Is NHRA out of touch? (2 Viewers)

[timebombkal]

I would like to see drivers detest each other to no end. I mean really dislike his fellow driver. Also, be able to say anything they want and not care what the foes in the other camp think. Problem: Harder to do with 3 drivers under the same umbrella.

The 100% sponsor savy driver in not entertainment. All sponsors need to take the stand of "he's my driver and i'm standing by him no matter what."

Bold, brash, confident, cocky works on the track and on the mic at the top end, just ask Ric Flair.

Still, it's the best motorsport going for me.

This is a good one.
I hate when I hear " O the Budweiser,Copart, Lucas Ol, US Air Force, Mac Tools, dragster or " the Castrol AAA , these Ford Mustangs, Mac tools, Brand Source BS, for 5 minutes of a interview. All the drivers do this, not just Bernstien and Force. They have no emotion because they have to remember 20 sponsors names first.
I used to like " I should have whipped his ass in the other lane, But I screwed up and the lucky SOB won.
I have 3 sons and I took them to the races when they were younger and now they could care less about drag racing

 

[Jim]

3) Today's cars are far more difficult to work on and driving people back to using repair shops and instant oil change places.

I think that is probably a very big reason for the lack of interest. When I was a kid and took over the family GTO, it needed an engine swap and later a transmission swap. My father and I did both in our garage and backyard. I did all my own maintenance and repairs - engine tuning, brake jobs, shock replacement, even bodywork.

Without being able to work on cars, it is harder to get as interested in them.

Jim

 

[none]

I think that is probably a very big reason for the lack of interest. When I was a kid and took over the family GTO, it needed an engine swap and later a transmission swap. My father and I did both in our garage and backyard. I did all my own maintenance and repairs - engine tuning, brake jobs, shock replacement, even bodywork.

Without being able to work on cars, it is harder to get as interested in them.

Jim

That and the fact that for the most part, they all look like similar blobs. The new retro cars give me some hope. My son and his friends have started to buy these cars and show more interest in their cars than before. They have even started putting in requests for tickets to the nearby drag races. Maybe there is some hope...........

 

[Dougster]

Without being able to work on cars, it is harder to get as interested in them.

Jim

Not necessarily... I've never done anything more complex than changing wiper blades on my cars but I've been a racing fan since I was 7. I also think us "old farts" are selling the youth of today short believing they're only interested in X games or the like.

I think it's all about thrills and if racing in general and drag racing specifically can deliver the thrills then we'll continue to survive and thrive. How to deliver the thrills?

1. Add sport compacts as a class to national events.
2. Combine Stock/Super Stock to make room/time for the FWD buzzbombs
3. Jet cars of any type
4. Get rid of/reduce *gas and *rod classes at nationals
5. More motorcyle classes
6. "Cool" body styles in PS (Camaro, Challenger) vs Cobalts and Chargers
7. Find a way for nitro cars to run safely - 1000' or 1320'
8. If this is not possible, unleash the AFD's like IHRA is trying to do

I also think many events need to be shorter. Like it or not, most of us are much busier these days and it's difficult to find 3 FULL (>12 hrs) days to spend at the track. We're in the 3 hour window of stick and ball sports so the big show has to fit in there.

 

[DrRocket]

Well, there's no doubt Mr Burke put some serious thought into this.

But the main problem is: "Now what?"

Is drag racing, as we all know and love it (I've been following this "sport" on a serious level since 1964.) slowly becoming obsolete and outdated?

What ARE we really, I mean really, trying to do? Entertain the masses? Or conduct events that are for racers to compete in?

Jeff describes "Night Of Fire" events that "consistantly fill seats at all levels." So, do we turn the Full Throttle Series into a traveling circus event that happens to have a little fuel competition thrown in? And all of this will happen in about three or four hours? That sounds exactly like Monster Jam to me. Is that what we want? I'm not so sure it is.

