Seriously? Can The NHRA Pull This Off?

|Thoughts Racing (Wade Productions)|

By Susan Wade

After two mid-July Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, the NHRA has scheduled 14 more throughout the country before November 15.

The major question is whether this ambitious return from the coronavirus-caused hiatus is feasible or fantasy.

Thoughts Racing seriously doubts the NHRA will be able to carry out its plans, based on the following three conditions:

1. The NHRA has a television agreement with FOX that doesn’t compensate for a scarcity or absence of fans. So the NHRA has insisted on racing in front of an audience.

2. With reported surges in coronavirus cases in many states, as well as travel restrictions various states (including ones on the NHRA’s revised schedule) are issuing, a significant number of spectators does not look likely at any venue.

3. Sanctioning body President Glen Cromwell has assured fans, sponsors, its affiliate racetracks and teams that the sport will be sound financially, even in the worst-case scenario. That’s positive news. But the teams aren’t necessarily in sound financial shape, certainly not enough to wind from coast to coast at a steep cost to compete in front of a severely limited audience for reportedly reduced purses.

Three-time Top Fuel champion Antron Brown plans to be on track at Indianapolis later this month. But how many more races will he and his NHRA colleagues be allowed to attend this year? (Photo by Ron Lewis)
Three-time Top Fuel champion Antron Brown plans to be on track at Indianapolis later this month. But how many more races will he and his NHRA colleagues be allowed to attend this year? (Photo by Ron Lewis)

Audiences, if permitted at all by the time respective states are on the NHRA radar, likely will be reduced to a mere handful.

Indiana, which has the Labor Day weekend Denso-sponsored U.S. Nationals on the schedule for a third race by Sept. 6, is much more generous than almost any other state, except Tennessee. Indiana is permitting racetracks to fill the grandstands 50 percent. The moved-to-October Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol, Tenn., is expected to be able to accommodate fans. After all, Bristol Motor Speedway has a target goal of 30,000 spectators for the July 15 NASCAR All-Star Race.

No one else is as generous. The best anyone can hope for during the rest of the NHRA schedule is 250 people or fewer at Reading, per orders from Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s office. The latest word from Colorado, where the Mile-High Nationals at Denver is on deck behind the Indianapolis races, is that outdoor events must limit spectators to 175 or fewer. Texas, which has backpedaled recently regarding its re-opening phases, reportedly is allowing no more than 100 fans at outdoor gatherings, unless local-government officials rule otherwise.

Gatherings of 50 or fewer are the latest rule in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Nevada. The number is 25 in Minnesota, 20 in North Carolina, and 15 in Kansas. (Thoughts Racing might have missed an update but has been trying to monitor the declarations and changes in 14 states daily, so we apologize if a number is incorrect.) California appears to be in a constant state of flux with its coronavirus-related restrictions.

As best we can ascertain, the most promising turnouts can occur at Indianapolis (with its three events) and Bristol. With the two February races (the Winternationals at Pomona, Calif., and the Arizona Nationals at Phoenix) in hand, that would means the season would consist of six events. Is that enough to crown legitimate champions in the four pro classes?

Complicating matters is the matter of states mandating 14-day quarantines from travelers from various other states. Florida is demanding that of travelers from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Meanwhile those three Northeast states are requiring the same of travelers from Florida – and from six other states. It isn’t clear if the only travelers affected are the ones arriving via air, nor is it clear how and where these affected travelers would be forced to quarantine. With NHRA participants from all corners of the continental United States, that proposition could get messy.

The Monday before the event is the traditional (and current) deadline for entering a Mello Yello Series race, so things could change. However, so far, no John Force Racing cars are entered. Same for the two-car Torrence/Capco team. If that remains true, the sport will be missing drivers who represent a combined 22 championships and 255 victories.

As the days unfold, we’ll know if the Denver, Brainerd (Minn.), Topeka, and Atlanta races will be able to launch as planned this summer. Who knows beyond that? If a coronavirus vaccine becomes available for the general public, a lot might change that would allow races. Weather concerns could play a negative role. Miracles could happen. Reality could preclude a smooth return to racing. And we could be wrong about the NHRA looking less and less likely to carry out its proposed and already topsy-turvy schedule. For now, we’re skeptical.