NHRA still needs help (3 Viewers)

[Harry]

I sure would like to see NHRA try some new things. Can we kill PRO CAMARO already. So boring. Never thought I'd miss the Dodge boys and the Wayne County shenanigans or, the Bob Glidden family out working the field.
How about a few summer NIGHT races when the track cools down and the fans aren't burning up in the stands. How about taking the "impossible" rules off Injected Nitro Funny Car and make them competitive. With these less than full fields in the fuel classes I'd be trying something soon. The way I see it, SUPER COMP is becoming more exciting that the Pro classes. The variety and engineering are amazing. Maybe A/FX Factory Experimental/Pro Stock. Something to make this class unpredictable and exciting again. KUDOS to Alan Johnson. The guy is the current nitro wiz. Unfortunately, whoever hires him buys the championship and the rest run for second place. Would anyone else have won a Top Fuel race if his brother hadn't been killed? Thank God for the track owner/promoters.

 

[J. S.]

KUDOS to Alan Johnson. The guy is the current nitro wiz. Unfortunately, whoever hires him buys the championship and the rest run for second place.

At the moment, that may be true. But it took quite a while after AJ was hired for Doug's car to start running consistently and then win the Championship. And they haven't won by much. Now, both Kalitta cars are running really well, but I recall that for years Shawn's car was tuned by Connie and didn't always do so well. Now it looks like both have the same AJ combination.

 

[J. S.]

The way I see it, SUPER COMP is becoming more exciting that the Pro classes. The variety and engineering are amazing.

I've never been a fan of the Super classes. I just don't get the "on the gas/off the gas/on the gas" deal they all do. It's really lame.

For a Sportsman class, I have become a fan of Top Dragster. 3 different power adders = much variety. Lots of speed + ET and minimal between rounds maintenance. You could actually have some fun in that class.

 

[mick]

......have become a fan of Top Dragster. 3 different power adders = much variety. Lots of speed + ET and minimal between rounds maintenance.

plus racing the stripe @ 200mph. luv TS and TD.

 

[none]

Top Doorslammer and Supercharged Outlaws in Australia might be the coolest classes on the planet.

Alan

 

[DanTheFan]

Give me Anglias, Willys, aa/gs

 

[ch streetcars]

Agree on the Night Races to escape the summer heat, us older guys grew up without A/C and worked or still work outside, we can handle it, but don't necessarily like it for the races. Younger people - Forget it ! They won"t come. Better try something different NHRA, You are losing fans at the track.

 

[Gorman426]

I sure would like to see NHRA try some new things. Can we kill PRO CAMARO already. So boring. Never thought I'd miss the Dodge boys and the Wayne County shenanigans or, the Bob Glidden family out working the field.
How about a few summer NIGHT races when the track cools down and the fans aren't burning up in the stands. How about taking the "impossible" rules off Injected Nitro Funny Car and make them competitive. With these less than full fields in the fuel classes I'd be trying something soon. The way I see it, SUPER COMP is becoming more exciting that the Pro classes. The variety and engineering are amazing. Maybe A/FX Factory Experimental/Pro Stock. Something to make this class unpredictable and exciting again. KUDOS to Alan Johnson. The guy is the current nitro wiz. Unfortunately, whoever hires him buys the championship and the rest run for second place. Would anyone else have won a Top Fuel race if his brother hadn't been killed? Thank God for the track owner/promoters.

Two of the things you mentioned were recently changed by the NHRA. AFuel was given extra nitro percentage to be more competitive and PS dodge and ford engine and body combinations were given more RPM to incentivize those combinations coming back out.

However it takes time to see those rule changes reflect on the race track. Especially the PS RPM increase: parts, testing, inventory, and development take time. We likely won’t see any major shakeups until 2027. At least NHRA has made an attempt in both cases in making some changes.

 

[I was NITRO BREATH]

Agree on the Night Races to escape the summer heat, us older guys grew up without A/C and worked or still work outside, we can handle it, but don't necessarily like it for the races. Younger people - Forget it ! They won"t come. Better try something different NHRA, You are losing fans at the track.

This year, so far, it seems like attendance is up for almost all the races. That is my sense as I watch on TV. In my mind the problem is short fields in nitro. So the question is what is drawing top fuelers and funny cars to ihra races?? It's not the thrill of running in front of bleachers packed with fans because there are hardly any fans at their races. Is it the big purses? Or 1/8 mile? Or both. If nhra could get a few of those cars that are running ihra and not nhra races they could have full fields. Maybe big purses would do it??

 

[J. S.]

......In my mind the problem is short fields in nitro.......

It's not just T/F and F/C. We're getting short fields in Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, not to mention very short fields in TA/FC as well.

Bigger purses sure would help the cause, but there just isn't much money for that in NHRA drag racing.

 

[J. S.]

