Competition Plus Team
Since our inception, we have been passionately dedicated to delivering the most accurate, timely, and compelling content in the world of drag racing. Our readers depend on us for the latest news, in-depth features, expert analysis, and exclusive interviews that connect you to the sport’s pulse.
GUEST COMMENTARY: DRAG RACING’S BIGGEST CHALLENGE MAY NOT BE SPONSORSHIP
Drag racing isn’t just something I do, it’s part of who I am.
I’m a third-generation drag racer. My wife comes from a third-generation drag racing family that has owned and operated race tracks for more than 50 years. Today, we’re raising our son, Maverick, as the fourth-generation of our family to grow up in this incredible sport.
When I look at him, I don’t just see a little boy. I see the future of drag racing. That’s why this matters so much to me.
I’m not writing this because I’m upset with someone. I’m not trying to start another debate or point fingers at any individual, team, or organization. I’m writing this because I genuinely love this sport and want to see it thrive not just next season, but for generations to come.
There is no question that drag racing is one of the most exciting forms of motorsports in the world.
Few experiences compare to standing at the starting line as 12,000-horsepower Funny Cars launch down the track at more than 330 mph. The speed, the sound, the engineering, and the people make this sport unlike anything else on Earth.
That’s why I’ve become increasingly concerned about something that has nothing to do with race cars. It has to do with us.
Over the last several years, social media has become one of the biggest stages in drag racing. It gives teams, drivers, sponsors, and fans an incredible opportunity to connect with one another. It has helped introduce new people to our sport and allowed us to tell stories that were never possible before. But it has also become a place where too much of our attention is spent on conflict instead of celebration.
On any given day, it’s easy to find public arguments, rumors, personal attacks, complaints about sponsorship, criticism of fellow competitors, or predictions that the sport is in decline.
The question we should all ask ourselves is simple: What impression does that leave on someone discovering drag racing for the very first time?
Or perhaps more importantly: What impression does it leave on the next company considering investing in our sport?
As a driver and team owner, I understand the realities of racing. Sponsorship is difficult. Competition is fierce. Teams face enormous financial pressures, and there are real issues that deserve thoughtful discussion. But there is a significant difference between working together to solve problems and creating a public narrative that suggests our sport isn’t worth investing in.
Every time we tell the world that drag racing is failing, we unintentionally make it more difficult to attract the very sponsors, partners, and fans we need to grow.
The reality is that drag racing has an incredible story to tell. We have the quickest and fastest race cars in motorsports. We have world-class crew chiefs and crew members whose talents rival anyone in professional racing. We have family-owned teams that have dedicated generations to this sport. We have passionate fans who travel thousands of miles every season because they love drag racing. Those stories deserve far more attention than the latest online controversy.
Sponsors aren’t simply purchasing space on a race car. They’re choosing to associate their brand with an organization, a team, and a community. They want professionalism. They want passionate fans. They want positive representation. They want confidence that their investment reflects well on their company. Fortunately, our sport has all of those qualities. We simply need to do a better job of showcasing them.
Imagine if our social media feeds were filled with stories about crew chiefs solving impossible problems between rounds, young fans meeting their racing heroes, first-time winners celebrating lifelong dreams, sponsors making meaningful connections with customers, and the families who dedicate their lives to this sport. Those are the stories that inspire people. Those are the stories that sell tickets. Those are the stories that build sponsorships.
RELATED STORY – BOBBY BENNETT: SOCIAL MEDIA SAVED DRAG RACING — AND NOW IT’S SLOWLY STRANGLING IT
In the last twenty-seven years of creating content for the internet, I can say without hesitation that social media has been both the best and the worst thing to ever happen to drag racing.
And right now, it feels like the worst is gaining ground like a car on a full pull while the other lane is dropping cylinders.
This isn’t nostalgia. It’s a front-row seat to evolution — and lately, devolution.
I’ve watched this sport go from message boards and dial-up debates to an always-on, always-angry digital ecosystem where opinions travel faster than facts and outrage has a better reaction time than a Pro Tree.
FULL COMMENTARY
Most importantly, those are the stories that ensure drag racing continues to thrive for generations to come.
This isn’t about ignoring challenges or pretending everything is perfect. Healthy debate has its place, and constructive criticism can help move any sport forward.
But before we publish our next post, record our next video, or leave our next comment, perhaps we should ask ourselves one question:
Does this help drag racing? If the answer is yes, keep going. If the answer is no, maybe it’s worth reconsidering.
At the end of the day, every driver, team owner, crew member, sponsor, media outlet, and fan shares something in common. We all want this sport to succeed.
I want Maverick to inherit a sport that is stronger than the one I entered. I want him to experience packed grandstands, healthy race tracks, thriving teams, passionate fans, and sponsors who see drag racing as one of the greatest marketing opportunities in motorsports.
The future of drag racing won’t be determined by one race, one team, or one organization. It will be shaped by how all of us choose to represent it.
If we spend more time promoting what makes drag racing extraordinary than arguing about what divides us, I believe the sport’s greatest days are still ahead.
That’s a future worth racing toward.
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Competition Plus Team
Since our inception, we have been passionately dedicated to delivering the most accurate, timely, and compelling content in the world of drag racing. Our readers depend on us for the latest news, in-depth features, expert analysis, and exclusive interviews that connect you to the sport’s pulse.
