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Asher's latest 'Up Front' Column
- Thread starter Tim5636sc
- Start date
I still don't see how this format will draw more cars? Unless we see a Huge sponsor infusion, what am I missing?
Your numbers for 4 wide 32 car fields represent winner and runner-up moving on in first 3 rounds...For single winner each set it would be as follows:
32/8/2
Rollout96
Nitro Member
my friends call me Zappy
Nitro Member
Eric, yer right, my bad, sorry. But folks this is even better. We can run 32 cars in 3 rds, with a "traditional" 2 car final. It takes 4 rds to run 16. So you can space out the rds, giving the teams more time.
my friends call me Zappy
Nitro Member
Jon no one wants to see leakers, but lets face it even the BEST have problems from time to time. Besides how they gonna learn.??
With 32 slots think of the IHRA cars that would show at Nats. near them. To my knowlege IHRA has no rule against their drivers "playing in other sand boxes".
I've said it before: If you want the sport to grow - you got to grow the sport.
or like the movie said: "IF YOU BUILD IT...THEY WILL COME.
The Swegian
Nitro Member
Paul, I'm always the optimist, but I have to agree with Asher, we won't see 32 car fields again. On top of everything else mentioned, could you see NHRA funding 16 more 1st round losers in TF and FC? Adds up to big numbers, especially over the course of the season. There are a lot of part-timers out there, and they have been showing up more due to the lack of corporate cars these days. What I do think is possible, but probably unlikely, is to have Indy feature 32 cars like the old days, especially if it could be TF AND FC. I still love the "Big Show", but how cool is it that the March Meet will have a 32 car FC show this year? There are a ton of Nostalgia FCs out there and more being built. You want bigger car counts, make it more affordable.
Nunzio, if they do run a 32 car N/FC field, I'm willing to bet it's almost a full second separation between 1-32.
Your few thoughts have generated some of my own.
One aspect I haven't seen anyone mention in the four wide scenario is the two winners a round. I don't have a strong preference for or against the gimmick, but it's going to change some racers' progression through the ladder.
In the past, running the second-quickest ET of a round didn't necessarily mean that you'd return. Now it does. In recent years, Tim Wilkerson seemed to be the master of running the second-quickest shot but having the misfortune to run it against the quickest. It seemed like many times he had a losing ET which would have covered any other race in the session.
Conversely, depending on what a single opponent did, a car could advance even on a broken run. That's probably not going to happen any more. Like I say, whether that's bad or good I don't really know but it's another break from tradition.
As for the countdown, it's still not impressing me much. As for the Media Black Hole, I honestly don't think it would make a difference if we entered the countdown on New Years' Eve at Times Square - nobody pays attention.
For a program that was supposed to generate mainstream interest, it's been a huge failure under that criterion. I haven't seen any of the mainstream media do much of anything with the managed competition even after the desperate modification part way through the process last year.
It's always good to read your stuff, Jon. I know the rodeo stuff is getting more and more of your time, but please don't forget your legion of fans here in our little corner.
sdwarf36
Nitro Member
One thing i didnt see addressed about 4 wide is diluting of sponsor time-both winners and losers. If you're in the stands, you gonna be watching the car 3 lanes from you? (what if lane 1 or 2 smokes'em?)How about post run interviews? Any race John Force is in, now 3 people are gonna get stiffed air time! Plus the winner will only have 3 shots rather than 4 at Gary Gerold asking "so how does it feel to run 4 wide?"
Plus the winner will only have 3 shots rather than 4 at Gary Gerold asking "so how does it feel to run 4 wide?"kingcobrafan
Nitro Member
That's right, Paul, you do. And the way to do it is by using the print and especially electronic media to promote the sport, much like NASCAR does, by something as simple as having national event and those great Full Throttle commercials broadcast during prime time, away from the race telecast itself. This way mainstream America slowly but surely finds out that drag racing exists along with NASCAR. Night and day better than turning the sport itself upside down with major overhauls like the Countdown and four-wide eliminations.
Nunzio, you won’t see 32-cars at Indy, either.
Just as NASCAR is announcing a reduction in purses Nunzio is suggesting a 32-car show, and believe me, there is no way NHRA is going to even consider anything like that. They have zero incentive for doing so. What would they gain by expanding the fields? If you could “guarantee” an additional 5,000 fans per race it might be worth it, but there’s not only no way of guaranteeing that, and in reality (I know you won’t like hearing this), if there were an additional 5,000 paying spectators per race it would help NHRA recover from a couple of very bad years due to bad weather and a lousy economy.
The reality is that we need a financially healthy NHRA for drag racing to survive and grow, and if anyone thinks they’re rolling in cash you’re sadly mistaken.
Paul, have you seen some of those IHRA cars run? It’s not pretty…
Joe, ignoring for a moment that this isn’t going to happen, I think your elapsed time spread scenario is probably pretty close to what would happen. AND there will be a certain percentage of leakers willing to come out in the hopes of making one, pathetic run to get in and then taking the first round loser money and going home.
Are you the Joe Sherwood that was mentioned in the editorial?
