Where’s Welcome Mat for Drag Fans?

It was a major-league setting Friday night at Bristol Dragway.

The grandstands were packed, the weather was pleasing and the speeds were fast for the ninth annual National Hot Rod Association Thunder Valley Nationals.

One vital aspect of the scene was missing, however: a welcome.

For whatever short-sighted reason, the business community in the Bristol area has failed to embrace the drag racing crowd.

The NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals attracts fans from 28 states, as well as national television coverage from ESPN2. The three-day event generated an overall crowd of more than 50,000 last season.

Whether you like drag racing or not, those numbers deserve attention and respect.

Yet there were only three signs even acknowledging the presence of the NHRA on the marquee of businesses in the surrounding Bristol area Friday morning.

Instead of a hello, drag racing fans were greeted by signs promoting cold drinks, hot burgers and high school graduates.

Bristol Dragway is one of the most scenic, tradition-rich facilities in all of motorsports. Every top driver in the sport has competed here since it opened in 1965. Bristol once even earned the title of “Drag City USA.”

The folks at the EconoLodge in Bristol, Va., deserve credit for recognizing the potential of a multi-million dollar event. The marquee on both sides of the Commonwealth Avenue establishment welcomed the diverse drag racing family to town.

“We do that for all the races in our community,” said Eleanor Spruill, assistant manager of the Bristol EconoLodge. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the NHRA event, Super Chevy Show, Fun Ford Weekend or NASCAR.”

Of course, everyone in the Mountain Empire is aware of the impact and reach of the NASCAR race weekends at 160,000-seat Bristol Motor Speedway. The two Sprint Cup races have produced 54 straight sellouts, with fans coming to the mountains of Tennessee from all 50 states and several countries twice a year.

Spruill can see the big motorsports picture in Bristol. That’s one reason why the 47-room EconoLodge is filled to capacity this weekend.

“Every one of our guests, except one, is here for the drag races, and most are staying three nights,’’ Spruill said.

Drag racing fans appreciate the reception, she said. Sportsman competitors often park their haulers at the EconoLodge during the various events at Bristol Dragway throughout the year.

“Most of our guests are from the Eastern seaboard, but we also see folks from across the nation,” Spruill said.

“We have heard from guests who are happy that we put out a sign for them, and several return each year. That’s an encouraging thing.”

Spruill said she has wondered why other Bristol businesses do not make an effort to attract and embrace drag racing fans.

“I think a lot that is just due to the dollars that NASCAR brings in,” Spruill said.

“[But] the drag fans are just as good as our NASCAR guests. We try to accommodate them and make them feel at home.”

As many as 20,000 fans attended Saturday’s second round of qualifying at Bristol Dragway, and another large crowd is expected for today’s final eliminations. The ESPN cameras will again showcase Bristol to a national audience.

Sadly, it appears many folks in the region remain blind to this major league event.

“Maybe the other businesses will follow our lead,” Spruill said.