Reportedly NHRA has already taken the back-gate money away from the owners and has made them pay for the television advertising bill. The bottom line is that if NHRA is to survive as a sanctioning body, the track owners may end up funding it.

Bill Bader and IHRA may have it a little easier. Even if IHRA loses Summit and are unable to replace them with another company willing to put up a seven figure budget for the points fund and other programs, it is possible they wouldn't be quite as vulnerable as NHRA. The parent company of IHRA, Clear Channel Entertainment, is a multi-billion dollar company and, if they wanted to, could fund the entire series with ease. The fact that IHRA has a much smaller, leaner, more efficient operation than NHRA with a much lower overall budget works in their favor.

Make no mistake, the loss of RJ Reynolds to the NHRA tracks and the sanctioning body itself was devastating despite the spin they put on it. NHRA track owners have to scramble to replace the RJ Reynolds money they have depended on in the past. While IHRA won't be hurt as badly if Summit pulls out -- because Summit didn't spend money with the tracks the way RJ Reynolds did -- it will still look bad to potential sponsors if they perceive that IHRA drag racing can't deliver.

Corporations outside of the automotive and beverage industries may yet step to the plate and spend their advertising dollar with drag racing. GM executive Fred Simmons told me that, "We get a better bang for the buck being involved in drag racing over any other motor sport."

So, there is hope. But unless the economy takes a big turn upward and soon, drag racing and all other motorsports, with the exception of Winston Cup, will have to find some creative ways to keep the cash-flow positive and the schedules at the level they are. The money has to come from somewhere or someone; the burning question is where or whom.

Racers and fans need to know that the sanctioning bodies are doing the best they can, but as we heard several years ago, "It's the economy, stupid." We're all in this together. We can ride out these tough times, but it's going to take patience, compassion, and compromise.

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