What about the sportsman racers at the national events? Although I always stick around to watch them, I can tell you I have the stands to myself when they start racing. I remember during the failed "sale" of the NHRA there was talk of eliminating them from the national tour, and giving them what would have been in essence, their own organization, with permission to use the NHRA logo. OK, so eliminate super/gas classes. What do we tell the people who have thousands upon thousands of $ invested in their operations? "Tough, you'll be obsolete in X months?" Does anyone remember the Pro Stock Truck fiasco?

So, what are we left with?

I think we have to ask, what ARE we really trying to do, and who exactly are we aiming this at? The casual fan? The hard core fuel fan? The racers? TV? The shotgun approach we're using now doesn't seem to be working.

 

[Jim]

Well, there's no doubt Mr Burke put some serious thought into this.

But the main problem is: "Now what?"

Well, he could come up with funding, stage events like he thinks they should be staged and, if he's right, take over drag racing.

Jim

 

[Toejam]

Well Joe, looks like you failed to get the message again. Glad you think nothing needs to change, NHRA can do no wrong.

Wonder why all the empty seats...

Darr, since you work for Jeff, I know your comments are in no way Biased! Just thought I would point that out. But your right, by the year 2015 NHRA tracks will look like Ghost towns, there's nothing anybody can do about it! NHRA R.I.P.

 

[mick]

pick this apart........i'm sure i'm missing something.

keep 4x qualifying the way it is - majority of events (2)friday(2)saturday.

top 8 from friday run in 8 tiered elim. on saturday.........kinda' like a
saturday shootout at every event.
maybe find an extra $10-15k for the sat. winner, $5k for runner-up
(all sat. runs in this 'race' would also count towards qualifying)

a car outside the top 8 from friday could still make the quickest pass on
saturday and collect the low qualifying money, he/she just couldn't race
in special $$ race on saturday as they were not 8 quickest from friday.

is there even still low qualifier money?

this 'saturday shootout' would be substantial investment so possibly
may have to have a separate sponsor for each class, just as
'once a year' shootouts used to and still do have?

basically giving money away at every event instead of once annually
and providing a little extra professional class racing on saturday
to the spectators at every national event.

would this provide extra incentive to run fast on friday?
would this provide extra incentive for fans to attend multiple days?
you would have........
a) a friday low qualifier for 'mini-shootout race' on saturday
b) a saturday winner of 'mini-shootout race'
c) standard sunday program.
d) saturday night espn show would center around the 3-4 pro
'mini-shootouts'........actual racing......very seldom is there any
qualifying drama on saturday anymore.

 

[Super Mod]

As far as attracting a younger audience ,I am afraid to say that Mr. Feld's IHRA format is probably much closer than NHRA's vision or lack of.... Short duration, thrill packed, "wowee" venues will most likely win out over the day long "shake and bake" NHRA style racing especially in the 18-35 crowd.... OR.... like the "sock-hops" of the 50-60's this sport is doomed and nothing you do can save it from it's own demise. Like someone else said kids today just think of cars as another appliance...a means to get from point A to point B. There is no "love-affair" with today's car.

 

[jackass]

I think that's a great idea. Also free testing at Lucas oil divisional meets. Have the track operators advertise in advance. It would help the divisional track operators out(with attendance) and also get a lot of fans that can't afford to go to a big city and attend a national event see some of the stars on t.v..

Dang thats actualy a great idea starting point... wished i would have thought of it.....lol only one thing to add.... at the divisional events .. have a booth to promote the National events that give a "REAL" discount to the nationals.. the kind you notice.. no silly 10% off deals...


If one of the TF teams testing there doesn't light a fire for some one to buy a ticket and attend nothing will...


Now the NHRA and others might argue that the discount would cut profits on the Nationals .. it might..but the back door earnings would come from the extra attendance at the divisionals...

 

[d'kid]

Spec Motors, Spec Tires, Spec Wheelbase... The Playoffs... Telling us how many times a racer can run THEIR CAR, when not at a NHRA meet.

Drag Racing WAS about being the BADDEST SOB out there. It ain't anymore... Thank God there are still a few people out there I still CARE about... PEOPLE, not points, not 'The Show'... PEOPLE who love what THEY do, and have the EGO to want to be BETTER than anyone else....

