More Wondering

03/03/08

Just Wondering … Is it an indication of how little the majority of the NHRA professional teams really need an increase in prize money that those teams who don’t have an organization to represent them with the authority to take what ever actions required to force management to bring the purses for the top three NHRA pro classes to a level comparable to other professional motorsports?

Just Wondering … What compelling reason does the NHRA have to pay the pro or sportsman racers larger purses?

Just Wondering … Why the IHRA management doesn’t get more credit from the racers and media for actually raising their professional purses, especially in the case of the Pro Modified class.

Just Wondering … How the IHRA will be affected if Evan Knoll’s check for the 2008 season doesn’t show up?

Just Wondering … Why is everybody so hard (including me sometimes) on Paul Page? It’s not like the man has driven the ratings for the TV broadcast down any.  Have we all forgotten the gaffs made by Bernie Partridge when he was announcing? Instead of getting mad, maybe we should just all chill and take the man’s occasional gaffs as part of his schtick. Now, the sin of omission that is a different subject all together.

Just Wondering … If the NHRA is really serious about bringing new sponsors into the sport, why were new Pro sponsors such as Mike Edwards’ Penhall deal, James Day’s new Top Fuel Records sponsor, Dexter Tuttle’s Vis Viva sponsor, Jim Dunn’s Canidae pet food sponsor and, perhaps most importantly, Bob Tasca III’s Quick Lane (Motorcraft) sponsor never mentioned? I watched the Saturday and Sunday Phoenix NHRA broadcast and for the second straight broadcast didn’t hear any of those company’s names mentioned.

Just Wondering … Did you know that the odds against anyone making money as a drag racer are much higher than making a major league sports team? Don’t think so? Well, consider this: at most NHRA events there are just 48 professional spots and three winners, and none of those pay enough for a racer to make a profit…ever! Every player that makes a major league sport's team roster makes more than 99 percent of drag racers.

Just Wondering … With three hours to fill and usually never enough pertinent content, what is the NHRA management’s reasoning for not at least showing the sportsman final rounds? Why doesn’t the management at POWERade and the NHRA throw a bone to the Lucas Oil sportsman racers and their fans? After all sportsman racers, their family and friends are potential POWERade customers, aren’t they?    

Just Wondering … Why didn’t the IHRA make a big deal out of showing their sportsman finals on their professional class broadcast from the last IHRA race of 2007?  Aaron Polburn, Skooter Peaco and their staff deserve big kudos for doing it, but it would have been nice to let the press and racers know it was happening…or did we just miss the memo? 

Just Wondering … Am I the only one who can’t quite get a mental picture of what IHRA's Nitro Jam is? Do you spread it on toast or is it something you watch on the Playboy channel? Just kidding, IHRA guys.  

Just Wondering … Why the NHRA and IHRA don’t follow Kenny Nowling’s lead at the ADRL and split up the Pro Mod nitrous and blower cars? What could it possibly hurt? I personally think it would improve the IHRA and NHRA shows.
 
Just Wondering … Did you know that NHRA VP of Communications Jerry Archambeault personally answers every email from NHRA fans that he gets? Now that is good communication.

Just Wondering … Despite the issues many racers have, don’t NHRA national events still afford the best exposure, racing and tracks for sportsman racers from almost any perspective?

Just Wondering … Why is it that when Pro Stockers were recording high 9- and low 10-second ET’s the sanctioning bodies stepped up and mandated serious safety measures for the drivers in the area of suits, gloves, etc., but evidently don’t feel the need to do the same for Stock and Super Stock drivers who are now recording those same speeds and ETs with relatively minimal mandated safety equipment.

Just Wondering … Which race will Southern doorslammer fans choose? In September they can buy expensive tickets for the inaugural NHRA race at Bruton Smith’s new Charlotte drag strip or attend the ADRL’s Drag Stock held on the same weekend at Steve Earwood’s Rockingham Dragway just about 100 miles away where they can easily get a free ticket? See me in Rockingham.

Just Wondering … Maybe what drag racing needs to get the attention of the mainstream press is to really take a play out of the NASCAR book. I’ll set the scene for you:  A live broadcast of the last hour of the U.S. Nationals. The fuel flopper finals. Scelzi and Force race for the title. A staging battle goes on and one driver is way late on the lights. They go through the traps side-by-side and instead of hitting the chutes they start banging wheels all the way to the turn-off. Scelzi and Force hop out of the cars and drop the gloves, Force uses a cane on Selzi, the crews in the tow vehicles show up and join the fight. They’re all separated and are summoned to Tom Compton’s tower suite where another fight breaks out. Graham Light goes in front of the ESPN2 cameras and announces that both men are on double-secret probation for the rest of the season. Force and Scelzi have to go to anger management class. The mainstream print and electronic press have a field day with the episode and it leads the sports news for three straight days.

Well, it worked to put NASCAR on the map in 1979, and today NASCAR’s stars are still rubbing fenders after the races and fighting. If it’s good enough for NASCAR… 

jeffburk@dragracingonline.com

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