Here We go again

[bud]

Looks like NHRA and Tom Compton have been keeping an eye on what the PINKS folks have been up to. This on todays NHRA Blog.


NHRA, producers of popular drag racing show announce agreement to produce media properties
Thursday, January 07, 2010

NHRA and producers of the popular drag racing show Pinks®, Stephen Pullin and Jack Schaeffer, have agreed to create, develop, and produce media properties, including new racing competitions, new events, and television programs. The first project, NHRA Unleashed, will celebrate pure American horsepower in an interactive festival environment.
Pullin and Schaeffer’s Disrupt/ive Studios, and NHRA, will explore and develop innovative properties focused on wide open wheel-standing heads-up competition embracing the car enthusiast, the roots of NHRA. NHRA Unleashed is the first of these properties to be staged in 2010, in Atlanta; Indianapolis; Hebron, Ohio; and Gainesville. A schedule of events is listed below. The plan is to expand NHRA Unleashed to other premier drag racing facilities in the United States in 2011.
“We have been working for several months with Stephen, Jack, and the team at Disrupt/ive Studios to create this unique relationship,” said Tom Compton, president, NHRA. “We are excited about creating new entertainment media properties and developing entertaining, interactive events aligned with television programming that highlight the foundation of NHRA, the grassroots racer and car enthusiast.”
NHRA Unleashed will provide a fully interactive experience for spectators and participants, embracing a new breed of drag racing enthusiast looking for pure, door slammer heads-up competition on the track, ranging from the 10.5 Outlaw to the 13-second weekend warrior, and a festival environment off the track. At an NHRA Unleashed event, everyone and everything is part of the show, which will feature heads-up, no index racing on the track; interactive events, including Kart Track and Autocross activities; and the traditional car show, car/parts swap meet, and car corrals. The drag racing format on the track will have the sole purpose of highlighting competition for the pure heads-up grassroots competitors in the country, vying for the coveted Wally® trophy. Each event will be as much a regional “happening” as it will be a drag racing event and will include exhibition runs by a variety of race vehicles.
“We want to develop events and broadcast programs that capture the sport, lifestyle, culture, and original brand of NHRA Drag Racing,” Pullin said. “We believe the NHRA Unleashed event embodies everything we are looking to create jointly, a celebration of pure American horsepower.”
Further details on NHRA Unleashed will be announced later in January. In addition, NHRA and Disrupt/ive Studios intend to make further announcements in the coming months about additional creative ideas and proposals currently in the planning process.

2010 NHRA Unleashed Schedule
June 11-13: Atlanta Dragway, Atlanta
Aug. 6-8: O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, Indianapolis
Sept. 10-12: National Trail Raceway, Hebron, Ohio
Nov. 5-7: Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville

[bud]

So, what little credibility Pinks had will now be destroyed by corporate domination and hype? Whats next, John Force on "Dancing With the Stars"?

[slick vic]

What a bunch of CRAP,.....
Again NHRA is running away from the current issues on hand that need to be addressed and are know going to try and promote a whole different field of the automotive side of racing by bringing in more that they have to do and pay for, and for what,..for hopes that all the current issues get swept under a rug...

Bullnuts,.......put the money back into the current racers to save the sport before it is completely wiped out by the corporate money greedy big wigs, fancy hotels, and 1.5 million dollar a year transportation fees......

Can we just get back to full field racing,...PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!

[bud]

OK !! take that .. NHRA

[Roy]

The whole NHRA deal seems to be a big circus event,the racing has become secondary.If they could find a way to make money with out any real racing they would!! Think Demolition Derby meets Monster Trucks meets Extreme Motorcycles jumping over flaming pools of oil!![biodegradeable oil] Even the Reunions have turned into a specticle,racing is just to fill in the down time before the Cacklefest to keep the drunks hanging around to drink somemore!!! ROY

[showcar]

Here,Here, I'm with Roy. But who's this NHRA thing? Never heard of them, I roll with ANRA.

[jgruzen]

Hhhmmm ! ! If this wasn't a 'family oriented' website, I'd really tell you what I think

But, to do so without the over abundant use of extremem profanity, I'll remain,...ah....remain.....er...remain..

Oh, what the hell..

IF YOU TAKE THAT **$#&^^% AND TELL THEM TO ))*$#$^&*%AND &#^%@*(%$ Where the sun don't shine

Ah, never mind...

[glofria]

JOEL!!!!!! I've never known you to use that kind of language!

Between this and the 4 wide deal, I just don't think Glendora gets it. Of course, I have to remind myself that there is really two NHRAs. One that sanctions tracks and regulates safety and the other that is in the entertainment business.

I like Pinks All Out, I like Pass Time, and this may work, but I know them to be TV shows with racing as the premiss and because the minimization of false drama. It's only the editors and dumb hosts (Pinks All Out) that try and bring the drama to the story line.

What NHRA is is so bogus, nothing more that a infomercial for Castrol, Ford, Budweiser, etc. Its just like "reality TV" is to entertainment. Use to be entertainment was the theater, a concert, or a varity show.

Jesus, Joel your going to get me going.

