Amazing Jon Asher Article (1 Viewer)
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rocketman
Nitro Member
This isn't as easy as it sounds? I've been doing this for years with great results and if I can do it anybody can!
You're just good at it, Rich. We need more like you.
I do want to be clear which is hard to do on these two dimensional boards which don't admit of much nuance. The NHRA should not become a monster truck show. I just believe, on the basis of much experience and countless conversations, that throttle stops don't belong at National events.
Run an 8.90 class for Sportsman racers - and 9.90 and 10.90 too. Run 'em heads up and stop the games with attempting to bombard an opponent with a top end charge. Race, for Pete's sake.
Make the changes necessary to slow the nitro cars so that quarter mile racing returns. Slow the nitro floppers so that more stock appearance can be cranked into the bodies. Make Pro/Stock a class with more "stock" in the mix.
Many tracks have made improvements in their physical layout and spectator amenities which addresses a concern especially for families. Here in Colorado, all four of our tracks have made recent improvements. The Bandimeres are well known for their constant improvements and attention to detail. I hope, and expect, to get to Grand Junction, Pueblo, and Julesburg this season to enjoy all the improvements.
I'll be following your lead, Rich, bringing friends along.
Cheers,
Ed
I do want to be clear which is hard to do on these two dimensional boards which don't admit of much nuance. The NHRA should not become a monster truck show. I just believe, on the basis of much experience and countless conversations, that throttle stops don't belong at National events.
Run an 8.90 class for Sportsman racers - and 9.90 and 10.90 too. Run 'em heads up and stop the games with attempting to bombard an opponent with a top end charge. Race, for Pete's sake.
Make the changes necessary to slow the nitro cars so that quarter mile racing returns. Slow the nitro floppers so that more stock appearance can be cranked into the bodies. Make Pro/Stock a class with more "stock" in the mix.
Many tracks have made improvements in their physical layout and spectator amenities which addresses a concern especially for families. Here in Colorado, all four of our tracks have made recent improvements. The Bandimeres are well known for their constant improvements and attention to detail. I hope, and expect, to get to Grand Junction, Pueblo, and Julesburg this season to enjoy all the improvements.
I'll be following your lead, Rich, bringing friends along.
Cheers,
Ed
PiPPi
Nitro Member
Most definitely. The thing was that George used the word "showbusiness" in introducing extreme two-wheelers into this equation. I know Eric and have been part in calling some of his record runs at Santa Pod and you don't see anyone leave the stands when he comes to the line.
The factory that Eric used to buy his base fuel was based here in Sweden but the plant blew up and the company folded. Yes, bringing his distilled high-grade fuel to the US would be a concern, aren't there any hydrogen peroxide racers in the US at all?
Regards
PiPPi
http://HarleyDrags.com
SG used to be one of my favorite classes, stops have me heading for the pits when they come up now.
Whn trying to expand the sport will the super classes do it, probably not. But when the days is built all around being the fastest then we start a coast fest how can that be explained to the new fan.
Keep the .90 classes for divisional races. Make National events open bracket racing. No stops pick a number and run. Drop SC & SG.
Marchboom
Nitro Member
I agree. Look at the nostalgia funny cars and you can actually tell what brand it is. That's why they are so popular. Those narrow tops of the current F/C's ruin the look and make them "cookie cutter" type race cars.
Pro Stock? One fuel racer called them slow funny cars. But at least you can identify the brand....so far. Some of the best Pro Stock racing was back in the early '70's. They didn't go nearly as fast but there was a very strong product identity.
Well it's my first 2012 return to mater, happy 2012 for one. A lot of good points were made. Some truly crazy. Throttle Stops is the # 1 reason? Are you kidding me? I don't buy that for a second. Either way I like to address some posts:
Excellent point Chris.
Cannot disagree with any of that.
I am not a fan of this post. Unless there's an actual occupy Glendora (don't get any ideas) this is never going to change from the fans side of the fence. The only way to get NHRA to even blink at what the state of the sport is, is to let the experience the bitter taste. The NHRA never changes anything until they go through a negative experience. Fan feedback means much of nothing there. Promote the sport? Won't work cause people are not buying what the NHRA is selling, and no matter how good a promoter you are, it's pretty hard to sell the sport when the NHRA has the same ol, "it's not all broken, so why fix it" ticket that they sell.
The only way to get this sport growth and longevity is if and only if it comes from within, meaning that unless the NHRA makes a change and runs with it and utilizes it, no one outside HQ is ever going to make a difference. NHRA needs to make a change and back it and promote it, or nothing will ever change. You could promote the sport all day, even if your successful the key is to have fan retention where they comeback at minimum once a year to the big nationals in their area, and if you look at 2011, the NHRA is clearly not doing that. What people have to understand is this sport is having trouble selling to the people who love the sport, but who cares about that. Rich you have to look further cause your using the same method the NHRA uses, you can't keep selling the sport over and over again to the same markets and hope that maybe it will sell a little more.
