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How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? #2566191
10/18/18 10:47 PM
10/18/18 10:47 PM
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dIc dOc Deity ! Offline OP
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Especially from the racers ... How are you guys treated ? How much is it to race at divisional and national events ? Prize and contingency money better ? Now from a TV watcher - WOW - some of the TV shots of the stands show almost empty !! 

Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: dIc dOc Deity !] #2566200
10/18/18 11:10 PM
10/18/18 11:10 PM
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Costs way more to run Divisionals and Nationals than it did 20 years ago. NHRA purse is about the same, which isn't much. Have to run points meets to get grade points to get in to Nationals.

Contingencies, which is where you made the money, are way down. Make about half what you did 20 years ago. Costs are way up for everything from tires to fuel to parts to transporters. Need bigger, better stuff to stay competitive. Not a money making proposition. Don't get me wrong. It's a lot of fun. Great way to spend a summer and a pile of money Better get a dragster and hit the big bucks brackets if you want to maybe break even.

Last edited by CMcAllister; 10/18/18 11:14 PM.

If the results don't match the theory, change the theory.
Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: dIc dOc Deity !] #2566205
10/18/18 11:16 PM
10/18/18 11:16 PM
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About the only class I see that’s what I would describe as “thriving”, is stock eliminator, particularly on the east coast.

But that’s never done much to put people in the seats.


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Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: dIc dOc Deity !] #2566209
10/18/18 11:20 PM
10/18/18 11:20 PM
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Wow ... It's about 20 years since I was a NHRA contingency sponsor! ... I haven't seen a recent list but some time ago I saw a list and YEAH the list was smaller. Haven't seen the rules lately at all ... What's the deal with cars displaying a Jegs and Summit decal on the same car ? How much does it cost to enter a car at these events now ?

Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: dIc dOc Deity !] #2566211
10/18/18 11:22 PM
10/18/18 11:22 PM
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Big Bucks bracket racing ? ... Come to the Sunshine state next month .... Decent money offered at both Bradenton and West Palm and I think at Orlando

Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: dIc dOc Deity !] #2566291
10/19/18 02:11 AM
10/19/18 02:11 AM
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Phoenix, AZ
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MoparBilly Offline
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Last Divisional I raced was 2008, last National that year as well.

After I quit racing them, I would still go watch the Arizona Nationals on Friday.

In 2015, my buddy and I took Friday off of work, went out and were the fifth car in line to get into the spectator gate. We sat there for an hour and a half. Stock had already completely ran, and Super Street was half way through before staff showed up to open the gates and sell tickets. I haven't been back to one since.

That same buddy and I used to get together on Sundays for pizza, and to watch the ESPN broadcast. We watched one broadcast on Fox and threw in the towel, I haven't watched a single NHRA National event broadcast since.

I thought once I gave up the Divsionals and Nationals, I could go back to the local NHRA Summit Series team events and that would be good enough. But everyone at those races are spoiled little babies who expect the local track and track officials to kiss their butts every time they drive through the gate! It's really sickening, and the constant griping and bellyaching sucks all the fun out of it.

The truth is...I like people who like CARS! Not people who think they are a tool for them to use to try and prove they are a superior driver to everyone else on the property. So I find myself drawn to Specialty type events: Mopar Races, Nostalgia Races, Street Car races and such.

I'm still a member, (have to for the license), still thumb through the National Dragster...maybe I'll try it again some day...it's just not as important to me as it one was.

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"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks" 4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: dIc dOc Deity !] #2566384
10/19/18 11:29 AM
10/19/18 11:29 AM
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Compared to IHRA, yes. To NMCA, then not even close. Best example to present date is Sears. Living off the past glory and no one at the helm that knows much about drag racing. Now bankrupt, NHRA has the same destiny.

Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: dIc dOc Deity !] #2566396
10/19/18 11:54 AM
10/19/18 11:54 AM
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Tulsa, Oklahoma
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Despite the issues mentioned above NHRA has had increased track attendance and increased TV ratings over the last several years.

National events have quotas for most if not all Sportsman cars. Some races fall short, other races fill up quickly.

Lots and lots of complicated issues here.

In my opinion the best way to watch a national event is the NHRA All Access product. It's not perfect but you hear the NHRA track announcers rather than some TV guy. My only issues are the product itself could be managed better and it takes a lot of time, just like if you were actually at the track.

Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: MoparBilly] #2566414
10/19/18 12:20 PM
10/19/18 12:20 PM
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North Central, Indiana
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Originally Posted By MoparBilly


The truth is...I like people who like CARS! Not people who think they are a tool for them to use to try and prove they are a superior driver to everyone else on the property. So I find myself drawn to Specialty type events: Mopar Races, Nostalgia Races, Street Car races and such.


iagree Kinda how I feel.
I'm a two hour drive from Indy and always looked forward to the Nationals, but haven't been to them in 11 years. I don't even care to watch their national events on tv.

I enjoy going to NMCA, Mopar, muscle car, radial and street car specific races more than NHRA national events. I've also found the racers at smaller events like theses to be more cordial twocents


72 Plymouth Roadrunner 11.08@123.25
Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: dIc dOc Deity !] #2566461
10/19/18 01:50 PM
10/19/18 01:50 PM
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Stuttgart, Arkansas
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I'm sure the NHRA thinks everything is fine. Isn't the big man drawing a $750,000 salary?


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Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: Roughbird72] #2566484
10/19/18 02:38 PM
10/19/18 02:38 PM
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Originally Posted By Roughbird72
Originally Posted By MoparBilly


The truth is...I like people who like CARS! Not people who think they are a tool for them to use to try and prove they are a superior driver to everyone else on the property. So I find myself drawn to Specialty type events: Mopar Races, Nostalgia Races, Street Car races and such.


iagree Kinda how I feel.
I'm a two hour drive from Indy and always looked forward to the Nationals, but haven't been to them in 11 years. I don't even care to watch their national events on tv.