Sign up for our newsletters and email list.
GUEST COMMENTARY: DRAG RACING’S BIGGEST CHALLENGE MAY NOT BE SPONSORSHIP
Drag racing isn’t just something I do, it’s part of who I am.
I’m a third-generation drag racer. My wife comes from a third-generation drag racing family that has owned and operated race tracks for more than 50 years. Today, we’re raising our son, Maverick, as the fourth-generation of our family to grow up in this incredible sport.
When I look at him, I don’t just see a little boy. I see the future of drag racing. That’s why this matters so much to me.
I’m not writing this because I’m upset with someone. I’m not trying to start another debate or point fingers at any individual, team, or organization. I’m writing this because I genuinely love this sport and want to see it thrive not just next season, but for generations to come.
There is no question that drag racing is one of the most exciting forms of motorsports in the world.
Few experiences compare to standing at the starting line as 12,000-horsepower Funny Cars launch down the track at more than 330 mph. The speed, the sound, the engineering, and the people make this sport unlike anything else on Earth.
That’s why I’ve become increasingly concerned about something that has nothing to do with race cars. It has to do with us.
Over the last several years, social media has become one of the biggest stages in drag racing. It gives teams, drivers, sponsors, and fans an incredible opportunity to connect with one another. It has helped introduce new people to our sport and allowed us to tell stories that were never possible before. But it has also become a place where too much of our attention is spent on conflict instead of celebration.
On any given day, it’s easy to find public arguments, rumors, personal attacks, complaints about sponsorship, criticism of fellow competitors, or predictions that the sport is in decline.
The question we should all ask ourselves is simple: What impression does that leave on someone discovering drag racing for the very first time?
Or perhaps more importantly: What impression does it leave on the next company considering investing in our sport?
As a driver and team owner, I understand the realities of racing. Sponsorship is difficult. Competition is fierce. Teams face enormous financial pressures, and there are real issues that deserve thoughtful discussion. But there is a significant difference between working together to solve problems and creating a public narrative that suggests our sport isn’t worth investing in.
Every time we tell the world that drag racing is failing, we unintentionally make it more difficult to attract the very sponsors, partners, and fans we need to grow.
The reality is that drag racing has an incredible story to tell. We have the quickest and fastest race cars in motorsports. We have world-class crew chiefs and crew members whose talents rival anyone in professional racing. We have family-owned teams that have dedicated generations to this sport. We have passionate fans who travel thousands of miles every season because they love drag racing. Those stories deserve far more attention than the latest online controversy.
Sponsors aren’t simply purchasing space on a race car. They’re choosing to associate their brand with an organization, a team, and a community. They want professionalism. They want passionate fans. They want positive representation. They want confidence that their investment reflects well on their company. Fortunately, our sport has all of those qualities. We simply need to do a better job of showcasing them.
Imagine if our social media feeds were filled with stories about crew chiefs solving impossible problems between rounds, young fans meeting their racing heroes, first-time winners celebrating lifelong dreams, sponsors making meaningful connections with customers, and the families who dedicate their lives to this sport. Those are the stories that inspire people. Those are the stories that sell tickets. Those are the stories that build sponsorships.
RELATED STORY – BOBBY BENNETT: SOCIAL MEDIA SAVED DRAG RACING — AND NOW IT’S SLOWLY STRANGLING IT
In the last twenty-seven years of creating content for the internet, I can say without hesitation that social media has been both the best and the worst thing to ever happen to drag racing.
And right now, it feels like the worst is gaining ground like a car on a full pull while the other lane is dropping cylinders.
This isn’t nostalgia. It’s a front-row seat to evolution — and lately, devolution.
I’ve watched this sport go from message boards and dial-up debates to an always-on, always-angry digital ecosystem where opinions travel faster than facts and outrage has a better reaction time than a Pro Tree.
FULL COMMENTARY
Most importantly, those are the stories that ensure drag racing continues to thrive for generations to come.
This isn’t about ignoring challenges or pretending everything is perfect. Healthy debate has its place, and constructive criticism can help move any sport forward.
But before we publish our next post, record our next video, or leave our next comment, perhaps we should ask ourselves one question:
Does this help drag racing? If the answer is yes, keep going. If the answer is no, maybe it’s worth reconsidering.
At the end of the day, every driver, team owner, crew member, sponsor, media outlet, and fan shares something in common. We all want this sport to succeed.
I want Maverick to inherit a sport that is stronger than the one I entered. I want him to experience packed grandstands, healthy race tracks, thriving teams, passionate fans, and sponsors who see drag racing as one of the greatest marketing opportunities in motorsports.
The future of drag racing won’t be determined by one race, one team, or one organization. It will be shaped by how all of us choose to represent it.
If we spend more time promoting what makes drag racing extraordinary than arguing about what divides us, I believe the sport’s greatest days are still ahead.
That’s a future worth racing toward.
John Doe
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GUEST COMMENTARY: DRAG RACING’S BIGGEST CHALLENGE MAY NOT BE SPONSORSHIP
Drag racing isn’t just something I do, it’s part of who I am. I’m a third-generation drag racer. My wife comes from a third-generation drag