With the last second cancellation of the Re-Union Tour race at San Antonio added to all the other cancellations and tracks leaving the fold, it looks like AHRA is headed right back into extinction. Too bad, many of us had real hopes of it making it and giving NHRA & IHRA something to think about. They had some good ideas, but alas,,,,not to be. So what do you guys think?
I'd sure like the AHRA make a go of it. Perhaps if they can make it through this slow spot in the economy they'll come back. I think that race cancellations has more to do with lack of cash than anything else.
I'd love to see the AHRA come back! The other thread from a while back didn't show much promise though. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=402203&highlight=ahra
Still no solid answers yet as to why AHRA canceled the San Antonio race. Several websites and blogs suggest that advance ticket sales were not large. One wrongly reported that this weekends cancellation was foreshadowed by the cancellation of last weekend's AHRA event at the drag strip in Midland, but that was just flat wrong. Photos showing the Midland event are at www.maxcacklephotos.com Another site says that while last weekend's Midland race did happen, the expense money for the fuel cars was not paid, and they were sent home with a promise of getting money in the mail someday www.insidetopalcohol.com/showthread.php?t=31293. All I know is I hate it. I was really looking forward to this. We need some more energy for good old time drag racing in Texas, and this looked like a fine thing coming up. I raced a C/Gas '38 Chevy coupe with the AHRA back in the day, then a '27-T A/Atered Roadster, and finally a 23-T A/Fuel Altered Roadster. Me and partners won the AHRA nationals in A/FA in '68. I was going down to San Antonio this Saturday with five time AHRA National Champion Buddy Anderson (1957-1961) who dominated B/Altered with his Widdle White Wabbit '48 Fiat. Saw Donny Anderson a week or so ago at the Vintage Air Reunion, and he was getting his Summer of Love FED AA/FD ready to go to SAR. Bobby Rex was thrashing to get his new redo of the famous old Brand X Fuel Funny Car ready for his first race at San Antonio before going out on tour for the rest of the year along the Eastern Seaboard. There were plenty of us racers ready to go. Were there not enough advance ticket sales? We still just don't know the real answers yet this Wednesday evening, less than 48 hours after word leaked out, and about a day after first SAR and then finally AHRA acknowledged the cancellation.
AHRA??? Smoke & dreams. I went on board with this group in good faith to go & manage track in Louisiana. The wheels came off that deal in a big hurry. Despite what press release stated from AHRA, Track Owners were the ones that terminated the deal. I returned to Ontario with usual promises of them wanting me to stay on with AHRA. This was after turning down a solid offer from track owners to stay on in Louisiana. Not to belabor the story, it has been over 2 months, and I have yet to receieve any $$$ in compensation from AHRA. This not only includes wages etc, but out of pocket spent to get some track systems up & running for opening. Good luck to the fuel teams that got stiffed in Midland. My advice, if anyone is dealing with these clowns, or planning to, do not walk away, run as fast as you can in the opposite direction. The fiasco in Louisiana & Texas are just the tip of the iceberg. The effects of the broken deals, promises are just beginning!!!! Ass Hat Ripoff Association
Saturday now, day of the race, and still no realistic answers as to why the AHRA cancelled the event at San Antonio Raceway. The AHRA's official announcement of a reason was because they were worried about the "extreme unstable weather pattern in Texas," and mentioned their fear of a foot of rain perhaps falling in the San Antonio area during this hot, clear, and very dry weekend. All in all, pretty pathetic. No mention of money, or the absence thereof, and no AHRA re****al to the rampant on-line stories that some, many, or maybe even all of the fuel cars that AHRA booked into their race last weekend at Midland, TX went home without the money they had been promised. Sounds like the whole truth has yet to be told about all this.
When promotors lie about why they canceled an event (look at radar map, no rain anywhere in Texas), they are on the quick path to extinction. Too bad, but the reality is that the economy has not recovered enough to allow for three drag racing sanctioning bodies...and I can't remember when there actually were three sanctioning groups.....not sure what the people who tried to revive AHRA were thinking.
I can say this. When AHRA was in its hayday (late 50's to mid-60's) it was fun to run. AHRA had slightly different rules (wieght to CI's) that allowed many car-engine combo's to race and race sucessfully. The almighty NHRA - GM conncection set up for the sbc by NHRA was not the done at AHRA. Take a look at the winners list. Yes, many a sbc were winners, but they had to compete fairly. There were just as many Fords, Pony's, Olds, Caddy's, etc in the winners circle. The undoing of AHRA was money and the eventual death of Jim Tice. This guy Troy Moe (CEO) of AHRA has not set a very good precident to date. Jim Tice's grandson, maybe s his son, is involved, but not much I guess. I can only imagine that SAR is sorry they went with AHRA and that is sad. I still wish them luck, but I won't spend any more time worrying about it.
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