This is not an editorial in the normal sense of the word. On the contrary it is, rather, a compendium of opinions and ideas sought and received from a significant number of professional competitors. Some were and remain qualifiers for this year’s championship, while others missed the cut, a few by significant margins. All of their viewpoints count and should be heard, but as has historically been the case with the National Hot Rod Association, when it comes to accepting advice and guidance from outside the confines of 2035 Financial Way, they have often been unwilling to listen and positively respond to suggestions.

For those hard core denizens of the Internet who continue to hope for a return to their version of the good old days in which a straight forward, earn-the-points-and-you-win-the-championship points chase is conducted, that no longer seems feasible or even remotely likely. The NHRA has firmly and, it would seem, permanently jumped on the playoff concept of drag racing, and that, in and of itself, is not all bad. As virtually every competitor we’ve spoken with has said, if the Countdown produces higher television ratings and more fans in the seats, they give it a big thumbs up. While it may be too early to tell regarding the TV ratings, it would appear that the Countdown has generated additional print and electronic publicity for the sport, and there’s nothing negative about that. If they’re talking about drag racing – good, bad or indifferent – it’s a positive.

This is not an editorial in the normal sense of the word. On the contrary it is, rather, a compendium of opinions and ideas sought and received from a significant number of professional competitors. Some were and remain qualifiers for this year’s championship, while others missed the cut, a few by significant margins. All of their viewpoints count and should be heard, but as has historically been the case with the National Hot Rod Association, when it comes to accepting advice and guidance from outside the confines of 2035 Financial Way, they have often been unwilling to listen and positively respond to suggestions.

For those hard core denizens of the Internet who continue to hope for a return to their version of the good old days in which a straight forward, earn-the-points-and-you-win-the-championship points chase is conducted, that no longer seems feasible or even remotely likely. The NHRA has firmly and, it would seem, permanently jumped on the playoff concept of drag racing, and that, in and of itself, is not all bad. As virtually every competitor we’ve spoken with has said, if the Countdown produces higher television ratings and more fans in the seats, they give it a big thumbs up. While it may be too early to tell regarding the TV ratings, it would appear that the Countdown has generated additional print and electronic publicity for the sport, and there’s nothing negative about that. If they’re talking about drag racing – good, bad or indifferent – it’s a positive.

The NHRA bristles at the mere mention of their Countdown as having any relationship to NASCAR’s Race to the Chase and ultimately, their Chase to the Cup programs, but those appear to be hollow complaints. Stripped to their bare bones these programs share remarkable similarities, but even that’s not all bad. Borrowing from North America’s largest and most media-savvy motorsports organization could be a good place to start the concept of a playoff program.

Continuing to follow the consensus approach, let’s get to specific suggestions.

A good portion of our lives – particularly our sporting lives – are based on the concept of a Top 10, not a Top 8. Football, basketball – heck every sporting series you can think of has a Top 10, and that’s what appears to be needed here. While numerous competitors would like the field expanded to 12, they’ll accept a Top 10 as a livable alternative.

NHRA Drag Racing has traditionally rewarded its Top 10 competitors with everything from money to appearances on stage at the season-ending awards ceremony and finally, to those highly sought after double digit numbers on the sides of their vehicles. This year the drivers finishing numbers 9 and 10 will be invited to partake in the on-stage awards ceremony, but they’ll receive no financial remuneration for the first time in many, many years, and no one appears pleased about it.

 

 

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The NHRA U.S. Nationals is and always will be drag racing’s most important and prestigious event. In days of yore it featured one of the sport’s few 32-car Top Fuel fields. Only the Bakersfield Smokers event featured as many entries (if you don’t count the upstart PRA/PRO races held in Tulsa opposite Indy back in the early 70s), which helped give Indy even more prestige.

Unfortunately, when it comes to media markets, Reading, Pennsylvania, doesn’t exactly rank up there among the nation’s Top 50, and while this year’s race – despite the constant rain that made it a marathon rather than a sprint – was truly exceptional, other than the drag racing press few paid attention. Certainly NHRA may dispute that, but what can’t be argued with is that, for example, the Indianapolis Star newspaper probably produces more print publicity for drag racing than does every newspaper within 75 miles of Reading.

Further, the spectator seating at Maple Grove Raceway isn’t even close to being the largest on the circuit, and if this program is destined to increase fan support, you’re not likely to see it at this venerable and historically important race track. It simply doesn’t have the capacity to grow like one would hope O’Reilly Raceway Park might someday do.

By determining the 10 Countdown qualifiers at, rather than before Indy, the race itself could become even more important and prestigious than it already is, but if that’s the way this program is going to go some other important changes will also have to be made.

