Gentlemen,
It's across the board, all levels of drags're going back to more local attendance. That's why we're starting (just barely) to see (a couple) small tracks re-opening, and continue to see larger tracks either having to branch out or close.
We can cuss at NHRA's predilection for "the big show" to the detriment of smaller class racing, as that's the nature of business growth (look at railroading 50 years ago). We can bemoan the advance of micro-electronics changing kids' entertainment patterns away from participant hobbies. We can excoriate politicians for pandering to an increasingly ignorant and liberal voter base (in spite of a slight shift back lately). We could go so far as to allow some miniscule percentage of blame to long cycle weather change (see previous also; "politics & pandering").
And gas prices ...... enough said.
All of the above are realities, and likely have had some effect on the current situation. So what to do?
All we can do in a pragmatic sense, is to "go with the flow". Get to, support, and try to arrange our interests at, the nearest strips we have still breathing.
Here in SoCal, we've seen the push-back of a closing date at one 1/8 mile strip, and the re-opening of another 1/4 miler. Neither are likely to be hosting the WinterNat's anytime soon. There's also (admittedly "pie in the sky" at the moment) scuttle about Terminal Island once again.
I presently go as far as Eagle Field (south of Fresno) from L.A., for two race weekends a year (Rocky runs a flag start day there, so they're "be there" meets for me), and it runs me around $500.00 per trip, all told. That's about it for my pocketbook, the rest are within a couple hours or so, and typically are one day meets; Bako (Famoso, mostly two day though), The 'Dale (new Irwindale), The Pit (new Fontana), Diego (Barona). With this selection I manage to get out for 8 to 10 meets a year, not counting T&T's at The 'Dale & The Pit.
Any slanted get togethers should, sensibly, be engineered for a "local" (by that two hour road time definition) crowd, more'n likely tacked onto existing meets' schedules. Anyone else able & willing to show up should be considered (happily of course) the cherry on the sundae. Aside from T&T's that's about all we can hope for in today's realities.
Hell, it's probably better'n we deserve anyway.
Sorry for the windy rant.
And I apologize for only addressing the concept of a new class indirectly.
But it stands.
