Attn all alky racers, more trouble:

Alky at the Divisionals

There is another longer term problem from this "back gate" approach. It doesn't produce enough revenue to maintain nor improve a facility.
A dragstrip can make a small operational profit by charging the racers for everything; but it cannot make enough for the eventual repaving, new tower, updated timing system, or grandstand that will be needed.
The NHRA should develop a business plan for member tracks that emulates the approach taken by successful franchise systems. We'd be sunk without Lucas' support but they should have a presenting sponsor to aid in building the fan base at the Divisionals.
Cheers,
Ed

 

Whos pickin a bangee here?

Seems division two "promoters" are content to just sit on their porch pickin s banjo until Burt Reynolds shows up with his pals and canoes. You just got to know they don't want city folk there. Let em stay up nawth with them fancy pants pro mote taws and dem crowds of yankeess all a hootin and a hollerin while us mountain and swamp folk promotaws is tryin ta sleep.


Seriously, when we went out of division to Columbus and just barely missed qualifying the division guy (dunno who he is off hand) went to the trouble of actually thanking us for choosing to race in their division. Division 3 should be a model for all other divisions. I was actually disappointed to find that our New England Dragway points race conflicts with the Columbus divisional. It's such a nice feeling to be appreciated. I believe this is why div 3 is such a tough populated division. And please don't take this to mean we are being treated badly in division one, We could just use some front gate promotion is all to grow our division.

Al

 

I am guessing it was Joe
He is a great fan/supporter/tech guy/ all around good NHRA guy to have on our side

 

Track Operators

One of the issues seems to be how individual track operators run their facilities. Woodburn Dragstrip promotes their events and gets good crowds because they realize there is money to be made from the spectators. They sell food, beer, t-shirts and even collectables there. The Livingstons realized that they could have money from BOTH gates just by doing a little promoting. Now in the same division is Seattle. Absolutely zero promotion for the division event there and as a result- zero fans, close to zero sales of anything. Now I am not a business manager but it seems if I compare the way those two businesses are ran I can see why one makes money and the other sucks. It sounds like tracks all over the US are like these two examples. I want to applaud the track managers like the Livingstons and Baders and to the other style-duhhhhhhh. Dave Germain

 

There has been lack of promotion in the alky ranks for years now. You would think that NHRA would promote the hell out of divisional races sort of like a mini national event. I guess that they already make too much money for their non-profit status? Wait, isn't there a law suit already about that?

 

Who is actually responsible for the Payouts at a divisional Race.???

NHRA.....???....the Series sponsor Lucas Oil...???.....or....The Track......????.

What is their Malfunction...!!!!!!!!

 

whos responsible.

Nhra said they are not responsible for promoting the divisional races. that is up to the individual tracks. so what exactly does our membership dues and all the sponsorship money for nhra pay for.

 

Tom Compton's Bentley Azure

Steve L.

 

You would think if it is an association for the racer, like they say that it is, they would AT LEAST help the tracks promote the divisional races. How does saying, 'sorry that is up to the divisional tracks' help us out? Anyone remember when one of the ADRL cars wanted to run an injected nitro piece and the NHRA stepped in and said that they couldn't run it more then 50% because the series used a couple NHRA tracks? Seems they didn't mind stepping in then and it wasn't even their series!

 

Gentlemen,

I was the NHRA Southeast Division Director for 14 years from 78 - 90. NHRA's Bernie Partridge once told me history always repeats itself in NHRA and more and more I know Bernie was correct. Back in the early 80's TF, FC and Pro Stock ran for divisional points and the southeast division was having problems drawing the nitro cars. At one point the track operators told me they wouldn't pay a cash purse for the pros and they had to run for the valuable Winston points and nothing else! I was able to obtain a sponsor and had a minimal purse for the teams. So, what's happending in D2 is history repeating itself.

We all have to admit the system is in trouble for Alky cars. What needs to happen is what NHRA did when the pros came out of the points meets, run a regional system just like it was in about 1984 or 85. 10 races east of the Mississippi and 10 in west of the Mississippi. Where alky cars would run along with a standard LODRS. A lot of host tracks today don't see the need for the alky cars and only want the other classes to help hold the costs down. Many track operators look at alky cars as eating 1/3 of the purse and no entry fee income and they have to listen to paying sportsman racers complain about the alky cars not paying and getting the best parking spots in the pits.

