It all boils down to sponsorship, and history of the sports. There was a time when Drag racing was considered an almost outlaw sport due to street racing. It was at one time an inexpensive sport to get into. So not so many had to be rich to enter into the sport, and win.

Other sports like F-1, Indy, Road racing sports have for many many years been considered elites sports, Big money big events. People filthy rich pouring money into these other racing venues, with people of wealth attending these events. NASCAR I can remember it also was sort of a redneck average Joe event, it caught on very quickly, because it was a mostly southern thing at first, there were many many colorful drivers. The money and sponsorship came quickly into the sport.

Drag racing it really took a longer time to catch on, when it did there were many many colorful drivers also that were in the sport.

Right now NHRA depends heavily on drivers like John Force, I’d say as of right now he’s about the last driver that holds the sport together.

I’ve been an NHRA fan since I was a kid back in the 60’s. But before that I was a NASCAR fan! I would watch both races, but finally in the early 70’s I ditched NASCAR. Why? First was the awesome cars, even the funny cars looked like cars you saw on the street, and then there were these weird looking things called dragsters. A crazy looking thing with pretty much a frame and huge powerful engines on them that did wheel stands blew up, caught on fire. Burped fire out of their exhausts. It was insane! The same for the funny cars even better they looked like cars on the street but with huge slicks, their mile long burnouts shaking fire spitting beasts! And then there were these drivers in all categories. Just regular dudes out there tuning and driving em. Colorful people, intense competitors! Even Pro Stock was awesome! The cars lining up Chevy verses Ford, Mopar….they looked like any real car on the street. Most tuned them themselves and drove em. The Sox&Martin, Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins, Bob Glidden, Butch Leal, and his California Flash! The cool dry hops, and colorful announcers, colorful drivers, many just trying to make a living at a sport they loved.

Basically NHRA lost a lot over the years, the cars got too crazy, a person cannot identify the car, the drivers are no longer what they used to be. Rule after rule bringing the sport basically to a boring run after run, after run boring slot car show, with unidentifiable cars.

When I go to a race which is rare nowadays, my reasons are many why I don’t go, but when I do I get more pleasure watching the super stock, and stock eliminator cars run!

It also irks me that people get gouged so badly for just a bottle of water by the venders! The prices are highway robbery!

But back to point. NHRA came late to the racing game. It had its chance with the excitement factor, but lost it with the unidentifiable bodies, and boring drivers. Although it has begun to lose the stigma of the rowdy punks racing on the streets. It still seems to be identified as being a sort of lower class type racing. Not as elite as F-1, Indy, even NASCAR is losing its luster I think, due to unidentifiable cars. I believe most really go to that to camp out and party in the parking areas.

The other factor is room, many tracks are going by the wayside because of land values and development.

Anyway that’s my two cents worth…. Sorry it was so long…