Dan, didn’t you ever see one of the old AHRA Grand American Series races? They often had scenarios in which the quickest loser got back in, usually due to an uneven number of cars.
I slightly disagree with you on the Countdown and the media, Dan. Last year Indy got some pretty good national coverage just because of the Countdown to 10 situation, BUT I will readily admit a lot of that publicity was generated by the Pedregon-Force confrontation. When I said “slightly disagree” I do think the media largely ignores not only the Countdown, but drag racing itself.
Bill, you make an excellent point. It’s ridiculous and useless to promote Full Throttle to an audience that’s already believers. Better to run those drag racing-oriented ads on an ESPN basketball game or (this is it, the earth is ending!) even during a Cup race.
Jon Asher
Senior Editor
Competitionplus.com
Just as NASCAR is announcing a reduction in purses Nunzio is suggesting a 32-car show, and believe me, there is no way NHRA is going to even consider anything like that. They have zero incentive for doing so. What would they gain by expanding the fields? If you could “guarantee” an additional 5,000 fans per race it might be worth it, but there’s not only no way of guaranteeing that, and in reality (I know you won’t like hearing this), if there were an additional 5,000 paying spectators per race it would help NHRA recover from a couple of very bad years due to bad weather and a lousy economy.
The reality is that we need a financially healthy NHRA for drag racing to survive and grow, and if anyone thinks they’re rolling in cash you’re sadly mistaken.
Paul, have you seen some of those IHRA cars run? It’s not pretty…
Joe, ignoring for a moment that this isn’t going to happen, I think your elapsed time spread scenario is probably pretty close to what would happen. AND there will be a certain percentage of leakers willing to come out in the hopes of making one, pathetic run to get in and then taking the first round loser money and going home.
Are you the Joe Sherwood that was mentioned in the editorial?
Dan, didn’t you ever see one of the old AHRA Grand American Series races? They often had scenarios in which the quickest loser got back in, usually due to an uneven number of cars.
I slightly disagree with you on the Countdown and the media, Dan. Last year Indy got some pretty good national coverage just because of the Countdown to 10 situation, BUT I will readily admit a lot of that publicity was generated by the Pedregon-Force confrontation. When I said “slightly disagree” I do think the media largely ignores not only the Countdown, but drag racing itself.
Bill, you make an excellent point. It’s ridiculous and useless to promote Full Throttle to an audience that’s already believers. Better to run those drag racing-oriented ads on an ESPN basketball game or (this is it, the earth is ending!) even during a Cup race.
Jon Asher
Senior Editor
Competitionplus.com
The Swegian
Nitro Member
LMAO! Yep, Vegas in 2007!That's that guy you met 4-5 years ago!
oh yeah 2007 about 5 years ago
One aspect of the four wide that I am not looking foward to, although if for one race a year its ok. But its even more unlikely to see the low budget no name guy go some rounds. They no longer will be able to upset one car to get through but instead will have to get by 3(or two if 2 win each round).
Still willing to see it play out but not very hopeful
Z28LT1
Nitro Member
You have to admit that the media in MN doesn't really give two turds about drag racing. the Nationals in Brainerd is the biggest sporting event in the state, not motor sport event, all of sports! The Monday after the race the biggest paper in the state, Star Tribune, gives it page 3 coverage in the sports section. You'd think the largest spectated sporting event in the state would be page one. I hate to say it, but Asher is right. If its not the Twins or Vikings the MN media doesn't care.
Bobby
Nitro Member
I'll take a chill pill about 1000' all right. I don't care if I go or not. How's that for chillin?
and this talk about since I'm not a driver I shouldn't care - I pay hundreds of dollars go to the Gators every year. If I see a diluted product, where reaction times are now too important, where some of the drama of who will win a race is diminished, where 'driver's races' are less frequent because you've had a football field length of the track eliminated reducing the chances of running someone down after smoking the tires....sorry - but it's the spectators who make the sport possible in the first place. You want to have a club and go race have fun. Or cater to shirtless morons who just want their eardrums blown out and eyes watered by nitro.
anyone that really likes to watch AUTO RACING knows 1000' has diminished the sport. There was an ad a view years ago where Larry Dixon said he's 'just the guy that gets shot out of the cannon.'
pretty much sums it up.
where the f is bazemore.
this sport just ain't so much fun anymore.
and this talk about since I'm not a driver I shouldn't care - I pay hundreds of dollars go to the Gators every year. If I see a diluted product, where reaction times are now too important, where some of the drama of who will win a race is diminished, where 'driver's races' are less frequent because you've had a football field length of the track eliminated reducing the chances of running someone down after smoking the tires....sorry - but it's the spectators who make the sport possible in the first place. You want to have a club and go race have fun. Or cater to shirtless morons who just want their eardrums blown out and eyes watered by nitro.
anyone that really likes to watch AUTO RACING knows 1000' has diminished the sport. There was an ad a view years ago where Larry Dixon said he's 'just the guy that gets shot out of the cannon.'
pretty much sums it up.
where the f is bazemore.
this sport just ain't so much fun anymore.
