4 Wide Earns Highest ESPN NHRA Rating since 2009 (1 Viewer)

[Huge]

I thought that was a great article by Asher, and really showed some encouraging numbers. We are not living in an easy time, for any business, and the business of motorsports included. So I would take any sign of growth or improvement, in any area of the sport, as great news. But it seems that many here, and on other boards, while they proclaim to love the sport, prefer to look at everything from a "glass half empty" perspective. Is everything in drag racing today perfect? Nope. Is NHRA doing everything right? Nope. But there is a lot going on that is extremely positive. How about Traxxas coming on board, AND bringing back shootouts? How about the continued HUGE support by the Lucas family? The DeJorias? Jegs? And on and on. Ever look at what's happening outside the "Big Show"? All kinds of outlaw series', IHRA Nitro Jams packing the stands, and the growing nostalgia movement, particularly the Nitro Nostalgia FCs, where there are new cars being built seemingly every week. Oh, what about race ready muscle cars being built by the factories? I'll take a positive TV rating anytime, and any other good news that comes along. Ever think that maybe someday we'll look back on this time in drag racing history as "the good old days"?

Very good post Nunzio. You can tell by some of the posts on these forums that there are a few that are upset because Nhra has survived as long as it has. They feel that if they don't like Nhra then no one else should either. If Nhra ever did crash then these few would do a happy dance for a week, or at least until the drag race forums stopped and they didn't have any place else to complain.

 

[NYNitro86]

I thought that was a great article by Asher, and really showed some encouraging numbers. We are not living in an easy time, for any business, and the business of motorsports included. So I would take any sign of growth or improvement, in any area of the sport, as great news. But it seems that many here, and on other boards, while they proclaim to love the sport, prefer to look at everything from a "glass half empty" perspective. Is everything in drag racing today perfect? Nope. Is NHRA doing everything right? Nope. But there is a lot going on that is extremely positive. How about Traxxas coming on board, AND bringing back shootouts? How about the continued HUGE support by the Lucas family? The DeJorias? Jegs? And on and on. Ever look at what's happening outside the "Big Show"? All kinds of outlaw series', IHRA Nitro Jams packing the stands, and the growing nostalgia movement, particularly the Nitro Nostalgia FCs, where there are new cars being built seemingly every week. Oh, what about race ready muscle cars being built by the factories? I'll take a positive TV rating anytime, and any other good news that comes along. Ever think that maybe someday we'll look back on this time in drag racing history as "the good old days"?

And Nitro Jam is the only Place outside of the west that you can get consistent "Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car" competition, I mean there are some tracks that have Major Nitro FC turnouts outside of the West, but not much, Last Year's E-Town Nostalgia SummerNationals & Funny Car Reunion (one of the first Nostalgia FC events) Even they haven't had a great Nitro FC Count, last year they only had the Paul Smith FCs that Match Raced the Wednesday Night before this.

Plus Atco had a Debacle FC Event 2 years ago once coined by a poster of the former Drag Racing Underground Forum the "Go F*ck Yourself And Stay Home Nostalgia Funny Car Association."

I wish Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car can run all over the Country.

 

[Wayne]

Very good post Nunzio. You can tell by some of the posts on these forums that there are a few that are upset because Nhra has survived as long as it has. They feel that if they don't like Nhra then no one else should either. If Nhra ever did crash then these few would do a happy dance for a week, or at least until the drag race forums stopped and they didn't have any place else to complain.

Excellent posts Nunzio & Eugene!!! I try not to be a NHRA fanbois but I love the racing and that's the game that is here. I do not like the 4-wide FOR points but am glad that people actually watched it. Love my DVR!!!
My complaining in this thread is about some trolls that seem to have come outta the closet lately!

 

[Rajunz]

.....How about the continued HUGE support by the Lucas family? The DeJorias? Jegs? And on and on.......

Speaking of DeJoria, he's big on growing the sport.......

New investor DeJoria helps wish F1 in Austin good luck

 

[none]

Well it did have more air time than the normal format Drag Racing events and there were a lot of explosions and people getting hurt...

Hell if they continue to add the made up drama and a few new cast members they could get to the point of having a great reality show. Team Force to be replaced by Team Kardashian? How about Snooki (aka 4 wide) on a third Harley (Bagger) in the middle of the Pro Stock Bike Battle... What a F#&KING joke...

