6/1/2007

What do you want in Mopar Max? Club Races…the new thing?

This online magazine that you are reading right now represents several things. The number one thing MoparMax has to represent is the needs of our readers. By that I mean we want to cover subjects and do tech stories and car features on subjects you feel are important. The magazine also has to be profitable to stay in production and pay salaries (what? Am I supposed to get paid?) For sales reps, editors, accounting, web designers and general business expenses. To that end I am asking you what YOU WANT to see in MoparMax.com.

If you like tech articles and have a certain thing you want to see, let us know. Engine swaps, how to put new fuel-injected engines in your sharp ’74 Duster, disc brakes for street machines, fuel system basics, auto body and refinishing tips or anything that interests you.

If you are restoring a Mopar and want a list of part suppliers or how and where to get parts chromed or restored, let us know. How do you find that one elusive part you need? Maybe we can help, I am not sure but I can ask around.

Do you think your Mopar is nice enough or unique enough to be in the “MY MOPAR” section of this magazine? If so, send me a couple pictures in jpeg format and about 100 words describing the car, its history or yours. We won’t come to your home to do it for you, but we invite you to get the information to us.

How about NASCAR news when it involves Mopar? Interested or not? Let us know.

Would you like to see more race results from Mopar-only races like the Chrysler Classic Events, Monster Mopars, Mopars at the Strip, etc? If so, we will try to get the promoters of those events to get us those results in a more prompt fashion.

MoparMax.com and “Project 540/E85 Engine” tech series is enjoying the most readers right now. I think you will like the update on the engine this month. We are just getting started assembling the “Back-2-Basics III” project S&W Race Cars dragster that will receive the 540/E85 engine. I know, the dragster isn’t a Mopar; I have heard it a million times. But to me it is. I have raced our other Mopar-powered dragster for seven seasons and it stands out in the staging lanes as one of the few Mopar dragsters out there. I have to admit I still miss my trusty old Dart though!

LET’S CHANGE THE SUBJECT FOR A MINUTE: CLUB RACES

Do you think that club races will become the future and strength of drag racing at the sportsman or bracket racing level? This isn’t limited to already established clubs and associations. It could be a group of Mopar owners, group of friends who want to do some match racing, employee outings, etc. Think outside the box a little bit and I think you will see that “club races” cover a lot of options.
My opinion is, YES! There is one footnote to that YES, though. It will be up to the racers to work with track owners/promoters to make them work.

Travel costs are skyrocketing and it is not only gas or diesel fuel. Motel costs, tow vehicle maintenance costs, trailers cost a lot more due to steel and aluminum cost increases, and the list goes on.
Will you be able to tow as far as you used to every week? Will you decide to race closer to home even if the payout is a little less?

Have you considered trying to get some friends to get together for a “friendly gambler race” at your local track to enhance your experience at the track’s regular program?

I owned a track and encouraged these types of club races. It meant more cars and crew through my back gate and that meant more cars for my regular program. If all I had to do was schedule a four- or five-round club race into my program I was all for it. The ONE THING I ASKED from the club was that they handled their own event. By that I meant entry fees, payouts, procedures, etc. I didn’t want my employees getting involved in those races. It needs to be a club-managed race and the schedule will go through the tower.

If you take this idea and run with it try this approach. Your club will run time runs and then during the second time trial session your club will organize itself at the rear of staging and make that their first round of eliminations. If the track runs a third time trial session repeat the procedure you used in the second session as your club’s second round.

Run the regular program the track offers and as soon as the guys who are left in your club race are eliminated you can continue your club race. Work with the track manager to get a lane assigned to your club, manage your own people and have ONE PERSON be the club representative to the track. If you make it hassle free for the track you will be welcomed back.

Handle your own entry fees and payouts with club members. Do not involve the track in payouts or entry fees; they have enough to do. As a former track owner, I usually asked for 10% of the entry fees as a rental fee. That way the track makes a little bit for making room in their schedule to accommodate your club.

It is a great way to get in an additional race at the event. It can become whatever you want it to be. Look for sponsors that might throw in some prizes, have a membership fee and use it to send out a newsletter or for trophies. Nothing should be free, but it can be rewarding.

Someone has to be the organizer and leader to get it going. Is that person you? Think about some friends who might help and enjoy racing a couple races per day. Contact your local track manager and see if it something he could fit into his program. Make sure you tell him you will try to get extra cars and these cars will be required to enter his regular program before they can enter the club race. When you can grow the back gate revenue most track owners will listen to your idea.

WILL THE SALE OF NHRA CHANGE LOCAL RACING?

Wish I had the answer to that question! I think the sale of the professional part of NHRA could potentially benefit the bracket racers and sportsman racers in NHRA. Why? It may let the NHRA focus more time and resources to growing this end of the sport.

1. Imagine how much more interest there would be in the local NHRA bracket program if NHRA got more national sponsors involved.
2. Race track insurance programs could be streamlined and costs reduced for track owners by focusing on sportsman racers.
3. ET racers could see more focus on the ET Finals, events that have been the same basic thing for 15 years. What if the ET Finals were FREE to race at if you qualify and had a purse that would pay substantial round money and have contingency payouts like a national event? Winners could earn up to $20,000.
4. What if they had a National ET Finals (similar to what they have now) and included Division ET Final winners and R/U as qualifiers? Get a sponsor to buy the time on the Speed Channel and have an ET FINALS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP show. What a great way to bring bracket racing to more Americans. I would think every drag strip in the NHRA fold would support that financially and sponsors would join in to be part of it as it is their customers on TV, not some pro team they have to give free parts to.

Okay, maybe I was doing a little dreaming there, but maybe not. There are a lot of us bracket racers out here that don’t seem to mind spending a high percentage of our net earnings on our drag racing hobby. Will NHRA jump at the opportunity to make local racing grow or will they stay with the status quo?? One thing is for sure: it will be INTERESTING to see how it plays out in the next year or so.

Don’t forget to send us an email and let us know what YOU want to see in MoparMax.com. It’s your magazine and we want you to enjoy the time you set aside to visit Mopar Max.

Have a great month and maybe we’ll see you at the races! 

 

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