Sputtering NHRA loses its direction

You'd think NHRA was enjoying a banner year from what you'll see this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Great weather, big crowds and about 700 race cars.

But the ninth annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals that begins today will be more of an exception than what has ruled the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series this season.

Poor weather forecasts or rain on race days affected about half of the previous 22 events. Crowds have been down from a combination of that and a sour economy.

Crowds for pro qualifying today and Saturday probably will be down about 10 to 15 percent from the average of about 18,000 a year ago, but any track on the circuit would trade its crowds this year for what LVMS will attract.

And Sunday will improve to nearly 20,000.

It helps to be in the series' only true tourist destination and to be at one of the country's top two drag racing facilities. Being held a week before the finale in Pomona, Calif., provides incentive for racers to package two race weekends into one trip.

Tight Nitro Funny Car and Top Fuel points races in the series' "Countdown to 1" championship playoff adds further appeal.

That's good drama, but more critical story lines are prevalent in the sport.

Professional drag racing and the NHRA are at a crossroads, sitting on railroad tracks in the fog with a freight train barreling toward it.

The NHRA had trouble attracting new sponsors and fans five years ago in a robust economy, so what makes you think it has the creative horsepower to do it now?

This season started with popular drivers Melanie Troxel, Tommy Johnson Jr., Rod Fuller and Hillary Will left in the pits without full-time rides.

Two months ago, it looked as if Top Fuel team owners Kenny Bernstein and Don Prudhomme would be making farewell runs at Las Vegas this weekend. Bernstein's 30-year sponsorship run with Budweiser is to end after this season, and U.S. Tobacco will not renew Prudhomme.

Prudhomme still is believed to be seeking a 2010 sponsor, and has said without one he will not field a team next year.

Bernstein, however, will return to the series. And that's only because "a friend of a friend" hooked Bernstein up with new sponsor Copart Inc., allowing him to field a dragster next year for son Brandon Bernstein, who won the last Top Fuel title three weeks ago in Memphis, Tenn.

Copart sells more than 1 million vehicles a year online and through 140 U.S. facilities, including one in Las Vegas.

Copart became involved with NASCAR this year and will sponsor Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards for half of the 2010 Nationwide Series races.

(Copart's introduction to racing and drag racing is intriguing, with a tie to Indy Racing League team owner Sam Schmidt of Henderson. Read about it at lvrj.com/blogs/heavypedal.)

Joe Murdaca, a longtime friend of Kenny Bernstein, is a noted Northern California restaurateur and drag-racing junkie. He's also friends with Jay Adair, president of Copart, and introduced them about four months ago.

Adair attended his first drag race in July as Bernstein's guest at the NHRA national event in Sonoma, Calif. Adair, who said he never followed motor sports before last year, fell in love with drag racing.

"I can't believe more people don't know about NHRA drag racing," Adair said last week. "It's a perfect environment for us to expand our business."

He might sponsor at least one NHRA pro tour event next year, he said. Bernstein has a one-year deal, but it probably will be extended.

Adair proves potential sponsors and fans are out there. It's too bad the NHRA and other teams can't seem to find them.

Wasn't one of the late Wally Parks' goals when he founded the NHRA to educate people about safe, organized drag racing? The current regime must have lost that memo.

The NHRA also has lost its direction, and that's saying something for a sport that races in a straight line.

Jeff Wolf's motor sports column is published Friday. He can be reached at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247. Visit Wolf's motor sports blog at lvrj.com/blogs/heavypedal/ throughout the week.