IHRA Opener... Looks like 3 hr shows will be easy...

[RH]

....when you don't have any racers! Appears IHRA has sunk to a new level in sportsman class racer participation. AP and the boy's managed a whopping 125 class cars in competition at Palm Beach.This was in addition to the 16 "show" nitro cars..8 N/FC...4T/F....4 A/FD or which only a handful got down the track side by side.
9 Top Sportsman(remember AP's earlier release.......These guys were going to be the pro "Doorslammer" show,that's why no need for ProMod. ) IHRA T/S fields are 32 Qualified cars
9 S/S
19 Stock.......you get it. Just 3 short years ago car counts of 500+
No full field in any class.I feel sorry for the real drag race fan.
Of course if you read the IHRA spin the event was a huge success.
To directly quote Aaron Polburn from the release " Mission accomplished ".
I think somebody else #&*@'..d up by saying that a couple years back!

RIP IHRA

Ron

[racersforcoffee]

I'm very curious how the paying spectators felt about this; fan on the street interviews would be useful right now...our pal wrenchski was also on site and has a notorious aversion to self destructive promotions...

[RH]

Elite 8 T/S shootout only has 6 car field?
Day 2 NF/C only put 7 cars on the track?
Day 2 of T/F starts off Rd.1 with 1 solo and ONE side by side pass?
Looks like they need to give a little more thought as to execution of their new 'show"

"Huge success" per IHRA as they reportedly made lot's of gate.
Ron

[racersforcoffee]

...we've been making cracks all month about comparisons to New Year's 2000....but now it's getting creepy...

[WCB]

IHRA has the opportunity........

[draglist]

I wonder what it looked like to the casual, "three hour" fan. If it was considered a good value by those guys, then that's what's going to drive things. bp

[RH]

I wonder what it looked like to the casual, "three hour" fan. If it was considered a good value by those guys, then that's what's going to drive things. bp

BP,I know of someone who competed in class racing there and actually won some money and he/she used the word"embarrassing" in a private post race conversation regarding the field size.
Honorable racers want to run an honorable race I think.I'm not sure IHRA can make it without the class racer and fans they bring but could be wrong....guess we'll see.

With IHRA re-vamp,ADRL /loss of Nat Guard / sentiments over Al-Anabi and the Moe Atta situation,NHRAs changes,economic times,etc,seems like poor old drag racing is in turmoil right now on a sanctioned level.
God Bless the tracks that provide good weekly racing.
Ron

[WCB]

RH..The world is in turmoil.
It will all work out......

[Rapid Randy Baker]

I sure hope it works for them. There is a lot of tracks who don't have a national event, but survive, or even flourish with shows like the one this weekend in FL. I like to see the NFC getting the exposure and am looking forward to watching them on TV.

Now, with that being said, I am NOT SURE this is a good direction for a Sanctioning Body, as large as IHRA, making it be the main thing it does. JMO On the flip side the things they had going were as successful as they needed to be, so this is as good a change of tatics as any I can think of.

BEST OF LUCK TO ANYTHING DRAG RACING!!

[John Howe]

Just a quick reply for now. I understand that the Snowbird Nationals were going this weekend at the nearby Bradenton track. The Snowbirds was suppose to happen back in December, but it was rained out. I understand weather was also a factor again this weekend in Bradenton. Might the Bradenton race have reduced the sportsman classes in Palm Beach?