If one of the cars is to loud, should they be forced to shut it off? (1 Viewer)

[Randy]

Your right, the sport needs no validation with a large spectator count. What will give it validation is the number of people involved with a race car and how often they take it to a track. The hobbyist, the sportsman etc. In two weeks one of the biggest and fastest growing drag racing event will take place here in California. Last year there were over 500 cars entered and more than 5000 spectators came to watch this one day event known as Eagle Field. Home Page

Mr. Goodwin, though we both live in So. Cal. we travel in different circles in this small world of drag racing. Someday I hope to meet up with you and buy you a beer or Pepsi (which ever is more politically correct here.)

Diet Pepsi, although you'd never guess that would be my choice if you saw me.

FYI, I kinda translate fan interest into future participants. Todays empty stands means tomorrows shorter and shorter fields. With the aging ownership of the multi-car professional teams (who all coincidentally are from the match race era) you have to wonder who will fill their shoes...and pit spots...in 10-15 years.

 

[SoCal Racer]

And any opportunity they get, ESPN is right there with the cameras running trying their best to make a story out of everything they can find just to spice up a sport that used to be a lot more exciting. A sport called "Drag Racing."

I agree. To me this lack-of-excitement issue is the crux of drag racing’s lackluster appeal to the general public – and even some race fans. For anyone who has been directly involved with drag racing whether as driver, owner, crew chief, wrench, or gopher, there is simply NO sport that’s more exciting than drag racing. But some of the key ingredients that made drag racing more exciting for fans in the past are nearly absent nowadays.

One was innovation, and as a result, racing was exciting because performance was always improving, and fans never knew who would win on race day. People have an intrinsic interest in new ideas, and drag racing’s history is built on ideas – some good; some not so much. But innovation (in certain classes) has been largely squelched, leaving us with cars that are homogeneous except for the paint job (or vinyl wraps).

Another thing that kept the excitement alive was match racing. Local tracks could book in a show and radios everywhere blared Sunday! Sunday! and billed it as though it was the most important race happening. Was it? Of course not, but there was local exposure to all the “name” cars and drivers. Today, if you’re lucky, there will be one big show event in your market where you can see the “names” run.

Real rivalries – not contrived-by-ESPN ones – kept the excitement alive in the past. Racers were justifiably proud of their ability to constantly bring something new to beat the other guy, and weren’t afraid to let it be known. You don’t have to go that many years back to revisit those, but the public perception is that the rip-their-throats-out competitive spirit is waning.

I suspect the popularity of nostalgia racing is in part because it hearkens back to those days and “the way it was” and conjures memories – real or imagined - of better times. I guess you could point a finger of blame in many directions for the changes, but that‘s not my point. I’m just saying drag racing has become something different and lost its appeal in many people's eyes.

But at the end of the day I still love it, still participate, and still watch.

 

[Toejam]

Is it just me, or was everything awesome when we were 17-23 years old? The Musclecars, Rock scene and the concerts, TV shows, the hangouts on Friday nights? Seems like a lot of us 40-50 and even 60 somethings can't forget our Youth!

I have wondered how many older Dragrace fans in the 1970's talked about the Glory days of the 1950's and how much better Drag racing was then?

 

[SoCal Racer]

Is it just me, or was everything awesome when we were 17-23 years old? The Musclecars, Rock scene and the concerts, TV shows, the hangouts on Friday nights? Seems like a lot of us 40-50 and even 60 somethings can't forget our Youth!

I have wondered how many older Dragrace fans in the 1970's talked about the Glory days of the 1950's and how much better Drag racing was then?

It's not just you. It was better

 

[Fast16Racer]

It's not just you. It was better

Truth!!

Today's spectators have MANY more options for entertainment. It's sensory overload! The internet, 3-D gaming, texting, ipads, facebook, social media....the sport has a lot more competition that it used to 20 years ago.

Looking at Randy's monster truck picture they are still pulling people in, it's just a different environment than when funny car match races were a huge deal.

