WJ on the top end off the top rope

[NitroMustang65]

"the Agent heard from multiple sources that Federal Express has made some inquiries about stepping-up and onto the former UPS dragster, but was informed by NHRA that an advertising conflict with UPS would prevent that from happening"

You have gotto be kidding. I have to stop reading this **** - it really taints my opinion of the NHRA which isn't too hot recently. An advertising conflict? I don't care who you are that's just ridiculous on every level. Way to go NHRA, way to go.

 

[Pat]

I disagree. Could Warren Johnson have achieved the same racing accomplishments in another sanctioning body? Probably yes. Would these racing accomplishments in another sanctioning body have provided him with the same public recognition and financial gain? Probably not. The NHRA would have survived and prospered without WJ, but in my opinion, WJ would not have been as prosperous without the NHRA. If WJ is blaming the "lack of leadership" for whatever problems that are affecting his race team, then he also needs to complement the NHRA for providing him a series to race in that has made him very successful for many years. The NHRA can't do anything about the state of the economy, but WJ can certainly do something about his race team's lack of recent performance.

Tony, your comments border on the ridiculous. Warren did not blame his lack of personal performance, in 2008, on the NHRA management; he was asked what his plans were for 2009. That is when he felt it necessary to speak out on the state of affairs inside the world of NHRA Drag racing, not how it affected his program specifically, but how it affected the sponsors, drivers, team owners and the fans. It may not have been obvious to you, but the talk around the pits at Pomona focused more on who would be back in 2009, than on the race itself. There was more than one driver, crew chief or crewmember that was passing out resumes during the weekend because they knew that their team did not have the finances in place to compete in 2009. How does the NHRA management figure into this equation?

Well, it did not help to simply stick in a new event (Charlotte) after all the teams had already had their sponsorship finances in place for 2008. It also doesn’t help that fuel prices went ballistic during the race season. Maybe you don’t understand, but teams work on a budget and when the budget is compromised they don’t have anyplace to go to find additional funds. (I don’t think that the government bailout covers race teams.) The NHRA could have made adjustments in payouts to make this situation more amenable. The NHRA could have made the Charlotte race an invitational type of race and used gate receipts to pay the racers and offered a guarantee to those that participated in the race. When fuel prices shot up they could have offered each team a form of fuel reimbursement. You see, when costs increase, the only party that doesn’t share in the pain is the NHRA and their management team. The competitors, sportsman and professional alike feel the pain, but not the NHRA. Let’s put it this way, where did the 100K that Don Schumacher had to pay in BS fines end up? Yeah, that could have helped with the fuel expenses.

How do the fans figure into this equation? Well, is it any surprise that the worst racetracks that hold a NHRA National Event are owned by, or leased to the NHRA? Just look at the restroom facilities, or the amenities, at Atlanta, Gainesville, Indy or Pomona, then look at Vegas, Englishtown, Chicago or most any non-NHRA owned venue. Sure, they added skyboxes or some other amenities to some of their facilities, but it’s not for the average fans benefit. Consider the 2009 season, just how many full fields do you really think you will see? Could that problem be averted with paring down the schedule to say 18 or 19 events? Probably. Are ticket prices going to drop if they can’t offer full and competitive fields? Not hardly! The point is that the NHRA management people aren’t looking at the realities of the economic downturn and how it is going to affect their show. Look at the number of races on the schedule for next year lacking a primary sponsor. Where is the money going to come from?

With regards to your perception of Warren Johnson, maybe you don’t know, but Warren Johnson has been a very powerful and very staunch supporter of drag racing, all over the world. Warren has had his car shipped to Japan once and Puerto Rico three times to put on races and promote drag racing. As I type he is on a flight to Kuwait to meet and greet our troops, then he is on to Germany to visit the wounded troops. This will be his third or fourth trip to Germany. Yes, there will be other racers with him, but he feels this is an important way to support the sport and his sponsor. So don’t give me any crap about what he owes the NHRA.

