And now, we return to our discussion of the new NHRA Pro Racing deal:
LOSING STATUS?
A lot of people have wondered for a long time how NHRA has gotten away with maintaining their non-profit status. Maybe somebody told them to get their act together or they would lose that non-profit status. This solves the problem.
Tim Casbolt
Maryland
THE TAX MAN COMETH?
ADVERTISEMENT
I've read your and several other brief analyses of the NHRA asset sale…one thing that you may not have considered is the involvement of the IRS. Specifically, when a 501c organization makes actual profit from activities not directly related to its mission, it can be considered 'Unrelated business income' that can affect the tax-exempt status of the organization.
If the NHRA's avowed purpose is to promote safety, operating a professional racing series might be considered far enough 'out of scope' that it had to be spun off into a for-profit operation.
It's also very interesting that Tom Compton is going over to the for-profit operation…I wonder if he has a stake in it?
Mark S. Johnson
THE SPORTSMAN SUPPORT THE PRO PROGRAM?
I seriously doubt NHRA Pro Racing will ever be able to afford to run without the sportsman. If they do it will be a long way down the road. The pro teams don't pay any entry and they are using more and more parts made in-house, so until pro drag racing becomes so mainstream that Fortune 500 and above companies support it entirely, the sportsman racer and the companies that make the parts that sportsman racers use will still carry a fair amount of the load.
Sportsman events promoted properly could grow to the size of the national events we have today and already have the support of the performance industry manufacturers. Without sportsman racing a lot of companies would have to change direction or go out of business. I believe we'll see changes at the sportsman level and I think it will get even better with time.
Bill Anderson
Greeneville, TN
A MIND READER
Thanks to Glen Grissom for putting to print everything I had on my mind about the sale of NHRA.
Tony Neu
Indiana
BACK TO THE FUTURE?
As part of the process of re-tooling NHRA events, why not have something akin to the old "Cavalcade of Stars" Nostalgia Funny Cars run Saturday night, Chicago style. The emphasis would be on exhibition skills (straight nitro, half-track smoky burnouts, flames visible while idling, dry hops on the way to the starting line) rather than performance.
The sanctioning body could even own the cars outright, transporting them three to a trailer. They would be known by their monikers (Rambunctious, Snake, Mongoose, Chi-Town Hustler, Stardust, etc.) rather than by the driver's name. Imagine the merchandising possibilities! This may sound too much like Monster Trucks to some, but the kids would love it.
Thomas Squires
Oklahoma City, OK
DON’T RAISE TICKET PRICES
I consider myself a huge drag racing fan. I don't watch any other motorsport. That said, with two kids now I haven't gone to either the Maple Grove or Englishtown race for close to 5 years now even though one is 10 minutes away. It's $50 now; any more would be robbery. I enjoy the pro classes, but I can't justify it when I can watch on TV. Oh yeah, TV, if it goes to PPV or satellite TV I'm out there too. NHRA Pro Racing would be dead to me.
I am very happy NHRA kept nostalgia racing and the museum. I haven't missed a NHRR yet and it has turned into a family vacation. I think if done right that a touring Nostalgia Top Fuel, Funny Car, Nostalgia Eliminator show could top the boring by comparison current pros. (I'm only 33).
Two things to close. 1. Does this mean that the NHRR will move again next year now that the NHRA no longer owns Columbus? 2. This is purely hearsay and conjecture, but I'm close with a local politician who swears to me that Maple Grove Raceway has an agreement in principle with a developer to be sold. It's not the first time I've heard this. Would be sad.
Scott Frymoyer
Wyomissing