Entry fee at divisional events for TAD &TAFC

"Wally was and still is smarter than Bill Gates."

Warren,

Have you been hittin the Hurricanes again?!?!?!?!

 

Well, it appears that more than a few of you understand basic finance,so I dare you to right off the first divisional race ...not by skipping it.but go to the gate and just say no! park outside for the day. Absorb the tow expense and refuse to run.We loose that much money if we pay the entry. $140 plus crew for 8 spots not 16 and what,$600 1st round ;not 1800 like nationals. I'm sorry ,but those big bracket races sound like a better gamble right now.The sad thing is Warren is right.those stupid addicts..I mean racers, won't do anything. I had a track go from 4 paid matchraces at good pay, to 1 "open" lower than div. payout. I stopped but they still get a field. All I can do is shake my head.Oh well..pass the Vaseline!

 

hey bill
it just keeps getting better every year!!

 

I just have to give my head A shake and think back a bit "First" thing is we get more weight thrown at us by the powers to be and by people who don't even compete in the NHRA TAD class, telling the powers to be how to make things even, but what the HELL doesn't cost them any money. "SECOND", if this doesn't work, the 'A-FOOLS' can go spend more money to comform to the powers to be and the whiners again and "THIRDLY" their looking at charging us to go to the divisional races, being new in the A/F class I just have to give MY HEAD A SHAKE!!

 

Adding to the problems of the alchohol classes are that many tracks have the fast bracket classes that can run within a half second of a top alchohol car, and they pay $100.00 to $150.00 entry,and put on a show near divisional level if not as good, once or twice a month! What incentive does a track owner need then to pay for top alchohol show? I think the writing is on the wall, and it don't sound good.

 

OK Will, hope your reading! You once told me that "matchrace" was a bad word and it's a "race" not a "show".Well I've noticed on this thread the word show used at least 6 times, the word profit;4..promote:6,..matchrace twice;..entertain:5..I don't know for sure but it appears a few of the entertainers who appear at these shows would like to make a profit if the dam "race" was promoted correctly!!Just an observation by a survivor.

 

I agree completely Will, but long before you were born, my mother taught me not to go were I'm not welcome.If these tracks don't want, can't afford or otherwise simply won't invest in alcohol, maybe the time is here to do with alcohol what they did with nitro. Leave them to national events only so in a couple of years they can offer the total 3 day, 8 car purse to 2 top notch alky or A/F cars to matchrace on 1 night. Beat them to the punch man, search out a title sponsor but DON'T...DO NOT ...give it to NHRA or IHRA...secure it for TARA.. then find tracks willing to work with you..Top Alcohol Racers Assoc.and Lone Star Beer presents....sounds good to me. Kinda like Coca Cola Calvlacade of Stars..It can be done. I don't think Powerade's CEO woke up one day and said let's go drag racing..nor did Nextel go looking to push Winston from NASCAR.If you have to, start in your div and have a business plan to expand over 10 years..You'll be amazed how quickly it will go by.And the best of luck with your warm up session. It could be a perfect stepping stone to your destiny.

 

I'm just starting this season in TA/FC and i cant beleave this crap about the tracks not wanting the Alcohol cars. I dont care who you are but you have to understand that the Alcohol cars are the show. When people go to the drags they go to see the TAD and TA/FC. Not SG,SC,COMP or PM. Sure those are some bad ass cars but when the Alcohol cars start,the fans are thinking here come the big guns, the real drag cars,the show! Dont think otherwise or your just short changing your self.
The tracks need the Alcohol cars or they don't have a show! What will they say in there advertising, come on down and see the super comp dragsters on the throttle stop! You cant tell me you havent seen the fans run from the stands to get a coke when Pro Stock starts. They dont know how hi-tech a Pro Stock car is and they dont care.
All they know is,its not a Dragster or a Funny Car and 90% of them couldnt tell the difference between a TA/FC and FC. PMs are cool, but there really just another door car. I'm making move up to TA/FC because thats the fastest class, i want to do 5sec 250mph passes. PM don't go that fast and everybody knows that. Even the fan that knows nothing, knows were the giants at the track! I raced a door car in SC and in COMP. So what do i know about the Alcohol classes, i know that the other racers love or hate the alcohol class, but they all know were the show!

