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SPORTSMAN #4
I did not attend the event at Gainseville
and I am currently a spectator, not a racer.
Having established my frame of reference let
me make the following observations.
Sportsman racers attend a national event
for the competition, exposure and atmosphere.
NHRA's chosen method for dealing with the
weather issue at THIS RACE, left sportsmen
with only one of the three benefits. But to
a certain extent that was mitigated by offering
fee credit. I was at Texas last year and the
same issue presented itself but was handled
in a different, and in my opinion, better
fashion. While Ennis is a private owned track
there are certainly enough other tracks within
a reasonable distance that the same thing
could have been done.
You compare drag racing to outdoor concerts.
I have not attended many, but let me make
some specific comparisons. Concert venues
usually have permanent seating, ditto for
national event tracks. Concert venues usually
have permanent but inadequate amounts of restroom
facilities, ditto for national event tracks.
Concert venues usually overcharge for tickets,
ditto for drag racing. Concert venues usually
have sub-standard food at overinflated prices.
Drag racing outdoes concert venues in the
quality if not the price. Concert venues usually
have paved parking. Oops. Here is where your
comparison comes apart.
NHRA could provide paved parking and then
this issue would not have occurred. It was
not primarily a "time-on-track" issue. It
was parking. Some tracks have made a minor
improvement and paved the pro pits. People
need to make the additional investment and
pave spectator parking and sportsman pits.
Or expect grief when it rains.
John McColley
SPORTSMAN #5
They are just filler for the big race. Look
at the stands when they run. They do have
the right to race, but need to remember what
they are.
NHRA made the right choice in FLA.
Thanks.
Jeff Rasmussen
SPORTSMAN #6
I truly enjoyed you perspective on the situation
that occurred at the Gainesville GatorNationals.
We decided to spectate and were not running,
but heard it all from fellow .90 racers who
were outraged.
You sum it up well by opening all of our
eyes to the "business" side of this sport.
And yes, any of us that are business owners
can relate. No business is in existence to
lose money (well.) And we should not expect
Gainesville to be any different. They did
the best they could; we feel fortunate that
we got to see as much as we did.
Some of the animosity I'm sure was building
though from the event earlier at Gainesville
where the water seepage (as you mention) that
many of us know is an issue caused several
crashes and a few injuries (one serious) before
NHRA had the sense to call it and finish later.
While we all know the risks we take to participate,
we should not be subject (yes it is voluntary,
but you have to get your grade points) or
feel we have to run in un-safe conditions
to qualify to run.
Other NHRA tracks in FL? Orlando. Have you
run there? Those that do know the dangers
of the shutdown area...the track seems to
have a disproportionate amount of crashes,
injury, and yes...death than most others.
Moroso? Getting airborne at the 1000-ft bump
in the right lane is no fun either, and the
left lane is not much better.
If we have to be held to higher standards
to run NHRA, should not NHRA require a higher
standard from the member tracks? I have no
complaints with tracks we visit in other states,
but the Florida tracks don't leave us much
to be impressed with.
Keep up the excellent reporting! Being unbiased
is an art, and this last article was the perfect
balance.
Best Regards,
Tracy Lewis
Vice President
DTNet / VCG Technologies
FISH FAN
Glad to hear of your involvement with NitroFish.
I have a 2001 Yamaha Road Star, and believe
me, she is a beauty. I took the gas tank badges
off and replaced them with NitroFish die-cast
decals. They look great! I just wait for people
to ask me about them so I can get on my drag
racing soapbox. I am very pleased with Nitro
Fish's involvement with Hurley's Pro Stock
team, as well as their involvement with you.
I will continue to buy their products as long
as they support the sport!
Roger Hammon
