DRAGS, DOLLARS & SENSE: THE NHRA DID THE RIGHT THING WITH NEWEST BOARD MEMBERS
Tue, 2011-04-05 18:54
I’m one of those who, in the interest of good corporate governance, had been saying for years NHRA needed to add “outsiders” to its Board of Directors. That is, people not dependent on checks mailed from Glendora, Calif., to pay the mortgage and feed the family. As opposed to the “insiders” like Tom Compton, Dallas Gardner, Peter Clifford and Graham Light.
That said, I’m sure I’m not the only one who said, “What?!” when Ken Clapp and Michael C. Cohen were elected to the Board last December.
I’ve never met Cohen, a Los Angeles attorney. But I’ve known Clapp a bit over the years, as a key NASCAR West Coast operative, and confidant of Bill France Sr. and Jr. Clapp -- an energetic 72 -- has owned as many as a dozen short tracks and says he’s promoted more than 8,000 days of events ranging from stocks to drags to AMA, World of Outlaws, Indy Cars and just about everything in-between.
That said, I’m sure I’m not the only one who said, “What?!” when Ken Clapp and Michael C. Cohen were elected to the Board last December.
I’ve never met Cohen, a Los Angeles attorney. But I’ve known Clapp a bit over the years, as a key NASCAR West Coast operative, and confidant of Bill France Sr. and Jr. Clapp -- an energetic 72 -- has owned as many as a dozen short tracks and says he’s promoted more than 8,000 days of events ranging from stocks to drags to AMA, World of Outlaws, Indy Cars and just about everything in-between.
Clapp, a native of Danville, Calif., has had two stints as a NASCAR vice president and was key in bringing the Sprint Cup series to Sears Point (Infineon Raceway) in 1989.
It was NASCAR -- he’s now a senior consultant -- that required Clapp’s attention the last weekend of February. We were at Phoenix International Raceway, while NHRA opened its 60th anniversary season at Pomona. Ken and I sat down for about 30 minutes to talk drag racing.
My first question: How did this happen -- you joining the NHRA Board?
“I’ve been friendly with all those fellows for a long time,” began Clapp. “I suppose it’s fair to say Wally (Parks) never knew that he was sort of a mentor to me.
“A long, long time ago, I was very close friends with Gordon Martin (San Francisco Chronicle motorsports writer) who took a liking to me when I was in my 20s, first starting out. He would have high-profile motorsports’ persons come to his home for dinner. Wally and Barbara were invited. This was almost 50 years ago. Gordon invited me and my wife at that time. It was a delightful evening.
“For whatever reason, Wally liked me. I was so enthralled with him that I watched what he did to the point that I studied him. As I did Bill Sr. and Aggie (J.C. Agajanian). As time went by he no longer looked at me as a new kid who was just trying to buy racetracks and do his thing. If I had to name the five most significant people in the history of motorsports, he’d be one of the five.”
The story continues with a phone call from Compton, the NHRA president, to Clapp at his home office last October. Light, NHRA’s senior vice president of racing operations, was with Compton.
“Graham and I had served on a special committee trying to fight California on their regulations on 53-foot trailers,” Clapp remembered. “It was Graham, myself, Chris Pook, someone else. We were a fairly forceful group and we finally won so racers could come in and out of California. Graham and I got along really well and I’d see those guys every once in a while.
“Tom’s talking -- I thought they wanted me for a special committee project or something -- ‘Let me get right to the point. We have two voids on our Board with the loss of Wally and Dick Wells. Our articles call for seven Board members. You are a unanimous decision to come aboard if you are interested.’
“I thought, ‘Wow, here we are, almost 50 years later,’ and all I could see was Wally. I was really honored. I said, ‘I’ll have to talk to (NASCAR President) Mike (Helton) and (Chairman) Brian (France), because my contract with NASCAR is really an exclusive one.’ They understood.
“I talked to Mike. He talked to Jim (France) and Brian, and I guess they signed-off, because Mike and I were walking into a Chinese restaurant at the Bellagio the weekend of the (Cup) banquet in early December in Las Vegas and he put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘On the NHRA thing, it’s a good marriage.’”
Clapp said he planned to attend about eight Full Throttle events this season. Since I honestly wasn’t sure, I just went ahead and asked a basic question: Is Clapp a drag racing fan?
