[Michael4yah]

Jim, When financial intrests take over a sport it ceases being a sport. Decisions are made out of expediency and not based on principal. Im 56 and Ive seen lots of changes in my time. Not very many of them have turned out good. The NHRA has to stop focusing just on the National Meets and get back to grass roots. This is why they dont have a political power base. The people are disconnected and because of that they dont organize . It was the kid with a 57 chevy in his garage that built the NHRA, not the bankers or the mechandisers. Those are just the hangers on.

If the NHRA wants to become the powehouse it used to be it has to think local. Get involved in one day events and local nightime racing. When I was 16-19 I spent lots of thursday nights at Irwindale raceway. Spend a few bucks and race your car as much as you wanted. Without these local tracks all that is gone forever.

I read a story a couple of weeks ago about how to fix the INDY 500. It was good and if I can find it again I'll post it. The rules have to change so that money isnt the defining factor. Did you know that the average steering wheel in an INDY car is 40,000.00?

When I was in grade school there was a local manufacturing co. in my hometown of Tulsa Ok. called John Zink. I used to walk by the open doors of that factory on my way home from school. We'd stop and look inside as they were building their entry into the Indy 500. Sometimes they would invite us kids in to watch. It was neat, it was a small time local guy trying to win the Indy 500 and we were allowed to be a part of it. Not anymore.

Back in the late 60s and early 70s we had great local events. There was a promoter out here in LA who would sponsor a one night event, I dont remember his name but I remember the radio and TV commercials. Every 15 minutes or so on the radio youd hear the blast of a fuel funny car doing a burn out and then youd hear the announcer yell 64 funny cars!!! They would have about 20 TFers and the rest would be top alcohol and Blown gassers. The track was packed with spectators. Entry was 5 bucks. Not anymore.

. So Drag Racing has suffered on the local scene and with it the excitement and easy access for car builders and drivers and spectators.the Bigmoney concerns came in and cut off the supply of affordable insurance to the track owners, Developers were "Allowed" to build housing too close to existing tracks and all the while the lawyers kept suing for more and more. Now you get it? Its all about the money. And when we let money be our guide we will always lose.
The NHRA is an institution. When it starts selling off its assets look out, the other shoe is about to drop!!
Michael