Warren was also instrumental in giving the sport some of its current stars. Where did Greg Anderson get his first opportunity to drive a pro stock car, yeah, Warren gave him that opportunity, and sent him to Roy Hills driving school to help him along. Who gave Scott Geoffrion (RIP) his first competitive ride, yeah, Warren again. Needless to say Kurt also learned from Warren. Warren has also shared his expertise with several past and present pro stock teams and sportsman racers. I have personally seen him take the time to assist other teams, with no benefit to himself or his program. There are also a few teams that were very appreciative of Warren’s efforts to see that they got sponsorship assistance.

Tony, before you let your fingers run wild on your keyboard, you better do some research on just who owes whom!

Pat

 

[none]

Some of you need to stop blaming NHRA, NASCAR and any other groups in charge for total costs. Racers are their own worst enemy. If the red bolt cost $6.00 and does the job its ok but if the blue one cost $60.00 and you go can go a little faster then you will buy that one instead. It has always been that way. NASCAR never made all the teams build in house chassis shops, the teams did that. Worshams had their own in house chassis shop, did NHRA mandate them to build there own. NO. They did it because they could and wanted it. Don't confuse WANT with NEED. Team owners need to look long and hard in the mirror about total costs. Crew Chiefs are like kids with credit cards. Some will spend you out of business. Not all but some will. When will JFR need his own side of the race track to setup the traveling circus that he has created. The racing is still the same as it was in the beginning. The racers and people involved have changed. The one-upsmanship has killed the average racer and fan. Does it take $300,000.00 to bring a SG car to a race. NO but the last time I walk around the sportsman pits it looked like a RV show. How can NHRA take the entry fee issue as a show stopper when a years worth of National and divional races equals one month payment on the totter home or stacker trailer. I am not defending NHRA but, you have got to be kidding me if they are the only bad guy in this.

Flame away....

 

[Pat]

Some of you need to stop blaming NHRA, NASCAR and any other groups in charge for total costs. Racers are their own worst enemy. If the red bolt cost $6.00 and does the job its ok but if the blue one cost $60.00 and you go can go a little faster then you will buy that one instead. It has always been that way. NASCAR never made all the teams build in house chassis shops, the teams did that. Worshams had their own in house chassis shop, did NHRA mandate them to build there own. NO. They did it because they could and wanted it. Don't confuse WANT with NEED. Team owners need to look long and hard in the mirror about total costs. Crew Chiefs are like kids with credit cards. Some will spend you out of business. Not all but some will. When will JFR need his own side of the race track to setup the traveling circus that he has created. The racing is still the same as it was in the beginning. The racers and people involved have changed. The one-upsmanship has killed the average racer and fan. Does it take $300,000.00 to bring a SG car to a race. NO but the last time I walk around the sportsman pits it looked like a RV show. How can NHRA take the entry fee issue as a show stopper when a years worth of National and divional races equals one month payment on the totter home or stacker trailer. I am not defending NHRA but, you have got to be kidding me if they are the only bad guy in this.

Flame away....

Wayne, you raise some very valid points, especially concerning the sportsman racers. I must take issue with some of your pro observations though. If, in fact, the blue bolt is proven to be faster, you have no choice but to use the blue bolt, because unlike NASCAR we don't measure our victories by seconds or car lengths. Whether it's qualifying or race day, you never want to be second across the stripe.

Concerning in house chassis shops, if you have a solid multi-year contract it makes sense to bring that in house. Building your own cars means you have an opportunity to test ideas and concepts that your average chassis builder may not want to try. Additionally, if you have your cars built outside and you want to try something different, and it works, all the future cars your chassis builder builds, for the competition, will incorporate your idea. This is SOP.

Crew chiefs that spend more than is budgeted will not be a crew chief for very long. It's the owner's money and he decides how much is spent. Be it wise, or stupid. Any owner that claims his crew chief bankrupted him is an idiot!