Ironically, promoters like the monster truck guys are using social media to attract customers while simultaneously competing against such things for the consumer's time and money.

 

[Toejam]

It's not just you. It was better

And we wonder where Nostalgia Drag racing got its name.

 

[Silly Savage]

Diet Pepsi, although you'd never guess that would be my choice if you saw me.

FYI, I kinda translate fan interest into future participants. Todays empty stands means tomorrows shorter and shorter fields. With the aging ownership of the multi-car professional teams (who all coincidentally are from the match race era) you have to wonder who will fill their shoes...and pit spots...in 10-15 years.

Randy, NHRA hopes that the JR Dragster circuit will fill the future needs of racers. However, as you mention, the big dollar owners will have to pass their legacy on. Connie, Shoe, Force will have to rely on family participation on a ownership level down the road. Bernstein..out, Prudhomme..out I have faith that if Morgan Lucas has kids, they will keep at it....if the NHRA is around in 20 years.....

NHRA is promoting the "Nitro Generation" this season as far as second generation drivers, but let's be realistic...who will be the BIG team owners of the future in another 10-15 years?

 

[Nunz]

There are only 2 ways that there will be new Pro owners in the future.If there are enough millionaires/billionaires attracted to the sport that build teams, and/or, there are enough people who think it makes business sense to field a pro level car. Meaning, if one were to make an investment in infrastructure, they could project over 2,3, 5 years that it will make money (based upon the ability to secure marketing partners). That's really it, only so many ways to skin the cat, it costs what it costs. But this is kind of a derailment of Randy's thread, which is about how "PC" and vanilla drag racing has become. As I typed that, I realize that it's all related though, since the sport's popularity in the future is what will drive new sponsor/racer participation.

 

[Toejam]

Randy, NHRA hopes that the JR Dragster circuit will fill the future needs of racers. However, as you mention, the big dollar owners will have to pass their legacy on. Connie, Shoe, Force will have to rely on family participation on a ownership level down the road. Bernstein..out, Prudhomme..out I have faith that if Morgan Lucas has kids, they will keep at it....if the NHRA is around in 20 years.....

NHRA is promoting the "Nitro Generation" this season as far as second generation drivers, but let's be realistic...who will be the BIG team owners of the future in another 10-15 years?

When you look at the thousands of kids who raced in Junior dragster the past 20 years, how many have moved up to cars when they were older? If its even 2-3% I would be suprised!

 

[Nunz]

Joe, if the percentage is small, I would bet that the total number of JR racers is huge then. I believe a big number of JD racers have moved up, and many into real fast cars. In that regard, I think it's been a big success. Remember it's a numbers game. Maybe I'm wrong, but I would bet the JD program has accounted for a very large number of new big car drivers over the years.

 

[Doolie]

Diet Pepsi, although you'd never guess that would be my choice if you saw me.

FYI, I kinda translate fan interest into future participants. Todays empty stands means tomorrows shorter and shorter fields. With the aging ownership of the multi-car professional teams (who all coincidentally are from the match race era) you have to wonder who will fill their shoes...and pit spots...in 10-15 years.

Why do you assume there will be an NHRA in 10=-15 years?

 

[DE3]

If the reverser goes out on one of the cars, should they be forced to shut it off because it's too dangerous to push them back?

If the PA system has too much Alan Reinhardt should the tower be evacuated to root out the cause?

If the Pro Stock Harley's are too fast should the rest of the field be allowed to run nitro?

If 4 wide is good why not scrunch them up and run 8 wide.

If AlBalooshi loses first round at the next race should Alan Johnson commit himself to a mental facility?

If the attendance at the next race is really low why not fill the empty seats with cardboard cutouts of Justin Beeber?

I'm just trying to find the next assinine thread to start here. Must be a problem with the current entitlement educational system or something. Some of the latest threads started here sure make you want to get back to the old days where they actiually did push the cars back, get in fights, etc.

Maybe you could help me come up with some more...

Awesome post! And if we're allowing anyone to input their thoughts on rules and procedures, I'll add one of my own.

