Boy, that sure sounds ominous, huh? We got a shockingly emotional response from the blog item we ran earlier in the week that announced the news that Ford was leaving NHRA drag racing as a professional level sponsor of teams and the series at the close of the 2014 season. Ford was blasted, NHRA management was blasted, and everyone had an opinion as to what needs to be done to “fix” the current state of professional drag racing in the NHRA realm. All of that got me thinking about what would happen if we woke up in a world tomorrow morning that didn’t have NHRA professional drag racing. I am not advocating for that world, but it is kind of an interesting exercise to think about what the fall out would be from the end of drag racing’s biggest league on the professional level.
What do I think would happen in a post professional drag racing apocalypse? The immediate fall out would be job losses for the crews of the cars, followed by the layoffs of the guys who make the parts to support said cars, there would be more than 20 drag strips negatively effected by this event because their (theoretically) most profitable event of the year evaporated, values of the cars and remaining components would drop significantly because instead of a set schedule and large sponsors, money would have to be made match racing, and the ESPN 2 broadcast team would be let go. The staff at the NHRA itself would probably be pared down as well without the burden of promoting a professional series. A handful of chassis shops would feel the pain from this additionally.
Then what? Probably not a whole lot. It is a fair statement to make that there are less than 100 active modern top fuel and nitro funny cars in North America today. That doesn’t include anything on the nostalgia side of things or other nitro burning iron that doesn’t run for a Wally every weekend. Pro stock cars are more prevalent than that by a bunch although they’re not showing it of late. In truth, it has not been uncommon to see short fields in pro stock since the “funny money” era ended and the days of 30 cars showing up to try and qualify became a quaint memory. I am not counting pro stock motorcycles or pro mods into this equation because they’d easily find other venues to compete at. In this doomsday (and it’s my doomsday so what I say goes!) the NHRA continues to exist as an administrative body to oversee the unaffected masses of sportsman racers that would continue on after these troubles largely unabated.
Assuming that the NHRA is still around as a sanctioning body, tracks would use their sportsman programs and insurance programs. Weekly schedules would look the same outside of a hole that the tracks would have to fill once (or twice in some cases…I’m looking at you Bruton) in their schedule with a different race of their own creation…or with one of the regional or national touring groups that would surely form up to somewhat fill the gap and cash in on track operator’s fears about not having familiar looking nitro cars on their typical national event weekend. Small tire racers, nostalgia racers, flashlight drags racers, unsanctioned track racers, IHRA racers, weekly bracket racers, test and tune night racers, junior dragster competitors, stock eliminator racers, super stock racers, super comp racers, pro mod racers, comp eliminator racers, alcohol funny car racers, top alcohol dragster racers, HAMB drags racers, Hunnert Car Pile Up racers, jet car racers, jet truck racers, and sportsman motorcycle racers would all continue about their business.
The business side of the sport would regain some of the creativity shown in the ads I posted earlier today as people in national event markets would essentially be forced to reexamine the sport to see what the new landscape had to offer. In the days those ads were written, professional drag racers were the guys who sang for their supper several nights a week at the hundreds of tracks dotting the USA and Canada. Their tune was fire and smoke. Their calling cards were cars with flamboyant paint jobs, names and identities that have been all but washed from the pro scene today. I personally believe that nitro motivated pleasure seekers wouldn’t miss a beat if they were “forced” to watch cars that didn’t run as fast as the mega-budget operations today but connected with them at a deeper personal level. Today there are still hundreds of tracks dotting the landscape of the USA and Canada. There are still racers who make their living by running at as many of them as they can each Spring, Summer, and Fall. Their numbers are few but they exist and they’d serve as the incubator of the new breed of racer that would ultimately exist when people emerged from their drag racing fall out shelters.
I personally don’t believe that the Ford announcement is some sort of death knell for big league NHRA professional drag racing categories. It certainly is a gut punch and serves to remind us that the sport has moved and evolved and morphed into something that even Wally Parks himself could have never envisioned. The steps have been small and the evolution a creeping process, but it has certainly happened and spawned new species like the nostalgia drag racing scene, aforementioned “small tire” scene, and a bunch of others over the years.
I don’t want the doomsday scenario to happen, but if it did, the contagion wouldn’t spread very far from the epicenter. The casualties would be high profile, but in the grand scheme of the sport, limited. Tony DeFeo and I have spoken about what “post apocalypse” hot rodding would look like. Our conclusions have basically been that it would be more down and dirty, a little on the rough edged side, and definitely not as polished as the world we currently live in, but it would exist. The same can be said for “professional” level drag racing. Initially, it would be a little weird, a little fast and loose, and a little like it was for the decades before “mega-tracks”, “mega-teams”, and “mega-budgets” became part of the program.
Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up for you to decide.
Tony Defeo name drop………….HELL YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cars Illus. FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If NHRA dies tomorow (which it might) it would only effect the nitro guys. Everyone else can run some place else (IHRA). My local track might also have better customer service because there national event pays most of the bills for the year and currently could care less if the local racers show up every week.
Great read Brian. Since I’ve been in this drag racing world my whole life, and am now an outsider looking in, I feel drag racing as a “big league” pro sport is more or less winding down. Drag racing will never die, but it has been fractured and segmented to niche events or smaller series for decades. And some enthusiasts like myself are into multi-purpose cars now and have moved on from a “drag racing only mentality”.
As for the NHRA big show, what happens when the elder Force, Schumacher, and Kalitta decide it’s time to retire? Do you think their descendants will want to use their inheritance to keep that train rolling? Bernstein and Prudhomme couldn’t even make it work after big tobacco and beer sponsorship pulled out. And there won’t always be a middle eastern prince, or fraudster midwestern fuel baron around to sponsor everyone to fill a field.
Enthusiasts will always race for the love. But this current NHRA show is a big money game requiring millions in corporate sponsorship. And in many cases, NHRA is competing with the teams for the same corporate sponsorship money.
NHRA’s pro series has never been able to prove itself as an equal to NASCAR no matter how hard it tries. So maybe we should just move on from that type of series or thinking and build something sustainable? I believe there should be one overriding sanctioning body that governs track regulations and safety (Yes merge IHRA with NHRA for this purpose). The sportsman series could sustain NHRA (but not its burgeoning executive staff) without the pro show. There are so many different series and promoters/track owners that actually do well, so I am not worried for the sport as a whole.
I’ll comment as someone who has only a passing interest in drag racing. I grew up as a circle track racer, and all my interest is in that or road racing. I’ve drag raced my street cars on a few occasions, just to see what kind of numbers they put down.
When I was a kid I’d watch the nitro cars on TSN on occasion, marveling at the speed but not really appreciating it from a technical standpoint. Now that I’m older the technical aspect is stunning to me, and I really appreciate it.
But there’s two problems with it: #1 – a lot of people watch racing for good close racing, lots of different winners, variety, surprises, etc… And in general, Top Fuel and Funny Car don’t give those. At least from what I’ve seen.
And #2 – there’s nowhere else to go with the technology. Yes, they can definitely go quicker, but it gets to the point where the forces acting on the driver will be too extreme. “Could” someone build a low-3 second dragster, if they didn’t have rules? Probably. But other than having seen that number, what’s the point?
I took my wife to a race weekend at Grand Bend. A bunch of top sportsman cars were the main show, then there were a couple of TF dragsters for exhibition, and a jet car. Once she got over the initial shock of the TF dragsters noise and vibration, she found them boring. Enjoyed the wheelstanders and jet car much more. Top Fuel stuff is crazy exciting the first couple of times, then it feels like there’s no point in watching.
Compare that to the various “sportsman” classes, running under the 10 second range, but the cars are still recognizable as factory cars, they do crazy wheelstands, they’re all over the track, you got REAL Chevy vs Ford vs whatever… There’s much more to be interested in. I would be MUCH more interested in watching factory-based cars race in a 10.5″ tire class than I would a top fuel field.
And I think Ford finally realized that.
Just my two cents.
The TL;DR version:
People watch racing for two different things: constant technological innovation or close, wheel to wheel, unpredictable competition. And these days, the pro drag racing classes offer neither.
I never bought a single car, part, magazine from or because of any NHRA, ever…TD was the man! Still is, go Dirty White Boy! He is running a coffee shop last I knew some where in TN.
Maybe a step or two back to true grass roots racing is what we all ready need?
Damn, I still miss the local speed shops and hanging out with the guys back on the Cross Bronx express ways back in the 70’s.
Pro drag racing will survive the exodus of overt factory participation (which just as in the ’70s plays into the hands of “Government Motors” because of the internal structures and culture they developed during the GM Board’s spotty enforcement of the AMA “racing ban” after ’62).