It's about WINNING.... everything else is just passing time until you're Six Feet Under...

d'kid

 

[Mooseman]

What ARE we really, I mean really, trying to do? Entertain the masses? Or conduct events that are for racers to compete in?

Could that be the multi million dollar question? You guys keep talking about how it used to be. I was reading through some reader mail the other day on the drag racing online site and someone called the national events Racers races, Could the fact that the only events today for the big nhra pro cars are national events be a problem. You guys talk about the match race days and stuff that were a great show. The fact that the show races that used be around are not around is everyone expecting all the show and entertainment from the national events which are suppost to be big deal races.

 

[Mooseman]

Spec Motors, Spec Tires, Spec Wheelbase... The Playoffs... Telling us how many times a racer can run THEIR CAR, when not at a NHRA meet.

Drag Racing WAS about being the BADDEST SOB out there. It ain't anymore... Thank God there are still a few people out there I still CARE about... PEOPLE, not points, not 'The Show'... PEOPLE who love what THEY do, and have the EGO to want to be BETTER than anyone else....

It's about WINNING.... everything else is just passing time until you're Six Feet Under...

d'kid

Great post is there an applause emoticon? I think there is a going to be a racing versus show debate as long as there is motor racing.

 

[mike]

Spec Motors, Spec Tires, Spec Wheelbase... The Playoffs... Telling us how many times a racer can run THEIR CAR, when not at a NHRA meet.

Drag Racing WAS about being the BADDEST SOB out there. It ain't anymore... Thank God there are still a few people out there I still CARE about... PEOPLE, not points, not 'The Show'... PEOPLE who love what THEY do, and have the EGO to want to be BETTER than anyone else....

It's about WINNING.... everything else is just passing time until you're Six Feet Under...

d'kid

yup...spec this and spec that could be the death of motorsports in general, not just the NHRA...the cars HAVE TO BE different for the casual fan to get interested in the first place

 

[Reese]

The sportsman guys would just love that !!

I know what you mean Jim.
I remember when they had the first (or 2nd) Sportsnational at No Problem raceway. They advertised that Darrell Russell(r.i.p.) would be making some runs in Joe's top fuel dragster. The turnout out was great since not to many people would go to a national event. Most would just show up for the divisionals. The fans was so impressed by it that they ended up going to Dallas or Houston to national events now. Before that maybe 5 of my friends would go to Houston, after seeing Darrell runs, we have over 20 every year. They just didn't know how impressive a top fuel car was in person. It also didn't hurt that Darrell was like a big fan himself and go sit in the stands and signed autographs and talked to everyone who had a question.
Trust me I am a big sportsman fan, rather see them(& pro stock) than the fuel cars. But the pros fill the seats, sportsmans guys and gals just pay the bills.

 

[Reese]

1. Add sport compacts as a class to national events.
2. Combine Stock/Super Stock to make room/time for the FWD buzzbombs

This year or last year, NHRA added more classes for sport compacts in superstock and comp. I think the reigning comp champ used to run sport compact until the class folded and there is a bad a$$ Scion running super stock.

 

[cephus]

1st mite i say as my long time friend tuner always tells me NHRA don't give a rats ass if i race or not and it took me several years to swallow this but now i no it is true, it's all about the select few of the faternity, ther is no room for the guy with the dream of driving a fuel car one day on talent or wins from the sportsman classes, it's who brings money or a connection with relatives, it is totally boring now same ole **** every week, and i love drag racing but sometimes u just hav to say enough is enough, 2 many multi car teams 2 cars per team is enough at least the class may culd open up to other drivers for funding to mix up the driver base and then u may get some better drama.
just my 2 cents, out of touch is an understatement

 

[kingcobrafan]

...you have to maintain the core fan while trying to engage new fans...
Billy

Spot on, Billy.

 

[Super Mod]

Spot on, Billy.

Right now NHRA gets an "F" on both fronts.

 

[BF]

Right now NHRA gets an "F" on both fronts.

Come on now. How about all the new fans that came with the countdown? Oh, wait.....nevermind.