quote:

Originally posted by Curly1:

quote:

Originally posted by maliciousintent:
What is the NHRA' s product?

RACERS. With out Racers they have nothing.

It's a mutual relationship. Without a sanctioning body and races, the race teams have nothing.

Bucky, drag racing got started without a sanctioning body. Racers raced on abandoned air strips etc. Outlaw tracks dot the country. My point is that pro or sportsman racers will find a place to race. There are alternatives to the NHRA. While I donnot want to see them fold, which I doubt will happen, it will only benefit everyone for them to become relevant. If a need is created, it will be filled.

Sponsorship money for a lot of the teams only goes so far and often does not cover the entire cost of running the whole operation.

You can't keep going backwwards each race as Terry McMillen pointed out in his interview.

To operate a successful business if your income is cut, you have to cut your expenses the same amount. I don't see NHRA or anyone else offering up a solution on how to cut expenses for each event or plans for any alternate sources of income to offset the reduced payouts.

Dead On with a bunch of zeros Joe!

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by maliciousintent:
Bucky, drag racing got started without a sanctioning body. Racers raced on abandoned air strips etc. Outlaw tracks dot the country. My point is that pro or sportsman racers will find a place to race. There are alternatives to the NHRA. While I donnot want to see them fold, which I doubt will happen, it will only benefit everyone for them to become relevant. If a need is created, it will be filled.

I hope you are right. But exactly what big time sponsors are going to pony up big bucks to keep a fuel team on the track, when there is no TV coverage consistently? When they are match racing across the country at smaller venues? I stand by my statement. They need each other. Would fuel racing die all together? I doubt that. But the business model would have to change greatly for every team. Remember too that there weren't 8k horsepower machines running then. And it was nowhere near as safe then. Some things we just don't want going backwards.

Addressing Joe's statement: Agreed, but that turnip has been bled to death already. Spectators won't pay more. Sportman racers are already bled to death. What's your idea? Maybe there are ways to significantly reduce costs for teams. If we slow them too much, fans will be unimpressed, and won't show up. It's a tough nut to crack.

If they did take a pay decrease at NHRA, good for them and if I were them I would make it known humbly.

Is it time or past time to bring the pros back to more of a grassroots effort? Shorten the events permanently? Limit pit sizes? Put controls on the numbers of crew members? i dunno.

Get locked down, you go out of business DUH!

Where's the outrage locked down over a cold, 99.98% survivable? No No No, it's all NHRA's fault!

You reap what you sow!

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
Get locked down, you go out of business DUH!

Where's the outrage locked down over a cold, 99.98% survivable? No No No, it's all NHRA's fault!

You reap what you sow!

Mike you have a good point. People are surprised and even outraged at NHRA for a "stupid" decision to reduce payout. It's kinda a "well duh!" moment.
There seems to be some expectation that the employer or in this case the sanctioning body simply absorb the loss of revenue somehow and go on business as usual....writing checks that they don't have revenue to cover.

AGAIN...

NO ONE competing at an NHRA National event in any class is doing it for the $.

There is no pro that isn't "rich" and that can also be said for TAD, TAFC and many in the rest of the sportsman classes too.

This sport costs $ to play at this level and always did and always will.

The NHRA isn't going out of business anytime soon, nor are they going to change their business model, nor are they going to increase the payouts to sportsman racers, nor are they going to bring back 1/4 mile racing for the fuel cars.

Now I turn it back to those here that don't race on this stage, to tell us what the NHRA needs to do to fix the problems that those here think the NHRA has or has to fix.

quote:

Originally posted by Bucky:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
Get locked down, you go out of business DUH!

Where's the outrage locked down over a cold, 99.98% survivable? No No No, it's all NHRA's fault!

You reap what you sow!

Mike you have a good point. People are surprised and even outraged at NHRA for a "stupid" decision to reduce payout. It's kinda a "well duh!" moment.
There seems to be some expectation that the employer or in this case the sanctioning body simply absorb the loss of revenue somehow and go on business as usual....writing checks that they don't have revenue to cover.

As soon as sniffle season comes what if there is another LOCKDOWN!!? counting cold/flu deaths COVID!!?

That'll finish the rest off!! Except Walmart, we'll let them continue to do business!! (Evil laugh Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!

You can put as many people out of business as you want, as long as they'll let you!! DUH!!

Where's the OUTRAGE!!? No, No , No it's all NHRA's fault!!!

GEEZ!!

Here, take this vaccine your life will go back to normal, we promise Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha 99.98% survivable Ha Ha Ha Ha!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mike Rietow,

Ed, I have been racing the NHRA, both at a national level(limited) and division level for 50 years. I've crewed on pro teams at various times so I think I can address some of the concerns voiced here. If you go back and read some of my earlier post you may understand my points. 1st. The NHRA has gone from an organization based on safety concerns of getting street drag racing a safe and recognized place to race. Today that mission has morphed into a monolithic 'non-profit' unbending corporation. 2nd. In 50+ years societal demographics have changed tremendously, NHRA has in my opinion failed to keep pace with these changes. We are no longer in a car culture that both you and I grew up with. 3rd. Cost have skyrocketed. You and I both agree it takes $$$$ to play on this stage. I have little empathy for the pro racers who spend fortunes for the ego rush, good for those that can afford it. 4th. and this goes back to a question I asked in an earlier post about the NHRA's product. Buckys answer is close. Their product is ENTERTAINMENT. When the NHRA can no longer provide an affordable product people (both racers, spectators and sponsors) will find other venues to spend what their budget can afford. I believe and hope the NHRA is beginning to see the hand writing on the wall. I donnot want to see them fail but this pandemic, real or not, has been a slap in the face forcing a wake up call to us all.

How is this any different than any other business that has been affected by 2020? Less races, no fans, likely significant loss of sponsorship money, etc, etc. Their payouts are pathetic even at full purse---whether it is Pro or Sportsman. If I was a Pro sure I wouldn't want to see a purse cut, but if those purse cuts are affecting your ability to race then you prob shouldn't be doing it anyway.

N20frog. Agree.

Professional racing is all about the sponsors. If you don't believe it, ask Tony Schumacher. Even his filthy rich dad wouldn't put him in a car without one. No one is going to invest $10m in a professional race team without the exposure, and NHRA has shot themselves in the foot when it comes to exposure.

Ed you're not on the stage or even part of it. You're a back drop that is less necessary than crafties on a movie set.

quote:

Originally posted by Roger McGinnis:
Professional racing is all about the sponsors. If you don't believe it, ask Tony Schumacher. Even his filthy rich dad wouldn't put him in a car without one. No one is going to invest $10m in a professional race team without the exposure, and NHRA has shot themselves in the foot when it comes to exposure.

Ed you're not on the stage or even part of it. You're a back drop that is less necessary than crafties on a movie set.

Do you think it was his divorce more than anything.. They showed his new GF last race...

quote:

Originally posted by N2Ofrog:
How is this any different than any other business that has been affected by 2020? Less races, no fans, likely significant loss of sponsorship money, etc, etc. Their payouts are pathetic even at full purse---whether it is Pro or Sportsman. If I was a Pro sure I wouldn't want to see a purse cut, but if those purse cuts are affecting your ability to race then you prob shouldn't be doing it anyway.

EXACTLY!

I spent $30k this year before my cars made 1 pass and we have marketing partners helping us.

So let me get this straight. The logic is unless you are directly a part of national events no matter how big a fan, bracket racer, whatever, you cant have a legitimate opinion on NHRA?

Opinions are like azz holes Everyone has one and what comes out of yours gets flushed as does all shyt.