Not sure if this should get lumped in the with 'sold' thread...

Torco Racing Fuel's Competition Plus.com - Drag Racing's Internet Magazine - NHRA SCHEDULE EXPANSION

That sounds like a pretty good place to start trying to grow the sport. I hope it's true.

If they do expand into Canada, it'll have to be with lead free fuel for gas burners.

Unless they're not planning on any gas burning cars competing.....

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AKA DrRocket

5 more races = a lot more money for the teams to spend! I feel for the lower budget teams that can't even make the 23 events.

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It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.
Niccolo Machiavelli

I guess that would be news to the IHRA that already runs three events in Canada.

It's one of the reasons the sole Canadian event was dropped from the NHRA schedule years ago. The Canadian government was unwilling to grant the NHRA a waiver to the rule. ALL gas used in Canada MUST be lead free, from what I understand. Now maybe things have changed. Anyone from Canada care to educate me??

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AKA DrRocket

On the positive side of that with more expansion and hopefully more exposure and advertising/marketing/ business partner/ sponsor dollar will be a more valuable thing. More exposure means more TV which means more sponsor exposure which means that the the sponsor budget will be higher to start with due to being able to get the sponsor more exposure.If this company is a good marketer maybe they will be getting paid TV money instead of paying for tv time. NASCAR purse money comes a lot from the tv monies that NASCAR gets. They have companies that edit how much tv time a particular company gets on a given day and they compare it to how much money it would cost to buy that tv time and usually the investment made for the sponsorship well pays for the exposure received.As much as some people hate NASCAR here they have a product that sells and makes money for ALMOST everyone involved. Heck a dale Jr. can make a lot of cash finishing last.(NASCAR has a crazy way they pay out prize money based on how the support the series and how they are doing in points) I would love to see an expansion of the series.Heck 23 weekends isn't even half the weekends we have in a year.I'd love to see at least 30.(Less time off between races)I also think if it is 30 they can use the new chase format better with more races having to be run before the play off which makes the chase format more realistic as they have had to do well for a longer time.That will still keep the top to the top and give more leeway for a mistake here and there.

Sorry for babbling so long

Leaded gas is allowed as aviation fuel only in Canada.

As I understand the situation it was suggested legislation introduced by the government of Quebec to ban leaded racing fuels that was the demise of the event. The event which was held just outside of Montreal, QC was not able to continue and at the time there were no other facilities in Canada capable of hosting an NHRA national event. They currently run a Pro Modified Racing Association event in Quebec at the same facility, SANAIR, that the national event was held at, although that track would need significant improvements to once again host an NHRA caliber event.

There are now several tracks capable of hosting the event as far as performance standards would go, however there arent any that I know of that currently have the seating capacity neccessary.

It will come down to who is willing to spend that kind of money to secure the event. Im sure it will involve some extra incentives from the NHRA for the track operator.

There is also the fact that if they go into Canada & Mexico, that will require a passport for everyone! Some folks out there may not qualify for a passport too!

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It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.
Niccolo Machiavelli

If you've any form of a DUI or DWI here in America, getting into Canada is darn near impossible, (And expensive.) due to their entry regulations.

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AKA DrRocket

5 more events in areas of the country that need it could work, but like Suzie said " Just that much more $$$ it will cost to compete" They had better seriously consider a Purse increase!

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Shift for Brains!!!!

Just where do they propse to run a Natl event in Mexico? Can`t see them traveling all the way down to Mexico City. I can see it now...the Tecate Tijuana Nationals from lovely Tijuana, Mexico.

Purse increases alone won't do it. This conversation has been rehashed many times, but it's more about funding before a car hits the track than it is about purses. However, purse increases are also very much needed. 5 more events for a top-tier team could mean $500,000 more in required funding. For the Buds and Armys of the world, they would probably welcome spending a little more to go into new markets. For teams struggling to stay on the tour, it will be even tougher. What remains to be seen is how this whole deal shakes out, if the new owners are able to market the sport in a way that brings in a ton of new sponsor money, than the expansion could be a good thing.

Aside from the fact that everyone will need a passport, I don't know if any of you were around when NHRA ran every year at Montreal. That part of Canada is primarily French speaking, and they took great delight in acting like they didn't understand English, giving wrong directions, etc. Plus, the Pro teams found it necessary to lock everything up all the time, as people stole everything that wasn't nailed down. On several occasions, the boys had trouble getting BACK into their own country. I doubt any of them would be thrilled to have to go back to Canada any time soon.