If any one out there in HAMB land was ever a follower, participant or interested in the AHRA, check it out http://ahradragracing.com or the American Hot Rod ***ociation myspace.
Rod - What an ambitious undertaking. Best of luck to you. Compe***ion improves the breed - good news to those with an NHRA (or IHRA) axe to grind... Let me know if I can be of any help (I'm a media guy). Scotty
If you didn't know, Big Daddy Don Garlits was the first President of AHRA. He is a fellow Floridian so you should contact him about the history. I have re-created my old 1961 AHRA National Championship AA Fuel Comp Coupe. If you are interested, Google "cacklefest.com", click on "the cars", scroll down to the "Gizzle Hopper" and read all about her.
The AHRA was at its absolute strongest during the early 80's before Jim Tice Sr. p***ed away. We went to all the events from Tulsa to San Antonio, Tucson to Carlsbad and all the events under the AHRA umbrella here in the northwest. Now those were the days. Still have a truck load of AHRA souvenirs from the days we were their official suppliers for half dozen years. Some real cool stuff. Your website is pretty interesting. If I ever get a chance I'll scan some older pics and try `n send your way. The promoters during this era were just amazing - Pritchard, Harmon, Martinez Bros., Rockstad, Trover and others helped take the AHRA to new levels. It was quite the period in our sport. Keep forging ahead. Scott
my dad and uncle were AHRA record holders at one time. obviously the intent is not to go up against the other HRAs, so here's a couple of questions... are you guys planning on coming onto the scene as an ASO and running at local tracks sanctioned by other HRAs? what is the size and scale of your scope? do you plan on being a one-track series or a regional deal or are you going to try and tackle a national sportsman circuit? i've been involved with the ANRA for a number of years now and have a little experience with sportsman series racing. i wish you guys the best of luck and hope you can make a go of it. we can never have enough gr*** roots drag racing. feel free to PM me for any input. i've seen ALOT of this come and go. most of the GO came from over-estimating the market. our CEO funded the series out of his back pocket for at least the first 3 years until it caught on. he was only able to sustain that because he had no dreams of grandeur, made no promises he couldn't keep, treated people well, and stayed realistic. now we have a thriving, growing series that is gaining momentum. its no NHRA or VRA, but it is ANRA and people love it. BTW... if i can make a suggestion on the site... lose the music player. "smooth jazz" and drag racing don't really go hand in hand. but that's just me.
For some great memories of the AHRA click on this: www.quartermilecl***ics.com/g...13058917_PgJKn Growing up in Illinois in the 60's this brought back some great memories of US 30 Dragstrip(rumor of possible re-opening?) probably some of the Greatest legends in Drag Racing were there,I got thru the "private collection" but will go back for much more.I would like to see the AHRA come back as a place for "the little guy" keep the nostalgia idea and DUMP THE BRACKETS and go "run what Ya brung,heads up!" How about a vote on that?
I managed a track in Texas in the early 60-61 and we went to AHRA simply because of the NHRA ban on fuelers. Fuelers was the big calling card as well as the Ford-Chev-Mopar wars in 63-4-5. I left drag racing in late 62 and went to circle track. In 1990 I built a nostalgia car and had no clue to what bracket races were. I had 30+ years of lost tech to learn. I just never got the jest of brackets and ran only heads up events. The time I was ***ociated with AHRA were good ones and I wish them all the luck.
dude i love the old photos, lots of cool **** and great names that i have meet a few of them but alot more that i wouldnt mind meeting
+ 1 on the Heads up! you may get some racers there to enjoy the brackets but the Fans come to see heads UP style racing. Fill the seats fill your pockets. GO! AHRA!
Doesnt look ready for prime time..... Also, because you filed a trademark for the logo doesn't mean you can take the name. As stated there is still an AHRA out of Spokane currently doing business. Trademark law does not say you own something outright because you registered it. It means you have do***ented that mark with the govt and they see you as the owner... Not that a court of law does, and the court has the say. If you have no connection to these guys and they take you to court you are toast. While you may get away with the logo design, using their name is not legal... Especially because your description under the trademark is describing exactly what they do already... Hyfire
Yes there was an annual race called the AHRA World Finals that was running at the Spokane Raceway Park however, the owner had some legal trouble and filed bankruptcy and the track was taken away from him and sold at auction. It is now a NHRA track.
Orville Moe, former operator of Spokane Raceway Park, lost all interests in the raceway due to his dealings and legal problems. The "old" AHRA died with Spokane Raceway Park. Now, for the "NEW" AHRA, I hope it happens, and happens big time! The other two drag racing sanctioning bodies are too "professional oriented", MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. We need more gr***roots racing for the little guy. Butch/56sedandelivery.
Being, I'm on the "other" side of the mountains, the only thing I know about Spokane Raceway Park, is what I read in the newspapers, and that's really not much. But, it seems to me, Orville Moe and ***ociates were headed to prison, or the authorities were asking for prison time. Now the NEW Spokane Motorsports Park, which is owned by the city of Spokane, will be operated by Bucky Austin, the alcohol funny car driver, part of Walt Austin Racing (WAR) fame. According to Martha Stewart, "it's a good thing". Butch/56sedandelivery.
Rod, glad to see you here! We here at WHDOW have been fans of the AHRA forever and are happy to help promote the 'NEW' AHRA!! We have a link on our website(WHDOW.org) and are having patches put on our club shirts(thanks Rod). I even have an old decal in the window of my wagon! Rod is a good guy and we need to help him put the AHRA back in the spotlight!
I live about 30 minutes from dragway 42 in Ohio. They use to have the AHRA Grand Nationals there for years. It was the first national event I went to, it was also the first event where I worked on a Top Fuel car. JC
HELL YEAH....Can not wait for AHRA......................NHRA is become a mess, with corporate greed and deep pockets. Nostalgia Racing is bringing the car counts and spectators. Need 4 Good Tracks for Nationals, and there is plenty of smaller tracks that could step up for AHRA. Lengthen the SFI time limit, it is ridiculous at this time. HOW BOUT A REAL PROSTOCK CL*** - BODY MUST BE AN OEM BODY, and limit cubes to 360 CU IN. RACERS WILL TRAVEL ACROSS MANY STATES TO ATTEND A GOOD AHRA DRAG RACE.
NHRA ****s... I've said this before but how can you be so bar happy on Nostalgia cars when you allow motorcycles, four wheelers and snow mobiles? It does help keep guys in business that work on drag cars with year to year changes but on a nostalgia series it really kills what the cars are supposed to represent. The best part is when they tech a car that exceeds spec because it doesn't match the hand guide minimum. Another example of rule makers that don't have a clue what is what. Is there any chance of a real nostalgia, Gas and Altered cl***es instead of the modern aero wing 125" bodied dragster Altered ****, back halved bracket Gas cars, and FED's with kidney bars,double hoops etc. In other words could actual vintage cars run or is there just too many lawyer hurdles to jump over to make this reality? Good luck AHRA
Check out the web site to see who has been added to the AHRA management team. This will answer most of the questions if this is going to be reality and successful.
I think the NHRA guys need to take notice...............when is the last time you saw sportsman cl***es like Stock and Superstock on TV. Most fans have no idea what a stock or superstock car is......
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