Gordon
Nitro Member
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2006
- Messages
- 1,139
- Age
- 57
- Location
- Great Mills, MD
In my most humble opinion, David nailed it - it's the people. Period.While I agree with everyone above, one thing was overlooked in my opinion, the people. The fans, crew members, drivers and owners. The fans are probably among the most knowledgeable in any sport, the crew members, drivers and owners are all very accessible and most are very personable and willing to talk to the fans. No other motorsport can claim this, as the pit and drivers areas are pretty much off limits if you aren't somebody who knows somebody.
If you take a step back and think about it, NHRA is really just a huge family that includes the racers, fans, promoters, track owners, sponsors, team owners, crew members, etc. We don't all agree on everything, and sometimes we even argue about it, but in the end we all love the sport and everything it offers, despite some of its faults. Kinda like America. The owners/teams don't always get along... until there's a need, then suddenly every team in the pits becomes one. Whether it's a tragic accident, God forbid, or a major explosion/crash following a round win - there are more people willing to help than can possibly fit in the pit area. T-Ped may be one of John Force's biggest critics, but who went to see him in the hospital following his crash in Texas? Tony. Millican and Herbert weren't exactly the best of friends, but I feel supremely confident they comforted each other when each experienced tragedy.
Yeah, it's the people - that's what right with NHRA - everything else is secondary.