Saturday, March 04, 2006

Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere I Choose.....

Cole Coonce, a former publisher of mine (and a mentor in carving out personal space in the alt west coast motorplay world where bohemia and burnouts meet) processed out loud with Drag Racing Online last month. The pre-Pomona rave was increasingly rare coming from a guy who has forsworn anarcho-hotrodding in the 21st cent. Cole pointed out how much Shav Glick's gettin 86'd from the LALA Times staff is another shift in the winds. NHRA really can't use a journalist like Glick...........or Coonce, for that matter, as their marketing stance stands today. What CC points out (between marathon bicycle assaults and drinking really bad aussie beer) is the perilous state NHRA seems to be in. No promo firm (which is what Glendora has regressed to..) can long float upright when the apparent interest in it's outlet(s) is draining fast. How much someone like CocaCola will bear may be forthcoming as early as Indy this year. I still liken this sport to something so basic we can organize that It will prevail just as people will play softball anywhere basepaths and a modicum of outfield can be found. The 'tavern league' model of drag racing....and car clubs which flourish in most of North America will keep side by side acceleration going perpetually. This will transcend petroproblems and business models of people who raped Wally Parks' vision for any (admittedly idealistic) "wholesome" outlet. We created it...we supported it when it went horribly wrong...let's watch it melt like a big freaking candle.