This sport needs to be sold to markets that have members that know next to nothing or completely nothing about this sport. Screw tv, screw it. NHRA should be paying for general ad videos on yahoo.com, bing, etc... youtube, AIM, general web advertising. I understand it may seem like "oddball" advertising, but this is the point the sport has come to. Don't put an ad on ESPN2, put an ad on Fox during American Idol, it may seem crazy, but again, this is what I feel the sport needs, take risks on new markets and see if they fail before everyone says no never work.
NHRA is completely ignorant to it as their # 1 gameplan for 2011 was Fan Interaction. Polls, Twitter, Facebook, OK they woke up and joined the way to reach the fans and young market, but they are sitting there tooting their own horn saying "we hit 300,000 likes on facebook" when that truly means nothing. I guarantee you the stat on the likes vs. people who actually give the NHRA money are amazingly low. Why not even try coupons, NHRA store vouchers, so on? If I was the NHRA i rather fill the seat at 50% off what it should be then have it empty.
Just like my book, I'm doing my part to promote the sport because it's not just a stats book. Am I gonna sell any copies to a non NHRA fan? Maybe a handful. Of all the fans that buy my book are they gonna be going to a race in 2012, each and every one? Doubt it. It's not negatively affecting the NHRA, but it's not of any help.
Much of this lies at the feet of NHRA. They are busy promoting the NHRA, but the NFL is busy promoting the teams.
Try this for yourself. Go to NFL.com, MLB.com, NASCAR.com and so on. What do you see? The focus is on the teams, the players, the stories. It's about the sport. Yes, there's a couple of ads, yes, they try to point you to tickets. But the focus is on the sport.
Now go to NHRA.com. This is what you see today:
I've circled the portions that are about teams/stories. The rest is NHRA promoting itself. Their various series, their NitroMall, countdown to their event at their track, double side banners to buy their tickets, a video celebration of their sponsorship with Full Throttle, promo for their newspaper, signup to their newsletter, hell even a promo for their Visa card.
If you want to see what's wrong with this sport, you need go no further than NHRA.com.
Excellent point Chris.
Jon Asher, you and I have discussed ticket prices for a number of Years! We both agree that they are WAYY out out of Control! Don't tell me that Compton/Light don't look at Gate receipts every race! If NHRA was really concerned about Full grandstands, they would do anything it took to make that happen! We both that won't happen...
Cannot disagree with any of that.
I am not a fan of this post. Unless there's an actual occupy Glendora (don't get any ideas) this is never going to change from the fans side of the fence. The only way to get NHRA to even blink at what the state of the sport is, is to let the experience the bitter taste. The NHRA never changes anything until they go through a negative experience. Fan feedback means much of nothing there. Promote the sport? Won't work cause people are not buying what the NHRA is selling, and no matter how good a promoter you are, it's pretty hard to sell the sport when the NHRA has the same ol, "it's not all broken, so why fix it" ticket that they sell.
The only way to get this sport growth and longevity is if and only if it comes from within, meaning that unless the NHRA makes a change and runs with it and utilizes it, no one outside HQ is ever going to make a difference. NHRA needs to make a change and back it and promote it, or nothing will ever change. You could promote the sport all day, even if your successful the key is to have fan retention where they comeback at minimum once a year to the big nationals in their area, and if you look at 2011, the NHRA is clearly not doing that. What people have to understand is this sport is having trouble selling to the people who love the sport, but who cares about that. Rich you have to look further cause your using the same method the NHRA uses, you can't keep selling the sport over and over again to the same markets and hope that maybe it will sell a little more.
This sport needs to be sold to markets that have members that know next to nothing or completely nothing about this sport. Screw tv, screw it. NHRA should be paying for general ad videos on yahoo.com, bing, etc... youtube, AIM, general web advertising. I understand it may seem like "oddball" advertising, but this is the point the sport has come to. Don't put an ad on ESPN2, put an ad on Fox during American Idol, it may seem crazy, but again, this is what I feel the sport needs, take risks on new markets and see if they fail before everyone says no never work.
NHRA is completely ignorant to it as their # 1 gameplan for 2011 was Fan Interaction. Polls, Twitter, Facebook, OK they woke up and joined the way to reach the fans and young market, but they are sitting there tooting their own horn saying "we hit 300,000 likes on facebook" when that truly means nothing. I guarantee you the stat on the likes vs. people who actually give the NHRA money are amazingly low. Why not even try coupons, NHRA store vouchers, so on? If I was the NHRA i rather fill the seat at 50% off what it should be then have it empty.
Just like my book, I'm doing my part to promote the sport because it's not just a stats book. Am I gonna sell any copies to a non NHRA fan? Maybe a handful. Of all the fans that buy my book are they gonna be going to a race in 2012, each and every one? Doubt it. It's not negatively affecting the NHRA, but it's not of any help.
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clwill
Nitro Member
Sponsors? In the super classes? That's the funniest thing I've read all year...