I enjoy going to NMCA, Mopar, muscle car, radial and street car specific races more than NHRA national events. I've also found the racers at smaller events like theses to be more cordial twocents




I know attendance is up at NHRA right now, but like anything else, results are not instant. As Pro Stock circles the drain, as a bunch of people squeal for FSS to replace Pro Stock (which will kill that class as well because the only way to keep things "fair" is to legislate the [censored] out of the cars and make them cookie cutter junk...sound familiar...like the current PS) or use Pro Mod, which will fail because the word is PM doesn't want a 24 race schedule, as the fans are realizing Funny Car is slower than it was 2 years ago, as the track prep continues to produce the results we all knew would happen (the guys with the money will figure out the prep and still whip the guys who can't and it's money that makes that happen)...as all this goes on in a year or two (say by 2021) the NHRA will again be behind the 8 ball.


The NHRA should take the hint and sell off the Sportsman classes and Pro Stock and run a fuel show with jet cars, wheel standers and other circus act [censored] as filler.

Let someone else promote and control the other drag racing.

I'm surprised so many guys will put up with being treated like [censored] to race a car.

That being said, if the No Prep, Duck style and other races as such can get into the biggest tracks, they will put NHRA to shame. If for no other reason that that stuff has the best marketing plan devised. And because it's a much better show.

I love nitro as much as anyone, but I'm a doorslammer guy from birth. I'm bored to death by bracket racing. I don't want to watch a dragster that doesn't burn fuel make a boring pass.

When door cars pull to the water box, I want to KNOW what that car is, not by a sticker on the windshield. And that [censored] better have a hood scoop.


NHRA doesn't see the storm about to land on Glendora. But sure as God made little green apples, it's coming.


Just because you think it won't make it true. Horsepower is KING. To dispute this is stupid. C. Alston
Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: dIc dOc Deity !] #2566501
10/19/18 03:01 PM
10/19/18 03:01 PM
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Park Forest, IL
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The people who dislike the NHRA will tell you it's going down, the people who like it will tell you things are great. Me personally? I've been hearing the NHRA is dead since the early '80s. Someday they will be right, but not today.


"Everybody funny, now you funny too."
Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: slantzilla] #2566534
10/19/18 03:57 PM
10/19/18 03:57 PM
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Bend,OR USA
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Cab_Burge Online work
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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 ] shock 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 work shruggy
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 work
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 puke
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 up bow
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 whiney
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 shruggy
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 work whiney
If you have a suggestion on how to stop the decay and how to make our sport better please send those suggestions to NHRA up

Last edited by Cab_Burge; 10/20/18 04:11 AM.

Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: dIc dOc Deity !] #2566548
10/19/18 04:15 PM
10/19/18 04:15 PM
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North Central, Indiana
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Cab, can't argue with the $$$ aspect and the younger generation's lack of interest. At least I don't see the interest in the sport like it was when I was in my 20s. There may be other factors I don't see either shruggy


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Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: Roughbird72] #2566560
10/19/18 04:48 PM
10/19/18 04:48 PM
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We ran an invited in "exhibition" class at the Vegas 4 wides and the Sonoma Nationals. I have got nothing but good things to say about the NHRA and how we were treated. No entry fee and that included the driver and 4 crew members. Tech came to our pit to look things over. We always knew when we were up because an official came to us to inform us 2 or 3 times before we were to run. The experiences were two of the best I have ever had on a drag strip.

Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: BobR] #2566628
10/19/18 08:10 PM
10/19/18 08:10 PM
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BOBR … i agree , had the same experience at the 2014 Toyota Nationals at Englishtown we were part of an exhibition also ( 11.50 index) the NHRA officials were great and professional it too was one of the highlights of my racing career … having Roy Johnson come up and ask me about my car made it special also. We ran the Dutch Classic at Maple Grove a few weeks ago again the NHRA division guys were great . I never understood NHRAs seat belt expiration every two years but hey its their game so we/I have to comply.

Last edited by 11secdart; 10/19/18 08:12 PM.

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Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: dIc dOc Deity !] #2566743
10/20/18 12:59 AM
10/20/18 12:59 AM
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Wow ..,part of an exhibition ... Was there any compensation given to you guys ?

Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: dIc dOc Deity !] #2566745
10/20/18 01:03 AM
10/20/18 01:03 AM
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Originally Posted By Doc Fiberglass
Wow ..,part of an exhibition ... Was there any compensation given to you guys ?



Heck yaaaa. 100,000.00 a pass


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Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: pittsburghracer] #2566785
10/20/18 02:33 AM
10/20/18 02:33 AM
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Originally Posted By pittsburghracer
Originally Posted By Doc Fiberglass
Wow ..,part of an exhibition ... Was there any compensation given to you guys ?



Heck yaaaa. 100,000.00 a pass


GOOD to see someone is making money like the prez of NHRA does !

Re: How "healthy" is the NHRA in your opinion ? [Re: dIc dOc Deity !] #2566909
10/20/18 01:42 PM
10/20/18 01:42 PM
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Originally Posted By Doc Fiberglass
Wow ..,part of an exhibition ... Was there any compensation given to you guys ?


Not directly from the NHRA but there was money on the line. We won both races(8 car ladders) and have 2 kind of Wallys. Side note. On Friday in Sonoma we were in the staging lanes when the pro cars were. We were up before they were so the drivers had not suited yet. The attention we got from them was amazing...especially Clay Millican. Even crew chiefs were looking us over. Clay told us that our kind of racing brought him back to his roots. We beat Boddie on that run in a highlighted grudge race. The crowd went crazy. Again...amazing experience.

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