As a former NASCAR track manager, I can say without a doubt, NASCAR can spin
numbers with the best of them. Their 75 million fans, so they say, think
everything is just perfect. Thats why tickets are on sale for for virtually
every race. Up here in the NH area, thousands of tickets are given out. BUSCH
ticket sales, that's another joke. So NHRA wants to follow NASCARS lead? Who the
hell is steering that ship? Better yet, why not just tell the 11 to whatever
racers, or however their running this deal, go run IHRA while we take care of
the guys in the chase. If IHRA see's this as an open door, they just might get
their act together a little better, pay better money, and let NHRA eat crow. Not
sure where they are headed, but it seems someone has their head up their ass.
Shirley said it all if you read here response to this news. Gotta love her!!
Have a nice day. - Stu

As a former NASCAR track manager, I can say without a doubt, NASCAR can spin
numbers with the best of them. Their 75 million fans, so they say, think
everything is just perfect. Thats why tickets are on sale for for virtually
every race. Up here in the NH area, thousands of tickets are given out. BUSCH
ticket sales, that's another joke. So NHRA wants to follow NASCARS lead? Who the
hell is steering that ship? Better yet, why not just tell the 11 to whatever
racers, or however their running this deal, go run IHRA while we take care of
the guys in the chase. If IHRA see's this as an open door, they just might get
their act together a little better, pay better money, and let NHRA eat crow. Not
sure where they are headed, but it seems someone has their head up their ass.
Shirley said it all if you read here response to this news. Gotta love her!!
Have a nice day. - Stu

Deja vu all over again.  When NASCAR came out with their new 'Chase' program
three years ago all the boo birds complained about the change.  Racers strongly
resist change.  I was at the NHRA Bristol Springnationals in 1966.  I walked
over and looked at the oval track.  The seats were all on the front stretch and
they were just concrete steps not actual seating.  I figured if everybody sat
cheek to cheek they might get 20,000 people in the stands at that time.  Today
Bristol holds in excess of 160,000 fans and this on a one half mile track.  I
have attended races at Bristol over the years and the growth has been phenomenal
to say the least.  NASCAR under Brian France figured out quite quickly that they
weren't in the racing business but rather the entertainment business.  The 'Race
for the Chase' has garnered them tons of media attention.  Traditional 'stick
and ball' sportscasters are all of a sudden looking at NASCAR.  Tom Compton is
to be congratulated for his new plan.  Instead of NASCAR'S ten cars he has gone
to eight cars.  Why?  That's the traditional number of cars in an elimination
bracket.  Yes, teams, sponsors and fans will complain.  But this will be good
for the sport as it will generate interest and discussion in and by the media. 
Motorsports must compete with all forms of other attractions in the market.  The
trick is to maximize our sport's exposure to offset the impact of stick and ball
sports, the internet, movie theaters, movie videos and many other attractions. 
People only have so much discretionary disposable income and that income will go
to the ones getting their attention.  The fact that I own an NHRA track does not
affect my opinion.  NHRA does many things well but also some things poorly (can
you say Pro Mod and race results on website?).  This move is good for the sport,
the racers, the sponsors, the fans and the media. - Dave Mathers

I think these guys have been smoking
crack in the bathroom again.

1^st it was combining the
traditional super stockers w/ the GT classes. There are too many performance
advantages built into GT race cars. They expect the traditional SS guys to
update the cars to be inline of the GT cars. Talk about making cars obsolete by
the stroke of the pen.

2^nd  now this copying of
Nascar. I don’t even watch that crap anymore since this race to champ. I think I
saw part of the Brickyard this year & not a lick last year.

I agree w/ Shirley & couldn’t
have said it any better. NHRA has an Identity problem. They think they need to
copy someone else. - J. Daniel Griffith 

After competing at the recently completed World Nationals held at NRP where 1006
racers were in attendance and now hearing the rumors being substantiated about
the switch to NHRA, I wanted to pass on a few thoughts about my perceptions on
the Baders.

Are the Baders all about money and the professional
classes?

Have they really ever cared about IHRA and the sportsman racer
who have brought the IHRA and their facility to where they are?

I aplaud
the shows that they have put on and the facility that these sportsman racers and
the fans that have helped them build. Do the Baders care if the NHRA will only
bring 500 racers to their event? I agree the fans will follow the NHRA pros. I
can remember when stars like John Force and others couldn't wip their way out of
a wet paper bag at any of the sanctioning bodies, where did they get their
start? I think most of them raced IHRA.

I hope that IHRA continues to
grow and they continue to gain popularity with sponsors and tracks who will snub
their noses at NHRA and folks like the Baders. Will there be any other pioneers
that will step in an take their place? - Jim Cornett