I started racing at NHRA sponsored events, national and divisional in 1973 as a novice. I saw politics involved back then by the division Seven director at LACR on the grand reopening day race after it had been shut down for years, I beat his sister twice in the stock super stock race, the first time I beat her they said I had to rerun her because she didn't get a time slip, [ Moparts Family Site - Keep it Friendly ] Mine showed I was good, I was on the brakes at the first timing light and she couldn't cut a light worth a dang. On the rerun they said I broke out and I beat her by more car lengths the second time and I was on the brakes sooner
NHRA was busted by CA state regulators for violating the states non profit rules back a long time ago, they where carrying over millions of dollar from one year to the next so they ended up having to be run as for profit business and pay taxes for several years.
I believe they figure out how to become a non profit again but they have always, as long as I have been racing, chasing the dollar and using volunteers to help put on some of the national events, how professional is that
I have two friends who both worked for division sevens tech team for 5 and 8 yrs back in the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, they where paid $50.00 dollars a day salary and supposed to be reimbursed for travel and living expenses for each race. They had to pay their travel and living expenses out of their own pocket and wait for the check on expenses, NHRA replace the division 7 director the second year they worked and he didn't reimbursed them for 5 races for 8 months
I've seen the 4 President of NHRA starting with Wally Booth, he starter the organization to get street racers off of the streets, which he did a good job on
Once he retired and the directors of NHRA started hiring professional market managers to run NHRA and NHRA started focusing more on profits than running the races in a professional manner for the racers NHRA drag racing started to deteriorate, especially to the racers, mainly to the sportsman racers
Many things have changed over the years, todays youngsters are busy playing computer based games, some kids are interested in drag racing but not as many as before.
Times changes everything, people must change with the times
NASCAR racing attendance is way down also so maybe us and other racer types need to accept the fact that the best is behind us as far as car racing is concerned
If you have a suggestion on how to stop the decay and how to make our sport better please send those suggestions to NHRA