The $ Al-Anabi $ race team

[RH]

Attended the ADRL event at MIR this weekend. It looks like the Shannon Jenkins-Castellena team,Speed-Tech,and Rickie Smith organizations are all one big happy family now under the Al-Anabi racing banner,I hear not as sponsor but owner. They also had another NoS car in competition under the Awesome-Al-Anabi banner

Glad to see our $140 a drum oil helping to keep the Shieks kids entertained.

Sorry,but it just rubs me the wrong way. Just another American sell out to foriegn interests.

[Shane Boyungs]

I disagree and am offended at your remarks...

"Glad to see our $140 a drum oil helping to keep the Shieks kids entertained. "

Your American goverment is to blame for this .....

Bringing in more money to the sport and helping it gain world wide exposure must be bad thing....

Blower car coming soon....

http://www.dragsim.com/images/vonsmith.jpg

[RH]

Teams from Aruba,Mexico,Puerto Rico,Canada,Australia and other countries have worked hard and built good race teams and raced in the US and I appreciate the efforts and welcome them as I do any and all foriegn racers.I wish the Al-Anabi team no ill will but do not like the idea that they just popped on the scene and bought their way to the top of the heap.

Yes,I do feel that the US gov't can share the blame for our petroleum woes and that's an issue we can do a 500 post thread on but not here.

I stand by my comments and am sorry if I offend.They are mine and no one need agree.

BP,if you feel this post offends I will understand it's removal.

[draglist]

If it doesn't descend any further, I'm cool with it. I also was there (Denise kicked me out of the car on a drive by on the way back from North Carolina yesterday afternoon) and I was surprised to see golf carts with "Qatar" on them and the Rickie Smith and Jenkins cars. But I don't see it as any different than some other big money group buying a couple of the top cars and hiring the drivers. Big money is going to buy it's way to the top in drag racing or any other endeavor. It's the way it's always been and I don't see a way out of it. That didn't just happen, either. It's based on relationships that Rickie has cultivated by going over to tune for those guys in an area of the world that is becoming more hot rod crazy by the day.

But we need to look inside ourselves and consider what product/owner combinations we get mad at and why. An Exxon car would be welcomed... but those guys and other oil companies are making record profits while we pay 4 bucks a gallon. Would they get the same response? What about Winston and its products or the beer companies and their products? Not to mention the various teams over the years that have funded their efforts through less than legal means (the guys in the pits know about it... but nobody says anything). I'm not for or against the 'dangerous products' sponsorships and I'm not here to judge the suspected shady stuff. But it's a slippery slope when we reject one "bad" way of getting funding and overlook others.

It is definitely a completely new wrinkle in the sport and will be interesting to continue watching. bp

[Shane Boyungs]

RH, This is why I came to draglist.. To be able have debate's without all the mf'ing like on some message boards...

Quick clearification.. I was offended by this remark ""Glad to see our $140 a drum oil helping to keep the Shieks kids entertained. " "

It would be like me saying ..I bet the (insert derogatory slang word here) are happy cause T-Ped is winning... I was not offended by your opinion on this subject...

Al-Anabi has been buying good racecars for awhile now. Lets say you were going promod racing... If money was no object..Wouldn't you want the best Equipment money can buy? I know I would.. I would also like to race the best of the best and to do that you have to come to the states...

[jim sanders]

Interesting topic... great post B.P. R.H, and Shane .. In my view money is money and if it makes into our sport that is good ..

[RH]

BP,
Wish I could have seen you there.Was hanging out with a local team pitted near the Awesome M/S team most of the day yesterday and with Buck Proctor Friday.Was neat to be with him and Camp together at Camps pit.

The selling of America and the petroleum issue weighs heavy on many of us.

Thanks.

[draglist]

I agree with you on that, RH. I have a problem generally with selling off US assets to foreign companies. I'm disappointed that I missed you, too. I was surprised to be able to go and I didn't make any plans except to hope that I could find Kepner for a ride home (I did)... I will see you one day soon. bp

[RH]

Shane,

I would have liked to have seen Al-Anabi "build" a team thru a different method and am aware that they have kind of "home grown" operations in some other classes since last season.The money could obviously hire the best and build the best and additional cars would be welcomed. I don't really see the "value added" to the U.S.at this point as far as foriegn interests buying existing successful operations and will admit that it a little scarry to know that there is a group out there that can buy absolutely anything they wish.

We're all gentlemen and ladies here and I appreciate your response.

I am absolutely in no way bigotted or biased and respect all people as fellow human beings.This is not an issue of ethnicity and if I did come across that way I certainly apologise.

Ron

[Outlaw Nick]

We have a few members from the Gulf region at FastDoorslammers and I can tell you that they are just hot rodders like us. No difference. Cars and technology from the US are sold all over the world. Why not the Gulf region?