Nitromater
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Good read on the state of drag racing
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James
Nitro Member
The one thing I disagree with is "Real Racing". For me the coolest moment at a national event is the first pair of Fuel cars firing up for eliminations. No more second chances, few opportunities to make a mistake, it's put up or shut up. It's racing! A Saturday night match race is fun but eliminations adds a razors edge to the festivities. I would hate to see Drag Racing become Monster Trucks.
my friends call me Zappy
Nitro Member
Let me get this strait, in an attempt to grow the sport, he suggests cutting the fields 50%......??
Even my 13 year old grandchild said "WHAT is he smoking"??
Even my 13 year old grandchild said "WHAT is he smoking"??
I agree ... what insight or solutions did he really offer? His basic premise was to gut the entire NHRA. Less cars, less teams, less tracks, less events, etc. Think he had too many Capt. Morgans.
How did this thread got the title "good read". That was a terrible article. No substance what so ever.
It gets really old coming on here and seeing 4 or 5 topics on the first page here be about "how to fix racing" and "the state of racing today".
Just look at some of those ideas.
Drop ESPN and go with CBS, NBC, ABC or FOX. Bwhahahahaha. Do you think, that if drag racing had any appeal to them they would already be showing the races on those channels? I don't think the writer understand that those networks sell programming on weekends to the local affiliates. Good bye NHRA on TV if it goes to one of the big 4. Lets give away the national exposure cable gets you for the chance it might get a portion of the exposure on one of the bigs.
Cut the pro fields in half. Hands down the dumbest thing I have ever heard. I want to see the writer walk into a room and tell Force, Shumacher, and Conrad you get one team. That is it. They will never find his body.
Drop 5 markets and focus on 1. Well, this is the 2nd dumbest thing I have ever heard. Good news for those of you in LA. As if you don't have enough to do out there, you are going to get saturated with NHRA Drag racing. Sorry Cedar Rapids, Fargo, Brainerd, Springfield Mo, and Peoria. You get no NHRA.
That writer's ideas would kill NHRA rather than do it any good. He has no idea of what he is writing about. I hope he gets paid by the word and not the subject matter.
You want to fix racing? Go buy a cheap bracket car, go racing, and support your local track and speed shops.
Just look at some of those ideas.
Drop ESPN and go with CBS, NBC, ABC or FOX. Bwhahahahaha. Do you think, that if drag racing had any appeal to them they would already be showing the races on those channels? I don't think the writer understand that those networks sell programming on weekends to the local affiliates. Good bye NHRA on TV if it goes to one of the big 4. Lets give away the national exposure cable gets you for the chance it might get a portion of the exposure on one of the bigs.
Cut the pro fields in half. Hands down the dumbest thing I have ever heard. I want to see the writer walk into a room and tell Force, Shumacher, and Conrad you get one team. That is it. They will never find his body.
Drop 5 markets and focus on 1. Well, this is the 2nd dumbest thing I have ever heard. Good news for those of you in LA. As if you don't have enough to do out there, you are going to get saturated with NHRA Drag racing. Sorry Cedar Rapids, Fargo, Brainerd, Springfield Mo, and Peoria. You get no NHRA.
That writer's ideas would kill NHRA rather than do it any good. He has no idea of what he is writing about. I hope he gets paid by the word and not the subject matter.
You want to fix racing? Go buy a cheap bracket car, go racing, and support your local track and speed shops.
Jimbo
Nitro Member
Greg Moon posted the following comment, You want to fix racing? Go buy a cheap bracket car, go racing, and support your local track and speed shops.
It's interesting to note that local drag strips seem to be doing just fine with their test and tune nights and their other shows they put on.
The bigger problem is the National Events where there are different problems going on. Maybe the N.H.R.A. should look closer at what is working for the local drag strips and why they seem to be doing better.
Maybe the fans feel they get more for their money going to a local drag strip close to home rather then driving to a National Event.
Jimbo
It's interesting to note that local drag strips seem to be doing just fine with their test and tune nights and their other shows they put on.
The bigger problem is the National Events where there are different problems going on. Maybe the N.H.R.A. should look closer at what is working for the local drag strips and why they seem to be doing better.
Maybe the fans feel they get more for their money going to a local drag strip close to home rather then driving to a National Event.
Jimbo
Huge
Nitro Member
When i'm on the road traveling from race to race i stop off at a few of the tracks like San Antonio or Houston and watch the test and tunes or street car nights. They seem to draw a lot of cars but i never noticed very many spectators. There are always a lot of cool cars in a laid back atmosphere.
I agree with Eugene in that most of the attendance at local tracks is racers not spectators. After all that's where drag racing roots is and what drag racing is all about.
Hear me now and believe me later that's where today's drag racing is headed with 4 - 8 national events. The business model won't sustain 24 events. Sponsors won't pony up the cash required to maintain and staff a car for that many races and attendance is diluted by too many events.
