NHRA

There can be two ways we can handle the situation. One is that we can all complain about it, say that since there may not be full fields the racing won’t be as good, and that I am gonna stay home, not go to the races I might usually go to, and not watch it on ESPN. The other option is do everything as a drag racing fan to help our sport through these times. Trust me, all motorsports are gonna see tough times, but I think that times like these will define our sport and its fans. -Ron Capps, NAPA Funny Car Driver

Its the Dragpocalypse.

A mass exodus of sponsors and teams from the full tour and from the racing world entirely. You think it might have the attention of the stiffs in Glendora, no? Oh no, not at ALL.

Let’s see….

David Grubnic. Hillary Will. Doug Kalitta. Doug Herbert. Hot Rod Fuller. J.R.Todd. Tommy Johnson Jr. Melanie Troxel. Warren Johnson. Kurt Johnson. David Connolly. Bob Vandergriff. Angelle Sampey. Tom Hammonds. Jerry Toliver.
… all series regulars, all on the sidelines. The list continues to grow by the day.

Competition Plus did an excellent comparison piece on the situation, with Don Schumacher and Don Garlitz commenting on the current economy and its similarities to the Energy Crisis of the 70’s. Jim Oberhofer, crew chief for Kalitta Motorsports weighed in as well. Everyone is talking about it, but the NHRA continues to ignore them all… ignore the very people whom make their existence possible.

At least Wally Parks addressed the issues presented in the 70’s with an action plan. What is the current suits’ action? Raise prices for the sponsors and teams in effort to “ensure profitability to the NHRA for 2009.”

Are you KIDDING me?

For a Non-Profit company, they sure are dedicated to padding their bonuses at the expense of the core of their business model… the SHOW.

Worried about affecting ticket sale value by cutting qualifying sessions or other cost-saving measures for racers, what is going to happen when that expensive spectator ticket buys only a 8 car show? Personally, I’d rather see 3 rounds of a full field rather than an empty pit row and repetitious qualifying. Cut the events to 2 days. Helps with travel and ticket expenses both for teams and for fans.

And raising pricing for hospitality? If the pits are going to be empty anyways, why not offer MORE for less in efforts to cort sponsors into seeing that the NHRA is indeed a viable marketing and promotional tool?

As it is, the limitations and stipulations made by the NHRA have made sponsorship activation a very tedious and sometimes unworthwhile exercise. They should be opening the floodgates right now instead of snapping them shut for their own profitability. Instead, we send corporation after corporation packing with the attitude “Why Bother“.

Why should a corporation participate in the NHRA? Yes, its a very cost effective motorsports marketing tool, but with the hard-arm of the NHRA law in place, these corporations are realizing all too quickly that you get exactly what you pay for.

Exclusivity contracts that benefit only the NHRA sponsors, non-compete ordinances that effectively shut-out the free market competitiveness that could renew friendly rivalries which flourished in the hey-days of the sport. Instead of running off the U.S. Air Force or all the energy brands, how much more attention could they bring to the sport by seeing the drag racing battle of the brands take place? Remember the beer rivalries? Miller Lite vs. Budweiser. What about Army vs. Air Force vs. Navy? Or Rockstar vs. Sobe vs. RedBull vs. (insert booming energy drink company here)?

Even their superhero idols at NASCAR are working with their teams and the sponsors to ensure the survival of their sport. But NHRA brass continue to keep their heads planted firmly in the shifting sand. Why not search for a more relevant business model? Why not step OUTSIDE the box for a minute?

Instead look at other ideas, such as the American Drag Racing League, and LEARN something. ADRL tickets are GIVEN away. Series sponsors see a huge captive market, and are given ample opportunities to promote and use their motorsport tool to generate their results. They aren’t slapped with fees and limitations…. The ADRL also listens to the needs of its racers. Racers also are not victim to fees and limitations and costly rule changes with class mandated components. It encourages aftermarket companies to compete for its racers business, and rewards participants with Official Sponsor rights that do not mandate usage, but REWARD it.

