Entry fee at divisional events for TAD &TAFC

I just spoke to Bill Holt Div 2 director and he inforned me that unless you are a gold, silver, or bronze card holder that it will cost $140.00 entry fee for TAD & TAFC to enter a divisional event. This has not been published anywhere I have seen. His comment was that they were waiting to see who entered the divisional races before announcing it. What If first round Pays $600.00 and you pay an entry fee and have to pay for pit passes for the crew? Sure seems Wally is realy getting greedy. I wonder if anyone associated with TARA Has heard about this? In my opinion this will kill attendance at divisional events. Why is NHRA doing this. Will have you heard about this?

 

While this may be unpopular, I'm not against division tracks charging entry. They have to pony up 6 digit$$ to NHRA for the privilege of hosting a divisional race and then pay us to boot.

Many tracks don't want alky because they have a hard time cracking the nut as it is. I'd rather they were happy to see us instead of looking at us like we're there with our hands in there pockets.

If we filled the grandstands, well, that would be a different story. If they advertised the event they might, but...

...flame on.

 

Randy, You and I both know that there are two sides to the division attendance story. Sonoma packs them in, almost all of the other division 7 races have few spectators. Sonoma does some advertising, and like Charlie Allen has found at his booked in events, it does bring in the spectators. The Alcohol cars need to realize that there are higher insurance costs to run our class and I believe nitro cars are even a higher premium expense. I hope that we can fill the fields and work with the track promoters to make the division races viable, or they may realize that they can just as easily pay run money to fuel teams to fill their show and stands. see ya soon..

 

Randy G,
You talk like a promotors dream come true.
I say the TAD/TAFC cars are the show at div. races
and should be treated as such.
The tracks in division 4 who advertise the div. races have spectators. The ones who don't advertise have no spectators. You would think that tracks like Dallas and Houston whould advertise and take advantage of the div. races but it is not the case and they look to have the lowest turnout. But they have other shows to promote through the year.
Went to an IHRA race in the woods just north of Beaumont, Tx They had a couple of jet cars there
which neither went over 180 mph. and packed in the spectators. Seems like to me all these promotors need to take the pro out of promotor.

 

Without a doubt the Biggest crowds I've seen at a Div. race is at Noble, Okla. I haven't been there in 7-8 years. But I' l bet they got at least 4-5,000 per day! I have heard that at Mission(When it doesn't rain!) get's well over 10,000 spectators.

 

it's still one of the very few situations where the "show" pays the promoter so the promoter can charge people to see it. WHAT A COUNTRY!!I think it might be time to open that clinic for the seriously addicted drag racers. To you racers who think that's OK, I'm sorry you were born too late to see the old style of racing where the racer actually had a couple bucks left to live on. Your budget would obviously have given Billy Meyer a run.Tommy Ivo is still around, ask him what it cost "per run" vs pay out.

 

Mission packs the place.

The problem is many track operators don't want to spend more money to advertise after shelling out $10 grand plus to NHRA for a divisional race in hopes that the spectators will come.

I've been on both sides on this conversation and have talked to track operators that look at alky cars as a necessary evil along with the rest of the classes at division races. Many could care less if we come.


NITROHAWK...You make my point better than I did!

You said:

"You talk like a promotors dream come true.
I say the TAD/TAFC cars are the show at div. races
and should be treated as such."

Then you say:

"Went to an IHRA race in the woods just north of Beaumont, Tx They had a couple of jet cars there
which neither went over 180 mph. and packed in the spectators."

That is the track operators point. Why have us when they can pay a couple jet cars or leaker nitro cars $1,500 a piece and still fill the place. Instead NHRA has them shelling out the alky purse times two (TAD and TA/FC).

Hey, I want it all, too. Just not going to happen. Many tracks have been lobbying NHRA to give us the boot. I'd rather give them $150.00 and have them save me a paved parking space than wishing and kissing our rigs good-bye.

RG

 

Speaking of track owners. You now it is bad when "NHRA" won't promote or advertise their own Divisionals. Speaking of Div. 3. At those div. races we have the lowest spectator attendance.

 

Just so you are aware, that same policy is being used this season in Division one. Looks to be standard policy of pay to run. Kind of like a car show, where you pay to enter.....then pay to come see your own car! Except you don't break alot of parts. Brownman

 

I just see this as one more nail in the coffin! Don't forget that pre-entry got 3 crew people in too. So the cost will be $140 + $120 at least, unless crew still get in free. I understand that the track has to make money, but charging a class that is just starting to get some car counts back is not the right thing to do. I don't understand why the tracks/NHRA don't promote these events to try and raise revenue. Joe is right; the division 3 stands have less people than our local Saturday night bracket races. Charging admission for us is, I believe is incorrect and is the easy way to generate revenue. Secondly, the car counts are not large enough to make a significant difference in the overall cash flow for the event anyway. There has to be some way to promote these events that will bring folks into the stands. I hope that the powers that be realize this is not the best move for the sport. I would love some enlightening on why the division races couldn't generate adequate revenue from a properly promoted event.

 

Greg:

I agree.