Agree on the Night Races to escape the summer heat, us older guys grew up without A/C and worked or still work outside, we can handle it, but don't necessarily like it for the races. Younger people - Forget it ! They won"t come. Better try something different NHRA, You are losing fans at the track.

I don't know why NHRA doesn't have more night races on tracks that don't have a curfew. Lions Drag Strip was a marginal operation for the first few years, until Mickey Thompson hit on the idea of Saturday night racing. Then the place really took off and the rest is history. Saturday night at Lions became a very popular event as a "date night" for the young people. It was jammed all the time. NASCAR has had some night racing for years, and I think they have been successful. Though I don't know if their night racing brings in any more fans than the day racing.

 

[I was NITRO BREATH]

I don't know why NHRA doesn't have more night races on tracks that don't have a curfew. Lions Drag Strip was a marginal operation for the first few years, until Mickey Thompson hit on the idea of Saturday night racing. Then the place really took off and the rest is history. Saturday night at Lions became a very popular event as a "date night" for the young people. It was jammed all the time. NASCAR has had some night racing for years, and I think they have been successful. Though I don't know if their night racing brings in any more fans than the day racing.

Jon, I agree that night racing would help bring more fans to ridiculously hot races. I sat through many scorching hot summer nats at Englishtown before I said no more. Im not disagreeing with you or making fun of your point but 'date night' I can't imagine any of the young people I know asking their 'date' if they want to go to the drag races Times have changed....

 

[Under_Pressure]

One thing about night races, particularly Saturday night, is that at least in other motorsports they tend to have poor TV ratings. Sunday night is better for TV, but probably not for the people attending. That's why the Indycar race at Gateway last week was Sunday night.

 

[Chili]

I don't know why NHRA doesn't have more night races on tracks that don't have a curfew. Lions Drag Strip was a marginal operation for the first few years, until Mickey Thompson hit on the idea of Saturday night racing. Then the place really took off and the rest is history. Saturday night at Lions became a very popular event as a "date night" for the young people. It was jammed all the time. NASCAR has had some night racing for years, and I think they have been successful. Though I don't know if their night racing brings in any more fans than the day racing.

The PRO organization is a big part of the reason they do not run at night. Nitro at night is amazing. As for the attendance it could be good and bad. NHRA’s sellouts almost always seem to be Saturday. Crowds are generally weak on Friday and decent on Sundays. Obviously this varies from track to track but Saturday is by far the strongest across the board.

If your going to have a night race is it a two day event with Saturday finals or three day with Sunday night finals? A two day event would certainly hurt overall ticket sales. If you wanted to keep events three days, is running Thursday evening an option instead of Sunday night? I do think finishing at Sunday at 7pm is a possible compromise. It wouldn’t be night finals but early enough to low fans to get home and go to work on Monday.

 

[ch streetcars]

Chris, I have also heard over the years that PRO was often against running at night, which I understand if lighting is not adequate, safety comes first for the drivers. Some of the largest national event crowds I have ever witnessed in person were at night qualifying. Probably Indy. Can you imagine if the NFL players decided they would only play in the summer? NLB baseball only during the winter? Probably the fans would not attend the show very well. If the show is for the fans, which translates into more sponsors and money coming into the sport-give the fans what they want. The best, most exciting show.

 

[GumbyWVU]

I'd like to toss this out for discussion. Rather than having eliminations at night (which I assume is meant from above since we already have qualifying at night, sort of), why not have the finals on a Saturday morning start instead of Sunday?

This could allow for, say, an 8 or 9 am start (morning noise ordinances seem to be only for Sunday as we see qualifying that early at times on Friday and Saturday).

Starting it that early would allow for an earlier finish, before the really hot parts of the day starts (3-6pm, and it can be pretty hot until 8pm sometimes). And it seems that rain more often happens after noon than before (although I can't back that up, just a loose personal observation and experience with the day heat leading up to a storm starting). Further, there would be more likely to finish a race than if it started at 6 or 7pm if oildowns, weather, etc. occurred preventing a race from ending at, say, 11pm (a time more likely on the end of day start of a noise ordinance).

And, and earlier finish on a Saturday would allow people who have to travel distances not having to drive at night as much, and would have Sunday to recover from travel (for those who work and go to school on Monday). Perhaps this is why attendance seems to be higher on Saturday than Sunday the past few years? Hard to say about that for sure.

Yeah, we'd have to get up with the roosters to be there at the start, but.....just a thought.

 

[65 Goatboy]

All great ideas but don't forget Fox TV.

 

[GumbyWVU]

All great ideas but don't forget Fox TV.

True, TV and $$.....but hey a tape delay final on Saturday could start to air at 1pm maybe....like the old days with the MLB game of the week and such.

Wonder how long before it's all a streaming pay-per-view anyhow?

 

[Joe]

With the Columbus race next weekend, it shouldn't be a surprise Bristol had short fields.