AHRA Forum????

[relichunter]

I'm sure, (maybe) some have been following the rebirth of AHRA. I've watched their progress, or maybe non-progress for a while. While the weather has not been kind, some of their expectations have seemed to have fallen by the wayside. First their going to have a home track, then that's gone. They seem to have lost at least another track along the way. Their web site is way behind, their still "featuring" a event from May. Now it seems their "forum" site is shut down, it's been in "maintenance" mode for almost a week now. Only AHRA officials can sign in, is anyone else able to sign in. Between the "booked" IHRA non-racing events and the ultra expensive John Force NHRA Show, and now the questionable AHRA, whats left for my racing habit. At a recent IHRA event, less then a total of 90 cars showed, a couple of SS, a handful of this class, a couple of cars in another class, think fans will show again? This past weekend, there sure were a lot of empty seats at the NHRA event. Overall, nothing looks good. I live close to Charlotte, and that 4-wide deal sure didn't set fan attendance records. Thank goodness for Nostalgia racing. Don't ya love looking at a Funny Car that really looks like a Ford or Chevy instead of what Force would want you to believe is a Mustang? I guess I'm getting old and senile wanting racing like we used to have years ago. Remember 32 car fields of fuel cars, now IHRA will crown a TF Champ at seasons end with a total of four cars. What a sad state of affairs when something like that is being passed off as racing. Am I the only one looking at this picture and wondering where drag racing is headed?

[animal jim]

The thing is-people are spoiled with entertainment. They want a freak show-or a reality show.

Here is an example.

A racing establishment promotor confided in me recently about that very fact.

He told me the last time had the Outlaw Sprinters at his 1/4 mile dirt track-with all the obvious big names they payed them almost $100,000. Plus did huge expensive advertising. radio, TV,printed publications, posters, mailers etc.

The night of the race-perfect weather-only 2500 people in the stands.

Then my promotor friend countered with-Then we have the Demolition Derbys. We pay them $10,000 and hardly no advertising-mostly word of mouth- and they pack the stands with 8,000 people.

I am so glad I got to run AHRA in the 70s and early 80s.

I don't know what will happen to drag racing. There were only 15 TF cars at Seattle.

I'm not sure the big time Nat. events are coming to an end. Not to mention All Big Time Racing. It is so expensive just to go as a fan. I was just at the last NASCAR race at 66. $8.00 for a f-cking beer I can buy a 30 pack for $14.95 $4.00 for a bottle of water. GFS has cases of 16oz water that comes to 8 cents @ bottle.

People are tired of being ripped off and cannot afford it.


I think the Nostalgia events may take over. But even there----------I know racers thaqt are having Nostangia Pro Stock cars built by Big Name builders. They will have 25E stickers!

Next weekend I am booked to make runs at Fords at The Summit at Norwalk. My car I will use is my 1979 Zephyr called Zeke-I raced in Pro Stock 1979 to 1986. Then in Outlaw Pro Stock and by 1990 became one of the first Pro Mods. The car is exactly like I last ran it in 89. Engine trans and all! 21 years ago! Zeke is Not a Clone!!!!!!!!!!! Like most I run against. See last Nat. Dragster. Article about Merc drag cars by Phil Burgess.

[Andamo]

The AHRA had a race at Marion County on the 3rd of July. Now the checks made out to the winners, and payment to the track owner are bouncing. If anyone races the AHRA race at Quaker City, expect nothing.

[animal jim]

That is sad. That is how the AHRA ended in 84 in Miss. I was to go to that race and backed out when I found a bad cyld at the last moment.

The bad news was-My 24 year old crew chief got killed in an auto accident that Sun. night. I would have gladly accepted a bad check in place of Cliff. If we would have gone to that last AHRA -Cliff would have been in Miss. with me. Fate is the Hunter! Took me years to recover from his death.

[Andamo]

Jim, I sorry to hear that. I can see that after these many years it still affects you. Savor the good times in life because they are fleeting.

[relichunter]

Hey Animal Jim, I totally agree. Years ago I managed a 3/8 mile oval track in new Hampshire. I had a field of 30 plus Pro Stocks for 24 starting positions. They asked for a big race, I went of it. We were the first track in the NorthEast to offer $10,000 to win a hundred lap feature. We signed in over 70 cars that day. We sat around 7500, that Friday night I could have thrown rocks into the stands, maybe hit a couple of people. We spent a ton on advertising, had a great sponsor, did the radio thing, the whole deal, and the race was a bust. Later in the season, we created a race with junkers jumping over ramps, on a figure 8 course, part dirt/part paved. We signed in around 100 cars for that event, with some support classes running regular races. We literally ran out of parking, cars were parking on the main road, in neighbors fields, we sold out, standing was sold out. The entire purse for the whole night was less then $2000.00, needless to say, we had a whole new view of how to make money. Of course we lost a ton of racing people, and in the end, the junk racing trend died. The track never cam back to prior years. I'm afraid that's whats happening today with drag racing. IHRA books two jet trucks to race side by side, and the fans think this is the best thing since M & Ms. Oh well, that world has changed from when I was young, and not for the better.

[relichunter]

Opps, I said "Sat" around 7500, I should have said we "Sit". That night we didn't have 1500 people in the stands.

[animal jim]

That brings up another failure with a great show. Remember the Sunoco Pro Mod Shootouts on TV.

I had so many contracted bookings back then I only ever did one. It was Indy 1993. Man we had the best of the best there. But no fans!

I wonder if rhe Romans went through the same things g.

After a while I suppose you would get tired of Lions eating Christians, Virgin Maidens raped by apes and Gladiators killing each other.