 

Well said Neil and good luck!!
Oh, and for Smokey's statement " $16,200 or 39% of the $41,400 purse went to the Alcohol class" "therefore the track owners need finacial help" well, you weren't told or don't know HOW MUCH TOTAL INCOME WAS BROUGHT INTO THE EVENT, do you????? It's statements without "relativity" to the total picture, like this, that make it easy for you to have "the wool pulled over your eyes." Race track ownership is a business, not some Democrat goverment program where everyone has the benifit without the risk. As a long time self employed business man I speak with certainty, that you take your chances in any business and when you win, as in make a profit, ""YOU KEEP THE MONEY"" !!Have you ever heard of anyone give you some of their profits because they made plenty or too much????? How dump can anyone beleive that should happen? Well don't ask any of us "dumm ass" alcohol racers to SUBSIDIZE the gate income because Joe Track Owner sometimes looses a portion of "1" event per year. Look, if they weren't making money in this, they wouldn't be doing it. Now if nhra (purposely not in caps, because it should imply"Never Help Raceing Alcohol),,,if, they really cared about sportsmen racing development, they would make the track owners understand,,,that the no entry fee is part of the expense of putting on the big show,just like any other expense i.e. employees, utilities, advertisement, security etc. But untill people like Smokey understand:Risk=Reward and "you take your chances",,,,well lots of people will have the wool over their heads, or worse, their heads between their ankles.... Perhaps it's time for a boycot?? Warren Dauzat tafc,tad

 

If a tree fell in the woods and no one was in the grandstands to hear it fall would it make a noise?

 

Yep, but no one would care Randy. Hey you going to make it to Mission this year. We'll do Golf Wednesday or Thursday at a great new course 20 minutes from the track.

Dean

 

golfing is something you do when your putter can't play anymore,,,,lol wd

 

Does TARA plan to address NHRA about this?

 

I am not pleased with NHRA's decision to charge entry fees. I have been racing alcohol for 23 years now. NHRA has taken away 3 national events that I like to race at and now charging me to race. With setting out last year for business and money reasons, I was planning on racing this year but now NHRA has put another penalty on me. I barely could afford all the costs envolved to get everything re-certified and now they tell me since I no longer have a card I am going to pay to race ( I did this back 20 years ago!). People we are going backwards!
I called Div. 5 office to confirm this Rob's comments was this is the least cost of the weekend and without saying it but implying it "if you could not afford the entry maybe you should do something else less costly!". I feel this may be true but I don't look at the weekend's expense's as what cost the most or the least. All I do is say it will cost me X amuont to go race and I expect to recieve Y amount and the way I look at it the X's just keep going up. Ihra's A/F is sounding mighty nice to me, if they were just closer to me. All I have to say now is I won't be seeing all you nice people at the race track this year. I am very unhappy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kent Nuckols

 

I know the term Boycott is a Bad word to so many, but maybe a "sit-out" at some Div. races might be in order. Kent, whoever this person was; I wonder what they'll say when they're car counts are way down???

 

The track operators don't care - Nhra doesn't care
The racers are represented by a few elite who are in bed with Nhra anyway so the majority of racers in the TAD & TAFC class will do what they have always done (grab the vasoline and bend over)
We know that, they know that, and they know that we know they know that.
Warren it is not even about business. ITS ABOUT POWER!!!!

 

Bruce, how much does it cost to run IHRA?

 

Talked to 3 different tracks in 2 different divisions that said most tracks were considering the following: Free entry for gold (car, driver and 4 crew), silver (car, driver, 3 crew) and bronze cards (car, driver, 2 crew). Everyone else would get 2 free crew passes but have to pay for car entry.