No, the NHRA cannot give away tickets. But they can cut the prices to increase the VOLUME. Or they can look outside the box to give value to fans. A giveaway: Buy 2 get one free? The seats would be empty without it, why not at least TRY?? Contests to engage fans in the season to win tickets would be great as well.

There are too many options that would bring at least some ounce of relief to the current situation. Way too many for Glendora to be sitting idle. Perhaps Garlitz is right, perhaps this too shall pass, but at what cost to our sport?

Its not something any of us should take lightly. After all, there are no bail outs in drag racing.

There has been a lot of great news happening in Drag Racing, and really all of Motorsports lately.
2 weeks ago, you see the media firestorm surrounding IRL superstar Danica Patrick winning her first race in Japan. In doing so, she is the first woman to win a major IRL event: a journey 3 years in the making. All of motorsports, and especially all women in motorsports rejoiced at her victory.

Then this weekend, we see our own Ashley Force win her first Funny Car race, being the first woman to win a National event in that class. Ashley now joins several other PRO category National event winners: Shirley Muldowney, Angelle Sampey, Melanie Troxel, Peggy Llewellyn, Karen Stoffer, etc.

The event, though very much historic as well, did not receive the media attention of Danica’s win, a fact that we have grown accustomed to in our sport as a whole. Though NHRA Drag Racing is one of the most actively participated in and watched of all motorsports, its seems to be the ugly step-child of the motorsports divisions in the media’s eyes.

This isn’t new to us as drag racers. The media’s only mention of drag racing is normally incorrectly portrayed as the illegal street races that end in tragedy. I know for certain, that events like this one being labeled as drag racing instead of illegal street racing, has caused many a sponsor from becoming involved in the sport, as they are unsure of the legality of our very legitimate sport.

So understandably, several drag racers took offense to reports by the media on Danica’s win being “the first female racer to win any major motorsport event” as a slap in the face to our many female champions and event winners (Shirley Muldowney captured 3 World Championships in Top Fuel nearly 20 years ago). They did what any citizen reading an inaccuracy in their news would do… they took to writing letters to educate them of the many NHRA female national event champions.

But this time, someone from the media fired back. In a message sent to the popular drag racing message board, Nitromater.com, Charles Everett wrote:

Subject: NitroMater on Danica: Childish and unprofessional

The people who post to Nitromater are a bunch of reactionaries, not unlike
a right-wing pressure group. I’ve been in the newspaper industry for over 30 years. I’ve dealt with a lot of selfish people but I’ve never seen a more self-centered bunch than the clique that follows the NHRA.

People who follow the NHRA expect the media to bow and scrape before your sport. They don’t and for good reason.

Every time there’s something you don’t like, you whine and cry like a bunch
of babies. It’s not unlike the censorship advocates at the American Family
Association or the Parents Television Council.

Jon Asher lied when he said the press was following an IRL press release.
Sounds to me like he’s never worked in TV or newspapers. The New York Times was relying on the Associated Press wire. So were CNN, Fox Sports and most other news outlets. ESPN had instant access because ESPN Classic televised the race live. Mr. Asher told your board to flood the local press and TV with complaints. That’s not gonna help your cause — in fact it might prompt the local press and TV to tell you to CEASE AND DESIST or you’ll get sued for harassment. It’s bad enough that newspapers all over are laying off people. Targeting the press with a flood of complaints won’t help.

I also love how the NHRA clique worships Shirley Muldowney. She won a lot of races but she treated so many people like dirt, they want nothing to do with her. How you treat people goes a long way in how your sport gets covered.

Danica Patrick and the Indy Racing League do not owe an apology to anyone. Nitromater and its members owe an apology to Ms. Patrick and the IRL.

As for the New York Times? It ran a very telling story on the front page on April 20: All those retired generals appearing on TV news are nothing more than Pentagon pimps.

