NHRA

[crimsonace]

NHRA might be a great thing to cover ... I've never had the good fortune to do so.

I just remember going to the U.S. Nationals as a 7-year-old because my aunt was dating one of the drivers in a minor division and being bored out of my mind. I've always enjoyed motorsports, but from that day forward, drag racing really has never done much for me.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

Easiest interview in sports: Press the record button, ask John Force how things are going this weekend.

Second easiest: Darrell Waltrip, same process.

Hardest: First time with Ward Burton, same process

The real problem there is translating it from Virginian into English.

But that's not Virginian, that's South Bostonian. You have to go South Boston to Virginia to English, which is tantamount to going from Castilian to Spanish to English. Something's getting lost.

 

[crimsonace]

Ward Burton sounds like a Geiger counter trying to speak English.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Wasn't it Tony Stewart who once said "we all speak English, except for Ward Burton. He speaks Ward."

 

[Bad Guy Zero]

Wasn't it Tony Stewart who once said "we all speak English, except for Ward Burton. He speaks Ward."

There was a race a few years ago that Wawd's brother - Jeff - won. During the post-race presser someone asked Jeff why he was much easier to understand compared to Wawd. His answer was something along the lines of "When we were growing up Ward's room faced to the South."

 

[imjustagirl]

I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS FUN-MAKING OF WAWWWWWWWWWWD BUWHTON!

Goddammit. I love that man, and i'll shout it from a rooftop.

Hardest part about transcribing Wawd: He speaks slow and fast at once. I can't type as he talks, because the words come too fast...but they somehow are drawled all at once.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Not hammering Ward in this case. What Smoke said was really funny without being terribly insulting. And it kept Jeff from having to hammer his brother, though the room-window-facing-South comment was pretty good.

 

[imjustagirl]

Not hammering Ward in this case. What Smoke said was really funny without being terribly insulting. And it kept Jeff from having to hammer his brother, though the room-window-facing-South comment was pretty good.

Ha, I wasn't talking about yours, Sam.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Good enough. Liked Ward, but goodness knows he had to be a little tricky to transcribe.

 

[playthrough]

I've covered a number of events and enjoyed it every time.

NASCAR these days, trying to get a driver: Get in touch with PR, get runaround, get more runaround, don't get driver or get him on a conference call or something or a two-minute walk-and-talk at the track if you can get there.

NHRA, trying to get a driver: Get in touch with PR. "Sure, here's his/her cell number."

NHRA people seem to enjoy having the media around, or at least they act like they do.

I've done stories on Force and both Pedregons. I bet that "donnybrook" was fun to cover.

If you can't get cell numbers for a handful of drivers in a day at the drag races, you're a horrendous reporter.

Also, if you're a fan and can't score a half-dozen autographs (if that's your thing), you're equally incompetent. The fan-friendliness is amazing.

 

[imjustagirl]

I've covered a number of events and enjoyed it every time.

NASCAR these days, trying to get a driver: Get in touch with PR, get runaround, get more runaround, don't get driver or get him on a conference call or something or a two-minute walk-and-talk at the track if you can get there.

NHRA, trying to get a driver: Get in touch with PR. "Sure, here's his/her cell number."

NHRA people seem to enjoy having the media around, or at least they act like they do.

I've done stories on Force and both Pedregons. I bet that "donnybrook" was fun to cover.

If you can't get cell numbers for a handful of drivers in a day at the drag races, you're a horrendous reporter.

Also, if you're a fan and can't score a half-dozen autographs (if that's your thing), you're equally incompetent. The fan-friendliness is amazing.

****, if you're a fan and can't get 20...

 

[John]

I covered the Southern Nationals a couple of times in my days at the Athens Banner-Herald. I never looked forward to it, but it was usually an enjoyable experience.

Like others have said, the access was incredible. Usually within an hour of asking the PR guy if you can talk to someone, you're in his/her trailer talking for as long as you need.

I sat there and watched as the pro stock bike guy who lost his legs when he was electrocuted as a kid, can't remember his name, changed from his racing prosthetics to his walking-around legs. Not something you see every day.

 

[buckweaver]

Also, if you're a fan and can't score a half-dozen autographs (if that's your thing), you're equally incompetent. The fan-friendliness is amazing.

God yes.

Last time I was there was not as a reporter. Was on kind of a back-stage tour type of thing, and the PR girl leading us through the garage area got called away for about 10 minutes. She left two of us right where we stood and said, "Sorry. Here, talk to Mel until I get back."

So, we had a nice, long conversation with Melanie Troxel, and she couldn't have been happier to talk to us. Just hanging out next to her trailer, didn't know us from Adam. Waiting for her husband to finish his run before getting ready for her own.

 

[SixToe]

I've always wanted to attend or cover an NHRA event but the downtime between actual racing doesn't look like it would be enjoyable.

Wawd Buhtun is one of the best.

Ward Burton sounds like a Geiger counter trying to speak English.

That's funny as hell right there.

 

[Machine Head]

Haven't been to an NHRA event in a while now, but they were great back then. Nice to hear they still are.

I was at a table once with the other Burton brother and his wife before they had kids. There were Colorforms on the table and we were just talking and moving the Colorforms around.

They told me how they took care of Ward's kids at times. Couple of years later Ward won the Pole at CMS. Ward held one of the kids during the interview with the local media. Cool moment.

 

[imjustagirl]

2:44 and on, *******.

 

[Bubbler]

I've covered a number of events and enjoyed it every time.

NASCAR these days, trying to get a driver: Get in touch with PR, get runaround, get more runaround, don't get driver or get him on a conference call or something or a two-minute walk-and-talk at the track if you can get there.

NHRA, trying to get a driver: Get in touch with PR. "Sure, here's his/her cell number."

NHRA people seem to enjoy having the media around, or at least they act like they do.

I've done stories on Force and both Pedregons. I bet that "donnybrook" was fun to cover.

NASCAR has become ridiculous with its lack of access.

When I returned to Indiana in '04, I covered the Brickyard and USGP at Indy and it was easier for me to get access to the hoity-toity F1 drivers and supposedly exclusive paddock than it was a hot pass.

 

[Machine Head]

Watching them roll through the starting grid is tremendous.

Edit: IJAG's clip

 

[Shoeless Joe]

Basically with NASCAR if you aren't one of their TV partners then you are just a bother, and I'm pretty sure that goes for most of the print people who travel each week. There used to be a time when NASCAR people called you - like the NHRA PR folks do now - with story ideas. Now if you are lucky enough to get in touch with anyone they give you the runaround. That's not all inclusive there are still a few who are pretty good to work with.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

I covered one NHRA event in my career. It rained all day and I saw a total of one race. Despite that still got some great stuff. PR people were more than helpful even though I didn't really need them. I just walked up to random racers at their trailers and just started shooting the ****. Some pit crews even offered me beer. I politely declined.