I hear from racers all the time about the high cost to race an import car in one of the Pro classes and the small returns to win. In the all motor class you could win every race, collect every dollar in contingency, win the championship purse, and at the end of the year you would still be in the negative. The reason behind this is that the leading cars are spending huge dollars to be out front and they are usually the ones that are the furthest in the negative at the end of the year. I think that in order to further and grow the sport, the payouts need to be increased.

All the classes should at the very least pay to qualify. Currently, if you qualify you don't even get your entrance fee back. If you take the fuel cost to get to the race, the hotel cost, the entrance fee, food, car maintenance, you are usually $500.00 negative before you even hit the track.

If you look at racing budgets, it would be easier to race NHRA domestic pro stock than to race Pro Front Wheel Drive because GM's racing budget is higher than Greg Andersons who won the championship in Pro Stock. I heard that Greg Anderson's team owner spent over one million dollars to win the championship this year. I would bet that GM spent more than two million to win the Pro FWD champioship this year. At least in Pro Stock you get a nice check to qualify and a nice check to win first round.

So what does all this mean, in order to keep the racers in the classes and get full fields there needs to be better payouts. The sanctioning bodies need to understand that the majority of racers are young and don't have large bank accounts, so they are racing with their week to week earnings. I hope the sanctioning bodies are reading this and we can hear what they have to say. They have to understand that the reason why spectators come to the races is to see racing, and without racers there will be no spectators.

 

you must have some good drugs over there in fl.

 

I just know that the sanctioning bodies read this and maybe it would make a difference. The same thing happened in the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) where they were not getting cars and then they changed the payouts and all of a sudden there were full fields.

 

by raising the payouts in each class would deffinately bring out more racers and there would be more competition. But i have no clue on how the NHRA and NDRA spend their money and if there is surplus in money for them to throw into the payouts. i think the year end championship purse is good but i think the event 1st place payout needs to be raised for all motor and hot rod.

MY $0.02

 

just wanted to add something. i don't mean to bust your thread or anything. BUT WHAT ABOUT ADVERTISEMENT!!!!!!! I never hear or see any advertisement for races. Nopi this year at Maple Grove I heard a radio commercial. No One knows about the import races. I dont' know about other races that Nopi had this year but i wonder why the turnout isn't good for races. i think it is pretty much word of mouth or maybe i have a really bad vision on this or something?

 

crack head!!

 

prostock/allmotor needs to be first on the list for increased payouts, we get paid the leased amount and put as much or more into our motor programs as every one.also our class is always the largest

 

that is so true.......... all motor has the best competition, and you guys should be deffinately the first on the list for a "raise."

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TyCooley &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you guys should be deffinately the first on the list for a "raise."</TD></TR></TABLE>

I second that motion

 

not to be nosey but what do pros. pay to race in the pro classes for the weekend at nhra and nopi?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hollandallmotor &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">prostock/allmotor needs to be first on the list for increased payouts, we get paid the leased amount and put as much or more into our motor programs as every one. also our class is always the largest </TD></TR></TABLE>



All motor has had more full fields than any class this entire year in any sanctioning body.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TyCooley &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">that is so true.......... all motor has the best competition, and you guys should be deffinately the first on the list for a "raise."</TD></TR></TABLE>

i think NHRA pays 8 or 9k for an end of the year title.....what the hell is that? thats a drop in the bucket. thats like winning an extra 8 or 900 a race. Not enough.

You see the racers on the POWERade series are thinking about boycotting a round to get a higher per race purse.

NHRA/NOPI/BOTI/IDRC........GIVE US THE MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

does anyone know the payouts for Nhra Powerade Top Fuel or Funny Car?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TyCooley &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">does anyone know the payouts for Nhra Powerade Top Fuel or Funny Car?</TD></TR></TABLE>

This is for the season's point totals, I'm not sure (couldn't find) what it is per race.

NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Point Fund
Place Total TF FC PSCar PSBike
1 $1,050,000 $400,000 $400,000 $200,000 $50,000
2 265,000 100,000 100,000 50,000 15,000
3 132,500 50,000 50,000 25,000 7,500
4 81,000 30,000 30,000 15,000 6,000
5 67,500 25,000 25,000 12,500 5,000
6 54,250 20,000 20,000 10,000 4,250
7 48,750 18,000 18,000 9,000 3,750
8 46,000 17,000 17,000 8,500 3,500
9 43,250 16,000 16,000 8,000 3,250
10 40,500 15,000 15,000 7,500 3,000
Total $1,828,750 $691,000 $691,000 $345,500 $101,250

 

gezzzzzzzzzzzz. maybe once the stands get filed more the payouts will go up

 

Thats a totally different ballgame. They have 2 things that sport compact doesn't have.

1. People in the stands
2. Racecars on the track

Bring both of those to our racing and then more sponsors will want to get involved and the payouts will go up. You can't give money away that doesn't even exist.

 

Maybe with the new NHRA Schedule the pro classes are going to get some of that spotlight


I do disagree with the race car part
for what cars we do have on the track it is doing something for the sport

 

also nhra has been around for a while, and that is always brought up that they have been around for like 50 yrs racing and sport compact drag racing has been around for lets just say 4-8yrs? Nopi gets hurt in the turnout of spectators because they can't go to the tracks like pomona and englishtown. Some of those race tracks on Nopi's schedule I have never heard of. But im young so i don't know everything.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Big_Mike &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I second that motion </TD></TR></TABLE>

I third that motion

 

i think the big thing is that we need more turn out for spectators, hell you look at a top fuel event that the crowd is packed, its nuts.
dunno why we dont get that many ppl.... just wait iam sure it will coem tho with more and more pro cars coming ou t.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by eddiecut &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i think the big thing is that we need more turn out for spectators, hell you look at a top fuel event that the crowd is packed, its nuts.
dunno why we dont get that many ppl...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ha ha. Are you serious? I don't know how many Powerade races you have been to but if you have ever seen, heard, or felt a Nitro car go down the track there is no reason to even wonder why they fill the stands.

NHRA letting all of the Pro cars run at a couple of these events next year will be huge. The car counts have to go up though. We need to have 20 cars trying to qualify in each class for it to be interesting.

 

no problem in allmotor we usually have 20 plus trying to qualify,also i think nhra needs to change our class to prostock.we are a pro class and allmotor does not cut it when your trying to get sponsors

 

the nhra doesn't replicate names that already belong to one class, even though it might be a different series. and from what i've heard apparently pro stock has already been taken by another nhra class. maybe we can call you guys top fuel, hopefully no one's taken that name yet.

 

poorguy there is need to be a smart ***!! Last I checked opinions are welcomed not ********!

 

thanks mike

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hollandallmotor &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">no problem in allmotor we usually have 20 plus trying to qualify,also i think nhra needs to change our class to prostock.we are a pro class and allmotor does not cut it when your trying to get sponsors</TD></TR></TABLE>

20 cars showed up to 1 event in 1 class. That has to happen at every race and its not going to happen if people aren't willing to commit to a series and follow it.

Just as an example, look at all the fast all motor cars on the west coast that won't travel. They split their season up between NHRA, IDRC, BOTI and other local events. Believe me I know how hard it is to travel with no sponsors and no budget...its near impossible. But we can't ask for more money if we aren't willing to race. The money just isn't there.

And yeah the NHRA Pomona race was a huge success and hopefully the trend will continue next season. What was the turnout in Pomona? I think I heard 10,000 spectators. Thats a mediocre turnout for the east coast. As many people that are into this sport in Cali you should have 30,000 people at those events.

The Bottom line is: #1 race teams need to commit to a series and run it #2 People need to sit in the stands. Its easier said then done but unless the classes are FULL at EVERY race, racers are out of line asking for more payouts. Full classes and 20,000+ in the stands will bring more sponsors to the sanctioning bodies, which means more payouts. And it will bring more sponsors to racers.