NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Photos and story © 2005 Dwight Drum

Web work by Gary Larsen

Tom Compton
CEO, National Hot Rod Association

“The years of fastest growth are in front of us, I think.”

Tom Compton has been at the helm of NHRA during momentous times for the drag racing series as it has transitioned its sponsorship from Winston to POWERade, upgraded its television impact from Diamond P to ESPN, and expanded the pay and prominence for professionals and sportsman in their fast and beloved form of straight racing. It’s no easy task to keep a high-speed car or motorcycle on a quick and correct path down a quarter-mile and it’s no easy task to keep the organization straight either.

No person in charge of a multi-classed motorsports sanction like the NHRA could garner total and constant approval of all its drivers and members. Spirited drivers and crafty crew members will always try to bend racing rules to get that extra inch in a quarter mile run. An inch or less is all it takes to win in side by side racing, a second in elapsed time can be divided into thousandths and all a winner needs is one less than his or her competitor to beat the clock. Keeping it fair for all while marketing the show for fans takes a strong person with deep skills.

I’ve been privileged to be a few rooms when Tom Compton promotes drag racing, at a Society of Automotive Engineers convention in 2005 and recently at a Harley-Davidson media dinner in Daytona Beach kicking off Bike Week. Compton explains the NHRA POWERade drag racing experience well. You don’t need to take my word on that, Compton words say it all.

Time: Spring 2006
Place: Daytona Beach, Fla.
Event: Harley-Davidson Media Dinner

Dwight asked Tom Compton:

“In my opinion it’s always been an exciting class. It’s unique. It’s just as crazy as Nitro guys who go over 200 miles an hour crawling on a bike. They go almost 200 miles an hour in 1320 feet. It’s a unique form of drag racing. It’s the one I’ve always liked, but with the advent of Harley becoming a little more competitive and not just because now they’ve won some championships. When they just emerged and started to get competitive six years ago, you can see the difference in the grandstands. People like to see the brand-to-brand competition. We like to see in some cases American made company like Harley win an NHRA drag race from time to time. A couple years ago in Gainesville they did just that. I stood there and watched the crowd. The crowd was there at the NHRA. They stayed and watched. I think with Harley completely involved in the future, and of course other manufacturers as well; I think you’re going to see the bikes as one of the more popular classes out there. It already is emerging as such. ”

“We are now the No. 2 motorsport by every measure: attendance, television viewership, participation, membership. You name it. We are No. 2 to NASCAR. We’re in Daytona, NASCAR country. They do a great job. We are now the No. 2 motorsport to NASCAR. Not by a little bit, by a lot. There’s nothing like seeing the power and the speed of an NHRA drag race. One cylinder of a Top Fuel Dragster or a Nitro fueled Funny Car is the same or more than the engine in a NEXTEL Cup car.”

“I’m not going to tell you we are going to be as big as NASCAR. NASCAR is truly a phenomenon that may or may not be repeated, but I think the future for us is just beginning. I think we have a long way to go. We’re yet undiscovered in many areas. Many groups of people are not as aware of NHRA POWERade racing as we would like – to see the magnitude, the spectacle, and the fan access. Yes. We have a lot of things up our sleeves. There are some exciting announcements to be made. Hopefully we continue to grow. I think it’s one of the most exciting and unique forms of motorsports out there. I really do.”

Mike Helton, NASCAR president, Don Taylor, NHRA technical director, Tom Compton, NHRA CEO

“I love my job. I like the fact that although we are a big company, we’re still small enough that when we are in our think tanks, we’re putting together our strategic plans. How can we get this sport out to more people? The things we come up with can be implemented almost instantaneously and we can really see the fruits of our labor. You’ve mentioned that you’ve been involved for seven years and you’ve seen what we have been able to put together. Just the reality of awareness and new partners like Harley and POWERade and the list goes on. We’re right on the cusp of something big. The years of fastest growth are in front of us, I think. This year we’re turning a major corner. I think we are starting to get recognized as the No. 2 motorsport behind NASCAR. It’s really rewarding to have been at the helm over that period of time when we were trying to make this thing gel. And now we are starting to see the fruits of our labor. That’s probably the best part of my job, to see the thing actually come together after all the plans happened.”

Tom Compton with Harley-Davidson Team in Daytona Beach