When NHRA professional teams arrive at the Spring Nationals this weekend at Royal Purple Raceway in Houston, pit parking will be at a premium.

On April 19, Josh Peterson, NHRA’s vice president of racing administration, sent out an email to NHRA Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle and Pro Mod teams that read as follows:

Pro Stock driver/team owner Larry Morgan has been animated with the strong liklihood, he and other Pro Stock drivers will be forced to park on the grass this weekend in Houston. Reportedly, he's been animated in his letters sent to the sanctioning body with a clear request to park his team close to the porta-pots. The NHRA sent out a letter last week to racers stating that the nitro cars and top ten Pro Stock teams will be the only ones on pavement.When NHRA professional teams arrive at the Spring Nationals this weekend at Royal Purple Raceway in Houston, pit parking will be at a premium.

On April 19, Josh Peterson, NHRA’s vice president of racing administration, sent out an email to NHRA Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle and Pro Mod teams that read as follows:

NHRA Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle and Pro Mod Teams,

Due to overwhelming popularity in the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Royal Purple Raceway from sponsors and manufacturers pit space on the asphalt will be limited.

Based on the amount of entries projected to attend the event we estimate approximately 10 Pro Stock teams will be parked on asphalt.  All Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Mod and any remaining Pro Stock teams will be parked on grass.

Advance notice has been provided so each team can plan accordingly.

“Our pit control was working on the map all week long last week, trying to get every ounce of available space we could,” Peterson said in an interview with Competition Plus. “It boils down to the enormous popularity we have at the event this weekend with manufacturers and hospitality that is happening this weekend at the event, it has just pushed things out a little bit more than what we anticipated. Plus, I believe we have a larger car count in the Top Fuel and Funny Car categories than we have had in previous years.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 21 Top Fuel entries and 20 nitro Funny Car entries. Pro Stock (20 entries) and Pro Motorcycle (21 entries) also have good numbers. Pro Mod has 15 entries. Each pro class has 16 cars/motorcycles in its elimination fields.

“There is just not enough available paved pit space so we (NHRA) thought it would be best to notify the teams ahead of time and let them know so they can prepare accordingly if they need to bring plywood, tarps or whatever it may be,” Peterson said. “We figured it was better to let them know ahead of time so they can plan accordingly rather than finding out when they get there on site.”

The limited pit space parking drew mixed reactions from drivers and a team owner.

“I do not understand why that would even be a thought,” said Pro Stock driver Shane Gray about having to park some Pro Stock cars on the grass at Houston.

Veteran Pro Mod racer Rickie Smith also weighed in on Houston’s limited pit parking issue.

“It definitely matters (having to park on the grass/dirt),” Smith said. “You would think they would pave enough extra down there (at Houston) because they have got the room to pave it. You would think they could spend 20 to 30 grand to pave enough spots for the Pro Mods to park on there (the asphalt). We have to work on these things (Pro Mod cars) all the time. We take pistons in and out and we work on them like a Top Fuel car. So, it is definitely better when we can be on some hard ground. I think what is happening is you have these pro teams and when I say pro teams I say Top Fuel and Funny Cars that are taking up so much room with hospitality spots that is using up a lot of pro spots, and that is fine. I have nothing against having hospitality for your sponsors and NHRA charges extra for that. If you are going to charge extra for those hospitality spots then go spend that money to put more asphalt down for the cars. That’s the only thing I ask.”

Steve Johnson, who has been racing Pro Stock motorcycles since 1987, wishes the pit parking would be different for his class at Houston.

“Speaking on behalf of the motorcycle group, I know our pit area and our ability to service our sponsors is much better done on asphalt,” Johnson said. “I’m also amazed in today’s economics that there are so many entries that we are not parked on asphalt. I wish I could figure out a way for it to be profitable for the race track (in Houston) to put more asphalt down.”

Hector Arana Sr., a fellow Pro Stock Motorcycle rider, doesn’t believe Houston’s pit parking benefits his class.

“It is kind of a bad situation because we spend all of this money to have good equipment and represent our sponsors with rigs and everything and then we get parked back there in the dirt where no one (the spectator) really wants to go,” Arana Sr. said. “There is nothing else I can say. It is what it is.”   

Peterson knew the pit parking situation at Houston would not please everybody.

“There has been very little feedback, and there’s always going to be a few that aren’t happy with it and that’s understandable of course,” Peterson said. “For the most part it has just been minor questions that have come back our way. I do not know if we have an answer to why the car count is up in some categories, but we are glad that it is.”  

Renowned Pro Stock team owner Victor Cagnazzi kept Houston’s limited pit parking in perspective.

“I’m sure they (NHRA) are doing the best that they can to accommodate the Pro Stock cars, but I think they have just run out of room,” said Cagnazzi, who is fielding cars for Erica Enders and Dave Connolly in Houston. “If they have more sponsors that are in the midway, that can only be good for the sport. If they have sponsors that want to have midway trailers, and that is what moves everything, that can only be a good thing right?”

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