So what do we do?

Sanction running of a contingency program should also mean that there should be no doubt about the rules for qualifications for contingency money.

I feel that the solution either has to rest with the sanctions, or they should just do away with the contingency programs altogether and raise the purses to a meaningful level.

Then the companies would be free to pay their own racers from their own sponsorship/contingency programs as some companies that do not post with the major sanctions do now, or have individual contacts on a pay-for-performance basis.

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If the companies feel that is their best business self-interest, then more power to them! Any time that a middle-man can be eliminated, whether that is in business, or involves some form of governing authority, be it a race sanctioning body, Uncle Sam, some other alphabet-soup-entity, or you name it, it is a good thing.

If the sanctions are going to have a contingency program, then they should run the program, period. The sanction can collect the money from the companies involved, take the administrative costs off up front, pay the contingency money due to the racer at the same time that they pay the posted purse for the race, then return the unused money to the companies. (After all. it was contingent on the winners using the companies’ products, wasn’t it?)

If that means that there needs to be verification tear-downs at the end of a long weekend of racing, then that is the way it has to be. Racers need to be willing to accommodate the “rules of the game.” That might mean that the winners’ circle ceremony might have to be delayed for several hours after the end of the racing, or done away with altogether.

Either way, sanctions totally running the contingency program, or individual companies doing their own thing, it would be a small price to pay for the winners to be paid in a timely manner.

Dale Tuley
Las Vegas, NV

CONTINGENCY #9

I and several of my racing buddies that race only NHRA events have discussed this for years. The frustration seem to be widespread, as the payout has stagnated, and the amount of contingency available is diminishing. I feel that an annual racer contingency form, submitted at the beginning of each season, with serial #'s and date of purchase verified, similar to the extended tech inspection. This form could then be made available to all sponsors. Contingency should be paid by NHRA, with the responsibility of collection on their shoulders, not ours.   Everybody wants their money up front, but the racers have to wait months for theirs.

Tom Goldman
PA. DIV. 1

CONTINGENCY #10

If NHRA takes a fee from the mfg. to run the contingency program then the sanctioning body should be the one to verify what the racers are running. I think NHRA is becoming extremely greedy with their finger in all the pies. If NHRA is taking in money then they should have the staff (qualified, not a $7 an hour warm body) to over see this. NHRA is the one that is raking in the money, not the racers.

I have heard some war stories with some of the racers having to wait almost a year to get their money so there are problems on both sides.

Thanks for the space.

Nick Hoffman
NHRA#164103
Houston, TX