Fixing NHRA Drag Racing (1 Viewer)
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Do you realize that contracts are written based on the team running 24 races? If the schedule was cut back to 18 events then racers would have to reimburse the sponsor for the races not run.
If they adapted the qualify on Friday and race on Saturday format NHRA would be giving up 1/3 or the ticket revenue and teams would be giving up 1/3 of their hospitality revenue. Teams sell hospitality for each day of the event. Sponsors would be giving up 1/3 of the time to connect with customers.
Most of the "Official" sponsors of NHRA go through the teams. Did you know that UPS being the Official was a deal that Vandergriff put together? It was NOT NHRA going to UPS behind Bob's back to make their own deal. Budweiser being the Official beer is a deal between Kenny and NHRA. Not NHRA and Bud.
Some of you also seem to forget that NHRA has trucks running up and down the highway, they buy plane tickets, rent cars, and pay for hotel rooms just like the race teams do.
Why is Tom's salary a subject of concern with so many people? Why not Connie's? Or Ken Black's? Or Schumacher's? Or Terry Vance? (He has a Bentley you know).
Alan
My standard disclaimer, I'm NOT the NHRA spokesperson, just someone who knows a little about the other side of the story.
If they adapted the qualify on Friday and race on Saturday format NHRA would be giving up 1/3 or the ticket revenue and teams would be giving up 1/3 of their hospitality revenue. Teams sell hospitality for each day of the event. Sponsors would be giving up 1/3 of the time to connect with customers.
Most of the "Official" sponsors of NHRA go through the teams. Did you know that UPS being the Official was a deal that Vandergriff put together? It was NOT NHRA going to UPS behind Bob's back to make their own deal. Budweiser being the Official beer is a deal between Kenny and NHRA. Not NHRA and Bud.
Some of you also seem to forget that NHRA has trucks running up and down the highway, they buy plane tickets, rent cars, and pay for hotel rooms just like the race teams do.
Why is Tom's salary a subject of concern with so many people? Why not Connie's? Or Ken Black's? Or Schumacher's? Or Terry Vance? (He has a Bentley you know).
Alan
My standard disclaimer, I'm NOT the NHRA spokesperson, just someone who knows a little about the other side of the story.
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kd
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...Merry X-mas Alan,...and I thought you "Ali Birthdaycake deal was cool!
...It is time for the nhra board to knock it off with the cash-cow dipping and TRY to keep this cow alive.
Its christmas so my launguage is for the season...BUT how can you Defend Toms 3/4 million $ salary when the dude is truly NON-EXISTENT!!!(...Graham and Arch take the bullets for handsome pay...)
Unfortunetly, you also have the ole boys club taking a dip...Dallas, Dick..et al,...give me a break...
You inside views ARE appriciated,...But somethin's gotta give...
1) The Pros ...I mean the seat fillers...have to START being TREATED like "partners", and NOT the beasts of burden they are now treated like...
2)...ROUND MONEY...You think these Guys would be parking their Sh%t if the KNEW they could break even...?
3)...When and if someone brings a new sponsor to nhra...The Principals should have lunch and welcome them to the sport, and never speak to them again until they have RE-UP'ED for next year...They should be ashamed of themselves as a whole for letting monster and rockstar slip thru their AND our fingers...
4)...To be fining, dictating and truly bulling the core of the participants has to stop...THEY will run out of victims...
5)...Is nhra gonna FINE CONNIE a 100K if he starts using his 'Hanger of Nitro
'...?
6)...Who gives a $hit who drives what at this point...
7)...THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TRUE MEN YOU MENTIONED IS...THESE ARE SELF MADE MEN....THEY ARE NOT SUCKING OF THE TEET OF THE SPORT...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8)...WE need the events as scheduled...just more of the 'COW" to the "SHOW"...!
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Toejam
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Teams already had contracts in place when the nhra decided to add the 24th event last year. Didn't seem to bother nhra, but teams did complain
I agree on Tom's salary, I don't think its a fair issue. Maybe he is overpaid based on his decsions but based on the size of nhra in comparison to other businsses maybe he's underpaid.
I would like to see more cooperation with teams bringing sponsors in.
I just look at it as simple math. To have full throttle(on no cars) we mow lose, monster, visa vegas, vegas fuel and rockstar and whatever else in the energy drink market.
For the army to sponsor one car we lose the other armed forces, which have each at some time express and interest in joining. SO to keep one we lose 3? Doesn't seem like equal math to me. These other companies are willing to come in against competition but some reason the ones in place are afraid of competition.
I agree on Tom's salary, I don't think its a fair issue. Maybe he is overpaid based on his decsions but based on the size of nhra in comparison to other businsses maybe he's underpaid.
I would like to see more cooperation with teams bringing sponsors in.
I just look at it as simple math. To have full throttle(on no cars) we mow lose, monster, visa vegas, vegas fuel and rockstar and whatever else in the energy drink market.
For the army to sponsor one car we lose the other armed forces, which have each at some time express and interest in joining. SO to keep one we lose 3? Doesn't seem like equal math to me. These other companies are willing to come in against competition but some reason the ones in place are afraid of competition.
kd
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Alan you mean you didn't know the Sky was falling??
....Hey Joe...Dont Tell'em..............
Merry Xmas and your video stuff is Ass-Kicker!!!
Walter
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It would seem that a multi-pronged effort needs to be made to grow the sport and to keep it flourishing in these dire economic times.
1. Work with the teams to get and grow sponsors.
Development a good demographic / TV impressions package so folks can use it with sponsors. NASCAR does this for its teams.
As some of you have identified, have the sanctioning body actually work to develop the pool of sponsors for the sport: cultivate their interest by introducing them to the sport, treat them like partners, and make them want to be part of the show. NASCAR does this very well.
Stop the exclusives. They may help NHRA line its pockets, but it is short sighted in that it eliminates other sponsors from coming to the dance for the NHRA and for the teams. NASCAR has competing companies on the sides of cars and at races and it works very well.
Stop making it harder for the teams to effectively service a sponsor. Eliminate the exclusive catering deal charges. That, too, is short sighted in that it puts but a little money in NHRA’s pocket and hurts the teams by making it harder to service their sponsors. Champ Car found that networking at the hospitality areas between customers, guests, and suppliers made the deal work for many sponsors. Company A can invite its suppliers, potential customers and its employees. Roger Penske was very successful at putting deals together for his businesses by having the folks come together at the races. This was more important to some sponsors than the on car signage.
2. Make the TV package better.
It is so bad it still is paid-for time with the advertising coming from a secondary market resale. Mike Dunn is very good. Why is Alan R. marginalized by the NHRA? Get a better announcer to work with Dunn.
Let the natural rivalries flourish and bring people to the races…don’t kill it off. If they make the show better, more folks will watch and you will get the Holy Grail for marketing folks: a higher number of “impressions” (that has driven the NASCAR marketing juggernaut for years).
Make the show shorter and crisper. It is too long now. When you have sponsors lined up clamoring for spots at higher prices and you need a longer show window to service them, maybe then make it longer.
Do something with the qualifying show. It is boring and too long. If I was a casual sports fan and saw that show, I would not tune in for the event.
If people watch a good television show for the races, they are also more apt to actually go to one.
Make no mistake, NHRA needs to target the casual entertainment buyer or sports fan to get them to watch the televised races and to come to the track…the true believers (like all of us are already on board). The problem is that we are getting older and fewer in number.
3. Lower the costs for the racers.
Car counts go a long way to drive spectator interest. Get the costs down now or you will see more and more teams leaving. The folks that pay for the racing out of their own pockets (Kalitta, Black, etc.) will tire of the bleeding eventually. The higher the overall season cost is, the more you need to ask a sponsor for and, therefore, the smaller the pool of sponsors who can pay becomes.
The spectator cannot tell if a car is going 305 mph or 330 mph. They do want both cars going down the track and a close finish. Smart people like Dale Armstrong (and others) have some very good ideas (blowers, pumps, tires, etc.). Implement them in such a way so that a ton of equipment is not rendered valueless overnight (gear change for pumps rather than a whole pump change, for example) and the teams do not have to spend a ton to test some new combo. If you lower the speeds a bit and make a relatively conservative yet loud and fast rules package you will bring more cars to the dance and keep them there longer.
If you do not prep the tracks so well, throwing money at more horsepower is wasted because you cannot hook it up. Harder or narrower tires and clutch rule changes can do similar things. Throw the races back to the tuner's skill and the driver’s right foot, not cubic money and a trailer full of spare parts. It sure worked years ago.
Nostalgia drag racing is way slower than the modern cars. Yet it is loud,exciting and a lot of fun. Most importantly…check out the crowds at the Reunion or the March Meet. They are larger than some Nationals.
I remember when the March Meet in the 60’s had more than 100 fuelers there. Sure the cars were slower than now, but the racing was exciting and close and the butts were in the seats. There is no reason that cannot be recreated now.
Reducing the number of races will not work in the sort run due to the contract issues Alan R. alluded to. It is something to consider in the longer run.
Some are you are quite correct in that we cannot control the spending on motor coaches or the number of big trailers. You could limit the number of crew members to cut runaway personnel costs and limit test days
4. Get more younger folks out to the races.
Some of you have identified a real issue: the graying of the spectator pool at the races. I do not have the "easy button" for this one.
Sport compact racing was supposed to bring more younger folks into drag racing but it was not understood or managed properly by the NHRA and died.
The ADRL has great success with a free spectator gate. Why not target younger areas for free admission on Friday to set the hook. If you choose groups you are not reaching, you do not lose any ticket revenue because they would not be there anyway. You do make money from the concessions even if someone is in the door free. If 10% of them come back you have done very well...very cheap and effective advertising.
5. Treat your pro racers more like partners instead of revenue sources.
Do not bleed them by the hospitality costs, excessive merchandise sale percentages or restrictions, silly rules changes, contentious rules enforcement that does not help the show (the Schumacher fuel issue being one), exclusive merchandising deals, and trying to talk a team sponsor into being an event or series sponsor instead.
I have no silver bullet here…just some thoughts that come from going to the drag races since ’63 and studying many different types of racing (and seeing what works and what does not) and a desire to see drag racing grow.
1. Work with the teams to get and grow sponsors.
Development a good demographic / TV impressions package so folks can use it with sponsors. NASCAR does this for its teams.
As some of you have identified, have the sanctioning body actually work to develop the pool of sponsors for the sport: cultivate their interest by introducing them to the sport, treat them like partners, and make them want to be part of the show. NASCAR does this very well.
Stop the exclusives. They may help NHRA line its pockets, but it is short sighted in that it eliminates other sponsors from coming to the dance for the NHRA and for the teams. NASCAR has competing companies on the sides of cars and at races and it works very well.
Stop making it harder for the teams to effectively service a sponsor. Eliminate the exclusive catering deal charges. That, too, is short sighted in that it puts but a little money in NHRA’s pocket and hurts the teams by making it harder to service their sponsors. Champ Car found that networking at the hospitality areas between customers, guests, and suppliers made the deal work for many sponsors. Company A can invite its suppliers, potential customers and its employees. Roger Penske was very successful at putting deals together for his businesses by having the folks come together at the races. This was more important to some sponsors than the on car signage.
2. Make the TV package better.
It is so bad it still is paid-for time with the advertising coming from a secondary market resale. Mike Dunn is very good. Why is Alan R. marginalized by the NHRA? Get a better announcer to work with Dunn.
Let the natural rivalries flourish and bring people to the races…don’t kill it off. If they make the show better, more folks will watch and you will get the Holy Grail for marketing folks: a higher number of “impressions” (that has driven the NASCAR marketing juggernaut for years).
Make the show shorter and crisper. It is too long now. When you have sponsors lined up clamoring for spots at higher prices and you need a longer show window to service them, maybe then make it longer.
Do something with the qualifying show. It is boring and too long. If I was a casual sports fan and saw that show, I would not tune in for the event.
If people watch a good television show for the races, they are also more apt to actually go to one.
Make no mistake, NHRA needs to target the casual entertainment buyer or sports fan to get them to watch the televised races and to come to the track…the true believers (like all of us are already on board). The problem is that we are getting older and fewer in number.
3. Lower the costs for the racers.
Car counts go a long way to drive spectator interest. Get the costs down now or you will see more and more teams leaving. The folks that pay for the racing out of their own pockets (Kalitta, Black, etc.) will tire of the bleeding eventually. The higher the overall season cost is, the more you need to ask a sponsor for and, therefore, the smaller the pool of sponsors who can pay becomes.
The spectator cannot tell if a car is going 305 mph or 330 mph. They do want both cars going down the track and a close finish. Smart people like Dale Armstrong (and others) have some very good ideas (blowers, pumps, tires, etc.). Implement them in such a way so that a ton of equipment is not rendered valueless overnight (gear change for pumps rather than a whole pump change, for example) and the teams do not have to spend a ton to test some new combo. If you lower the speeds a bit and make a relatively conservative yet loud and fast rules package you will bring more cars to the dance and keep them there longer.
If you do not prep the tracks so well, throwing money at more horsepower is wasted because you cannot hook it up. Harder or narrower tires and clutch rule changes can do similar things. Throw the races back to the tuner's skill and the driver’s right foot, not cubic money and a trailer full of spare parts. It sure worked years ago.
Nostalgia drag racing is way slower than the modern cars. Yet it is loud,exciting and a lot of fun. Most importantly…check out the crowds at the Reunion or the March Meet. They are larger than some Nationals.
I remember when the March Meet in the 60’s had more than 100 fuelers there. Sure the cars were slower than now, but the racing was exciting and close and the butts were in the seats. There is no reason that cannot be recreated now.
Reducing the number of races will not work in the sort run due to the contract issues Alan R. alluded to. It is something to consider in the longer run.
Some are you are quite correct in that we cannot control the spending on motor coaches or the number of big trailers. You could limit the number of crew members to cut runaway personnel costs and limit test days
4. Get more younger folks out to the races.
Some of you have identified a real issue: the graying of the spectator pool at the races. I do not have the "easy button" for this one.
Sport compact racing was supposed to bring more younger folks into drag racing but it was not understood or managed properly by the NHRA and died.
The ADRL has great success with a free spectator gate. Why not target younger areas for free admission on Friday to set the hook. If you choose groups you are not reaching, you do not lose any ticket revenue because they would not be there anyway. You do make money from the concessions even if someone is in the door free. If 10% of them come back you have done very well...very cheap and effective advertising.
5. Treat your pro racers more like partners instead of revenue sources.
Do not bleed them by the hospitality costs, excessive merchandise sale percentages or restrictions, silly rules changes, contentious rules enforcement that does not help the show (the Schumacher fuel issue being one), exclusive merchandising deals, and trying to talk a team sponsor into being an event or series sponsor instead.
I have no silver bullet here…just some thoughts that come from going to the drag races since ’63 and studying many different types of racing (and seeing what works and what does not) and a desire to see drag racing grow.
