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BG and a couple of others are getting a lot closer to the heart of this matter, and that's the direction of NHRA vs.the needs of the sport and the racers.
I've been unable for years to grasp NHRA's marketing and game plan. As I've pointed out here and elsewhere, NHRA seems intent of ignoring the gearhead core in order to gain non-automotive related "butts in the seats". When my sister worked at a travel agency some 20 years ago, fore example, she asked me what it was that all these people went to down in California at the Winternationals? I flew down one time on a plane where half the passengers were going to the Winters'. Yet, even then it was getting to the point where it seemed NHRA was more interested in cultivating a a fan base consisting of those who wouldn't know a crank from a cam if you dropped it on their foot.
Unfortunately, this (I believe) has a net effect of alienating the very fan base it needs to survive. Think about it. Which group of people are going to keep your sport alive- the guy who puts hundreds or thousands of dollars a year into his race car, and in the dead of winter hops on a plane or flogs his five year-old pick-up halfway across the country so he can get his fix of racing action, or the guy who's scanning the Sunday morning paper trying to decide if he wants to go to the ball game or check out this drag racing thing? Unfortunately, NHRA has been catering to the latter.
Some of the fixes are easy. Quit dumbing things down for the non-racing spectators. Handicap racing doesn't need to be explained every time. Move more S/S and Stock racing to Saturday and Sunday of the national events. Maybe it's time regular bracket racers were brought into the show, with a modest cut-off. Say 12.99? I've said it before and I'll say it again- take every throttle stop in the world and throw them in the ocean. Throttle stop racing is abhorrent to watch. Absolutely abhorrent. Before you respond, remember that part of this is opinion on how to get actual race fans through the gates and into the seats. I'm not only an actual racer, I believe I represent a fairly typical "knowledgeable" spectator.
As far as the pro's go, that's a big issue with few easy fixes. Oil downs are a killer, the shrinking number of pro teams worrisome, and quite frankly the evolution of pro stock (I think) has taken a wrong turn and needs to be re-thunk.
As far as executive compensation, I've often believed that the salaries of executives of non-profit organizations should be tied to some fixed ratio to the average family income, for example. (For the record- I believe this should apply to all legislators as well)
I do believe this, however: Just as NHRA can't exist without the small time racers such as myself and many here on this board, we also need the pro side of the sport in order for track owners and the sport in general to survive. I firmly believe that NHRA has completely lost touch with its grass roots, and needs a thoughtful and thorough soul-searching of the kind that only a "crisis" such as this can bring on. Does it need new leadership? Undoubtedly (and unfortunately) the answer is "yes". The current directors and executives seem far more intent on issues such as "image" and "brand" than on thew things that are important to the men and women who live and breath this sport at the grass roots level. Ignore your grass, and pretty soon you won't have a lawn. Or anything for your cows to munch on. 'Nuff said?



Part of the issue is.... we have a different kind
of gear head now days... most young guys dont know
what a carb looks like let along work on one... the
young generation is a computer geek that plays video
games(not saying all) but when they go to the track
(if they do) they dont relate to the engines...
all of them have carbs and dont use a computer to
tune them(yes there are some but not the pro stuff)
this is just my opinion but maybe NHRA should open
up to the modern stuff more... and of course lower
the price tag to get in... the rest of the country
took pay cuts so why not them..... again..... JMO