Has The NMCA Become Regional?

I've always known that the NMCA was Eastern half of the US and I was on the outside border of it — but it appears that they're going to cater to the North-central region now. If you live in IN/IL/MI/TN/KY/OH you have five to six of the tracks within 500 miles. If you're a NSS racer — that is great because the Classics is also in that area — as will be a new series.

The closest track to me was Memphis — and it is 650 miles. The second closest (Bowling Green) is almost 1000 miles. Now that I've lost my closest track I hear all of the people in the 6-state region (most them not making more than two races in 2010) justifying why they should put another track in their stomping grounds (another race in Bowling Green or St. Louis) instead of accommodating others (without a single track within 900 miles) who would start to attend NMCA events if they got to know it. I'm getting the impression that NMCA is listening to the North-Central racers because of a statement they've got a call in to St. Louis.

Well Gateway is nice — but two weeks prior to the NMCA Nationals is the Monster — at Gateway. The week before that is the Bush race. Based on how busy they already are in late September and early October, and the reputation that they've gotten with regards to out of control of track rentals — I would guess that might be a hard track to get for the Nats — or at least the most expensive track.

I'd asked why they didn't make it easier for the Texas racers here — especially knowing of all of the NSS and NMC racers. I was told last year that they tried Houston once — and it didn't get a draw. Well if they're going to compare an one-time half-hearted attempt many years ago against tracks that may have had 15 races in the last 25 years — then no argument will work. I believe that's where we're at.

While in Memphis — the worst kept secret was the 4 or 5 race series that features NSS starting next year in the Heartland. While there were 32 pissed off NSS racers waiting for two hours in the staging lanes for a track cleanup after an accident, that after 7 hours since the first round because of bracket races, and add to that dew falling all over the cars making it impossible to see out of the windshields (yet NMCA was obviously going to run us anyway) the number of people claiming they'd run that new series instead of NMCA next year appeared to grow.

Why I've felt welcomed by the NMCA — those NSS racers who have been racing with the series a lot longer than I say that treatment of they NSS drivers gets worse every year. At one time it was one of the big classes of NMCA — but now while it is only one of the largest classes of participants, it is not really appreciated for it. Many feel that NMCA could take us or leave us — and if the class were to go away — no sweat off their ass. I'm personally wondering if those guys might be right with that opinion.

I was asked by a couple different people if Dallas and I would commit to run this new series — with promises of bigger purses. I said that we were going to commit to run the entire NMCA series — as I really have a strong goal for a Championship ring. I did say that we'd run whatever races that weren't a conflict with NMCA.

Now I'm starting to wonder about that decision — and if I should do it the other way — where I run the new series and any NMCA race that isn't too far and doesn't conflict. I guess if there isn't a National (or even just an Eastern US) series — I might as well run a Central-Central series over a North-Central Series.

But it makes me wonder if maybe a few of us ought to get together and plan a true Eastern or maybe a true Southern (Texas to Florida) series for just NSS and NMC — and contact tracks to piggyback with other events. A couple of smart guys could put together a package to go to PRI this year and present to the big vendors for contingencies — convincing them that the contingencies would be heavily policed. It would only be for two classes per event — and we might be able to convince enough of them, if they had proper assurances. With the tracks — if we could find events needing a little help on the draw at the quarter mile tracks — we might be able to convince them to have the entire NSS and NMC entry fees to go 100% into the purses.

I know that there are quite a few of us wanting to run a series, but don't have one we feel appreciated at — or that we can afford to run because of the distances.

Your thoughts?