However, just as with other sanctioning bodies facing manufacturer abandonment (i.e. NASCAR in 1970-73), tight money will make for some interesting rule adjustments . . . perhaps even gravitating more to the “nostalgia” cost limiting rules packages. Who would really miss carbon fiber, “jelly bean” bodies, multiple ignitions, or heavy loads of nitro?
I will say one thing “ADRL”
i find myself watching shows like pinks, street outlaws, and pass time these days. the cars are more interesting to me. NHRA on t.v. is just too boring to me, and i cant stand some of the guys calling the races. paul page’s voice is very annoying. i’d rather watch racing at our local track than go to a national event.
drag racing will never die, but the top nhra show is doomed to low ratings.
Redneckjoe is right. I watch everyone one of those shows, even, are you faster than a redneck. I do support my local track and that is where it is at for me and my family.
I agree with you guys, I prefer to attend my local tracks for either dirt track or 1/4 mile. I’ll save on the pricey by watching it on tv.
FYI – Paul Page was removed at the end of the season.
First of all motorsports in general; their attendance and the number of quality teams are down. I don’t think NHRA would ever go away as far as the racing is concerned. It would just have the name changed from NHRA to, “NJFDSRA” or if you will, the National John Force Don Schumacher Racing Assoication. Oh, and I’m sure there would be a battle over who’s name should go first on the decals!
To me, the loss of NHRA would only mean one meaningful thing- the loss of a semi standard set of safety rules to build and run a car by. Granted some of their rules are over board, they are still the best safety rules available and have saved a whole bunch of people from what could have been poor decisions.
As for competition- NHRA clinging to the fuel classes is a mistake. They are missing today’s racer. I had not gone to any big races in about 15 years (the last was one of the NHRA races) until I went to No Mercy at SGMP last year and saw the cars there. I was blown away. The younger racers are embracing electronics, EFI, turbos, centrifigul blowers, etc. Stuff that you rarely see at an NHRA race. That is where the future is in racing. For once, NHRA needs to take their head out of the sand and do a little following what is really going on before the end is there for them.
I
t might be like it was in the late 50s early 60s Folks building cars just to run or maybe bring back real class racing esp real stock classes Modified production etc
If Ford is getting out of the Mello Yellow series, then it’s not only the Nitro Cars that will be affected. Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle are part of that series as well. Now PSM probably won’t be affected at all, but there are still a few hardy souls out there trying to make their Mustangs run with the Camaros and Avengers. So look forward to PS becoming the most boring class in Pro Racing, kinda like it was a few years ago when it was the Pro Pontiac Class.
One has to wonder how much real support the Sportsman guys will get. The Sportsman classes have always been on their own pretty much when it comes to R&D, so I’ll bet not much. Now maybe the guys with their shiny new Cobra Jets might get a little factory help, but it will be a drop in the bucket compared to what they currently spend.
I loved the days when we could identify the makes of cars at the line. And they had such cool names, Melrose Missle, Ramchargers, Quarterflash, Grumpys Toy, Blue Max, Color Me Gone and more. I’d like to see all that start again and get back to some good old drag racing.
If NHRA hit doomsday, they might as well make Honda’s their prominent car and Javier Ortega & Ortega Global Solutions run the whole deal.
If and most likely when the NHRA goes defunct the sportsman drag racers will get a opportunity to be the stars. I would rather sit and watch weekend warriors battle it out running 10’s all day than Pro nitro classes right now. Its like watching who has the most money goes the fastest. Too me there are to types of drag raving fan, the one who goes to a NHRA event once a year and just sits a watches, doesn’t really know what goes on etc. The other type of fan is the guy/girl that will go to the local track every weekend they can and watch anything and everything run because they truly enjoy the sport of drag racing.
Rumor has it John Force inc has been seen in Arizona testing with Scion body cars RHRA. (Rice hot rod acc.)
China will help us again
Get ready for rice bowls at concession stand
Maybe it’s time turn to pro stock electric cars and funny cars just another sell out of the American way
When are we going to wake up its all ready bigger than us not
Drag racing will never die but would you miss Force family reality show?
Not me.
Drag racing has always been the first to get hit by major sponsership money. The Ford Motor Company like other US companies are facing short falls because the millionaires are pulling money out of the US stock exchanges at an abnormal rate. In turn trickling down to the Pro drag racing circuit,
If the NHRA dies, they’ve only got themselves to blame. Their product, in my opinion, pretty much sucks.
Pro Stocks are somewhat coming back to look like real cars, but funny cars still look like generic blobs and the whole 1000′ issue is a joke.
