Why Should I Join

An open letter from TAD racer Marty Thacker:

Hi friends.

You have received this email because I believe that either you have a passion for Top Alcohol Dragsters and/or Funny cars or have some other reason for needing the classes to survive and grow.

Maybe you sell parts or tools to these racers, or are a current or future competitor. Either way, it’s time to make an investment in the success of all of our interest. One of the biggest problems the “Pro-Sportsman” classes face is the severe lack of promotion. That is the main thrust of this new association. Already racers, NHRA, Lucas Oil Products, and other manufacturers are agreeing with our mission(see statement below) and coming aboard. This is more than an association. It a brotherhood, and I know if we stick together, we will succeed. Please go to http://prosportsmanassociation.com/pages/how-to-join/ and get the details for becoming a charter member, and send it in. It will be one of the smallest checks you write all year (other payment forms available), and it will go toward protecting your whole race team or business investment from becoming obsolete.

I know many of you have already sent you membership dues in. For the rest of you, please think about this. This is a non-profit corporation with volunteer board members. The only paid employee will be announced soon, and that will be the full time marketing/P.R. person working for you and me. You are welcome to contact me, or any of the other board members with questions.
Remember, membership does have its benefits!

“The Pro Sportsman Association is a non-profit organization formed to build the value and ‘brand’ of Top Alcohol racing. We are an organization primarily funded by the membership dues of racers, racing businesses and fans who have a vested interest in seeing Top Alcohol racing reach the proverbial ‘next level.’ We plan to reach our objectives through the hiring of a dedicated PR and Marketing team. Our objective is to increase the support, participation and profitability of NHRA Lucas Oil Top Alcohol racing. We intend to specifically target increased media exposure in both local and national markets. By building our value to both the tracks and NHRA, we hope to not only maintain but increase the number of events that feature our classes as front gate draws. By building the awareness of our classes through media and other promotions, we hope to build our fan following in the long term. We also hope our efforts lead to more new teams entering the Top Alcohol classes. The PSA will not get involved in performance based rules issues. We do not intend to become our own racing series aside from NHRA. The scope of the organization is to be a promotional tool for the Top Alcohol classes, not a mediation board between NHRA and the racers.”

Thanks,
Marty Thacker
TA/D 8
Rapid Transit Racing



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From Justin Jacobson, Ace Manufacturing

PSA Objectives.. What it is, what it isn't.

I know a good majority of you Owners/Drivers and are hanging on the fence, waiting to see who else joins before you do or you're still not quite sure of some of the details on how things will be handled. The purpose of this post is to clear up as many of the gray areas as possible at this time that have been expressed by some of you.

Philosophy
First and foremost, the PSA is not in existence to turn the classes into the Hatfield's and McCoy's with the people who decided to join and those who did not. We're all a family out here, and that's part of what makes Top Alcohol racing so great and so marketable. The whole goal of this organization is to promote Top Alcohol racing. Increase our presence as one of the most powerful classes in the motorsports industry, and by doing so, increasing the demand and interest in Top Alcohol racing by potential sponsors, tracks, fans and future participants. We can't very well do that by dividing the family. At the same time the organization can't do it's job without funding. So that being said, no racer will be excluded from headlines or articles concerning on track performance. If you create some news, it will be reported, member or not. Just remember that if you aren't a member, someone else's contribution, along with your performance, is helping you get some of the best writing in the business.

Member Benefits
What does my fee get me? I think we've all seen the headlines on the news sites our PR Man Todd Veney has been getting out there for us already. He is also helping NHRA with the Top Alcohol portion of the race wrap ups they send out to their media outlets. Awesome.. What else?
- Driver Profile on PSA website (currently in final stages of production)
- Access to Members Only forums (where financial statements will be posted, membership concerns/opinions can be posted, Board news)
- Feature articles
- Voting rights for election of the Board of Directors and potentially, use of any budget surplus.
This organization will be what YOU all make of it. You can choose to be as involved or vocal as you like among the membership, run for the board, or you can choose to just join and watch it go. Just like a race car, without fresh ideas and thinking outside the box, performance gains would stall.

Operating Budget
Numbers and tax returns are a matter of public knowledge annually. Members are privy to periodic updates via the PSA website. The Board of Directors is serving on a volunteer basis. So here are the minimum operating costs:

- Non-Profit filing status and establishment, website, domain name and hosting - $2500
- PR services rendered and travel expenses for Todd and Photographer while on PSA business (working selected events) - $65,000
- Any sort of merchandising.. Starting small with decals. - $1,000
- Legal and/or accounting services - $1,500

So you can see at a bare minimum we need to raise $70,000 to really do this right this year. If more funds are raised we can begin exploring other options and ideas as well. Again, these are JUST IDEAS!!

-possible travel fund for pre-race appearances
-possible Bonus award programs at Regional Races (Top Speed, Low ET, Long Burnout)

The sky is the limit as long as it's legal for us to accomplish!

What if I can't afford the dues?
It's a diverse group out here, and it's not all millionaires. Everyone makes financial sacrifices somewhere else in life to take part in this sport. If you need to spread the dues out over time, just contact someone on the Board of Directors. Payment plans are an option..

The bottom line, this is a big picture investment in the future of alcohol racing. It will take some establishment time considering the organization is officially a month old, yet we're already seeing signs of movement on the PR front.

If anyone has any questions about any particulars or general concerns, please.. post them or PM me and I will do my best to answer them or get them answered for you. The goal here is transparency on all fronts and chances are if you have a concern or question, you are not the only one!!

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Hey Will!

Man, I really don't want anything other than to say that I truly applaud and appreciate your effort to bring some attention to the Top Alcohol Racers. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've been asked things like, "Why does JEGS get so much coverage?" or "How come John Force is always in the headlines?"

My response has always been the same: BECAUSE THEY TAKE MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS!

The features and releases we've been getting from Todd Veney are world-class. Not only is he a supremely talented writer, but he's got an insane amount of street cred in the racing industry.

Anyway, I don't really want anything other than to say thank you, congratulations, and job well done! I know you guys are just getting started, but I can't stress enough how much I, personally, appreciate what you're doing for the racers.

Talk soon!

Wes Buck
Editor-in-Chief
Drag Illustrated
www.dragillustrated.com

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