NHRA Picks Compton as Its New President

In nearly 50 years as drag racing’s premier organization, the National Hot Rod Assn. has had only two presidents, Wally Parks, its founder, and Dallas Gardner.

Tom Compton, executive vice president and general manager of the Glendora-based sanctioning body, will become the third, effective Jan. 1, as part of a major overhaul of the NHRA’s top administration. His appointment was announced by Parks here Tuesday at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Assn. (SEMA) show.

Gardner, who has been president since 1984, will become chairman of the board, replacing Parks, who has held that title since he founded drag racing’s governing body in 1951. Parks will remain on the board while becoming chairman of the NHRA Motorsports Museum at the Pomona Fairplex.

“I believe you must preserve the past to save the future,” said Parks, who began drag racing as a hot-rodder on California dry lakes in the 1940s.

“There is no one inside or outside the sport of drag racing that is more qualified to lead the NHRA into the new millennium than Tom Compton,” he said at a gathering of hot rod enthusiasts that included a number of drivers. “The NHRA is looking to the future with new ideas and a new vision and Tom will be our leader.”

Compton, 41, joined the NHRA in 1992 as chief financial officer and was promoted to executive vice president and general manager in 1997. In that capacity, he was responsible for race operations, publications, NHRA-owned and operated racetracks, facilities, national events, and all administrative and fiscal functions.

“We have the fastest and most exciting racing in the world and our major goal is to make more people aware of the sport,” said Compton, a UCLA graduate in economics with a master’s from USC in international finance. “We will soon be announcing a TV package that will include more live coverage, and we are planning to better promote the stars of our sport to make the public more conscious of them. We believe if people become aware of us, they will become fans of ours.

“At the same time, I want to emphasize that our grass-roots participants and programs will continue to be NHRA’s foundation and strength, something which distinguishes us from all other sanctioning organizations.”

The NHRA, which will conclude its Winston Racing Series of 22 national events next week with the 35th annual Automobile Club of Southern California Finals at the Pomona Fairplex, has a membership of more than 85,000, among them 35,000 active competitors, and 142 member tracks.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which has been the NHRA’s primary sponsor since 1975, will continue through 2000, Compton said. In 2001, RJR must withdraw from either the NHRA or NASCAR’s Winston Cup under a court ruling covering the tobacco industry.