The "Outlaw" IHRA? 3/4/05
The NHRA and the NASCAR organizations seem hell bent on being perceived as mainstream sports organizations along with professional baseball and football. But the fact remains that professional basketball, indoor motocross, the "X" games, and even the fledgling American Drag Racing League all depend on being perceived by fans and sponsors as being just on or over the edge in relation to "mainstream" sports. The participants in all of these leagues make a point of being anything but mainstream, and from what I can see, that's what many 18- to 35-year-old fans, grizzled sports writers, and corporate sponsors are looking for. As I have watched auto racing sanctioning bodies such as NASCAR, CART, and the NHRA become increasingly uptight, politically correct and boring, I've also noticed that the average fan at these events are more likely to have gray hair than spiked. As I was mulling over the latest letter from NHRA's tech department containing yet more rules for their Pro Stock and nitro-burning classes, I had a thought about the other major player in drag racing: the International Hot Rod Association. I thought what drag racing needs is a major race series that caters to the Gen-X and Gen-Y racers, fans and sponsors. A big league race series with all the traditional cars and none of the traditional, mind-numbing, political correctness that is anathema to those sponsors, fans, and networks who support the "X" games, indoor motocross and drifting events. Why couldn't the IHRA fill that bill? IHRA could easily make itself a viable alternative for those racers, fans, and media by offering a kind of drag racing those folks will never see at an NHRA-sanctioned race. IHRA could be a true alternative motorsport and attract the generation who has no use for their dads' drag racing, and do so without radically re-inventing themselves or the classes. Let me give you a couple of examples. Instead of referring to their Pro Stock class as "mountain-motored" Pro Stocks IHRA could rename the class as "Outlaw" Pro Stock cars. Stress the fact that IHRA "Outlaw" Pro Stocks are quicker, faster, and more dangerous than NHRA's. Why not allow Top Fuel teams to put 100 percent in the tank and to run any blower overdrive they want? Tell the fans to expect oil downs because that's what happens when they get the rare pleasure of watching "Outlaw" Top Fuel cars trying to rotate the Earth. Since the television is tape delay and not aired live, oildowns won't affect the quality of those shows. And while they're at it they could bring back the original outlaws and their nitro-burning Harleys. Since NHRA opted to bring in their own version of IHRA's Pro Mod class, maybe it's time for IHRA to make their own version. Perhaps they should take a clue from Kenny Nowling's ADRL series and split the Pro Mod class into two: one for outlaw nitrous doorslammers and a second class for outlaw supercharged, turbocharged and 30% nitro in the fuel tank doorslammers. Once again allow the alcohol funny car class to have injected nitro engines if they want. One thing is sure: you just can't have too many nitromethane-burning racecars or bikes as far as the fans are concerned. Over the past five or six years both IHRA and NHRA have fiddled with their classes; they've arbitrarily dropped and added them and have changed rules to appease the racers and sponsors, but I'm not sure that the fans' opinions have been considered. Judging from the actual number of spectators and TV viewers that drag racing attracts, I'd have to say that drag racing at the national-event level no longer is growing. The IHRA and their parent company Clear Channel might have a rare opportunity right now. In my opinion, every time drag racing has increased its popularity it has happened as a result of the introduction of a new class. Top Fuel, Fuel Funny Cars, Pro Stock and Pro Modified are all good examples; the introduction of each class gave the sport a boost. The NHRA, its sponsors and even its racers are so completely ingrained into their current programs that they react to any change as if they were stuck with a hot poker. NHRA basically was forced into having exhibition classes for Pro Mod, Sports Compact and Nitro Harley. They haven't embraced the classes and they tell anyone involved with those classes that they don't attract new fans. Maybe the fans are just tired of the same old, same old, and are seeking a simpler, more exciting version of drag racing. Maybe "outlaw" racing is what they want. The IHRA already has (or had) most of the racers and classes that makes them unique and attractive to those who want to see that kind of racing. IHRA has a window of opportunity where they can offer fans, media and racers some relief from crushing corporate correctness. My unpaid -- and generally unwanted -- advice to Aaron Polburn and Charlie Mancuso is "Carpe Diem." It means seize the day.
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It's
obvious to any knowledgeable auto racing fan or promoter that the
word "Outlaw" attracts the attention of even
the most casual race fan or media type. American race fans in general
seem to have a fascination with almost any group using the term "Outlaw" to
refer to their drivers or cars.
