture of your new ink your avitar...

.

Justin....I would BUT when Jerrod saw it his reply was "how in the hell did you tattoo a chicken"

It is the PIC of the "Mind blowing" The one where his brain is a mushroom cloud....from my knee to my ankle....Baddest thing I have ever seen done in ink....

I am now and always will be an Oakley soldier....the ink is my way of paying homage to the creator...Jim Jannard...

Jim/Don don't sweat this chit....NHRA just want's to be the Alpha male in this....we need to call the Business whisperer for them...Two very powerful men in you two and for what you have done for the sport/world is paramount, that in itself will prevail.

Well, gonna fire up a Trinidad and read the paper....

Peace, jOkA!

 

[FABMAN]

This right here, to me, is the scariest statement in this whole thread.

Jim, why are you "struggling to keep Oakley in the game"?

I know a lot of us here buy all the Oakley gear we can afford. I just purchased my first two pairs of prescription Oakley's. I wear an Oakley belt daily. And have a lot of other Oakley products. I bet most of the other members here do too. And that Oakley store at the events....it is swamped no matter where they are parked! Now if you would just let me put together an Oakley Youth Hockey Organization here in Michigan.

Seriously, I hope Oakley stays in Drag Racing. I don't believe this one piece of bad press, which really hasn't been specifically put on Oakley, will deter too many people, if anyone, from purchasing Oakley products.

I don't think Jim is struggling because of finances it's the NHRA(Tom and Graham)handling the affairs and quality of competition the last year or so. Thanks Jim for coming on Nitro and standing up for DSR and Drag Racing, it shows the strong passion you have for the sport.

 

[Steveo]

To state the obvious, this thread has been quite revealing. However, I haven't quite grasped if the nitro in the drums was of the same percentage teams get from VP or if it was 100%. If anyone can fill in the blanks I would appreciate it...

 

[Muddy]

"This right here, to me, is the scariest statement in this whole thread.

Jim, why are you "struggling to keep Oakley in the game"? "


Perhaps because he doesn't own/comtrol Oakley today.

 

[Draw 3D]

Well let's see if I can respond to some of the attacks leveled at me.

Woah! Now you're publicly questioning peoples' integrity? Do you have any REASONS for "thinking" that?

I was responding to what Christopher L Williams had posted. I don't think a barrel of nitro is going to sit for a year, maybe I'm wrong, but, how does that question a person's integrity?

I don't have to explain to you my reasoning, I have laid out my concerns already and if you don't like them, that's your problem not mine.

Since everyone's mincing words to death, where did he threaten you? You're the one suggesting that you two meet?

Actually, Mr. Jannard suggested we meet:

Don's explanation is pretty clear about theses barrels. Maybe we should meet and discuss who is more pissed off?

He later posted the following:

Paul... I'm sorry if you consider these threats. Not intended.

I later get a PM from a joker stating how Mr. Jannard is passionate about calling his team cheaters, which I never did , and a PM would be more appropriate, yet it was Mr. Jannard who started the NHRA error topic, not me. Starting a topic is liable to bring opposing views so if you don't want opposing views, don't start the topic.

All the other silliness posted against me has been by people who I could really care less about anyway and they're not worth the time responding to.

 

[jOkA!]

I later get a PM from a joker

Ummmmm "THE" Joker if you please!

THE jOkA!

 

[superman]

after seeing all of this go down i kinda wonder how the other sponsers will/are reacting also how evan knoll is thinking while hes on the sideline its just a matter of time before we see the fall of nhra and the rise of ihra if this keeps up

 

[shoe]

the nitro was 99% and because of VP's problems all they had available in Vegas was 96% that was mixed 2 years ago for the A fuel class. Nitro is Nitro plain and simple.

 

[willy]

Well let's see if I can respond to some of the attacks leveled at me.
I was responding to what Christopher L Williams had posted. I don't think a barrel of nitro is going to sit for a year, maybe I'm wrong, but, how does that question a person's integrity?

I don't have to explain to you my reasoning, I have laid out my concerns already and if you don't like them, that's your problem not mine.
Actually, Mr. Jannard suggested we meet:He later posted the following:I later get a PM from a joker stating how Mr. Jannard is passionate about calling his team cheaters, which I never did , and a PM would be more appropriate, yet it was Mr. Jannard who started the NHRA error topic, not me. Starting a topic is liable to bring opposing views so if you don't want opposing views, don't start the topic.

All the other silliness posted against me has been by people who I could really care less about anyway and they're not worth the time responding to.

You've gotten yourself knee deep in the hoopla, Paul. The one's accused of the discretion have tried to explain it..to no avail..to you. You've spit and spattered all over this place..you've questioned the integrity of some very important people. I for one..find it appalling..and I don't see it as a differing opinion..the facts have been stated..and you continue to be on the forefront of negativity. I'm sure you're proud of yourself.

 

[The Counterfeiter]

the nitro was 99% and because of VP's problems all they had available in Vegas was 96% that was mixed 2 years ago for the A fuel class. Nitro is Nitro plain and simple.

