NHRA Sale Means Good Things Are Coming
Written by David Lamm · June 11, 2007
For years rumors would always swirl regarding the potential sale of the NHRA. Well, it finally has happened (sort of) last week and on the surface it looks to be a great deal. The cry of ‘what about us little guys?’ will undoubtedly come from the sportsman racers but this new deal looks to be a win-win for everyone.
Edmunds.com: NHRA Racing Sold to HD Partners Media / Entertainment Company
Kansas City Star: NHRA drivers and officials mulling new management
NHRA.com: Questions and answers concerning proposed acquisition of NHRA Pro racing
To bring you up to speed, the National Hot Rod Association as a sanctioning body has not been sold. What has happened is that NHRA has entered into an agreement with HD Partners to help grow and promote the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. This agreement essentially ’splits’ the NHRA into two entities; NHRA Pro Racing and NHRA. HD Partners will also receive rights to commercialize the NHRA brand and to further promote the NHRA Pro Racing segment. To the average drag racing fan, this boils down to a partnership where a lot of money has exchanged hands and HD partners will now essentially be able to manage the professional side of NHRA drag racing.
Once this deal is finalized the drag racing fan at the track will probably notice very little difference. The same classes of cars will be racing along with all the same drivers fans have come to know. The big difference you will probably see is that the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series will be getting a lot more exposure. HD Partners specializes in managing and growing branded entertainment services. If this partnership will help the NHRA make gains in securing more sponsorships for both the drivers and its races then it will all be worth it. If HD Partners can leverage its relationships and investment capital to market and brand the sport to those that are not currently a part of the fan base, that will be huge. Imagine tuning into Monday Night Football and seeing a commercial during the two-minute warning promoting the speed and excitement that drag racing provides. Prior to this partnership the NHRA never had the money to run an advertising and marketing campaign of that magnitude. This agreement could help facilitate things like that.
At first glance this sounds like the NHRA has been sold. Not in the slightest. This is a partnership that will help grow and expand the sport. With the fear of sounding like President Ronald Reagan, this partnership will also have a ‘trickle down’ effect on sportsman racers. Raising the awareness on the professional side of the fence can only help the sportsman racer. That’s not to say that it is a guarantee but let’s hope this partnership delivers what is expected. Sounds like a win-win to me.
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It’s a good move where NHRA is heading and regardless of the who, went, where, we indeed are in for a great renewal. That NHRA is sold to another entity? - GREAT - I couldn’t think of anything more forward thinking than getting rid of the backward forces in the NHRA. Sportsman will continue to be bailed out … maybe more than ever. Let’s hope this pulls the Pro’s out from under the Sportsman weight. OK, that ought to get them talking. :-O
sounds like a good deal for nhra and it should be agreat deal for the spotsman drivers
You have to love the potential doors that this change opens. The focus is on how to use this opportunity to advance. If you read up on this HD Partners group you will know that they are no dummies. They want to make money just as much as the next guy and to do it they will have to excel the sport. This means nothing but good things for Professional racing.
As for the Sportsman, they just got a commitment of 25 more years! That is great, NHRA will continue to run the show for both categories, so not much on the competition or rules levels will change. Let’s face it, the professional racing is the face of our sport, with that face getting out to more of the public, it will innately add to the hype and exposure of the sportsman too. This will be great all the way around and we will start to see that within the next year, I am willing to bet on it.
Move over Nascar , here we come !!!!!!