“When I was in high school, I dummied-up my age and got a NASCAR mechanic’s license,” is the way Clapp started his response. “I was a fair, unsophisticated, shade-tree guy. I’d never make it today but was OK then. I had two cars, an Oldsmobile and a Merc, both very street fast. I went to the drag races. We were pretty quick and I had the fastest Oldsmobile in the county. Corvettes couldn’t beat me, but I understood gear ratios and weight transfer and tires. I had good stuff.
“When I became vice president at Sears Point I put on a Funny Car show in November 1969, it was kind of a big deal, but a bad weather weekend. I had all the big names there. We still had a pretty good crowd and hyped the hell out of it. That was the first real drag race I promoted.
“After that I did a handful, but clearly was going toward stock car racing. I stayed friends with Wally and got to know Dallas and Tom was from our area. I got invited to ACCUS dinners and was a guest of those guys at the (U.S.) Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park.”
I wanted to know why Clapp thought he was picked. Even more importantly, I wanted to know what kind of director he’ll be -- active or passive?
“Tom and Peter (Clifford, executive VP and GM), we went to lunch and I asked, ‘Why me?’ Time will tell, but I’ve had a lot of off-shore experience with Japan, been to China, Europe, was involved in the beginning (NASCAR racing) with Mexico -- all under the direction of Bill France Jr. Those were special projects. I went to Japan 17 times. They’re doing some stuff in Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina Circuit) right now and are looking at some other things. I don’t think they have anyone on the Board who is seasoned in getting around in foreign countries, so I think that’s part of it. He didn’t say that, but just said, ‘We need solid people.’
“I’m not a sitter and listener. I’m interested in all the divisions and keep up with it every week. I think they’re pretty healthy and put on a pretty good TV show. If I was a genius, I’d figure out a way there would never be any (oil) down time, but I don’t have an answer to that. That’s the biggest issue.
“They run a very disciplined ship. They don’t leave paper clips and pennies laying on the floor and that’s how I am. I can’t stand waste and maybe that’s a result of being the child of depression parents.
“I don’t know where all the bolts and nuts are yet. I am respectful that when you’re the new kid on the block, don’t tread hard. If you have thoughts, voice them, but don’t be disrespectful.”
What should NHRA fans know about the organization’s newest director?
“I’m a hard-core, down-in-the-trenches, day-in-and-day-out, little-little promoter or big-big promoter, and I’ve been on both ends. Maybe that’s part of the value they saw.”
Is Clapp optimistic about NHRA’s future?
“It’s worked for 60 years so there’s no reason to think it won’t continue to work.”
That said, I’m sure I’m not the only one who said, “What?!” when Ken Clapp and Michael C. Cohen were elected to the Board last December.
I’ve never met Cohen, a Los Angeles attorney. But I’ve known Clapp a bit over the years, as a key NASCAR West Coast operative, and confidant of Bill France Sr. and Jr. Clapp -- an energetic 72 -- has owned as many as a dozen short tracks and says he’s promoted more than 8,000 days of events ranging from stocks to drags to AMA, World of Outlaws, Indy Cars and just about everything in-between.
That said, I’m sure I’m not the only one who said, “What?!” when Ken Clapp and Michael C. Cohen were elected to the Board last December.
I’ve never met Cohen, a Los Angeles attorney. But I’ve known Clapp a bit over the years, as a key NASCAR West Coast operative, and confidant of Bill France Sr. and Jr. Clapp -- an energetic 72 -- has owned as many as a dozen short tracks and says he’s promoted more than 8,000 days of events ranging from stocks to drags to AMA, World of Outlaws, Indy Cars and just about everything in-between.
Clapp, a native of Danville, Calif., has had two stints as a NASCAR vice president and was key in bringing the Sprint Cup series to Sears Point (Infineon Raceway) in 1989.
It was NASCAR -- he’s now a senior consultant -- that required Clapp’s attention the last weekend of February. We were at Phoenix International Raceway, while NHRA opened its 60th anniversary season at Pomona. Ken and I sat down for about 30 minutes to talk drag racing.
My first question: How did this happen -- you joining the NHRA Board?
“I’ve been friendly with all those fellows for a long time,” began Clapp. “I suppose it’s fair to say Wally (Parks) never knew that he was sort of a mentor to me.
“A long, long time ago, I was very close friends with Gordon Martin (San Francisco Chronicle motorsports writer) who took a liking to me when I was in my 20s, first starting out. He would have high-profile motorsports’ persons come to his home for dinner. Wally and Barbara were invited. This was almost 50 years ago. Gordon invited me and my wife at that time. It was a delightful evening.
