‘Just Wondering’ Answers

To most people a 14-15 car Pro field isn’t the end of the world. Sure we’d all like 32-car Pro fields but the reality is the cost to compete far outweighs the financial returns for success, so racers are dependent on sponsorship money and there just isn’t enough people willing to fork over millions for the poor TV telecast or race attendance numbers – especially with a royal Cluster airing of the Summit Racing Nationals where the final round was shown sometime around 3:00 am Monday morning. Sure sounds like ESPN is running the FOX network now or that no one gives a rats arse about NHRA TV viewers?

Friday or Saturday NHRA activities are fine because people have Sunday to “recover” before going back to work or school on Monday. Try fighting the crowds exiting the event on a Sun. evening and see how many hours of frustration you experience. Few people want the hassle when they must head off to work early the next day.

If the track prices for food/beverages was even remotely reasonable they would actually generate more revenue compared to charging $3 for a bottle of water and other offensive prices for basic “track food or beverages”. The best deal in town on the NHRA circuit has always been the 1 lb. of ice cream for a $1 at Wild Bill’s at Summit Park Raceway. Add up the cost for a family to get by with burgers and drinks at a 90+ F race weekend for a reality check why most families do not attend NHRA national events. BTW, it’s $2 for the same bottle of water on Sat. that is $3 on Sunday. Do you think there is ANY justification for the food/beverage exploitation? Most NHRA fans don’t and they are voting with their wallet.

I personally do not believe the Nielsen ratings are accurate in regards to viewership. They may be accurate as far as what channel the TV is set for but that doesn’t mean anyone is actually watching NHRA racing. They might be waiting for or just finished watching CRASHCAR?

Unless you are a Harley devotee most people wouldn’t know a Harley from a Buell or a nitro bike from a P/S bike.

You know full well why the fuel cars don’t do long burnouts and it’s because they can overheat the tires and cause too much clutch wear to be able to run the number needed for qualifying or the race. You can bet that the top teams want the qualifying points and that is why they go all out to get them. The lower financed teams aren’t going to waste $20K if they are in the show. It would be irresponsible to do so if you’re primarily funding the fuel car operation.

Race fans are voting with their wallet. Moving the World Series of Drag racing from Cordova may do OK initially but not likely long term.

Jorge Meister

NYC

Thoughts following Norwalk

Following last year's hiatus from the NHRA big show, I went back to Norwalk on Friday for the qualifying and morning Sportsman eliminations. I offer some observations and viewpoints.

Twenty-two alcohol dragsters was good; funny car field was beyond capacity as well. Good racing in both.

What bothers me most about the big show pros is the lack of competition, and not simply because of the short fields; indeed, the fields that do show being comprised of the big three super teams. It’s difficult to root for drivers anymore; it’s like the NHRA big show is what Major League Baseball would be with just the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers. Most MLB fans across the country aren't fans of any of the three. As such, for me, it’s simply not interesting.

Nothing compelling, no storylines, no real drama; for so many times during the season the races are about teammates beating teammates. If you have ever been to a carnival or amusement park and seen those painted plywood cutouts shaped like a dinosaur or astronaut or cowboy, and there is an oval shape cut out where the head is so someone can insert their face into that opening and become whatever that design is, that is what the NHRA pros are like today.

Thousand-foot racing is not ideal, but not as troublesome as the lack of competitors. Non-recognizable carbon fiber bodies are not so cool, either, but that paradigm has been set; there will be no shift back to a more honest replication of a current body style now.  I took this away from the cars at Norwalk:  The old Guy de Maupassant short story "Clothes make the Man" might be in order. What I mean is that the wraps on most funny cars at Norwalk were just this side of hideous, and some dwelt there: Courtney's car,

even her dad’s, Beckman's, and worse of all, that abomination Hagan was driving, the camo nightmare from aesthetic hell. That said, Jim Dunn's Hubert's Lemonade ride was the coolest and most eye appealing flopper on the property. What I am saying is that even those contemporary bodies can be aided by what they sport...somewhat.

I live just north of middle American poverty level.  Still, it is not the

4th of July yet and I have been to three great races, and I am grateful for this. Great Spirit willing, I will be in Byron for the Meltdown (which, since attending last year for the first time, is the "must attend" event for me); hopefully, Shakedown at the Summit to close my attendance season  and these races, the three in the books and those hoped for, with the exception of Byron, are all within three hours of my home.

I will close with thoughts of those above races. If you think about introducing someone to drag racing, consider the alphabet soup of it all:  NHRA, IHRA, PDRA, NMCA, NMRA...and the classes! Phew! But really, isn't that still what makes this sport we love so rich? I went from the PDRA event at Martin on Friday, the Detroit Dragway Reunion the next, and two weeks later to the bigs in Norwalk. Each event vastly different, yet all connected by the same DNA threads.

Cheers,

Richard Gebhart