News:
THIS IS SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS?There were some representatives of the Armed Forces Radio and Televisions Services at Pomona on Thursday, Feb. 9. That branch of the services furnishes our troops with free programming overseas. Evidently NHRA was under orders from ESPN, who owns all of the rights to shoot any action shots at NHRA events, to not allow the AFRTS folks to shoot any part of the day's racing from the side of the track. They ended up in the stands, according to DRO staffers at the race. Shame on NHRA and ESPN for this petty action. [2-10-2006]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------This is a follow up article from DRO about the out come of what I would call a grassroots movement to fix this. Yea, we win!ARMY WINSA team from the Army Broadcasting Service led by Lieutenant ColonelDerek W. Crotts, a Commander in the American Forces Network, were in the Schumacher compound over the weekend, where NHRA initially denied them the ability to shoot any on-track video footage at the Winternationals. The team was at Pomona to provide Army drag racing oriented stories to entertain our troops and to help build the TV audience for the ESPN show being broadcast on February 15 to troops stationed abroad and on military bases in the U.S. over the American Forces Network.Over the weekend both NHRA and ESPN agreed to provide on-track and pit footage at no charge to the AFN for the Winternationals. According to Col. Crotts, they will have a working agreement since they intend to return to future NHRA POWERade events because, "Our troops love drag racing."American Forces Network also provides NASCAR, golf, tennis, NFL and college football, NBA and college basketball and other sporting events to military personnel and their families.