Mike Ferderer and Sheldon Gecker seem to get them, at least they did before the recession! But since very few fans watch wel....
clwill
Nitro Member
Ferd is a (very) special case, one of the biggest winners in NHRA racing. And a long personal relationship with K&N.
D
Nitro Member
Okay as probably one of the younger guys here (mid 40s), introduced to the sport by my mechanically inclined uncles as a child, that said...I have tried to drag people to the drags for the last twenty plus years and it only getting harder. I couldn't get people to come when I was hanging out with V, would only be at home for the Mile Highs and could get free tickets. I think we the die hards have been missing the point for years, we all know that NHRA is a football bat, but we and they did not embrace the Gen X/Y gear heads that were drag racing and are now doing time attack and drifting. They have missed the boat by not working with someone to get drag racing equivalent of Gran Turismo and similar games that do have Super GT and drift cars in them. My wife's nephew is completely car obsessed as well as tech obsessed, that's how we communicate, my Japanese sucks, his English isn't that good but we speak car. So with the right marketing/product placement NHRA can stop the greying of its fan base. Kids are different, every generation is, but with the right steps with technology and marketing they can be made fans of drag racing.
S/F
D
Reese
Nitro Member
I think that by using product from contingency sponsors helps.(even if they are on the decline). Even if you have to win or runner up to get paid. Chris, if you had a choice between two cam companies that makes a great cam. Wouldn't you choose the one that is a contingency sponsor? I know some would not consider this a sponsor but I think it is.
Also do anyone thinks Jegs or Summit sells more parts to the non pros or the pros. They both spend alot of money to get NHRA programs(Jegs all stars, Summit racing series, etc.) they must see some value in the sportsmans racers.
Maybe I am just different. When I do go to a national events, I go to the pits too but I go to the sportsmans pit more than the pros. I will sit and watch a super steet car to a comp car. I will also go to local tracks to watch local racers who I have seen countless times.
Bullard Anderson
Nitro Member
Dead on. To many options.
FABMAN
Nitro Member
Here something Nascar is doing!
NASCAR Targets New Audiences: After a few bumpy years marked by declining TV ratings and weakened traction in the vital 18- to 34-year-old male demographic, NASCAR regained some footing in 2011. TV viewership rose year-over-year in all three NASCAR [National] series, both overall and among the target group of young men. And the sport landed several key sponsorship renewals, including Sprint, UPS and Kraft Foods. But if NASCAR is to continue its assault on the professional team sports occupying much of the nation's bandwidth, it needs to reach new audiences in new places. With that in mind, it has embarked on a five-year plan with five key goals: Build the star power of individual drivers, increase engagement among children and college-age consumers, attract a multicultural fan base, craft more cohesive digital- and social-media strategies and improve the racetrack experience for fans. NASCAR CMO Steve Phelps is overseeing the execution. While some efforts kicked off in 2010, work over the next 18 months on the digital-media and multicultural-marketing fronts will be crucial. Mr. Phelps, star of a 2010 episode of "Undercover Boss," sat down with Ad Age to discuss the process of individual brand-building, the promise of a Hispanic fan base, and why the sport's legacy digital partnership won't work long term.(See full interview at AdAge.com)(1-2-2011)
NASCAR Targets New Audiences: After a few bumpy years marked by declining TV ratings and weakened traction in the vital 18- to 34-year-old male demographic, NASCAR regained some footing in 2011. TV viewership rose year-over-year in all three NASCAR [National] series, both overall and among the target group of young men. And the sport landed several key sponsorship renewals, including Sprint, UPS and Kraft Foods. But if NASCAR is to continue its assault on the professional team sports occupying much of the nation's bandwidth, it needs to reach new audiences in new places. With that in mind, it has embarked on a five-year plan with five key goals: Build the star power of individual drivers, increase engagement among children and college-age consumers, attract a multicultural fan base, craft more cohesive digital- and social-media strategies and improve the racetrack experience for fans. NASCAR CMO Steve Phelps is overseeing the execution. While some efforts kicked off in 2010, work over the next 18 months on the digital-media and multicultural-marketing fronts will be crucial. Mr. Phelps, star of a 2010 episode of "Undercover Boss," sat down with Ad Age to discuss the process of individual brand-building, the promise of a Hispanic fan base, and why the sport's legacy digital partnership won't work long term.(See full interview at AdAge.com)(1-2-2011)
clwill
Nitro Member
Contingency sponsorship is getting rarer, smaller, and much harder to collect. Not worth cluttering up the car. Our car has two stickers on it, the minimum required to race: NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing and Jegs All-Stars.
That said, I buy parts from companies that support racing. All other things being equal, in your example I would choose the contingency sponsor because that demonstrates a level of commitment to the sport. But for me quality of product, quality of tech support, value, and perhaps most importantly good people are the deciding factors. The possibility that maybe someday after chasing them down and bugging them for months they'll send me a check for $100 is way down on the list.
This is the way it should be. What a great attitude.
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