none
Nitro Member
Wayne... awh come on, let the Kid drive the Beast...
If you guys do right coast swing... call me, I'll do grunt work right alone with Mike...
I am trying to get Simpson to make fireproof depends for him now!!!
Nitromater
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best story ever on comp. plus
- Thread starter handsome
- Start date
I am trying to get Simpson to make fireproof depends for him now!!!
MM
Nitro Member
Oh geez, a family feud.....play nice, boys. Hi Wayne, your Dad already knows that. He's always been one of my favorite people....please tell him I said "hi".
Randy is working for Morgan Lucas. Is on the T/F car, but is going to do more in the shop and fly-in on the A/F car in the next couple of months. He's living in Brownburg, IN and after 24 years, is getting pretty tired of traveling so much.
Randy is working for Morgan Lucas. Is on the T/F car, but is going to do more in the shop and fly-in on the A/F car in the next couple of months. He's living in Brownburg, IN and after 24 years, is getting pretty tired of traveling so much.
Nick Name
Nitro Member
Someone needs to get a bunch of those older guys together and write the "Marco Polo Chronicles"
Shoe came on here some time back and stated that some of the stories out of that place couldn't be put on the internet.
Turtle
Nitro Member
Nitrohaulic
Nitro Member
Franklin Amiano at Circus Paints was telling us on another board that he's said for years that if he had a time machine, he'd make $10,000 for each weekend he could go back to with a video camera. Someone badly NEEDS to write a book that's a compilation of stories while these folks are still around to tell them.
One of the best stories I've heard had to do with someone with a new teenage crewmember whose job was to take the clips off the parachute bags after the burnout. Said he pulled the handle as he approached the finish line and nothing happened. Ran off the end of the track, end of the day.
He said on the way home that night he had his foot to the floor and his pickup/open trailer wouldn't do more than 50 MPH. He's thinking "Great, along with everything else, now I've got engine or transmission trouble." Said cars were passing him blowing their horns. When they pulled over, they found out why. The same kid, who he'd sufficiently blessed out earlier, wanted to be sure the clips were out for the next weekend and took them out already. They were going down the road dragging a funny car with the chutes out!
I agree with Nunzio that there is a market for the booked in shows.
If it is to work, the track promoters will need to see the benefit in getting some "front gate" revenue. We all know the racers can't pay for this whole deal forever.
Four decades ago, you couldn't get a Top Fueler into the sixes here in Colorado. Today, we've got Fast 16 - type events with cars running that quick up here in the mountains - and - they're paying the track to race! Things have changed. Despite the fact that the shows are better, the crowds aren't there.
The olde days of counting on the racers' grapevine to get the word out are gone. Shows such as Driving Force and American Dragster are doing more for our sport at the national level than are any of the more traditional promotions. Tommy Johnson, Jr. and Melanie Troxel get more (and better)publicity for us than we get from sportcasters.
The tracks could do more and smarter marketing, but the traditional media aren't cheap. Some track operators don't do much marketing because they are getting by on the racer's money. Others don't do it because they aren't interested. Some others just don't know how.
Here are three suggestions:
1) I think a circuit will work if a sponsor can be arranged up front to do the marketing and drive the spectators in the front gate. Track operators who see it work will want to be part of the circuit. As it is, most tracks aren't going to pay for a show when they don't see the payback.
2) We can do our part by continuing to push the so-called "sports journalists" to cover drag racing. When I had my own business, I refused to advertise with people who didn't cover sports. They'd insist that they did cover sports and point to their coverage of the local baseball team or whatever. I responded that they covered "games." When they were ready to cover sports - including the biggest sport in the world (motorsport); I'd be ready to advertise. I made my point with at least one of them and did advertise. They were shocked at how much positive response they received from increased coverage of racing.
The game sports do so well, in part, because they have so much publicity from these "sports journalists" yammering away incessantly about their product. If the upcoming National event got billboarded every night on the news the way the stick and ball sports do; we'd all be complaining that we couldn't find a seat! The media are driving this.
3) The NHRA should set up programs to assist teams in marketing and to train track operators. An NHRA "University" could bring in the best and brightest - and most successful - to build the franchise by analyzing what works and what doesn't. Every successful franchise system has a marketing component built in to the business plan.I know they do some of these things at the track operators' meetings; but anyone who has attended one of Milt Gedo's marketing programs or the Frank Hawley school can tell you that there is much to learn from others in this sport, especially when it is presented in an organized format.
Sorry this is so long. Thanks for reading this far!
