1/27/05

SIZZLE FIZZLE

Your article on "selling the sizzle" was dead on. I am so sick and tired of NHRA and their "enhancements." Yes, they are turning drag racing from a sport to an entertainment and I'm sick of it. I once had a teacher tell me he'd rather have three kids interested in his class than 100 who were not. Well, guess what NHRA, you are slowly filling the stands with people who don't care for cars, only entertainment. Once people want some different entertainment, drag racing ceases. Let's see, instead of paying gearheads (limited market, but loyal to manufacturers) we'll get paying masses (who have no interest in buying car parts but bigger market, more profit for NHRA) then when sales drop off, get rid of the midway because nobody's buying parts. That's called a self-fulfilling prophecy isn't it?

And if drag racing drops off, get rid of it. (Compton will have bled millions from it and won't care, he's not into cars, he's a suit, into making money for himself). People who only want to be entertained will want more shirt tossers, more accidents, maybe ramps at the end of the strip to give em a good thrill. Sure, it will destroy lots of beautiful cars, but hey, they're not car people anyway are they? Just paying masses.

Maybe a dragster demo derby? I think if NHRA thought they would pack the stands, they'd be all for it. (They'd just make it a sportsman even, and charge sportsman to smash their own equipment, with minimal if anything for payouts)! Am I bitter? DAMN RIGHT!!!!!! GET RID OF THE SUITS WHO ARE RUINING DRAG RACING!!!!!!

I'll stay with IHRA until Compton and Light and the rest of the &^%$s are gone!

As a side note, wouldn't it be cool if NHRA actually recognized that the hp war is on, and the biggest selling feature of most new cars (any brand, any vehicle) is the increase in hp from the previous year? I don't know, maybe promote a class that could be a "starting point" or a way to race your new car? How about a class that would sell cars for the manufacturers? Maybe call it....oh I don't know....STOCK????? Naw, the people in a class like that wouldn't have big enough pockets to be a benefit to NHRA or Compton's bank account.

STK/SS for ever!!

Jim Miller

ON THE MIDWAY

I couldn't agree more. I was at Seattle race and had problems with MSD box. We went to MSD trailer, they checked out box it was bad, so the guy reaches under the counter and had us another box. Asked how much; he says no charge. Boy we thought that was great! Have run only MSD products since and nothing else.

What's going to happens to small guys in sport? About NHRA how does that old song go (take my advice they're only trying to screw you).

Silvestre Cervantes

MEMBER? MAYBE.

I see once again you have written another great article about the NHRA.
I couldn't agree more with what you are saying. I've been a member of the NHRA for nearly 20 years and the last couple of years I've pondering whether or not to renew my membership. I could go to two national events at Route 66 raceway every year, (1 hour from my home) but I have not done so because of the kind of people that are being attracted to these races. Basically what has happened to all us gearheads in the stands?

I could go on and on about Rt.66 but the one thing that I dislike these days is to pay $10 to park there. The first couple of years that we went to a national event we didn't pay anything to park. The third year that we went is when they started to charge to park. I haven't been back since. The tickets are expensive enough and then they want to hit you up to park. I guess the NHRA just wants a whole different class of people at their events. I guess that leaves us working class people out. Maybe NHRA wants to have spectators like Formula 1 sipping champagne and eating caviar instead of spectators drinking beer and eating hot dogs.

I could rant forever, but I'll quit for now.

Thanks,

Al Ullo