|
Wondering already in the new year
1/7/05
 Just
Wondering . . . Since the NHRA advertises, markets and presents
itself as a major player in the sports entertainment business on
a level with the NASCAR, the NFL, the NBA, etc., and benefits from
the same tax exemptions and benefits that those leagues, why then
don't they pay their star attractions like those other leagues do?
The NFL, NBA, NHL and Professional Baseball all pay their players
or star no less than 50 percent of the gross revenues.The total
payout for the year including Pros and Sportsman classes was slightly
more than 20 percent. And that number doesn't even figure in what
portion of the purse was made from sportsman racer's entry fees!
Just Wondering . . . Which addiction
is worse, nitro racing or heroin? From what I hear, heroin is cheaper.
Just Wondering . . . Whatever happened
to all those racers and teams that used to whine about Force's multiple-car
team?
Just Wondering . . . Am I the only
one who noticed that the B&M Bracket series, one of the most
high-paying, well-funded and sponsored circuits in bracket racing
history, cut back to five races for the 2005 season? I take that
action as yet one more sign indicating that big time (big money)
bracket racing is on the decline.
Just Wondering . . . When is the
mainstream stick and ball media going to give the "Million
Dollar" bracket races the coverage they deserve?
Just Wondering . . . Am the only
one who is bored to death with "cacklefests" as entertainment
at drag races? I'm just amazed to hear that some people are actually
thinking of building nostalgia funny cars just to participate in
the cacklefests. I'm sorry, but I think it's just a sad to watch
great cars and drivers sitting around idling surrounded by a bunch
of old geezers like myself getting off snorting nitro exhaust fumes.
The word lame comes to mind. Here's a suggestion: start a real vintage
racing program that's completely autonomous from NHRA - IHRA - VRA
with its own insurance and rules. Limit the cars to eighth-mile
singles if you have to. If the cars are too nice to race, put 'em
in Petersen's museum but otherwise RACE THEM. Sports car and oval
track racers have racing programs for their vintage cars and drivers,
so why can't drag racing?
Just Wondering . . . Am I the only
fan that who really likes IHRA races for the variety in the professional
classes? IHRA fans never know who is going to show up in the Pro
classes until qualifying starts. Don't misunderstand me, I know
that the most famous drivers and cars and the best speeds and ET's
are still going to be seen at the NHRA shows, but with few exceptions
it's the same teams and drivers year after year. I'm growing a little
weary of watching those same faces and teams. After all, variety
is the spice of life.
Just Wondering . . . Is there any
better spectating than sitting in the grandstands at an NHRA, IHRA
or Goodguys race, as close to the "eyes" as you can get
on a warm summer night with a cold beer, a hot dog and some friends
watching nitro cars? That ticket, beer and dog, my friends, is a
bargain at almost any price.
Just Wondering . . . Since NHRA
tells everyone that their major attraction is the nitro-burning
cars, why don't they quit fooling around and allow the Pro Stocks
to run nitro? I'm not kidding. I think carbureted or EFI nitro burners
would be way cool. And there's simply no way that Pro Stock could
be any more expensive to run or more boring to many spectators.
Just Wondering . . . Where were
the NHRA tech guys' minds when they allowed innovations like the
set-back blower and six-disc clutches? They could have solved a
lot of the problems they are trying to deal with now if they had
simply told the teams NO when they first saw them. I remember when
Dale Armstrong brought out a two-speed blower for Kenny Bernstein.
NHRA nixed that when he brought it to Phoenix for testing without
even letting him run it.
Just Wondering . . . Is NHRA's
plan for bringing new teams and racers into Top Fuel designed to
force injected nitro dragster teams to switch because the constantly
changing rules for the class make it just as expensive to run TAD
as it does Top Fuel? I'll bet if you ask ex-injected fuel dragster
driver/owners Mike Gunderson or Mitch Meyers, they'll tell you that's
the case for them.
Just Wondering . . . Is there a
better Top Fuel show on the planet than VRA's program? Think about
it for a minute: two eight-car fields filled with front-motored
Chevy- and Chrysler-powered cars, tuned by men who generally won't
run anything under 98 percent in the tank and run the guts out of
the car every lap. No rev-limiters, percentage restrictions or political
correctness there. Now, that's my definition of an entertaining
Top Fuel field, and I don't care that the cars don't go 300 mph
or under five-seconds in the quarter-mile.
Just Wondering . . . I somehow
ended up watching one of those horrid "reality" hot rod
shows the other night. I mercifully forget the name, but it ended
with each set of contestants involved in a two out of three match
race between hopped up '67 Volkswagens at a SoCal dragstrip. Neither
of the contestants could drive a nail. So I wondered, "Wouldn't
it have made the show almost entertaining if NHRA had managed to
get a couple of NHRA stars or former stars to drive the cars?"
I'd pay to see McEwen and Prudhomme match race Volkswagens.
Just Wondering . . . Why not a
Jag, a BMW or an Accord? I saw a factoid recently that said a certain
Japanese brand of car is just about to sell more cars here in the
good old U.S. than Chrysler. When are the suits that run drag racing
going to figure out that many of the fans drive import cars to the
drags? So I ask once more, why not allow Japanese and European body
styles in Pro Stock? Isn't Chrysler owned by Daimler, doesn't Ford
own the Jaguar brand? I say bring 'em on. Drag racing has truly
become an international sport, so how come IHRA and NHRA are so
provincial and narrow minded about this? 
|