Since NHRA created this can of worms, has there been communication as to whether they will block you from running at Atlanta if you don't pay the $100,000 blackmail?
Thanks for updating us here on the Mater. Too bad NHRA doesn't feel obligated to inform dues paying members on their position - not that any of us would expect that to happen -

 

[Bowtie]

Let me try to give everyone the facts.
1. NHRA came to my pits Saturday afternoon and was shown 4 drums of nitro in the upstairs storage area in one of my race trailers.
2. Sunday morning they gave me a letter notifying me of a $100,000 fine.
3. In January all of the nitro DSR/ProNitro had in the US was transfered/sold to Wego. This included 1 container in California and the product in Las Vegas.
4. The container in California was moved to VP in Texas and then used at the Phoenix NHRA race and Gainesville race. The drums in Vegas stayed in Vegas.
5. NHRA told me prior to Gainesville and in Gainesville that my nitro ProNitro was now legal in NHRA.
6. NHRA's rules state we must use nitro from an approved supplier at all NHRA races. In NHRA's rules it states the approved suppliers of nitro are Dow-Angus and Wego.
7. DSR is Top Lined Screened with The Department of Home Land Security in Brownsburg Indiana and at every NHRA national event and has the numbers and documents to demonstrate that. This means we can have more then 400# of nitro in our possession in our pits.
8. The nitro we had in Vegas was from Wego a approved supplier of nitro.
9. VP is a distributor of nitro and I do not find anywhere in the NHRA rule book that all nitro must be distributed by VP. VP was the exclusive distributer of nitro for Wego and Dow-Angus prior to both companies deciding they were no longer doing business with VP in 2008.
10. I would never risk the reputation of my sponsors or employees by cheating.
11. If we did anything wrong it was a total accident and I apologize for any possible reflection on anyone in my organization sponsor or employee and I take full responsibility.
12. I believe there is a mistake in the actions taken and hope this event will get put behind NHRA and DSR soon.


Don Schumacher

Any questions????

Don, thanks for taking the time to once again set the record straight.

 

[Steveo]

the nitro was 99% and because of VP's problems all they had available in Vegas was 96% that was mixed 2 years ago for the A fuel class. Nitro is Nitro plain and simple.

Thanks for the response and taking the time to be involved in the discussion here Mr. Schumacher... I have a comment and a follow up question...

Well if nitro is nitro, I guess the concentration isn't what NHRA had a problem with. If I get the jist of your response, NHRA wouldn't have been upset that they found 99% in your possession even if at the event VP was selling a lesser concentration. Furthermore, if that was the issue NHRA had, I'd make the recommendation that the rule book include the verbage that no competetior be in possession of a concentration of nitro higher than what is being sold at the event...

My question is: Do you know if any teams have ever run "Pro Nitro" at a national event with the fuel labeled as such and sold by VP as "Pro Nitro"?

Thank you again for taking time out of your schedule to be involved here...

 

[club]

In my opinion... wait I don't race at all so can I have an opinion? No don't answer that, I can and so can everyone else. The stupidest statement in the thread is that you can't have an opinion if you don't race nitro. Geez.

Okay now as I was saying, if DSR made any error it seems to me, and I'm sure this won't happen again is that they did not get it in writing from NHRA that Pro Nitro was an accepted supplier.

If someone from NHRA tells you something get it in writting.




Now where did the that guy with the popcorn go?

 

[JRX]

Now where did the that guy with the popcorn go?

Still here...

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Well let's see if I can respond to some of the attacks leveled at me.
I was responding to what Christopher L Williams had posted. I don't think a barrel of nitro is going to sit for a year, maybe I'm wrong, but, how does that question a person's integrity?

I don't have to explain to you my reasoning, I have laid out my concerns already and if you don't like them, that's your problem not mine.

Why do you think a barrel of nitro wouldn't sit for a year if the owner(s) of it decided to let it sit for a year? If they're saying it did and you're saying you don't think so?

Do you see the car in my avatar? The former owner of it has had about 3/4 drum of nitro in his garage for easily over ten years.

It's not whether I LIKE your concerns. It's whether they make sense. You don't have to explain your reasoning but, you don't have to volunteer to make baseless allegations, either. If you can say something, why can't you say why you think it?

 

[shoe]

The reason Jim may have the "O" store step away is because of how NHRA has handled this situation.

The percentage being 99% verses VP only having 96% has nothing to do with it being legal or not. Usually we get 99% from VP (everybody calls it 100%) but because of their not getting nitro on a regular basis and being dropped by their Dow-Angus and Wego suppliers they are out of 99%.

At both Phoenix and Gainesville VP distributed ProNitro to the racers and that is what we ran on. They received that nitro from a container I had on the west coast and I turned it over to Wego.

I would hope the racers do not need to get every communication in writing from Tom Compton or Graham Light.

If the drums are sealed and kept in a reasonable temperature variatiation there should not be any concern keeping nitro for over 1 year. The biggest concern would be condensation with temperature change. This would cause water to get in the drums if they were not sealed.

I will be sending in the appeal early in the week which is in the correct time frame and we will see what response we receive.

 

[Steveo]

I will be sending in the appeal early in the week which is in the correct time frame and we will see what response we receive.

Nuff said...

Thanks again for participating here Mr. Schumacher...