Poor Economy Hitting NHRA Hard
Written by David Lamm · January 20, 2009
On the day that Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States, hope for change and increased prosperity has never been higher. The folks out in Glendora, Calif., the headquarters of the National Hot Rod Association, are probably some of the many hoping that change at the top will help translate into a healthier outlook for the drag racing community. The increasing cost of professional drag racing combined with decreasing sponsorship dollars in a slumping economy has the NHRA scrambling to offer full 16-car fields for the season’s opening event in Pomona, Calif. To the NHRA’s credit, they will have full 16-car fields coming February’s season opening race but just barely. But will the Winternationals be the exception and not the rule this season?
NHRA.com: Open letter to the community from NHRA President Tom Compton
Drag Racing Online: JEGS declines to fund NHRA Pro Mod class
NHRA.com: NHRA announces fan-relief program in 2009
We’ve all heard of certain industries being “recession proof” and drag racing is not one of them. Layoffs, raise freezes and a lack of disposable income for American families means people are going to tighten the belt and cut out unnecessary expenditures. Going to the drags will probably be one of those luxuries people will go without this year. Also, the NHRA has done an outstanding job at securing its television package with the ESPN networks so people will still be able to get their nitro fix from the comfort of their own home. Add to that the restructuring of some of the more high dollar programs choosing to sit out this season and this could be the leanest of years for the NHRA. The Top Fuel class could be hit the hardest.
David Powers Motorsports announced that it will sell its Top Fuel and show car program assets and David Powers will focus his time, energy and finances towards his primary source of income, home building. Kalitta Motorsports will undergo a restructuring in 2009 that will include one full-time entry, the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car driven by Jeff Arend. Both Hillary Will and David Grubnic will be sidelined until primary sponsorship can be secured in order to return to open competition. Doug Kalitta will compete on a part-time basis with long time sponsor Mac Tools returning in 2009 but only as a smaller associate sponsorship. And it is not just the big money programs like Top Fuel and Funny Car that are feeling the financial squeeze. The more affordable Pro Stock classes are getting hit. The highly marketable former NBA player and well-spoken Tom Hammonds is having a tough go of finding sponsorship as well.
So when was the last time the NHRA’s PR machine pumped out a press release regarding having a full competitive field for the Winternationals? Not in my recent memory was a full field at the race track that is recognized as the birthplace of drag racing newsworthy. Apparently in an economic downturn it is. Following Pomona might be a different story. Phoenix traditionally has smaller fields, especially in the Top Fuel category, and this year we might see anyone who pulls through the gates get a spot in the field. Even worse, the top three qualifiers might get a free pass on Sunday due to the field only being 12 or 13 cars deep.
Despite the hope and optimism today’s presidential inauguration brings, the outlook for the NHRA and the American economy is not bright in the short term. No one man can turn around an entire economy by raising a hand and placing his other hand on a Bible. Hopefully the NHRA and its teams can weather the economic storm that will be 2009 and we will see the return of many of the racing teams noticeably absent this year come back in 2010.
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OH, BOO HOO for the poor NHRA. You’ve been ripping people off for decades with ticket prices, merchandise prices, holding a monopoly on VP fuel use at racers’ expense and now you’re crying poor? Go take a flying leap. Here’s a hint , live within your means like everybody else in the country. Stop ripping off the common american in the name of “big time racing’. I don’t feel sorry for the NHRA, much like I don’t feel sorry for th NFL. NHRA has lived the dream for decades and you’d think they’d have the smarts to put some money away for a rainy day to survive. I’m sure the big wigs are surviving, it’s the tracks that are made to suffer. Forced to have so much paved pit space, so many seats available, etc, etc, etc, The local tracks take on the expense, but do you think NHRA would lower ticket prices to get people ther? NO. They just cancel next year’s event that doesn’t sell so well. I hope the IHRA realizes the chumps in power at NHRA are dropping the ball and take full advantage. Screw you NHRA.
Here is a copy of a letter I sent to the NHRA on the state of the sport…
Mr. Compton, Thank you for your Open Letter to the NHRA Community. I am a 63 years old avid fan of drag racing closing in on some 50 years now. I attend about three races a year. Last Year I bought Premium Tickets for races in Phoenix, Houston and Indianapolis. So when I read your letter and your offer to receive comments I was pleased. I believe I am very representative of your loyal fan base and therefore would like to provide you my comments on NHRA Drag racing as it exists going forward. I really do this in the spirit of constructive comments.
1000′ Racing I do not support the move to 1,000’ racing for the Pro Fuel Categories. There is a great deal of racing on the last 320’ of the race track. I do not buy the argument that it was done for safety. The cars are still going almost as fast as ever and no matter how you try to sell it, the show is reduced by 25%!
As I see it, the problem lies with the fact that you have some older race tracks that are not suited for the sport today. They simply do not provide the shut down areas that are needed for the faster cars. So be it. Let THOSE tracks run 1,000’ and the others run 1,320’ racing. If they fail to draw the fans to their tracks then they should be allowed to shut down. That is what happened to many of the older race tracks in NASCAR and the sport is better for it.
The Countdown I don’t think it has had the desired affect that was envisioned. Top Fuel - although the right guy won, the Countdown was really a bore. Everyone else was vying for 2nd place. Funny Car - To see Tim Wilkerson with as many wins as he posted last year to wind up 2nd was a real travesty. The Championship simply went to team which ran the best at the end of the season – not to the team which won races throughout the year. Pro Motorcycle – Eddie Krawiec didn’t win a race all year. I don’t know what that championship represents. So again, I think you guys were trying to do a NASCAR Chase thing which I don’t think is doing what they were trying to accomplish either.
Maybe the sport is passing me by. I understand that as things do change. And in that light, I have elected not to renew my race tickets for 2009. I have conveyed my thoughts about 1,000’ racing to the track owners and ask that they convey the same to you. So my not attending any races in 2009 has nothing to do with the economy, but solely to the event the NHRA is producing.
I agree with your observations about the economy and the effect it will have on the sponsors. NHRA needs to be able to demonstrate the value proposition to the business community. Cutting the show by 25% is not the answer though. I would have thought a better way to deal with the economic situation would be to slow down the cars, make it more affordable for the competitors, large and small teams. In addition to speed there is a lot which needs to come together to win an event — reaction time, traction, setup, etc. So there is a show even though it might be a slower show.
In years gone by the NHRA survived and, need I say, thrived as a sport mostly financed by racers with their out of pocket dollars. Having written that I do concede that I HAVE enjoyed how the sport has grown more sophisticated. So the challenge to the NHRA Leadership is how to maintain that sophistication but maybe on a smaller, not shorter, scale. I think the NHRA is in trouble as last year a few races in T/F didn’t field a full 16 cars but the changes being made to keep the sport alive are not the best changes to pursue.
I’ll close here. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on your letter. I sincerely wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors with the NHRA.
Constructively, the biggest thing the NHRA can do is make the show genuine. Specifically, 1320ft and full fields.
Without saying what so many others have said, the NHRA should alleviate cost pressures on the teams - for a change. Eliminate charging the teams to get in - charging the clowns to get into the circus. Go ahead and take off a qualifying round. As a racer, I hate not having as many rounds as possible but considering the situation, it would be a needed reduction in costs.
I also need to mention something that has hurt teams when things were going better - allow teams to get sponsorship without taking it away for themselves. This has killed more than a few teams. The NHRA needs to stop it.
This all might be too little too late but with the economy in a recession for what looks now to be years not months, changes now can help for the years ahead.
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