Cheers,
Ed
If it is to work, the track promoters will need to see the benefit in getting some "front gate" revenue. We all know the racers can't pay for this whole deal forever.
Four decades ago, you couldn't get a Top Fueler into the sixes here in Colorado. Today, we've got Fast 16 - type events with cars running that quick up here in the mountains - and - they're paying the track to race! Things have changed. Despite the fact that the shows are better, the crowds aren't there.
The olde days of counting on the racers' grapevine to get the word out are gone. Shows such as Driving Force and American Dragster are doing more for our sport at the national level than are any of the more traditional promotions. Tommy Johnson, Jr. and Melanie Troxel get more (and better)publicity for us than we get from sportcasters.
The tracks could do more and smarter marketing, but the traditional media aren't cheap. Some track operators don't do much marketing because they are getting by on the racer's money. Others don't do it because they aren't interested. Some others just don't know how.
Here are three suggestions:
1) I think a circuit will work if a sponsor can be arranged up front to do the marketing and drive the spectators in the front gate. Track operators who see it work will want to be part of the circuit. As it is, most tracks aren't going to pay for a show when they don't see the payback.
2) We can do our part by continuing to push the so-called "sports journalists" to cover drag racing. When I had my own business, I refused to advertise with people who didn't cover sports. They'd insist that they did cover sports and point to their coverage of the local baseball team or whatever. I responded that they covered "games." When they were ready to cover sports - including the biggest sport in the world (motorsport); I'd be ready to advertise. I made my point with at least one of them and did advertise. They were shocked at how much positive response they received from increased coverage of racing.
The game sports do so well, in part, because they have so much publicity from these "sports journalists" yammering away incessantly about their product. If the upcoming National event got billboarded every night on the news the way the stick and ball sports do; we'd all be complaining that we couldn't find a seat! The media are driving this.
3) The NHRA should set up programs to assist teams in marketing and to train track operators. An NHRA "University" could bring in the best and brightest - and most successful - to build the franchise by analyzing what works and what doesn't. Every successful franchise system has a marketing component built in to the business plan.I know they do some of these things at the track operators' meetings; but anyone who has attended one of Milt Gedo's marketing programs or the Frank Hawley school can tell you that there is much to learn from others in this sport, especially when it is presented in an organized format.
Sorry this is so long. Thanks for reading this far!
Cheers,
Ed
Shoe is exactly right about not being able to put the "Marco Polo" chronicles on the Internet. Plus, too many of the players are still alive!!! Would be cool, though, if someone held a reunion and taped a bench-racing session. I do remember the gal who worked the front desk. Her name (I think) was Nadine, but all the boys called her Mother. If you called for someone, she always knew where they had gone, who's shop, and when they'd be back. I think she even dated a few of the guys, but we won't go in to that here.....
Then there was "Jungle Bobbie" (Jungle's 1st wife) and Barbara, Coil's then lady, who brought in some extra Winter money by dancing in the topless bar. It was a very interesting place! And I know I don't know the half of it!!!!
Then there was "Jungle Bobbie" (Jungle's 1st wife) and Barbara, Coil's then lady, who brought in some extra Winter money by dancing in the topless bar. It was a very interesting place! And I know I don't know the half of it!!!!
Terry
Nitro Member
Just another mention of the fabled Marco Polo motel in Anaheim
The Wheeler Dealer Story, Part 3
the article tells of assembling the new Bruce Wheeler "Wheeler Dealer" fueler in the Marco Polo parking lot with the help of "several bored racers in residence"
Must have been quite a place!
The Wheeler Dealer Story, Part 3
the article tells of assembling the new Bruce Wheeler "Wheeler Dealer" fueler in the Marco Polo parking lot with the help of "several bored racers in residence"
Must have been quite a place!
ProStockJunkie
Nitro Member
Taking apart and putting together race cars, motors, trans, etc., in hotel parking lots, was the norm back in the day. The parking lots drew large crowds of 'spectators' at night. It was as good as getting into the track for nothing for those folks I guesss! HA!
Motel bathroom sinks make a great parts washer. Not that we ever did that, just heard it worked real well.
Nick Name
Nitro Member
Then having to take the TV off of the dresser so you would have someplace to assemble the engine. I heard about that stuff too!!
none
Nitro Member
Things were a little tight at times, but it was never that bad!!! If things were that bad we wouldn't have gone in the first place. The bills were always paid When that car went to the starting line it was as good as anybody else. Hell the floor in our shop/garage was even concrete, not just dirt like some people thought.
Mr. Fix It
Nitro Member
Does any part on a fuel funny car collect cobwebs these days?