Please don't confuse the hospitality vehicles at the track with the team owners ego. I know of no owner that wants anymore rolling stock than he can successfully manage. With the cost of equipment, personnel, insurance, etc, they would be happy to just bring their race car haulers to the track. The hospitality vehicles are there at the request of the sponsor. And he who has the gold, makes the rules. I might also add that NHRA makes a small fortune off of these vehicles.

As far as the sportsman racer, I really can't speak to that subject. I appreciate what those guys do and the NHRA would be up a creek without them, but what motivates them is beyond me. When I see them at a national event, my only thought is those poor guys are being treated like mushrooms. That is why it's nice to see Summit and Jegs go out of their way to support the sportsman racer.

NASCAR has let it be known that they are very concerned about the future of Sprint Cup and is having meetings with the team owners to see what steps they can take to shore up their sponsor and fan support. I have heard of no such meetings from Glendora.

Pat

 

[Jenn]

As far as the sportsman racer, I really can't speak to that subject. I appreciate what those guys do and the NHRA would be up a creek without them, but what motivates them is beyond me. t

It's the Wally

But there are a lot of us sportsman racers who fill in with Nationals and Divisionals, the big money is in the high dollar brackets. It's a different set of skills too, so different challenges.

Big RVs mean that we can stay at the track and have family and friends out there with us, which is sorta how drag racing started out anyway . The pro guys can have the corporate suits, I'll stick with my family being in my pits. It's sure nice to end the day of racing and crawl into bed without having to fight traffic, and not having to pay a hotel bill is extra nice (a bill I'd have to pay if I was pulling the trailer with a dualie). Not to mention having Alan Rienhart as a wake up call "Attention in the pits, Attention in the pits". I don't have to deal with crowded restuarants, in fact, I don't even have to leave the track most weekends!

And as a side note, a good portion of those rigs aren't carrying one super gas car, they are carrying a super gas car, a sper comp car, maybe a stocker. Our rig carries no less than two cars, and no more than four. Plus an ATV, a pit bike, an occasional Honda Goldwing...

 

[PJ]

everyone needs each other.

The nhra needs the racers, its hard to put on a race if nobody is there and having quality racers brings out the fans.

The racers need the nhra, they need the venues, the tv deal, the rules and hopefully dollars.

They both needs fans to show up and and pay the money and by showing up draw in sponsors to sell them self. Of course they fans need the racers and nhra, otherwise its pretty boring sitting at an empty track with nothing going down.

and of course sponsors are needed to foot the bill and they need people there to buy their products to keep them there.

What does it mean? Everyone involved has a vested interest in how things work. Maybe its monetary, passion, time, ideas or whatever else. If any of the sides quit listening to the other you end up with a product that is less that what it can be. Of course if enough of any one of these sides starts to leave for any reason it will greatly effect the rest.

 

[Tony]

Tony, your comments border on the ridiculous. Warren did not blame his lack of personal performance, in 2008, on the NHRA management; he was asked what his plans were for 2009. That is when he felt it necessary to speak out on the state of affairs inside the world of NHRA Drag racing, not how it affected his program specifically, but how it affected the sponsors, drivers, team owners and the fans. It may not have been obvious to you, but the talk around the pits at Pomona focused more on who would be back in 2009, than on the race itself. There was more than one driver, crew chief or crewmember that was passing out resumes during the weekend because they knew that their team did not have the finances in place to compete in 2009. How does the NHRA management figure into this equation?