Dragracer
Nitro Member
At the national events I think NHRA is missing the boat. Run all the sportsman racing on friday and saturday, finals on sunday
and also start including the nostalgic T/F and Funny Cars. Nostalgic racing is the fastest growing area in drag racing. They should use this and they would not have any down time during sunday racing. Also, many of the top/famous racers from the 60's and 70's are racing nostalgic cars, spectators would stay in the stands to see some of these cars race.
and also start including the nostalgic T/F and Funny Cars. Nostalgic racing is the fastest growing area in drag racing. They should use this and they would not have any down time during sunday racing. Also, many of the top/famous racers from the 60's and 70's are racing nostalgic cars, spectators would stay in the stands to see some of these cars race.
Drop all the super classes and make it a straight up bracket race. No throttle stops, no games. See if a 7 seconds dragster can run down that 14 second stocker. Those in the stands during sportsman racing tend to get really excited about those type of races. Most fans see pass after pass of the same dark colored dragster in SC. With so little variety it gets boring.
I agree with less national events. The NHRA could then book groups of cars to go match race at smaller tracks.
Some little track in Nebraska, Maine or Kentucky may not have room for the big show BUT they can fit 2 tf and 2fc in for a night. You will get the local crowd. Make it a reasonable price ($20-25) and the stands will be filled. Watch Shoe VS Doug k and J Force vs Hagan. This would also expose nitro to newbies who in turn would be more likely to flip on the TV to watch one of the 15-ish national events.
We have a top-down system now. NHRA goes to a handful of towns and hopes that people shell out big bucks to the show or just happen to get hooked from TV. I have friends that would be willing to come to a race but not for the prices NHRA wants now.
Instead we need a bottom up approach. Bring nitro to the masses, get them hooked. That in turn becomes more TV viewers and perhaps they will then travel to national events.
Judging by the stands at many of the twice a year locations, that needs to stop. The big show should only roll up once per year.
I agree with less national events. The NHRA could then book groups of cars to go match race at smaller tracks.
Some little track in Nebraska, Maine or Kentucky may not have room for the big show BUT they can fit 2 tf and 2fc in for a night. You will get the local crowd. Make it a reasonable price ($20-25) and the stands will be filled. Watch Shoe VS Doug k and J Force vs Hagan. This would also expose nitro to newbies who in turn would be more likely to flip on the TV to watch one of the 15-ish national events.
We have a top-down system now. NHRA goes to a handful of towns and hopes that people shell out big bucks to the show or just happen to get hooked from TV. I have friends that would be willing to come to a race but not for the prices NHRA wants now.
Instead we need a bottom up approach. Bring nitro to the masses, get them hooked. That in turn becomes more TV viewers and perhaps they will then travel to national events.
Judging by the stands at many of the twice a year locations, that needs to stop. The big show should only roll up once per year.
Jimbo
Nitro Member
I think the N.H.R.A. has many problems to address if they want to continue on into the future.
Big problem is which classes to run at National Events. There are only so many hours in each day and trying to give everyone a chance is becoming harder and harder to fit everyone into the program.
At some point I think they will have to really rethink the best way to go about setting up National Events and maybe even splitting up the classes into two National Events.
When you have to also deal with time restrains where you can only start engine on Sunday's after a certain time even makes it harder to fit every classes into the program.
I still have a hard time dealing with the number of National Events that no longer include the Alcohol cars after all these years I never thought I would see it happen.
The road ahead will not be easy for the N.H.R.A. trying to figure it all out for sure.
The I.H.R.A. has been putting on some very good shows and appears to be very popular with drag racers and fans.
Only time will tell what happens next. Jim Hill
Big problem is which classes to run at National Events. There are only so many hours in each day and trying to give everyone a chance is becoming harder and harder to fit everyone into the program.
At some point I think they will have to really rethink the best way to go about setting up National Events and maybe even splitting up the classes into two National Events.
When you have to also deal with time restrains where you can only start engine on Sunday's after a certain time even makes it harder to fit every classes into the program.
I still have a hard time dealing with the number of National Events that no longer include the Alcohol cars after all these years I never thought I would see it happen.
The road ahead will not be easy for the N.H.R.A. trying to figure it all out for sure.
The I.H.R.A. has been putting on some very good shows and appears to be very popular with drag racers and fans.
Only time will tell what happens next. Jim Hill
my friends call me Zappy
Nitro Member
Spot on PJ
vegasnitro
Nitro Member
From a safety aspect, you cannot have a 7 second car chasing down a 14 second car. Anything happens to that 7 second car he is going to be all over the 14 second car in a bad way. If the 14 second car gets sideways that 7 second car is going right thru his door. Ask the guys who built their Super Comp or Super Gas cars to the intent and spirit of the rules how they feel about those cars going by them 40-50 MPH faster in the lights now.
StockersRock
Nitro Member
I was going to post almost the exact same thing until I thought about the disparity in Stock Eliminator. Currently the AAA/S index is at 9.70, while the EF/S index is 17.45, which in considering that matchup from a safety standpoint, seems insane.