[bud]

All right Joel . ;D
Your a Real POTTY mouth. lol

[bud]

For the first time in NHRA national event history, qualifying and eliminations for Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle at an NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event will be conducted four-wide instead of two, NHRA officials announced today.
The inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals is scheduled for March 25-28 at zMax Dragway near Charlotte, N.C. NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competition will be conducted in the traditional two-lane format, running some classes in the left two lanes and others in the right two lanes to assist with lane preparation and consistency.
The announcement comes just four months after NHRA conducted its first-ever four-lane exhibition at a national event, where nearly 30,000 horsepower blasted off at zMax Dragway during the September running of the NHRA Carolinas Nationals. In separate runs, four Top Fuel dragsters and four Funny Cars competed in the four-wide event with everyone standing on their feet to witness the most spectacular five-seconds in motorsports.
“We had so much positive feedback from our fans and drivers after the four-lane exhibition last September that we were comfortable adding this unique twist to an official NHRA national event,” said Tom Compton, president, NHRA. “Once again, NHRA will be making history at zMax Dragway. With all four of our Full Throttle Series categories competing in four-wide racing it will certainly be a spectacular event to see.”
“Watching these nitro cars thunder four-wide down the world’s only four-lane concrete strip is exactly what we had in mind when we built zMax Dragway,” said Bruton Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports and creator of zMax Dragway. “We’re making history with horsepower at the Bellagio of drag strips and race fans will be treated to a competition unlike any thing that’s ever been seen before. This will blow them away.”

The rules for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway will be as follows:
* Qualifying will be conducted using four lanes
* Each category winner will be determined in three rounds of eliminations
* The two drivers to cross the finish line first in each of the four first rounds of eliminations will advance to the second round
* The two drivers to cross the finish line first in each of the two second rounds of eliminations will advance to the final round
* Each final round will feature four drivers in each category, and the single driver to cross the finish line first in the final will be declared the winner of the race, the second runner-up and so on.

[bud]

1. NHRA has turned into a circus

2. John Force would support anything, as long as he's being paid and he's the center of attention.

[bud]

This one puts the iceing on the cake.
Now maybe you can be a true WORLD CHAMPION! This just posted at NHRA.com



NHRA has announced the creation of NHRA Worldwide Network, a program that will enable drag racing facilities around the world to conduct events under the NHRA banner. By becoming a part of the NHRA Worldwide Network, a facility will be able to use the specially-designed “Worldwide Drag Racing” NHRA oval for broad promotional purposes and will be able to draw on NHRA’s decades of experience and history.
“Organized drag racing is conducted throughout the world and we have been receiving many inquiries regarding how facilities outside of North America can become affiliated with NHRA,” said Tom Compton, president, NHRA. “NHRA Worldwide Network provides drag racing facilities around the globe with unique benefits and identification with NHRA.”
NHRA Worldwide Network tracks will follow the NHRA Rulebook and will be assigned an account director for advice and consultation. The track will have access to NHRA’s technical department in the United States and may also request training at the track site. Tracks can also participate in any of NHRA’s Division Tech Seminars, SFI certification and training seminars, and emergency response training seminars.
As an NHRA Worldwide Network track, the facility will be able to award Wally trophies for track champions. NHRA will establish a link to the track’s Web site from NHRA.com and be listed in a newly-created Worldwide Affiliation directory of National DRAGSTER and NHRA.com.
The first track to be associated with the program will be the dragstrip currently being built within the confines of the Yas Marina Circuit, located on Yas Island off the coast of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
As the premier drag racing sanctioning body in the world, NHRA currently serves as the president of FIA’s Drag Racing Commission. The worldwide rules adopted by FIA for drag racing originate from NHRA’s Rulebook. Members of the commission meet annually to develop the rulebook and discuss drag racing on a global basis. Currently, organized series are conducted in Europe and Australia.

[underbear]

I guess that NHRA is finally going to live up to an acronym I heard years ago. I told myself that when they started to race camels and have elephants and clowns (Not to exclude Tom Compton)at the national events,I was going to give up the sport I Love. With 4 wide being the opening act , where is it going and will it ever return to the racing we all knew and loved? ANRA is our refuge and we hope Butch can keep this program afloat. Remember NHRA NO HOPE FOR RACING IN AMERICA.. ED

[bud]

so sad!!
Did you ever notice when ever someone tries something new
and it is successful some big guys (N$%A) barge in and take over and try to make everyone think it was all there Idea .
(Example) the Reunion at Bakersfield.
I guess that the [glow=red,2,300]nonprofit Corp Organizations[ We all know and Love[/glow] have got the money and a choke hold on all things and they get payoffs (called teaming up and buying add in ND)
From the vendors so the racer can't build his own racing parts and are force into buying from the Vendors and they hide behind the logo called SFI ..

I Remember one time Big Daddy was doing a Interview and he was ask were he had purchased a certain part and he said you know I don't run that store bough junk ( on TNN TV ) But if your Big Daddy you say just about anything you want too.

[bud]

Some one needs to come out with a Book and call it How To build a Drag Car without SFI parts, Make the N#$A tech guys earn there money and make a few Decisions on what is good and not so good, and not hide behind SFI. we might as well get something for our $150 certification sticker, now that we don't get a rule book With our Subscriptions of ND anymore unless you pay an extra $10.00 or buy a ream of paper, and extra ink for the printer. ( I chose wisely $10.00 is cheaper than a ream of paper and 2 ink cartages) . How many racers are on the INTERNET at the race track none I know of, we are there to race not play with a keyboard..
Bud