Any spectator who can't seem to get it through their head that walking down the middle of pit roads at a race is dangerous, gets their picture taken and banned for 2 years at any national. I know of people who were sued by spectators who walked in front of them with no regard for safety. As a matter of fact, I might feel safer pushing a running fueler back to the starting line than towing through the pits at some places.

 

[Randy]

Awesome post! And if we're allowing anyone to input their thoughts on rules and procedures, I'll add one of my own.

Any spectator who can't seem to get it through their head that walking down the middle of pit roads at a race is dangerous, gets their picture taken and banned for 2 years at any national. I know of people who were sued by spectators who walked in front of them with no regard for safety. As a matter of fact, I might feel safer pushing a running fueler back to the starting line than towing through the pits at some places.

If anyone thinks he's kidding...One of our fellow alcohol racers a few years ago at Pomona had a spectator jump between their tow vehicle and funny car while towing back to the pits after a run. The spectatdor laid down on the ground hoping to get run over.

 

[Randy]

There are only 2 ways that there will be new Pro owners in the future.If there are enough millionaires/billionaires attracted to the sport that build teams, and/or, there are enough people who think it makes business sense to field a pro level car. Meaning, if one were to make an investment in infrastructure, they could project over 2,3, 5 years that it will make money (based upon the ability to secure marketing partners). That's really it, only so many ways to skin the cat, it costs what it costs. But this is kind of a derailment of Randy's thread, which is about how "PC" and vanilla drag racing has become. As I typed that, I realize that it's all related though, since the sport's popularity in the future is what will drive new sponsor/racer participation.

Great post.

 

[Silly Savage]

When you look at the thousands of kids who raced in Junior dragster the past 20 years, how many have moved up to cars when they were older? If its even 2-3% I would be suprised!

Exactly....Many of the JR Dragster racers now are 2nd or third generation racers and not all of them have the same fire and drive to continue to race as each generation will have to spend more money to race than the generation before them.

 

[Silly Savage]

Great post.

There are only 2 ways that there will be new Pro owners in the future.If there are enough millionaires/billionaires attracted to the sport that build teams, and/or, there are enough people who think it makes business sense to field a pro level car. Meaning, if one were to make an investment in infrastructure, they could project over 2,3, 5 years that it will make money (based upon the ability to secure marketing partners). That's really it, only so many ways to skin the cat, it costs what it costs. But this is kind of a derailment of Randy's thread, which is about how "PC" and vanilla drag racing has become. As I typed that, I realize that it's all related though, since the sport's popularity in the future is what will drive new sponsor/racer participation.

DING DING DING....if you can't keep the interest of current fans and give something new and exciting to future fans....you've come to the end of the road. Trying to clean this all up and making everything PC and to be affraid of every little "what if"...you aren't moving forward, you have stopped in your tracks.

 

[Toejam]

DING DING DING....if you can't keep the interest of current fans and give something new and exciting to future fans....you've come to the end of the road. Trying to clean this all up and making everything PC and to be affraid of every little "what if"...you aren't moving forward, you have stopped in your tracks.

Yeah...The NHRA will be history in 10-15 years!

 

[glofria]

All things have a life cycle and then they die.

 

[Silly Savage]

Yeah...The NHRA will be history in 10-15 years!

Let me be more clear for you specifically.....if the NHRA is still a viable entity in 10-15 years. Do you see the path they are currently on that of growth based on a solid foundation? Do you see more and more team owners expanding and/or building for the future? How about the spiralling expenses to own, build, run a professional team...is this a good thing for the future of the NHRA? I'm not saying it will be gone, but will it be an even more watered down version of itself?

 

[Toejam]

Let me be more clear for you specifically.....if the NHRA is still a viable entity in 10-15 years. Do you see the path they are currently on that of growth based on a solid foundation? Do you see more and more team owners expanding and/or building for the future? How about the spiralling expenses to own, build, run a professional team...is this a good thing for the future of the NHRA? I'm not saying it will be gone, but will it be an even more watered down version of itself?

I have been hearing this stuff for 20 Years!