They don’t do enough to promote the lower ranks either.
A sure way to succeed is to find someone successful and emulate them.
Right now, NASCAR is kicking the NHRA’s ass all over the map.
NASCAR promotes the lower tiers, Nationwide and Camping World trucks, and they brought production looks back to the cars, letting the fans relate to the cars again.
I haven’t gone to or even watched an NHRA race on tv in over three years and I don’t miss it. I never thought I’d ever speak or write those words as a lifelong drag race nut, but that’s how I feel.
Let it die.
Someone will come along and revive it as a much, much better example of what it should be.
Wally Parks is rolling over in his grave.
Rumor has it John Force inc has been seen in Arizona testing with Scion body cars RHRA. (Rice hot rod acc.)
China will help us again
Get ready for rice bowls at concession stand
Maybe it’s time turn to pro stock electric cars and funny cars just another sell out of the American way
When are we going to wake up its all ready bigger than us not
Ive been watching NHRA drag racing since i was a little kid. Im no diehard super fan, but if its a sunday night, and i have nothing going on, im watching the show. I used to never understand the mentality behind people that complained about the NHRA coverage, this was a few years back(Its still better than watching some drama queens on some useless reality show).
Then I went to the inagural event this year at New England Dragway. It was awesome. I had a great time with my lady, we were even asked to sit in the VIP Mello Yello burnout box seats. It was the most fun ive had at the racetrack in a day. Then i got home, and watched the ESPN broadcast. Now i see where the guys were coming from when they complained about the coverage. It really has become the nitro show over the years. PS and PSM are barely even fillers. You could blink and miss that coverage. No sportsman racers either. The NHRA has all its eggs in one basket and thats a problem to me. They need to get on board with some of the small tire stuff, or start showing more variety. They cant rely on the nitro cars cause the majority of the nitro fans will just come and go in my opinion.
A couple thoughts.
First, nitro racing doesn’t translate to TV, not all the way, at least. I grew up haunting Pomona and seeing the big money teams of the late eighties and early nineties, smelling nitro, feeling the power. It’s a visceral sensation. You feel it. You can’t push that through TV.
My wife and I were watching races one day, and she said that the dragsters and funny cars were boring, because one person would break down, or haze the tires off the line, and the race was over as soon as it began. She was right. Aside from about one race in 3 even remotely being in doubt by half track, it may as well have been sailboat racing. And I couldn’t even BEGIN to explain the experience of being there to her, the pits, the nitro, the power of it all. “Yeah, honey, you get the nitro in your eyes and lungs, and it burns, but it’s AWESOME!” She looked at me like I was nuts.
Second, computers and technology have narrowed the gap between what takes place off tracks and on them. How excited should I be about a guy in Pro Stock, with major sponsor backing and all the money and trappings that go with it running half a second faster than a guy from Missouri can go in his street legal big block Nova? I mean, after you’ve watched Larry Larson put down a sub-7 second pass and then drive off the property, how impressive is Pro Stock?
There is a plateau, there must be. Someone mentioned running faster in Top Fuel. So? If you’ve watched a dragster make a pass at 3.7x, and then see one make a pass at 3.3x, have you really seen anything fundamentally different?
If/when I go to the drags anymore, I spend my time in the bleachers watching the Stock class and Gas guys. That’s where the competition is. Watching a million dollar car break and go 200 feet isn’t exciting.
Not all that surprising that some of the big-name sponsors are pulling the plug…and not the first time a Detroit manufacturer “got out” of a major racing series.
Given the nature of drag racing versus NASCAR/F1, it will NEVER have that draw in terms of money/marketing, meaning the “outlaw” element of drag racing will always persist(i.e. how many boxes of Wheaties can this drag racer sell?)…and that’s not necessarily a BAD thing.
To be honest, I’m surprised that the pullout hasn’t come sooner, and on an even LARGER scale given the current economic climate.
I don’t think it would resemble the days of match racing at all. In the ’60s there existed a youth that was enamored with the automobile, and it was the high-tech item of its day.
Not so anymore, I think the bulk of young folks see cars as transportation and a burdensome necessity. It’s pretty hard to get excited about cars when they all look the same, and the fastest you get to drive them is 15mph in rush hour crunch.
I don’t believe the fan base exists to support traveling pros, and I think you will see an elimination of pro categories.
The guys who can afford to race on their own dime will continue to (that would be the nostalgia categories), and they may become the top pro classes.
That being said, I believe NHRA will find a replacement for Ford.