ANOTHER PROMOTER'S VIEW OF HUNTSVILLE,
ETC.
Jeff, I just finished your column. It appears as though
you are going through the same disappointment I felt when
we tried to pull of the Super Class World Championships
earlier this year. Big money guaranteed, low entry fees,
nice track, nice prices...you name it, we had it. The only
thing I asked in return was a pre-entry. Two weeks prior
to the event we pulled the plug after receiving less than
40 of the 100 racers in each class that we needed.
We direct mailed over 1,000 entry forms and only had 40
come back? I had 210 Super Comp cars at my LODRS event racing
for $1,000 and couldn't attract 100 cars for a guarantee
of $20,000 to win per day.
I share your disbelief. Just when you think you're giving
them what they want they pull the rug out from under you.
Many racers like to recall the "good ol' days"
of match-racing, fuel shows every weekend, 64 Funny Cars,
etc. Yet, when you try to bring back the glory no one supports
it. It really is amazing.
I grew up in dirt late model racing and watched Earl Baltes
with his World 100 and Dream, Carl Short with the Dirt Track
World Championship and more and more promoters who would
lay it on the line and get the big names. I put on a show
at a track in Kentucky 11 years ago where I guaranteed $15,000
to win and attracted every top driver. I thought the same
thing could work for drag racing. IT DIDN'T.
I believe that there are a huge number of divisional racers
out there who only go to the races because it beats the
hell out of the KOA or a car show. Think about it. You load
up the RV and trailer, you go to your campsite, you roll
out the car and polish it for hours. Once or twice a day
you roll it up to the lanes and make a pass in front of
the crowd. When the day is done you drink a few beers and
eat BBQ with your buddies, you roll the car back in the
trailer and you crawl into the RV for some sleep. It only
costs you $250 bucks or so (comparable to some of the bigger
car shows when you count your camping) and it beats the
hell out of staying at the house. I'm not saying it is all
racers...but there's a bunch of them. If you just go to
the races to spectate you're looking at $100 for your tickets
and another $100-500 for camping...it's the best deal going!
Pro racers are another story and I can't believe more of
them didn't support George's event. Especially in this age
when everyone is bitching about bigger payouts. All of those
guys who regularly qualify #9-#16 should have been there
to make a little cash and to help spread this idea around
a little farther. If George does it then there will be 20
other promoters who will try to imitate him...that's what
they did with his bracket programs. Then these guys would
have some real alternatives and real opportunities to have
some fun...people would take notice and you would see some
changes. Unfortunately, the opportunity train just left
the station for the Top Fuel boys.
This is truly a sad week. George's event didn't work and
Woodburn pulled the plug on the Pro Stock Shootout. Let's
hope that Spokane, Norwalk and Cordova keep plugging along
to keep some imagination in this business.
I hope George never quits trying in his quest to be the
craziest promoter out there. Maybe the Funny Car guys will
support it?
Chris Blair - Sr. Director
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
STREET CARS BETTER THAN 'BIG GO'
I agree with the "Burkster" in saying that the
NHRA and IHRA need to do something to get the crowd excited.
There is a "Fastest Street Car" race this weekend
at my local track Toronto Motorsports Park, followed next
weekend with an IHRA national event. Myself and a lot of
my friends are going to go the street car race and skip
the national event. At the street car race the fields are
full in every class, the variety of cars is exceptional
and most of them are wheelstanding, tail wagging, lane changing
beasts. The admission fees are less than at a national event
and the entertainment is second to none.
I love the Pro Mods and Top Sportsman cars at the big go,
but other than that, the other classes of cars are just
too weak. We know that unless Clay falls asleep that he
will likely win and the same goes for Robbie Atcheson, although
Mike Thomas has at times defeated him. I live and breathe
drag racing but it is time to introduce some new classes
as suggested... . OK, I probably will go to the national
event, like I said I am a die hard.
Thanks,
Super Dave Peake
Woodstock, Ontario, Canada
DON'T SEND IN THE CLONES
I do agree with your argument on the NHRA and IHRA needing
to come up with ways to attract the younger crowd to the
track, one being the Ten-Wide Class. I mean really, the
only thing that interests most people at the drags is the
fuel cars; the rest are looked at as just fillers until
the fuel cars come back. That's sad! I used to like watching
Pro Stock, when nearly all the makes were racing, until
they became clone cars. I think an idea like 'Ten-Wide'
could replace it.
Jack W. Smith
Chesapeake, VA
