is 4 wide reason for low attendance? (1 Viewer)

[Luke Nieuwhof]

The attendance may not have been low because the public eats up the excitement of 4 high powered cars. But the real fans don't like it. The public is here today and gone tomorrow. There is no guarantee they will be back. They need to cater to the real fans.

LOL, like all those 'real fans' who moan on Facebook about how it used to be and never attend any races?
We can debate it all we want here, the proof will be in the numbers for the promoters and the NHRA. They wouldn't keep doing it if it wasn't making sense to the bottom line.

 

[n/a]

The attendance may not have been low because the public eats up the excitement of 4 high powered cars. But the real fans don't like it. The public is here today and gone tomorrow. There is no guarantee they will be back. They need to cater to the real fans.

So now were talking about professional fans as opposed to hobbyist fans?

 

[R.I.P. O.C.I.R.]

a hobbyist fan stands out like a flashing light in the dark. they will be looking at there phones and not the races!!!! it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep your eyes on 4 fuel cars at one time, and that is the fact nobody wants to discuss about 4-wide

 

[RM FAN]

a hobbyist fan stands out like a flashing light in the dark. they will be looking at there phones and not the races!!!! it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep your eyes on 4 fuel cars at one time, and that is the fact nobody wants to discuss about 4-wide

Are you a Professional fan? When was the last time you attended an NHRA race?

 

[ZWeinstein]

I believe the four wides have peaked interest in casual fans and that is a great thing and can help grow the sport, heck just during the last race in Vegas I saw interest drawn from a few people about the four wides. When they were showing the final eliminations of the four wides last week we had it on at work and somebody mentioned how cool it looked. I struck up a conversation about drag racing and to my surprise the gentleman knew about drag racing but had no idea they ever ran four wide. Come to find out he had been with his dad to Columbus a couple times in the late 70's but has not been to a race since. As he watched the rest of the show he seemed intent on watching next week and when they come to town maybe checking it out again. My uncles who took me to my first race have had an interest in checking out the four wides at some point and I dont think they have been to a race since we went 12 years ago.

If the four wides help spark interest in the casual fans then I'm all for it. I have said before the NHRA has me for life, they dont need to convince me to go to a race or buy membership or watch the shows and that probably goes for a majority of the die hard fans out there. What needs to happen is to try things to engage the casual fan because eventually that casual fan may become a diehard fan and a life long fan.

 

[Leebone]

I don't like four wide and never did. Four wide takes away the rivalry aspect of drag racing. Could you imagine Shirley & Big Daddy racing each other, with two other cars in the same race? Too me, it's meant to be mono e mono! It would be like having Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, all in the same ring. Also, the fans lose. Less rounds and less runs. Do the math. Also, in the fall when those tracks go two wide, half the fans are further away from the track. NHRA, get rid of four wide, scrap those two extra lanes and put the stands closer to the track. Just my honest opinion. Don't expect all of you to agree.

 

[Huge]

I'm here at the 4-wide track right now and it is a nice quiet beautiful day here in Concord. The only thing missing is the race cars and the fans.

 

[R.I.P. O.C.I.R.]

it is still impossible for a human to keep a eye on 4 fuel cars at one time. IMPOSSIBLE. ....face it, you have all you can do to watch a pair at a time.

 

[MHayes]

it is still impossible for a human to keep a eye on 4 fuel cars at one time. IMPOSSIBLE. ....face it, you have all you can do to watch a pair at a time.

Great, keep reminding us how IMPOSSIBLE it is......appreciate it

 

[none]

I don't like four wide and never did. Four wide takes away the rivalry aspect of drag racing. Could you imagine Shirley & Big Daddy racing each other, with two other cars in the same race? Too me, it's meant to be mono e mono! It would be like having Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, all in the same ring. Also, the fans lose. Less rounds and less runs. Do the math. Also, in the fall when those tracks go two wide, half the fans are further away from the track. NHRA, get rid of four wide, scrap those two extra lanes and put the stands closer to the track. Just my honest opinion. Don't expect all of you to agree.

Lee,

Respect your opinion, I understand that not everybody loves 4-wide, and I would never tell anyone that they have to like it. But I also won't let anyone tell me that I have to hate it.

I would like to point out that the number of cars down the track on Sunday only decreases by two. With 2-Wide 30 cars go down and with 4-wide 28 cars go down. Less heats? Absolutely, 15 heats in a 2-wide and only 7 in a 4-wide.

Second, in Vegas for the fall, lane 4 is a general admission area, fans can actually stand on the track in lane 4 to get closer to the action. And the fans seem to really like that opportunity. The track is giving the fans a chance to get as close as possible.

