✖ DRAG ILLUSTRATED ROUNDTABLE ✖
TV HOST AND OCCASIONAL PRO STOCK WHEELMAN BRUNO MASSEL BECAME JUST THE FOURTH DRIVER IN CLASS HISTORY TO WIN THREE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS WHEN HE WON THE TITLE IN 2021 .
Other people have done the private programs , and you could see the difference in participation . They had full fields at a few events , and a lot more participation than they ever had in that division . Nobody is out here to do this for a living , but if you have a chance to offset some of the costs and get a little bit of what you spent , then that ’ s a big factor .
Massel : I know it won ’ t happen any time soon , but it ’ s been proven that if there ’ s money there , people will come out . Right now , it ’ s tough to justify running Comp , even just going down the road . Payouts have gone down , but the costs have gone up astronomically . If there is more money thrown at it , and you can financially justify it to your wife , kids , and your own sanity ,
AS A MEMBER OF THE FREEMAN FAMILY ’ S ELITE MOTORSPORTS TEAM , ROYCE FREEMAN JR . IS DRAWN TO THE PERFORMANCE-BASED NATURE OF COMP ELIMINATOR .
that would definitely help .
Greenheck : The organization is not focused on racing ; they want to be in the entertainment business . That ’ s their gig , but for the racers , it ’ s about racing . This is very , very expensive . It ’ s a hobby gone awry . The focus has been on the Pros , and that has allowed the Sportsman racers to get out of control in a lot of different classes . You have Top Sportsman running quicker than Pro Stock ; Top Dragster running as fast as alcohol . These are people that shouldn ’ t be going that fast , and some of them are in over their heads .
Freeman : The main thing will be , naturally , to keep the cost as minimal as you can . There are a lot of things that are out of our control , as far as parts , supplies , the cost of fuel , and things like that . But I think that the more young people you get involved in Comp , the more you let them understand what it ’ s really about , I think that will keep Comp alive . I think you ’ ll see that Comp is growing , getting better , and it ’ s stronger . In Norwalk , we had 22 Comp cars versus 16 Top Sportsman cars , and that ’ s unheard of . I think it ’ s on an uptick , and if people give it a try , I think they ’ ll really enjoy it .
Brogdon : You have to get paid for participating . If you win a national meet right now in Comp , you might get half as much as what you got in 1987 or 1988 , but the cost has tripled . It just comes down to money . I ’ d like to see that change because this is a great class . You ’ d be surprised how many people just love it and want to be part of it if the opportunity is there . DI
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