Signed: Charles Everett (as posted on Nitromater.com)

Never before have I seen such arrogance, and ethically challenged diatribe coming from someone claiming 30 year veteran status in journalism. The very fundamentals, the CORE of journalism lies in the Tenets that govern the trade. This is in direct violation of those core values.

Let’s break this down:

“People who follow the NHRA expect the media to bow and scrape before your sport. They don’t and for good reason. Every time there’s something you don’t like, you whine and cry like a bunch of babies. It’s not unlike the censorship advocates at the American Family Association or the Parents Television Council. “

So by this, you are admitting that the media knowingly persecutes drag racers because they are believed by your type to be “a bunch of babies”? What about Tenet #4: Maintaining an independence from those they cover? Injecting your personal beliefs about who you deem media-worthy because of their alleged attitude is a direct violation.

“Mr. Asher told your board to flood the local press and TV with complaints. That’s not gonna help your cause — in fact it might prompt the local press and TV to tell you to CEASE AND DESIST or you’ll get sued for harassment. It’s bad enough that newspapers all over are laying off people. Targeting the press with a flood of complaints won’t help.”

Oh okay. We are not entitled to exercise our freedom of speech to tell you when you are not being factual? What about Tenet #6: Provide a forum for public criticism and compromise? Had you properly exercised Tenet #1: Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth and Tenet #3: Discipline of verification, we would not have something to “whine & cry” about, now would we? And maybe your jobs and livelihood wouldn’t be threatened by the growing Citizen Journalism movement aimed at getting out the true stories you are above reporting. Even more appauling that you threaten us with legal suit for asking you politely and repeatedly to simply do your job correctly.

“I also love how the NHRA clique worships Shirley Muldowney. She won a lot of races but she treated so many people like dirt, they want nothing to do with her. How you treat people goes a long way in how your sport gets covered.”

So now, your personal opinion about the personality of a member of our sport dictates what coverage our sport receives as a whole? What about Tenet #8: must keep the news comprehensive and proportional? Your personal bias against drag racing, and your slant to other areas distorts the comprehensive and proportional coverage. Not to mention that you are admittedly violating Tenet #2: First loyalty is to citizens, namely us DRAG RACING citizens, when you exclude us from coverage on our historical and newsworthy events.

That leaves us Tenet #5: It must serve as an independent monitor of power, which by your bullying tactics should be focused back on monitoring YOUR power of biased reporting; and finally Tenet #9: practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience, which I do not see you truthfully doing in such a bigoted approach to drag racing coverage (or lack thereof).

Maybe the IRL doesn’t owe drag racing an apology, and drag racing doesn’t owe IRL one either, but you my friend, are another evil entirely.

After a rough Friday, my good friend TJ from T.A.R.E Racing stopped in and picked me up on his way to the NHRA Bristol race. (Really what this meant was he stopped in around 10:30pm, and proceeded to fall asleep while I drove the 4 hours to Bristol,hahaha… but I’m grateful for the ride!) We arrived at the track around 3:30am, and by 7am I was up and awake, and only a little groggy. I absolutely LOVE NHRA races, its my goal to be racing there in the next 2 years. I don’t know if its seeing all the people that you follow on TV every race weekend, or just being in the midst of all that horsepower and seeing how the professionals run their operations, but I can’t absorb enough from NHRA National events. Bristol is also my all-time favorite track, so attending this race made me very happy. Thunder Valley is something every drag racer or fan should experience in their lifetime… its absolutely beautiful and the people are super friendly.

I did learn of some disappointing news while there… I had actually interviewed with Don Schumacher at the Atlanta race back in April to drive the MOPAR/OAKLEY Funny Car after Gary Scelzi retires at the end of ’07. I knew that it was an absolute long shot, but having the opportunity to speak with Don Schumacher and even be remotely considered for this type of opportunity is HUGE to me. Unfortunately, one of the OAKLEY reps this weekend broke the news to me that the field has been narrowed down now, and I am not in contention anymore. I’m sad, but I know that if I keep working, that another opportunity will come.