DRAG RACING HAS NO BALLS?
IMNHO, the problem with NHRA drag racing
getting No Respect from the media has little
if anything to do with how many winners there
are in the Pro Classes on race day. Basically
the mindset in America is ALL stick & ball
so expecting the Rubes, which includes most
stick & ball media types, to give more
than a passing glance at drag racing, simply
is NOT going to happen.
I mean I live near Motown and the media
doesn't even cover NASCAR well, let alone
CART/IRL, SCCA or any other form of motorsport.
With the Big 3 spending over $200 MILLION
a year on NASCAR, you'd think somebody in
the PR depts. would be sending
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releases to
the Detroit Free Press, radio, TV and every
other medium to promote NASCAR, NHRA, etc.
I see more about NASCAR when I'm in Germany
on biz than what the local media provides
and you expect them to cover NHRA drag racing
too?
The problem is all of the media is "programmed" toward
stick and ball from high school through college
and out into the real world. For the most
part they don't even know auto racing exists
and they don't care if it exists. When you
have Pro stick & ball sports jocks that
can't read and write yet they get paid tens
of millions in salary a year, why would anyone
care about some chump drag racer making a
few hundred grand a year and risking his
life at 300 mph every other weekend? If he
ain't a JIVE "talking head" for
Nike does anyone really care about him? hell
No! Until you change the mentality or wine
and dine the clueless media to educate them,
little will change in America.
BTW, I for one would never want to see T/F
and Funny Car combined. If the media can't
understand (3) Pro Class winners on race
day, then they are incompetent and technically
challenged beyond comprehension, IMNHO, but
we already know that...
Randy Hubbard
IT MIGHT WORK
I think you've hit on something, even though
I've told Jim Trace that we need to celebrate
the difference in our sport vs, the other
racing sports, I like the way you presented
the idea, I guess I've had too many Crown & Frescas!
Anyway, I think you're right, it would stimulate
some excitement and get the "mainstream
press" talking. You know you could still
run the U.S. Nationals with Top Fuel and
Funny Car separate, for the purists.
Anyhow. . .Thanks for your always provocative
editorials!
Gary P. Jackson
Temple, Texas
SLICING UP THE PIE DIFFERENTLY
NHRA has always tried to compare or at least
use NASCAR as a template for growth. With
the payouts NASCAR cup drivers get it makes
NHRA drivers look like supermarket attendants,
NHRA is in my opinion the most dangerous
and most expensive (as far as parts go) racing
in the U.S. It is about time we reward our
drivers with paychecks fitting the job, as
far as NHRA not having money? Between divisional,
national, nhra sponsored events, and membership
which is the largest membership in the world,
I am sure they can scrape up some money for
our premier drivers and the draw to ALL national
events.
It might be time for Graham, and others
to take a pay cut in order to secure NHRA's
future in motorsports.
Ken Becker