At Maple Grove Raceway we want and need the alky cars as we do a major ticket promotion where we give out 100,000 car load tickets for the Saturday night show, plus we've been fortunate to have some of the best side by side racing in these classes. The promotion can work, but it takes time and effort to get the tickets in the proper hands who want and will come out to see a good show. We'd support a regional race if the system was brought into being.

History is repeating itself based off of my history in the sport and just like in the 80's the problem started in D2 and eventually spread across the country, resulting in the regional system. Maybe the time has come to look at the regional format again!

Lex Dudas

 

So The TRACK IS Responsible for paying the drag racers at a Lucas Oil Drag Race Series.

So the problem lies with the Track owners/promoters NOT promoting the race.
so Why do they not promote the race....

Lex,...Both Top Alcohol classes are a Sportsman class, just like super stock ,super gas,
comp, super street,...why are they not having Payout issues or problems.

If the NHRA would have pulled their heads out of there ass`s 5 years ago when Top Alcohol almost held the title of "Pro Sportsman" and stepped up instead of silently stepping down, the picture would have been painted years ago of the termoil this class has seen, and is getting beatin to death with.

Here is how I see it,...Tell me what you think
TopAlcohol is a NHRA drag racing class,..
Top Alcohol has a series sponsor .."Lucas Oil"
The races are held at NHRA Sanctioned tracks,....
NHra is responsible for the lease of the track to run the divisional race from said track owners, which should include appropriate money for advertising.
Lucas oil is responsible for the primary payouts paid into the purse, in which part of the money comes from either 1) the racer entry fees, or 2) a portion of spectator admission,
(payout clause) >>>>>If the spectator admission does not meet a required said amount then the rest of the purse will be filled by NHRA, to complete the racers Payouts purse But the next time the race comes back to said track that did not fill the seats they will get less lease money and will have a said amount to promote the race.This will kinda influence the track to have to promote the race better.

Now you just need to get what you guys are worth at the divisional level. But First things first,.Lets find out how bad the NHRA is sinking and who all they are going to take down with them from the IRS audit.

Its a shame they just dont make the class a Professional class, so you get the same fair shake at the races like Top Fuel, Fuel F/C, Pro Stock, PS/M..and how about Pro Mod,..that sounds like a really Professional title,..wonder how that went right around Top Alcohol class and into favortism,...no offence PM......


History repeats itself alright,...why havent we learned from the first two times.

 

Great event every year!

 

norwalk and maple grove know how to make it happen,the others don not have a clue.lex is right,time is coming sooner than we think. bill bader should have a marketing course on racing promotion.

tom

 

alky

and alky's r the 3rd fastest/quickest class in NHRA/Jon Force racing,, it aint bout racing boys,, its bout money as the entire world is and i hate it,, nobody gives a rats ass bout it,, as i did find another venue and i am a dragster alky guy but i had 2 go a different route to survive,,

In Bama being Pissed off
our government sucks

 

DIV 7 this weekend

I live here in Phoenix and have raced in past at the DIV 7.
This weekend is the first race and not one word on any radio or newspaper ads.
TV ha never heard of any even back when it was good spectator turn out.
Tucson now is a IHRA track. Speedworld hosts the HH series next month never even here anything about that one.

 

hmmm

well. instead of entering the first 2 div 2 races in FL, I spent the weekend in Myrtle
beach with my wife..we had a great time. spent less money and we don;t need to service the motor this week! We ate seafood on the beach instead of peanut butter and jelly. we saw dolphins in the water outside our room (i don't think they were sfi approved) as the sun came up on the beach/ oh and $40 in gas in a comfortable car instead of $400 bouncing down the road for 12 hours at 6mpg. didn't need to have help get a day off from work, .Maybe I'm getting to old for all the bullshit..I had a good time. atleast there is ZMax this year.thats only $100 gas.and a permission slip from the oil company.