by Aaron Polburn

CLEANSING

National event drag racing is in trouble

At no other time have I ever felt like this and to be honest it scares me to death. I think professional drag racing is in deep trouble. I don't mean an easy quick fix kind of trouble. I mean an end to the "national" event format as we know it kind of trouble. Why? The reasons are many.

The expenses of conducting a national event have run amok with no end in sight. A perfect example is track prep, clean up and maintenance. What used to be a $5,000 line item could easily blossom to $50,000. And while expenses keep shooting up, attendance is eroding each year. Paying customers cleverly disguised as empty aluminum boards have hit an all-time high and this trend shows no mercy towards good (or even mediocre) promoters.

The business model is based on sponsorship doing the heavy lifting, not ticket sales. As my grandfather would say, “That's ass backwards.” Sponsors recognize the situation and rightfully negotiate deals at deeply discounted rates.

After the last economic disaster the potential fan has become ultra conservative. They are demanding that you give them God… and at last look, He was not available.

The train wreck is easy to spot: A potential customer with a new set of quality expectations is about to collide with venues and shows that are in cost-cutting mode just to survive.

It's time for a cleansing.

I had a clear understanding of the issue this past weekend. I had a friend ask me if I was going to Norwalk. I said no and added, "I've seen it all before. There's nothing new or fresh."

Drag racing needs a do-over. The product is stale. Somehow the sport lost its mojo. How in the world did we make a 320-mph nitro rocket irrelevant? How did we get prices so high that family fun was only for families named Gates?

The powers-that-be need to lock themselves in a room and hang a sign on the door that says "No egos beyond this point." The clock is ticking. Let's hope and pray the sound is a countdown to a new dawn -- and not a time bomb.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE FOURTH OF JULY

I don't know who does it but every July 4th someone puts out thousands of American flags overnight in Ashland, Ohio. It is impossible not to smile.

I believe that bikers may replace plumbers as most butt crack per pound.

Why are sparklers still fun as an adult?

I saw two homes that still had their Christmas lights up. And one actually turned them on at night. Commie!

I don't know the stats, but the 4th must be one of the highest beer consumption days of the year. That is backed by the fact that nearly every drive-through I saw was backed up to the street. I love this country.

Race safe. Godspeed.