Alan

 

[none]

it is still impossible for a human to keep a eye on 4 fuel cars at one time. IMPOSSIBLE. ....face it, you have all you can do to watch a pair at a time.

We do have a replay screen, and show every run multiple times.

NASCAR puts 40 cars on tracks up to 2.66 miles long and people have figured out how to watch that.

I find 30 Sprint Cars on a half mile track very exciting, and I can watch that without any issues what so ever.

Alan

 

[Old Guy Rookie]

Take the race for what it is then: a spectacular event held in a large tourist city that attracts visitors (with a lot of money) from all over the world who might be up to going because it sounds like a really cool thing to do while in town; tourist dollars are just as green as "die hard fan" dollars and the latter are inclined to show up anyway because they actually follow the racing. I'd be plugging "40,000 hp" and header flames for 3 months all over Las Vegas if it were me, digital billboards, hotels, airport, etc., and get it in front of as many people as I could. (If they don't already.)

 

[R.I.P. O.C.I.R.]

NASCAR?? at the speed they go it is easy to watch 30 cars at a time!!!! the moment i heard daytona was going to run in stages was the moment i knew i would never watch NASCAR again. i still think NHRA should follow NASCAR like a sheep it has been, and make all fuel cars stop at 1/2 track and the drivers must get out and sign autographs to fans along the track. if a car smokes the tires at the hit, they get 2nd chance from the mid track stop. .....if we do this, our grandstands will look like bristols NASCAR race. they did everything possible during that race to keep the cameras off the corners where THOUSANDS of empty seats could be seen. story and video of it on you-tube. go watch that video, i think it is under 10 min. vid. it will blow you away!! and NASCAR covered it up like fresh cat poo. imagine that. woogily-boogily!!!

 

[RM FAN]

Its 4 lanes side by side for a 1000 ft how hard is that to follow? Its not at every track and never will be so what's the big deal?

 

[ZWeinstein]

NASCAR?? at the speed they go it is easy to watch 30 cars at a time!!!! the moment i heard daytona was going to run in stages was the moment i knew i would never watch NASCAR again. i still think NHRA should follow NASCAR like a sheep it has been, and make all fuel cars stop at 1/2 track and the drivers must get out and sign autographs to fans along the track. if a car smokes the tires at the hit, they get 2nd chance from the mid track stop. .....if we do this, our grandstands will look like bristols NASCAR race. they did everything possible during that race to keep the cameras off the corners where THOUSANDS of empty seats could be seen. story and video of it on you-tube. go watch that video, i think it is under 10 min. vid. it will blow you away!! and NASCAR covered it up like fresh cat poo. imagine that. woogily-boogily!!!

I'm curious, do you ever approve of anything done in motorsports today, or more importantly do you give changes made a fair shake before dismissing it and crying how everything is not like it was in 1976?

 

[Von Halen]

I'm curious, do you ever approve of anything done in motorsports today, or more importantly do you give changes made a fair shake before dismissing it and crying how everything is not like it was in 1976?

No.

I think somebody whacked his throttle one too many times.

 

[PJ]

Lee,

Respect your opinion, I understand that not everybody loves 4-wide, and I would never tell anyone that they have to like it. But I also won't let anyone tell me that I have to hate it.

I would like to point out that the number of cars down the track on Sunday only decreases by two. With 2-Wide 30 cars go down and with 4-wide 28 cars go down. Less heats? Absolutely, 15 heats in a 2-wide and only 7 in a 4-wide.

Second, in Vegas for the fall, lane 4 is a general admission area, fans can actually stand on the track in lane 4 to get closer to the action. And the fans seem to really like that opportunity. The track is giving the fans a chance to get as close as possible.

Alan

I like the idea of watching from the 4th lane, that is a cool opportunity for those to get closer. How far down track do they allow that?

 

[wireguy]

Bottom line, motorsports are on the decline and I don't blame promoters from doing what they feel they need in these turbulant times. Someone said and I have always agreed,"An empty seat doesn't buy a hotdog". I suppose these things go in cycles and real enthusiasts just ride out the storm. So grab your lifejacket!

 

[mikebcurve]

Bottom line, motorsports are on the decline and I don't blame promoters from doing what they feel they need in these turbulant times. Someone said and I have always agreed,"An empty seat doesn't buy a hotdog". I suppose these things go in cycles and real enthusiasts just ride out the storm. So grab your lifejacket!

I was joking about the writing in red.

 

[vegasnitro]

I like the idea of watching from the 4th lane, that is a cool opportunity for those to get closer. How far down track do they allow that?

I'd say about 150 feet, I did it last year.