Losses for the season just past reportedly were seven figures despite the continued strong performance of National Dragster, the NHRA house organ. Merchandising woes are rife and sponsorship continues to be a concern for both the short and long term, with eight national events currently operating without a corporate backer and the status of the series sponsorship still very much in question. But nothing should be more disconcerting to those who care about the sport than the manner in which the organization continues to deal with its own. Even as 50th anniversary celebrations began in downtown L.A., the company was unceremoniously showing the door to Carmen de la Rosa who, little more than a week after being recognized for 25 years of service in the accounting department, was given two hours to clean out her desk and leave the premises. Nor will it produce the ripples that accompanied the exit from the NHRA board of directors of Harvey Palash, founder of Diamond P Sports, who reportedly was caught in the backwash of a deal that sold the rights to NHRA's video library.
Image is perception.
Character is what we really are. NHRA's image is that of a company moving forward, propelled by a new five-year television contract, new rules and a new president. It's character, however, remains less clearly defined.