FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
In regard to your one-day race idea, some races seem to
drag forever don't they? (pun intended) To speed up eliminations,
do away with flip of the coin (brackets) lane choice and
even Qualified lane choice if you want drag racers to the
line for "final" call, give first car there lane
choice. After the first race weekend you will never wait
for the guy who is determined he needs 5 more minutes for
cool down.
This is based on experience. I ran the daily operations
here for 2 years with never any waits for racers. The previous
management took over again (track owner changed) and started
giving lane choice to the fast car (in brackets no less)
and all of a sudden waiting for cars again.
Michael Karpes
(just a division 6 racer now)
WHERE'S THE PASSION FOR THE SPORT?
Darr, the whole time reading your column, I was saying to
myself, "exactly, yes, that's true" etc. I recently
talked to a young guy who just got a $168.00 fine for doing
a burn out and lining up to street race as a cop watched
from a parking lot. I said why don't you go to the local
dragstrip? He said he didn't want to hurt his car and he
didn't know about drag racing. I explained EVERYTHING about
bracket and heads up and he said he's tried "race your
neighbour" at the local stock car track which is for
STREET cars!
My point? He thought drag racing was only for "drag
cars" not street cars, and I blame that totally on
the "marketing suits." How on earth could a kid
think it's safer to race his street car with two 180-degree
turns than to race in a straight line? One word, marketing,
by NASCAR and not by NHRA. If I owned a major business of
ANY kind and wanted to hire someone to run it in my absence,
I would like to think I had the common sense to hire somebody
with the PASSION for the work/job not just a "suit."
If you talk to the "janitor for floor three broom department"
at NASCAR headquarters, I'll bet you the person is a NASCAR
fan, whereas if you talk to a "manager's secretary"
at NHRA (or the manager, for that matter) they have no interest
in drag racing, they just have a job doing what they do
at their desk then go boating/skiing/roller-skating/whatever
on the weekends.
And THAT is why, until that changes NHRA will never even
come close to realizing its potential, or come close to
NASCAR in any way. The "uninterested" are running
the ship, and what they find "interesting" (circus
acts) is what they think everybody else will find interesting
too. Unfortunately for them, they don't understand that
the rest of us don't want to be interested in other stuff,
we are already interested in drag racing!! We don't need
"entertainment" because we are not "uninterested"!
I think before anybody should be able to work at NHRA they
should have some seat time, and know what drag racing is,
have a passion for it. And no, I don't mean pro guys either;
I'm talking about people who actually raced because of passion
and not because they were paId X amount of money to be a
driver.
Anyway, my 2 cents. I'd love to see drag racing flourish,
but with the current inept leadership, I am somewhat skeptical.
Love your columns.
Jim Miller
'SUITS' NEED TO TALK WITH THE
FANS
Darr, you're right. NHRA is in the business of drag racing.
They only want big sponsors and big teams. I've been in
this racing gig for over 35 years. I have driven fuel cars
and been with championship teams. None of the NHRA people
give a damn about the small racer or tracks. Look at Bill
Bader Sr. what he did with Norwalk Raceway Park, I raced
there in '73 when it first opened, yes, I've know him that
long. He is the same now as then. Very passionate about
drag racing and racers. NHRA needs to look a Bill's 30+
years and learn from him before it's too late.
So Tom Compton, Pete Clifford and the rest of the NHRA
stuffed shirts, get off your high dollar butts and get out
to a grass roots race and talk to the people who pay your
high dollar salary.
Just a little venting. They, NHRA, need a good kick in
you know, now and then.
Dave Flory
