Folks Of Interest Prudhomme selling out?

PRUDHOMME CALLING IT QUITS
Written by Compe***ionPlus
Saturday, 05 September 2009
Don Prudhomme announced on Friday at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis that his entire race team is for sale immediately. In a press conference, the multi-time NHRA World Champion announced that he will not field a team in 2010 unless a sponsorship is procured.

Prudhomme announced that his longtime ***ociation with the United States Smokeless Tobacco ends at the end of the season. Reportedly new legislation regarding tobacco advertising played a large role in the decision to discontinue the program.

 

****s But I can't blame the guy for not wanting to loose money.

 

get out before the whole circus goes belly up...

 

Don has the smarts to sell, rather than end up with a bunch of stuff that can only get pennies on the dollar. Hope he finds a buyer...

 

this could be just the beginning of things to come if this economy doesnt get moving.

 

In this case ,the economy is just part of the story,

The way the NHRA has been robbing the fans their lucky that they have lasted as long as they have.

Warren Johnson even said so on national T.V. the week before last ,when he was pissed off at the NHRA and the track officials because they haven't kept up the track maintenance and are just pocketing the money instead of keeping the drivers safe with a safe race surface.

Hope this makes sense ! ! ! ! !

 

yep sad

 

1. sponsors bailing out
2. NHRA gouging spectators
3. going to 1,000 feet for fuel cl***es
4. fuel runs are now at 4 seconds...that's not racing, that's squirting
5. funny cars all look the same, big ugly billboards is all
6. fuel altereds banned
7. g***er wars gone

To a lot of us that were there in the 60's, none of this **** today even comes close to the racing, the gear-banging, excitement, color and craftsmanship of the tuner and skill of the driver that those days embodied...now days the driver "points and shoots". Back then, they have to "drive" the cars, slipping the clutch just "so"....


My only suggestion?
Buy some DVDs and books and pretend you were there back then...

There is hundreds of guys on the HAMB that know how to slow these cars down and make 'em compe***ive again, save parts, save money and maybe even save the sport.
We were so damned happy to go every weekend when the fuelers were running mid 7's and the g***ers were running 140 MPH.
The stands were packed, it was family friendly financially, and a good show was almost a "given".
Here in SoCal, we could chose between four strips to go to, depending on the show for that night.
All gone....

 

May just be a bit reactionary, speaking about an NHRA demise, but I say GOOD. Time to start over.

 

Nother nail in the coffin.....R.I.P. NHRA you greedy *******s!

 

Looks like the beginning of the end. Thanks NHRA. Thanks for nuthing!!!

 

Long live "THE SNAKE"

 

UNFORTUNATELY, it does "make sense".

NHRA did the same thing last year to the Pro Stock bikes
in Ohio, shortly after Scott Kalitta was killed.

Trying to go fast on a wet track ****s.

WJ was absolutely right on everything he said, and I bet he will pay for it.

 

if you want to make a small fortune drag racing, start with a big one.

 

Look on the bright side. Qualifying for an 8 car field should be a lot easier!

 

You forgot the last straw for me, the stupid WWE points race they went with to keep 'excitement' going longer.
I used to watch and complain about the show getting bumped for Women's College Volleyball and such.
Now, I think ESPN had it right all those years.

 

Yeah the leaders of the NHRA have turned it into the ***anic,Ive been watchin this new IDRB? lotta promods and the guys really look like they are havin fun........hate to see whats happening to the Pro ranks but I miss fuel cars that really look like cars not "billy Nascar" with a blower

 

Well Garlits still has the bug, showing up with a Hemi Challenger doorslammer! I remember when there were a whole lot more fuel cars showing up to "Indy" than today. It's a couple of things going on, but the health of NHRA is not looking good. NASCAR seems to be weathering the economic storm much better.

 

I agree except ,back when fuelers were running 7's ,that was the top performance of the day. Same with 140mph g***ers. Another thing to consider is the state telling private legit businesses ( U.S. Smokeless Tobacco ) when ,how and if they can advertise. One of these Labor Day weekends I want to go to the Time Machine Nationals at Great Lakes Dragway. That seems like it would be a great show!