 

You know what?...I would never go to another Division Race again...if NHRA didn't make us do it; just so we "CAN" meet their criteria to be eligible to race at the National events....most Divisional venues are unsafe for the times and speeds we run anyway.. Only tracks which host both National and Divisional events should have the "Required" Divisional races...this way thre tracks which didn't want us there can concentrate on having all the jet- wheel standing - doorslamming - primer painted- rusty chromed cars they want

 

Has anybody confirmed this rumor? Dirty Rat seems to be the only person who has any knowledge of this.

I don't know about the rest of you but I plan on making a phone call in the morning.

Harleys and golf are looking better and better every day.

[ January 22, 2004, 10:23 AM: Message edited by: Lawren Jones ]

 

I talk to the div 6 director on a regular basis, and he has not mentioned anything to me about this.But he knows how I feel about the alky classes and would probably be scared to.

THat being said, THe IHRA charges all pros to race as well and they have not suffered with regard to car count. In fact their numbers are increasing yearly.

Maybe NHRA will increase prize money by the amount of entry fees they get in (not likely but who knows). This is something I talked to the div dirctor about a year ago. Since they don't seem to inclined to increase payout I proposed for the racers to pay approx. 200 per team to enter the div events and that amount as well as the same matched by the individual tracks. If 20 cars total showed up then the 4000 plus another 4 by the track would be put into the purse with the lions share going to early rounds and a couple dnq's.

Lawren, Brownman said it is happeneing in Div 1 as well, not just div 2. This one is very interesting.

Just to let you people know about the Mission facility, They never charge alcohol cars to test here either. Any time you want to come a make a few laps during a regular racing weekend, call them and you can test for free. And track rental is available as well for around 1200.00 for one lane including vht and safety personal. Plus at div events they usually waived as many as 6 crewmen at a divisional event no charge. (they did in years prior to 2003 anyway, don't know if they did in 2003 or what is going to happen in 2004. Will find out and post tomorrow. They also put on at least one booked in show a year for alky. The top 4 tad's and tafc's race in the 'A' event and the payout starts at 1000. Winner is 3000 I think. first round loser. One qualifier mandatory. in the 'B' event all the unqualified cars race off for the same amount of money except in canadian dollars, and the winners get wally's in both 'a' and 'b'. Pretty good deal overall I would say.

The only negative at the track in the present day is that the crowds are not as good as they were when Randy (1999 I think) ran here. They are still pretty good but the weekend crowd is around 8,000 now, where it was as high as 15,000 before. THey do pretty good promotion and have a couple of the star teams, do a display at the local mall on the thursday if scheduling works for them.

I hope the racers don't rebel if this comes to pass. THe racers have to understand that the track cost have increased for insurance alone close to 35-50% due to 9/11. Up in Canada, therates for tracks have jumped even more (in the visinity of 65-75% due to the fact we used to pay in Canadian Dollars before and now we not only have the rate increase we are forced to pay in US dollars as well.

And as far as only nat'l tracks being the ones that should be able to host div races, I take exception to that due to the two or three best tracks in this division, Mission, Woodburn and now Billings are better facilities than Seattle, and phoenix and Columbus and a few others probably

Hope all this makes sense. I did not edit this post for speeling (that is a joke btw).

Dean

 

I can put a roots blower on my motor,take the funny body off-put a altered body on the car,go out and run the outlaw fuelaltered curcuit in texas and get paid 250.00 a pass!! and this is at some of the tracks that would charge me to run a div 4 race? these are one day races,and a lot of these races are eight mile tracks.they have 8 races this year already.so I know what I am going to do if they start charging me to race,you figure it out!!!!

 

It is true. I just got off the phone with Div. 5. They will be charging for any car that did not finish in the top ten in their particular division.

I don't know if I agree with it or not. It just seems like another nail in the coffin. This will mostly affect the NEW teams or part time teams. One thing that attracted me to alcohol racing was the free entry and crew deal. My worry is, will it trickle down?

Damn I hate to see this happening.

[ January 22, 2004, 11:24 AM: Message edited by: Lawren Jones ]

 

lawren.......we are the new kids on the block. When I spoke to the guys at Div1, they told me that there were 21 cars ( floppers) in our division. I don't think most are running at any given time, due to breakage ( MONEY!). I'm not sure how big the field of cars they allow in the events : I feel that IF you qualify for each event, then you SHOULD be able to finish in the top 10. Now .....having said that, we would be happy just to be invited to the dance! Not concerned about the fees except as someone has just said....it is an indication of things to come. None of which seems to be in our favor. Jr dragsters anyone?
Brownman

 

can anyone tell me how many cars are registered in Division 2? Guess what we are thinking! Brownman

 

I am just starting out in this game and it is going to be hard to justify going to a division race and pay to get in. I guess they don't want anyone new to show up, just top 10 guys. Ihra pays 1500 first round lose, I might have a psi for sale. I agree with Lawren, that is one of the perks of spending a ton of money with no real prize money in return, at least you get in free. I guess not any more.

Greg

 

i just talked to rob park too and if your not in the top ten then you get 2 free crew with your entry, do i like it? no. but in the big picture the entry fee will probably be the smallest amount ill spend this year. lynn engels