farmje
Nitro Member
You can read about the letter that I submitted to the NHRA here.
Here is the response that I received from the NHRA.
Mr. Farmer,
We appreciate your comments and well-thought out and articulate note regarding the state of NHRA. Everyone has an opinion, which we respect, and this note is not intended to sway your position on the state of NHRA. With that said, and as I am sure you can appreciate, there are always to sides to every story.
The "show" both for viewers at home as well as those in the stands has improved dramatically in the last ten years. Oil down rules onsite have significantly reduced the length of the show, tech rules have created more parity in the sport where teams both big and small have a legitimate shot at winning a race and, as seen last year, championships. Granted costs to attend a race have increased, but only slightly in the last two years. Prior to that, there were no ticket price increases for several years. In fact, recent independent research on fan satisfaction ranks NHRA highest among all sports properties, including NASCAR, IRL, MLB, NFL, etc. The research firm has indicated that we have attained figures never heard of in fan satisfaction at an event. With the action on the track, the open pit environment -- which will remain a staple of NHRA, the Nitro Alley interactive displays and NHRA's Manufacturer's Midway, no other sport can offer the kind of entertainment that NHRA provides.
In terms of Bristol, I would argue a little unfair comparison given it was raining and we were running the finals -- live -- on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. at night. Only a few brave souls were willing to stay with us from 11 a.m. on Sunday morning until the final pair nearly 12 hours later and after multiple rain delays. When watching the show on Saturday, I am sure you saw a quite different setting. Much the same as the crowds in Topeka the following week and the crowds in Chicago just this past weekend. Attendance, in 2008, is holding its own, either flat or slightly up at every national event despite the tough economic times facing our nation.
Finally, and specific to the nitromethane issue and "poor planning," there is much, much more to the story than what might be told on the online press and television. No amount of planning could have anticipated a major supplier opting to stop selling nitromethane to NHRA's supplier on site. Nor, could one know that China would choose to stop the flow during the summer months. The relationship between teams and NHRA is very strong and we work with them all on a day-to-day basis to make the sport better.
Again, I'd be happy to continue the dialogue further if you so desire. You are important to NHRA. As our the 24 others that don't send emails. Either way, we try to respond to all of them. It is called customer service. Things can always be better and I assure you that everyone here at NHRA and every team is doing everything they can to build and grow the sport.
In the future, if you want discuss further issues, don't hesitate to send me an email directly at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you and again, thanks for the comments. They are heard.
Sincerely,
Jerry Archambeault
NHRA
Here is the response that I received from the NHRA.
Mr. Farmer,
We appreciate your comments and well-thought out and articulate note regarding the state of NHRA. Everyone has an opinion, which we respect, and this note is not intended to sway your position on the state of NHRA. With that said, and as I am sure you can appreciate, there are always to sides to every story.
The "show" both for viewers at home as well as those in the stands has improved dramatically in the last ten years. Oil down rules onsite have significantly reduced the length of the show, tech rules have created more parity in the sport where teams both big and small have a legitimate shot at winning a race and, as seen last year, championships. Granted costs to attend a race have increased, but only slightly in the last two years. Prior to that, there were no ticket price increases for several years. In fact, recent independent research on fan satisfaction ranks NHRA highest among all sports properties, including NASCAR, IRL, MLB, NFL, etc. The research firm has indicated that we have attained figures never heard of in fan satisfaction at an event. With the action on the track, the open pit environment -- which will remain a staple of NHRA, the Nitro Alley interactive displays and NHRA's Manufacturer's Midway, no other sport can offer the kind of entertainment that NHRA provides.
In terms of Bristol, I would argue a little unfair comparison given it was raining and we were running the finals -- live -- on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. at night. Only a few brave souls were willing to stay with us from 11 a.m. on Sunday morning until the final pair nearly 12 hours later and after multiple rain delays. When watching the show on Saturday, I am sure you saw a quite different setting. Much the same as the crowds in Topeka the following week and the crowds in Chicago just this past weekend. Attendance, in 2008, is holding its own, either flat or slightly up at every national event despite the tough economic times facing our nation.
Finally, and specific to the nitromethane issue and "poor planning," there is much, much more to the story than what might be told on the online press and television. No amount of planning could have anticipated a major supplier opting to stop selling nitromethane to NHRA's supplier on site. Nor, could one know that China would choose to stop the flow during the summer months. The relationship between teams and NHRA is very strong and we work with them all on a day-to-day basis to make the sport better.
Again, I'd be happy to continue the dialogue further if you so desire. You are important to NHRA. As our the 24 others that don't send emails. Either way, we try to respond to all of them. It is called customer service. Things can always be better and I assure you that everyone here at NHRA and every team is doing everything they can to build and grow the sport.
In the future, if you want discuss further issues, don't hesitate to send me an email directly at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you and again, thanks for the comments. They are heard.
Sincerely,
Jerry Archambeault
NHRA
