People don't understand that insurance is a pretty scary thing, most racers don't understand that the insurance they pay for as a racer is secondary insurance. Your insurance is used first then the track’s insurance helps from there. That's why, if we have a bad accident at one of our tracks with injuries, we usually have a fundraiser after that to help offset any expenses not covered by the insurance.
When track operators or race promoters need to cut insurance and operation’s expenses at races with four or more nitro cars, usually the first thing they cut is the Life Flight ‘copter, so, should a helicopter have to come in, the fee for that isn’t covered by the race promoter’s insurance policy (the helicopter is not paid for now in any of the policies). A great benefit to having an NHRA membership is that insurance comes with your dues. I highly urge all crew people and wives to join, if only for the insurance.
Do you think you'll see more cars now that you’re an NHRA-sanctioned track?
Gardner: Initially, I didn’t think so, but as a little test we had the HangoverFest here on January 1 and we had some people up in the tower that now we're NHRA, they want to talk to us and I was blown away by that. Here at Cordova, the only thing that you're going to see that is different is the N instead of the I in front of the HRA on the track signage. It's going to be run the same, same people at the front gate, same people running the track, we might have some different rules, same with Eddyville.
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What about new classes for your tracks?
Gardner: We’re working on a developing a “True Street” program at the other tracks like we’ve have at Cordova, a class for real street cars and drivers; not for semi-professional racer that’s been racing for 20 years, a class strictly for beginners.
Do you think you and Laura will get any sleep this year?
Gardner: Very little. It'll be interesting, but I'm excited.
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