Well, it did not help to simply stick in a new event (Charlotte) after all the teams had already had their sponsorship finances in place for 2008. It also doesn’t help that fuel prices went ballistic during the race season. Maybe you don’t understand, but teams work on a budget and when the budget is compromised they don’t have anyplace to go to find additional funds. (I don’t think that the government bailout covers race teams.) The NHRA could have made adjustments in payouts to make this situation more amenable. The NHRA could have made the Charlotte race an invitational type of race and used gate receipts to pay the racers and offered a guarantee to those that participated in the race. When fuel prices shot up they could have offered each team a form of fuel reimbursement. You see, when costs increase, the only party that doesn’t share in the pain is the NHRA and their management team. The competitors, sportsman and professional alike feel the pain, but not the NHRA. Let’s put it this way, where did the 100K that Don Schumacher had to pay in BS fines end up? Yeah, that could have helped with the fuel expenses.

How do the fans figure into this equation? Well, is it any surprise that the worst racetracks that hold a NHRA National Event are owned by, or leased to the NHRA? Just look at the restroom facilities, or the amenities, at Atlanta, Gainesville, Indy or Pomona, then look at Vegas, Englishtown, Chicago or most any non-NHRA owned venue. Sure, they added skyboxes or some other amenities to some of their facilities, but it’s not for the average fans benefit. Consider the 2009 season, just how many full fields do you really think you will see? Could that problem be averted with paring down the schedule to say 18 or 19 events? Probably. Are ticket prices going to drop if they can’t offer full and competitive fields? Not hardly! The point is that the NHRA management people aren’t looking at the realities of the economic downturn and how it is going to affect their show. Look at the number of races on the schedule for next year lacking a primary sponsor. Where is the money going to come from?

With regards to your perception of Warren Johnson, maybe you don’t know, but Warren Johnson has been a very powerful and very staunch supporter of drag racing, all over the world. Warren has had his car shipped to Japan once and Puerto Rico three times to put on races and promote drag racing. As I type he is on a flight to Kuwait to meet and greet our troops, then he is on to Germany to visit the wounded troops. This will be his third or fourth trip to Germany. Yes, there will be other racers with him, but he feels this is an important way to support the sport and his sponsor. So don’t give me any crap about what he owes the NHRA.

Warren was also instrumental in giving the sport some of its current stars. Where did Greg Anderson get his first opportunity to drive a pro stock car, yeah, Warren gave him that opportunity, and sent him to Roy Hills driving school to help him along. Who gave Scott Geoffrion (RIP) his first competitive ride, yeah, Warren again. Needless to say Kurt also learned from Warren. Warren has also shared his expertise with several past and present pro stock teams and sportsman racers. I have personally seen him take the time to assist other teams, with no benefit to himself or his program. There are also a few teams that were very appreciative of Warren’s efforts to see that they got sponsorship assistance.

Tony, before you let your fingers run wild on your keyboard, you better do some research on just who owes whom!

Pat

Pat, my "research" is in the form of being an NHRA fan for over 40 years, so I believe I'm entitled to my own opinion, thank you. And I "didn't give you any crap about what WJ owes the NHRA." It's my opinion, and I'm not losing any sleep if you or anyone else don't agree with me.

 

[Toby]

Tony, yes you are entitled to your own opinion. What Pat is eluding is that your opinion is from a very uninformed viewpoint. Granted Pat's opinion is going to be skewed towards the old man, Pats ass has logged many many miles in WJ's transporter. Yet I will tell you one thing about Pat, well a couple. First off, he isn't going to open his mouth/type on the keyboard without being able to offer an intelligent reply. Secondly, he isn't going to tell you what you want to hear, he will tell you exactly how he feels. So don't get all touchy feely reading Pat's response to your post. Just listen to the guy and you might gain some pretty valuable insight into the real inner-workings of Professional drag racing.

Pat, I believe I'm entitled to my own opinion, thank you. And I "didn't give you any crap about what WJ owes the NHRA." It's my opinion, and I'm not losing any sleep if you don't like it.

 

[Jenn]

And by the way Pat, I really appreciate WJ and all the other GM drivers for going overseas to support our men and women of the military especially those injured in the line of duty, protecting our country so valiantly. The USO tours are great for troop moral and I'd encourage everybody to support the USO.