 

I use the mute ****on rather than listen to Paul Page (he must come cheap)!

 

For anybody who has been around a long time (say about 1962) and has had their eyes and mind open to what has been taking place this SHOULD come as no surprise. Just like there will never be such a thing as a 0.00 ET drag racing was headed for what it has ended up starting back then. Even in the early 60's racing was expensive (relatively) and a whole lot of fun as your ingenuity and hard work could produce a winner. About the end of the 60's ,and for sure the early 70's your pocketbook determined who had the glory. The team I was a part of started to disband at that time and even an independent effort on my part called it quits by '72. The current economic situation will further take a toll and (here's where this post will be deleted) the current crop of rocket scientists running things is Washington will drive home that last nail in the coffin.

Frank

 

I quit watching when as noted in other posts, all the cars began looking like every other one. Ruined NASCAR also.

I certainly wish the Snake well though not that he needs it.

 

Spent the day at the U.S. Nationals today. Been going every year since 1968.

No shortage of racers but the crowd was way off from previous years.

Normally Top Eliminator Club stand is packed shoulder to shoulder, this year about 60% full.
The rest of the stands about 70% full. Crowd walking the pits was way off too.

1000 ft racing ****s

 

I was reading a story last week in Compe***ionPlus.com about the last year NHRA ran a 32 car Top Fuel field at Indy. It was 1973 and there were 74 Top Fuel cars entered. Yes, Top Fuel has never been a cheap sport, but I'll bet none of the 74 rails there in 1973 had more than 2 crew and a couple buddies to help out. The owner was usually the driver, tuner and the guy who drove the truck to the race.

Compton took over in 1999. Since then profits are up (7+ million in 2007), excutive pay checks are up, ($700,000+ for Compton in 2007) capitol investment in Sky Box suites, new HQ building at IRP, all are up, etc.

Sponsors are down, car count in all catagories are down, spectator gates are down.

Price of admission....WAY UP.

Frank Fab32 is right about the problem being in Washington. The last bunch let jobs go over seas, spent us from a surplus into record debt fighting an unjust war. Eliminated regulations allowing Wall Street to screw the country into the biggest resesion since 1929.

 

Don Prudhomme is 68 years old . Maybe he just wants to retire. And I don't see how that means the end of the NHRA is near. Lots of long time drag racers get to the point where they want to move to the spectator side of the sport

 

I was there Friday and the crowd was definitely down......I remember just a few years ago that the stands were packed for Top Fuel qualilfying.

 

As a fan it's time to vote with your feet. If you don't like what the NHRA is doing, don't support the big show.

If you want some good old time racing, go to a nostalgia show, a night of thrills, see match racing funny cars. All these shows are going on at small tracks and big ones too, every week there is a special show somewhere.

It will cost you a lot less and you will support your local track and the touring teams who bring these events to your track.

I crew on a Nost funny Car, this year we were to NJ, NY, OH and next weekend is the Geezer's in PA. The crowds at these shows this year were bigger than ever, and really show an interest in the earlier cars that are identifiable. Our driver, not a big name, even has kids and parents line up for his autograph on the hero cards. He's really getting a big head over this.

My favorite races are when we are at a track with the SuperStock guys, These cats put on a show.

Frank

 

THAT part, I seriously doubt. None of these guys will do time.

Everything else you said is spot on.

 

was talking to some friends today that are racers. They told me that NHRA pays some funny and fuel teams to show up to make at least a 16 car field. When fuel qualifying is 19 to go 1000, something is wrong.
I enjoy being on the line when 2 go off together, nothing like it, but it's not the same watching it on TV, especially when you tune in for racing and it's elementary school girls slow pitch T ball.

 

When I said ,

I hope this makes sense ,

I meant my thoughts and typing.

Not the whole deal with NHRA and what Warren had said..

I agree with him and everyone else 100 percent .....