 

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INCREASE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE U.S. NATIONALS BY AWARDING POINTS-AND-A-HALF FOR ROUND WINS AND VICTORIES

When this idea has been mentioned every competitor who heard it lit up with excitement. The Nationals used to pay points-and-a-half some years ago, and that made the event so much more important than it is in some respects today. No one’s suggesting that winning Indy can’t still be a career-maker, but when those additional points were factored in back in the old days one could sense how every single racer’s understanding of the event’s importance significantly increased. They just had to win Indy. Doing so definitely had the potential of propelling them to a championship.

As if the announcers didn’t already have enough to talk about, the constant refrain of how significant this next race between Del Worsham and Mike Ashley might be to the former’s making the Countdown – well, the possibilities are limitless.

Since the U.S. Nationals already pays the highest purses of the season, an increase in the points awarded seems like a natural extension of that.

 

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The NHRA Media Department set up a national teleconference prior to this year’s U.S. Nationals to promote the Skoal Showdown. Three drivers participated, two of whom, Robert Hight and Ron Capps, had qualified for the Countdown. The third, Skoal Monte Carlo driver Tommy Johnson, Jr., had not. Ninety percent of the media’s questions concerned the Countdown and its significance, with only a handful addressing the Showdown itself. Johnson even fielded questions regarding his wife, Melanie Troxel, and her situation at the previous race during which her teammate had eliminated her from Countdown contention.

This did a considerable disservice to sponsor U.S. Tobacco, and even if the Countdown qualifiers are determined at the conclusion of the U.S. Nationals, holding the Showdown at the same event seriously erodes the sponsor’s opportunities for positive media exposure. Countdown qualifiers who made it into the Showdown field were asked questions regarding how their participation might impact their long term goals rather than what they thought of competing in the Showdown itself. The same held true for those racing in the Ringers Gloves Battle.

The U.S. Nationals is big enough and prestigious enough to stand on its own, particularly if the Countdown qualifiers are being determined on the same weekend.

The Showdown and Battle deserve more than being given short shrift by the media, and if it takes moving those races elsewhere to insure terrific exposure for them, then so be it.

 

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While some argue that eliminating the points lead earned by one driver is an unfair “punishment,” it certainly spices up the action because there’s no longer a chance for a runaway. You could win a dozen races coming in to Indy, but when you leave you’re only going to be a single round of racing ahead, and that’s a good plan. If nothing else it means that virtually every driver who makes that Top 10 by Labor Day Monday afternoon still has a real chance of winning the championship.

There will be six races between Indy and the Finals, so if it suits the program, re-tighten up the points after the first three are completed to refresh the media and fan excitement.

 

The drivers, one and all, seem to despise this concept. They know that a broken blower belt in the first round in Las Vegas, a clutch failure or any other problem and they’re toast, plain and simple. They may say the right thing when a microphone is in their face, but one and all dislike the idea of being forced into the no-win situation that the cut-down plan now forces them into.

A tuner is in the same position. He can’t afford to go for the throat because if his car smokes the tires the championship could be over then and there. But even with a tightened points structure a single tire smoker might not eliminate his driver from contention.

Even though the Pro Stock Motorcycles don’t yet run the full POWERade Series schedule, the fact that they only had three rather than four opportunities to make the final cut somehow seems remarkably unfair.

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The current system “forces” the media to concentrate on fewer and fewer competitors as the season comes to a close. It’s their job to tell the fans about the championship, and when there’s a false reduction of championship contenders as there is with the current cut-down program, deserving racers – and their sponsors – are left with little to show for their efforts.

A Top 10 competing for all the marbles over a half dozen race playoff schedule will solve that problem because the media will have 40 potential stories to cover in Memphis rather than the 16 they’ll have if the current system remains unchanged.

Kalitta Motorsports raised some legitimate concerns when they thought about skipping this year’s final two outings. Doug Kalitta’s victory in Virginia went all but unnoticed by the media because he wasn’t a Countdown qualifier. The NHRA had previously promised that this kind of thing wouldn’t happen, but they were in no position to prevent it because they don’t control the content of the television shows or the print media. NASCAR made those same promises to their team owners and sponsors when the Chase was first announced, but despite those promises the same thing happened.

A Top 10 competing in a six-race Countdown will also help with sponsorship funding considerations because the best cars are most likely to make the field. The current cut-down program could become a nightmare for sponsors and team owners if it continues because some backers are likely to base their contracts on first making the Countdown, and then surviving the cut-down to four.

All of these would appear to be easily solved problems, and the competitors are eager to see that happen. The question now becomes whether or not the decision makers at the National Hot Rod Association will pay attention to the very people who make their races artistically and financially successful.

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