“For whatever reason, Wally liked me. I was so enthralled with him that I watched what he did to the point that I studied him. As I did Bill Sr. and Aggie (J.C. Agajanian). As time went by he no longer looked at me as a new kid who was just trying to buy racetracks and do his thing. If I had to name the five most significant people in the history of motorsports, he’d be one of the five.”
The story continues with a phone call from Compton, the NHRA president, to Clapp at his home office last October. Light, NHRA’s senior vice president of racing operations, was with Compton.
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“Graham and I had served on a special committee trying to fight California on their regulations on 53-foot trailers,” Clapp remembered. “It was Graham, myself, Chris Pook, someone else. We were a fairly forceful group and we finally won so racers could come in and out of California. Graham and I got along really well and I’d see those guys every once in a while.
“Tom’s talking -- I thought they wanted me for a special committee project or something -- ‘Let me get right to the point. We have two voids on our Board with the loss of Wally and Dick Wells. Our articles call for seven Board members. You are a unanimous decision to come aboard if you are interested.’
“I thought, ‘Wow, here we are, almost 50 years later,’ and all I could see was Wally. I was really honored. I said, ‘I’ll have to talk to (NASCAR President) Mike (Helton) and (Chairman) Brian (France), because my contract with NASCAR is really an exclusive one.’ They understood.
“I talked to Mike. He talked to Jim (France) and Brian, and I guess they signed-off, because Mike and I were walking into a Chinese restaurant at the Bellagio the weekend of the (Cup) banquet in early December in Las Vegas and he put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘On the NHRA thing, it’s a good marriage.’”
Clapp said he planned to attend about eight Full Throttle events this season. Since I honestly wasn’t sure, I just went ahead and asked a basic question: Is Clapp a drag racing fan?
“When I was in high school, I dummied-up my age and got a NASCAR mechanic’s license,” is the way Clapp started his response. “I was a fair, unsophisticated, shade-tree guy. I’d never make it today but was OK then. I had two cars, an Oldsmobile and a Merc, both very street fast. I went to the drag races. We were pretty quick and I had the fastest Oldsmobile in the county. Corvettes couldn’t beat me, but I understood gear ratios and weight transfer and tires. I had good stuff.
“When I became vice president at Sears Point I put on a Funny Car show in November 1969, it was kind of a big deal, but a bad weather weekend. I had all the big names there. We still had a pretty good crowd and hyped the hell out of it. That was the first real drag race I promoted.
“After that I did a handful, but clearly was going toward stock car racing. I stayed friends with Wally and got to know Dallas and Tom was from our area. I got invited to ACCUS dinners and was a guest of those guys at the (U.S.) Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park.”
I wanted to know why Clapp thought he was picked. Even more importantly, I wanted to know what kind of director he’ll be -- active or passive?
“Tom and Peter (Clifford, executive VP and GM), we went to lunch and I asked, ‘Why me?’ Time will tell, but I’ve had a lot of off-shore experience with Japan, been to China, Europe, was involved in the beginning (NASCAR racing) with Mexico -- all under the direction of Bill France Jr. Those were special projects. I went to Japan 17 times. They’re doing some stuff in Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina Circuit) right now and are looking at some other things. I don’t think they have anyone on the Board who is seasoned in getting around in foreign countries, so I think that’s part of it. He didn’t say that, but just said, ‘We need solid people.’
“I’m not a sitter and listener. I’m interested in all the divisions and keep up with it every week. I think they’re pretty healthy and put on a pretty good TV show. If I was a genius, I’d figure out a way there would never be any (oil) down time, but I don’t have an answer to that. That’s the biggest issue.
“They run a very disciplined ship. They don’t leave paper clips and pennies laying on the floor and that’s how I am. I can’t stand waste and maybe that’s a result of being the child of depression parents.
“I don’t know where all the bolts and nuts are yet. I am respectful that when you’re the new kid on the block, don’t tread hard. If you have thoughts, voice them, but don’t be disrespectful.”
What should NHRA fans know about the organization’s newest director?
“I’m a hard-core, down-in-the-trenches, day-in-and-day-out, little-little promoter or big-big promoter, and I’ve been on both ends. Maybe that’s part of the value they saw.”
Is Clapp optimistic about NHRA’s future?
“It’s worked for 60 years so there’s no reason to think it won’t continue to work.”
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