Are You Chasing Points at NHRA and/or IHRA?

[Wingfoot]

Since 1980, I have been working as a part-time contract laborer for two of the independent Goodyear race tire distributors who provide race track drag tire sales and quality services at annual NHRA & IHRA major events and select division events.

I am amazed of the number of sportsman racers I've met chasing points who never make an attempt to talk to as many factory representatives, engineers and technicians as possible at every race. Especially if you are chasing points full time, or even just a handful of events each year, these manufacture reps and techs are always looking for test mules; and not in a bad way. Racers who know the manufacturer reps on a first name basis are so much more ahead of their competition! If just out of curiosity alone, or if you have a specific need, these reps are there to get a broader base of racers using in their product. All the reps are there for one purpose - to help you be very competitive to win more races; without restrictions on the manufacturer's part.

The reps are not at the track to give stuff away free, although that can happen. Introduce yourself to the reps down manufacturer row. Don't beg for free stuff during your initial contact. Trust me, it's a reps' instant turn-off that will not work for you. Start your conversation with the rep like, "Word is out your equipment is cutting edge," or "I have this problem that you may help me with." Do a little schmoozing by describing your car, class chosen, your successful events and your plans for events to be attended this year. Once a comfortable relationship is established and trusted between the reps and you, equipment tends to be supplied at reduced pricing and eventually can lead to evaluation equipment.

Equipment supplied for evaluation most likely is no cost to the racer. Evaluation equipment may cause a loss or two; that can be expected. Do NOT get pissed off, call a manufacturing engineer a f**king idiot or throw it back at the rep in anger if it does't work (I've seen it done before). Case in point, I learned later some one else used the same equipment with minor adjustments to the car and made the car fly. I've got so many stories, good and bad, about racers knowing their factory reps on a personal level.

If you have not done it before, you must start this year. There are so many more advantages that can only be discovered once the racer gets to know as many factory reps as possible.

 

[69 GTX]

I used to Drag race bike on a nation circuit. It always amazed me the number of people chasing points that did very minimal testing in between events. That was always the time you tried new stuff, not at the races. That way you minimized the chance of a surprise in performance loss. That and I was always amazed at people skimping on tires. I literally spent more $ on fuel to get to the race, than the tires. Guess everyone has different goals & expectations.

 

[33 IMP]

Wingfoot, are you working the upcoming Winternationals ? I've got Sunday tickets, like to come by, say hi.

 

[Wingfoot]

Wingfoot, are you working the upcoming Winternationals ? I've got Sunday tickets, like to come by, say hi.

Greetings 33 IMP! Thank You very much for the kudos and interest in meeting me! Today, the Goodyear race tire distributor Carroll Shelby Enterprises, INC out of Las Vegas servicing the Winternationals needs only 3 workers at that event. Unfortunately, I will not be there.

Back in the day before bead locks, the Goodyear race tire distributors servicing a NHRA or IHRA national event needed a dozen workers mounting and balancing close to 200 nitro, alcohol and Pro Stock tires total at each major event. Back then, rear tire life was very short in all 3 classes (Nitro 2 runs, alcohol maybe 4 runs, Pro Stock 2 to 6 runs). Today Nitro rears handle with ease 9 hard runs, Hoosier owns alcohol and Pro Stock rears handle 32 hard runs. Goodyear compound engineers are working right now on extending the same unbelievable performance levels and tire life afforded to the BIG rears to their entire line-up!

New tire sizes, bead lock wheels and the owners of Goodyear race tire distributors wanting to reduce their labor costs forced professional race teams to mount their own tires on the bead lock wheels. The results made the typical labor force of 12 back in the day to now needing 3 people on Wednesday for sorting, sizing and staging all the BIG rears. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday only 2 workers are needed. There may be more Goodyear workers needed for the Winternationals and Indy weekend. I will be working at the NHRA Topeka Nationals for sure and other Nationals as needed.

If your travels take you to the Topeka Nationals in June, pm me and I would be anxious to make plans to meet up...........

 

[Budnicks]

Nope & haven't chases points in a long time
I never really cared,
contingency $$$ was 'measly funds' then
it would have been extremely hard to live off it...
It's really an expensive venture, on your own,
especially to do it, at a sportsman level...

I did quite a bit of match racing from 1977-1997...
Guaranteed money...
I tapered off some between 1997-2007, kids & a single dad
paying for schooling, 2 businesses to run...

I went all over the US/North America some 180 (?) tracks...
Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, a few times in Mexico...
I did some NHRA events, sprinkled in here & there
I didn't care about points
it's way too expensive to do as a full time job,
unless you start with $2 million, just to make $1 million...

My last good years I had $400k, marketing deals
with all my friends team/partners
The people putting $$$ up,
I had a guy/partner who paid for tires
also had Parnelli Jones Good Year for tire help
& a guy who owned a computer supply co.,
who paid for/supplied engines...
They like to call it 'marketing partnerships'
(they don't like to be called sponsors, that's a layman's term)
I & my friends/partners, we still spent $120k out of pocket,
to be on the road...
It's hard to compete with people that have a $1.5 million budget or more
that could just write a check for whatever they needed
on less than $600k (my best years marketing partnerships)

Mostly Outlaw Doorslammer stuff, N2O & Blowers,
Super Chevy Sundays, California Outlaw Pro Stock Assn.
Gary Meadors the early Goodguys events, 1950 & earlier body styles
SCTA, IHRA, NHRA, ADRA a few others, some Nostalgia stuff
or I'd do some outlaw/lightweight P/S & T/S, pre Pro-Mod cars
at many hole in the wall tracks/event...
I got help from Joe Pisano (RIP) JP1/Venolia/Childs & Albert
I did real R&D for ERC, CNC Fuel & Pumps,
had Champion, US tobacco, Kodiak, GM performance,
7UP bottling co., Sierra Nevada, a local liquor distributor,
a little from Vic Hubbards alky/race gas, plugs & oil
& Tognotti's for some local races stuff,
also Checkers Shucks & Kragens later on, back half of the last 10 years
& a bunch of assoc. sponsors $1000-$10000 deals from some of
a few of the 124 auto dealerships I worked with...

scrimping constantly to save parts
sleeping in the trailer at the track, cooking at the track etc.

It was considerably cheaper when I 1st started out,
I spent maybe on the outside $40k to do all the western tracks
with very little purse money...
I did it for the love of racing...

It certainly wasn't for the $$$, there wasn't any...

Most races were $5000 purse for the top 5 cars,
maybe sometimes a $250-$500 bonus for quick et &/or mph
Occasionally sometimes a buy in &/or tow/hotel money,
get in the gate free, good pit spots, all paid by promoters...

I think I made more selling tee-shirts & doing displays at
Checkers Shucks & Kragens stores, for $800 a week
here & there, between tracks, for fuel/tow money...