Spoken like a true hater..........right on cue

 

[none]

And since you don't know anything about me, your post have little to no value...

Your posts leave little to the imagination........

 

[rckymtn3]

Not sure what's more offensive....Trolls or Cheerleaders with hairy legs
(rimshot)

 

[Jon Asher]

Sorry Dave Wesolowski, you are incorrect, and I do not mean to be insulting in any way by saying that. This isn’t about the popularity of the IndyCar series. We all know that open wheel racing in North America has been in decline since the first day of the CART/IRL split. That’s not the point. The point is that the PERCEPTION of IndyCar is that it’s the second largest form of motorsports in North America.

The media absolutely believes that. Suggesting that drag racing gets the same amount of exposure on Sportscenter as does IndyCar racing is one thing, but suggesting drag racing gets as much on the evening news is absolutely inaccurate.

IndyCar’s “connection” to ESPN is via the ABC telecast of the Indy 500 and a few other races, but with most of the races on an NBC-owned affiliate, ESPN is not, therefore, that interested in promoting them. Not that they give drag racing much exposure either, and they’re the television “home” of the sport.

But when it comes to a market-by-market comparison, the evening news is going to run a helluva lot more IndyCar highlights than they are drag racing because the people running those sports departments, who are usually not that conversant in motorsports, BELIEVE that IndyCar is bigger, therefore they’re going to put it on.

The 4-wide race format probably didn’t have that much to do with the ratings, but who knows? Another factor impacting the ratings could have been the fact that there was no Cup race Sunday.

One point that is often ignored is the massive fragmentation of today’s television market. The choices are endless, with the result being that ratings numbers that were once considered a death knell for a show are now considered pretty decent.

Look, we’d like to think drag racing is a big time activity, but the reality is that there are 312 million Americans. Drag racing attracts something around 2 million paid per year. Let’s just assume that of those 2 million a number see more than one race per year, so let’s just say that the real paid attendance is closer to 1.5 million. That’s a very small slice of our total popular of 312 million. That also means that we shouldn’t expect to see ANY drag race pulling in a TV audience in excess of a million viewers. Logically, it just isn’t going to happen.

Jon Asher
Senior Editor
CompetitonPlus.com

 

[Wayne]

Not sure what's more offensive....Trolls or Cheerleaders with hairy legs
(rimshot)

Hey, Kevin, if you looked @ my avatar pic, you know I'm way too fat, ugly, bald, & old to be a cheerleader!!!
LMAO!

 

[Huge]

Hey, Kevin, if you looked @ my avatar pic, you know I'm way too fat, ugly, bald, & old to be a cheerleader!!!
LMAO!

You just described me, other then the bald part. A hairy cheerleader can always shave their legs, but a troll will always be a troll. LOL

 

[Wayne]

You just described me, other then the bald part. A hairy cheerleader can always shave their legs, but a troll will always be a troll. LOL

ROTFLMAO!!!

Eugene: when I meet you here (Seattle) this August, we can compare!!!?

 

[Huge]

ROTFLMAO!!!

Eugene: when I meet you here (Seattle) this August, we can compare!!!?

By then I might be bald too.

 

[Wayne]

By then I might be bald too.

hehehe

 

[90-percent]

You know what; congratulations to NHRA and it's really nice to hear some good news about modern drag racing tee vee ratings.

Good for them. If it increases professional drag racing's popularity, I'm fine for one or two four wide events a year.

332 mph is cool enough to get me watching regularly again! Now they have an extra 320 feet to come down from ludicrous speed.

-90% jimmy

 

[PJ]

I don't like 4 wide, but if it draws in more people and sponsors well.......

Of course the bigger question is what drove the numbers. Just making a knee jerk reaction on the numbers, good or bad, doesn't work
-was it the 4 wide aspect?
-time slot
-with march madness over, no football and basketball being down did that help
-starting on time
-weather around the country (bad weather means more people staying home and watching TV)
-was there more direct /coverage plugging this event,
-was there more indirect marketing/coverage (such as the Hagan explosion, although after the event, I saw it on Good Morning America on Wed)

Of course there are other variables as well.

It'll will be interesting to see if these increased numbers stick around or if its a one and done deal. Kinda like everyone needing to gawk at an accident when they drive by.