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Just Wondering
12/6/06
 Photo by Ian Tocher |
Just Wondering… Why is the NHRA awards banquet in Palm Springs, CA, while NASCAR has theirs in downtown Manhattan? Are you telling me that a company that grosses over $100,000,000 a year and is located a short drive from Hollywood can’t find a venue in Tinseltown and instead holds their prestigious award banquet in the Mojave Desert?
Just Wondering… Quick follow up question: Do the NHRA and POWERade folks really believe that print and electronic media types -- many of whom have editors who don’t care for drag racing in the first place -- are going spend the money to rent a tux, buy an expensive airline ticket and stay in an expensive hotel in Palm Springs to cover the awards banquet? The answer is NO!
Just Wondering… Final question on this subject! Is the reason the NHRA holds their awards banquet the Monday following the last race of the season because the NHRA suits are anxious to get on with their vacation? Or is it because the racers, owners and sponsors are already in the area and they evidently wouldn’t make another plane trip to pick up their loot?
Just Wondering… After the Ron Capps incident in a nostalgia fuel funny car this year what are the chances that future contracts for drag racing’s star drivers may prohibit them from driving in other nitro burning cars during the racing season?
Just Wondering… Did I miss it? Has the NHRA officially announced that the AMS Pro Mod circuit is on the schedule? I’ve read the press releases from the AMS series public relations department announcing the return and a tentative schedule, but nothing “official” as yet from the NHRA. Sponsorships and team’s futures may depend on some official word from the NHRA.
Just Wondering… With NASCAR, CART and the IRL all moving in one way or the other to the ESPN/ESPN2 networks will the NHRA broadcast schedule be affected? Smart money says that NASCAR will get favored treatment over any other sport at those networks.
Just Wondering… Am I the only one amazed with the continuing performance increases by the NHRA Pro Stock class? They continue to go quicker and faster year after year with a 500 cubic-inch spec engine, spec gas and tires.
Just Wondering… How much longer will the NHRA sport compact series survive? More often lately the sport compact racers are turning up at “heads-up” races and doing quite well thank you.
Just Wondering… Did the NHRA add new turbocharged classes to Comp Eliminator to ensure sport compact racers would still have a place to race in the NHRA?
Just Wondering… Since the NHRA has adopted their own version of NASCAR’s “Chase for the Championship” could we see also a NASCAR-like “car of the future” for NHRA Pro Stock competition?
Just Wondering… How many more teams can Evan Knoll sponsor before that well finally runs dry?
Just Wondering… Speaking of new tracks, has anyone seen the earthmovers working on the long-promised and anticipated drag strip at Banning, CA?
Just Wondering… Will the NHRA organization, which grosses over $100,000,000 a year according to their tax returns, ever quit spending millions on “improvements” (luxury boxes) at tracks they own and instead pay their Top Fuel and Funny Car World Champions at least a million bucks. Maybe then the mainstream press, who pay attention to those kinds of numbers, will have the perception that drag racing is in the same league as other major motorsports?
Just Wondering… How long will it be before there are no more single-car Top Fuel and Funny Car teams left in NHRA drag racing?
Just Wondering… With NASCAR moving to ESPN and ESPN2 this year will NHRA drag racing find at least its Saturday coverage being pre-empted and moved around even more?
Just Wondering… Will track owners east of the Rocky Mountains follow the lead of West Coast tracks and start booking Nostalgia Funny Car circuits and match races? Are there enough racers and promoters east of the Rockies that will spend money building or booking cars like their West Coast brethren do?
Just Wondering… With all of the empty seats we see at NHRA televised events (there are exceptions to that observation but damn few) wouldn’t it make sense to lower the price for some of the seats and get more people in the stands? I have to wonder how much money a track makes on an empty seat?
Just Wondering… Why don’t the NHRA and IHRA management add Nostalgia Top Fuel and Funny Cars as legal classes at Divisional races only? Both the NHRA and the IHRA desperately need the equivalent of NASCAR’s Busch Series as developmental series, Divisional tracks need something that will bring fans to the divisional races, and it’s been proven over and over that Top Sportsman or alky-burning cars won’t do it. 
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