Snake vs. Bounty Hunter?
IHRA featuring AA/FC and N/TF is the best idea yet.
I'm in, but what happens when the IHRA events start to out-draw the NHRA? Could you imagine Snake building a Hot Wheels car? Connie, a Bounty Hunter? The IHRA would become the preferred series of the true fan.
Scott Frymoyer
Wyomissing, Pennsylvania
It’s hip to be cool
Maybe the IHRA should just drop modern nitro cars and run both nostalgia Top Fuel and Funny Car. It would be cheaper for the track owners and teams and the fans would get to see some cool racing.
Richard Nevill
Kentville, Mississippi
At least they’d have full fields
How about a single nitro class including both FC and TF?
Give the FCs a break on the tree equal to the difference between the two classes' national ET records. There'd be no penalty for breaking out, since the only way to do so would be to set a new record.
Mixing the classes would add excitement for fans and visual interest for TV--can the rail catch the flopper?--and make it easier to fill a 16-car field. It would also address the problem we have now of look-alike pairs of cars running side-by-side.
Call the whole mixed bag Top Eliminator.
Even more radically, throw the alky cars into the Top Eliminator mix, again with staggered starts based on ET records. The element of pursuit would be even greater, and sponsors would be able to get TV time with a lesser investment than is required for nitro cars. Points, entry fees, and prize money could still be used to reward the greater investment of nitro teams.
Jim Hale
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Which would the sponsors prefer?
Jeff, you are so right, what is IHRA thinking? Top Fuel at IHRA has been lackluster while the AA/FC class seems to grow. Wrong move IHRA, Funny Cars are rolling billboards while the TF cars don't have that much space in each side. It’s not our ball park.
Give me Nostalgia FCs and AA/FA's over Top Fuel. Sorry guys, just got to be honest.
Tim Marshall
Las Vegas
A mind meld
Re: “So here is my suggestion. If the IHRA track promoters cannot afford the $100,000 dollars per race for Nitro Funny Cars, why not consider an eight-car field for AA/FC cars at the national events?” – Jeff Burk
Boy, I like you more every day!
Jay Mageau
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
IHRA needs a new marketing strategy
It is interesting to note the drop off of IHRA car counts. I wonder if Mr. Polburn’s “hurry up” strategies are not costing the IHRA both in terms of gate receipts and fan and racer credibility. How long can one expect people to return and pay and pay and pay to see the same thing, a big hoopla qualifying show?
I believe the drag race fan is generally pretty well versed in the complexities of each class, be it sportsman all the way to the professional nitro classes. Just sit in the stands and listen to them talk of each class as they go down the track. It is also not uncommon for them to share their knowledge of each class with any of those around that do not understand the particular class being run at the time. My point being that if the IHRA would focus on the competition on Sunday, market the fact that there is lots of good racing, and focus on the point that it all starts Sunday morning, they might be surprised at the return of the missing Sunday spectators. We are drag racing, not just putting a number on the board after all. I do not think that the Saturday show would ever suffer, and if there were seats in the stands on Sunday maybe the racers would not feel the mad rush the IHRA seems to have to get outta here.
I race and have wondered endlessly why the sportsman classes get robbed of a Saturday time trial while they are calling the E.T. brackets to the lanes. This has happened numerous times this year and has annoyed many racers, again losing credibility. In regards to this run-sportsman-first-round-Saturday-morning theory is that some people are not able to take 3-4 days off for a race. In these economic times it makes sense for IHRA to make it as easy as possible for a competitor to race. I am sure that there would be greater car counts (more cars/better show/more fans?) if some people could show up Friday afternoon or Saturday morning, tech, time trial and race first round Saturday afternoon or evening for that matter.
I do believe that the fans come to see more than just the fuel cars. The IHRA was built on the sportsman racer, they need to refocus on them. I did a recent car count just on Super Stock this past weekend, and I probably missed a few national opens, but there were over 200 cars listed competing just in that class on one weekend!
Why then on so many national events can they not get over 50 cars entered? They should also entertain bringing back modified in some form, it was always a fan favorite. There is no reason that they could not bring back the old modified classes, toss in some 10.5" tire nitrous cars have some turbo imports and see who can survive the eliminator, I think NHRA wisely has done this in comp, haven’t they? Who wouldn’t like to see a 10,000 rpm small block 1968 Camaro race a 1989 10.5 tire mustang on squeeze? Wheel-standing, tire smoking drag racing, what a concept, toss in the fact that most of these guys and gals are just normal people the fans can relate to, HMM!
The IHRA needs to bridge the credibility gap that they have with the Sportsman racers, focus on core classes, remove the distractions from national events, and I am sure that the car counts will come back which should lead to greater fan appeal. The real beauty of drag racing is the melting pot of theories each person has to get from one end of the track to the other, toss in the index class complexities and you have a pretty neat day at the drags!
Venice Perno
Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada