Four Wide

[Rajunz]

the proof of 4-wide success, failure or indifference is in numbers;
seats sold & tv ratings, notably now in 2nd year.
personally, i'd love to see it live and will watch on tv
mentioned before, IMO this race adds variety to the 22 race schedule
that the nhra could use more of.

the zmax facility, if not racing 4-wide, should then host the US nationals.
take your pick.

It definitely has generated media for the sport.......
Google Four Wide:

 

[murdock]

My take on 4 wide is that it is OK for qualifying, I don't like it for eliminations. Partly because I'm just old school, 2 go down, one comes back racing, partly because it is kind of hard to keep up with. And another problem with a 4 lane track is, that at ZMax, it's still a one lane race track. Lane 2 is always the choice lane, for whatever reason. But I'll be there to watch whatever happens, because it's the closest track to me, and it gets us a weekend in the travel trailer.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

David, I agree with you there. Only the winner should advance to the next round.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

I drove by ZMax yesterday and felt sorry for many, many, many of the seats I could see from NC Hwy 29. Many will not have a warm body to fill them Sunday.

 

[Paul]

So many of us complaining about our sport becoming cookie-cutter.
They come up with something just a little different, and we still complain.

Paul makes a good point, as one of those who has heavily criticized the approach of the management of the NHRA here, I'll agree its only fair to give them a pat on the back in this case. They are trying something new and different (well in the modern era at least) that appeared to have the potential to raise the interest level in drag racing.

Being a traditionalist I had concerns about it, but I kept an open mind and I was really hoping that it did bring a new level of excitement to the racing that could bring in some new fans.

Unfortunately my opinion is that it didn't succeed. For me the actual televised racing and the presentation of it using the brackets was way too confusing and hard to absorb or get excited about.

I can believe that live its pretty wild to see, but I don't think that alone can justify this type of racing, if it doesn't televise as well as 2 lane racing its going to hurt the sport.

As has been pointed out in previous posts, it also really weakened the impact of the big one on one matchups that really raise the interest and excitement level, the four boxers in the ring at once is a good analogy.

So my summary is that it didn't really bring any new fans to the sport and just managed to turn off a good portion (somewhere around 50% by my informal measure) of the existing fans.

As with most new approaches (and this applies both to racing and marketing), most of them don't work out and unfortunately I believe that's the case with this one, that's just the way it is.

But its getting a second shot and maybe they've worked out the issues that were causing problems, so I'll be open minded and hope they can turn it around and make it exciting this time.

But if it comes off so-so again, its time to be realistic and put it in the large pile of other things that didn't work out (right on top of the Pro Stock Trucks).

 

[none]

I hope it lasts long enough for me to go see it at least once. With Bruton, everyone has a vote. Buy a ticket, that goes as yes keep doing it. No one shows up, you can bet it will be gone..........
Capitalism at its finest!

 

[mick]

a far fetched idea for 4-wide racing that would increase the
number of runs the spectators watch on raceday.

winner and loser bracket (not double elim.)
10, 4-wide runs to determine two winners. (winner and loser bracket winner)
11th run would crown the winner of the eliminator. (2 car race)
if winner of winner's bracket wins race - he/she gets 1.5x points & money
if winner of loser's bracket wins race - he/she gets standard points & money.

i know it's hokey, but every car on sunday would run 2x.

 

[jackass]

I hope it lasts long enough for me to go see it at least once. With Bruton, everyone has a vote. Buy a ticket, that goes as yes keep doing it. No one shows up, you can bet it will be gone..........
Capitalism at its finest!

lol.. not to sure on that.. he has been known to look at people that tell him no and do it out of spite..lol. he doesn't like to be wrong.. so he does it long enough to where it finialy works and he can say "Told ya so'...no matter how long or how much it takes....lol

 

[Paul]

lol.. not to sure on that.. he has been known to look at people that tell him no and do it out of spite..lol. he doesn't like to be wrong.

Hopefully if it doesn't go well, the NHRA teams and management won't fold on the issue as quickly as they did the last time around.

The last thing the NHRA needs right now is someone pulling it further backwards purely because of a big ego.

 

[d'kid]

No Problem with 4wide, just not 4points...

Just make it one of several events a season That DOES NOT count as testing... 4 wide, the Ice Cream social at Norwalk, something out on the Coast (Phoenix)(The Patch)?, and maybe a second race at Dallas, Houston or in Bosie...


d'kid

 

[clwill]

No Problem with 4wide, just not 4points...

Just make it one of several events a season That DOES NOT count as testing... 4 wide, the Ice Cream social at Norwalk, something out on the Coast (Phoenix)(The Patch)?, and maybe a second race at Dallas, Houston or in Bosie...

There's a good idea.

 

[Toejam]

And I'll bet you five dollars to a dog turd that everyone on these drag racing forums who emphatically says they refuse to turn on the television and watch the Charlotte race - watches it anyway. Kind of like riding a MoPed, riding a fat girl or guy, or riding in a Pontiac Aztek. It ain't THAT bad, and no one says you have to tell your friends.

Never said I wouldn't watch it, TV is free remember?

 

[clwill]

TV is free remember?

I want your cable/satellite company ESPN2 isn't over the air.

 

[twostep]

Never said I wouldn't watch it, TV is free remember?

I was making an attempt at being comical. It doesn't matter to me if you watch it or not; why would it be any of my business? Lighten up, man.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

a far fetched idea for 4-wide racing that would increase the
number of runs the spectators watch on raceday.

winner and loser bracket (not double elim.)
10, 4-wide runs to determine two winners. (winner and loser bracket winner)
11th run would crown the winner of the eliminator. (2 car race)
if winner of winner's bracket wins race - he/she gets 1.5x points & money
if winner of loser's bracket wins race - he/she gets standard points & money.

i know it's hokey, but every car on sunday would run 2x.

Mike no doubt. I thought a losers bracket would be the way to go to.

 

[clwill]

I'm sorry, I'm trying. Really trying. But listening to this is painful. Too many cars, not enough information, no feel for it at all.

I'm sure 4-wide is cool when you're standing on the starting line. Beyond that, I'm not a fan.

 

[handsome]

I'm sorry, I'm trying. Really trying. But listening to this is painful. Too many cars, not enough information, no feel for it at all.

I'm sure 4-wide is cool when you're standing on the starting line. Beyond that, I'm not a fan.

totally agree.

 

[BrianT]

I'm watching but DON"T like 4 wide.

 

[Toejam]

I want your cable/satellite company ESPN2 isn't over the air.

Comcast dude....

 

[clwill]

Comcast dude....

It's free?