Positive NHRA News (1 Viewer)

[Paul]

Some interesting growth stats that came out this weekend. This is encouraging considering most other motorsports are in a decline.

https://www.ibj.com/articles/65074-local-drag-race-fuels-nhras-surprising-growth

 

[megadeth]

Some interesting growth stats that came out this weekend. This is encouraging considering most other motorsports are in a decline.

https://www.ibj.com/articles/65074-local-drag-race-fuels-nhras-surprising-growth

The stands say more to me than poles and there where a lot of empty seats in Brainerd all three days and Friday was dismal!

 

[mick]

stands @ BIR were pretty full sat and sun, as much as they've been in last decade......friday maybe a little light with weather in forecast. what you don't see on tv @ bir is all the campers that jam standing room only just past finish line....that's a good article about the nhra. positive signs
for sure.....i can see it.

 

[Just Paul]

The stands say more to me than poles and there where a lot of empty seats in Brainerd all three days and Friday was dismal!

I should have taken a picture from the bridge overlooking the zoo. It was as packed back there as I've ever seen. You can't really base Brainerd attendance on what you see in the stands, as a good % of people never make it up there.

 

[Andy]

Watching the finals on TV it appeared to me there were quite a few empty seats. But if what Paul said is correct, I can understand. My problem this season has been short fields, and racers who don't have a snowballs chance of competing against the money teams filling the fields. In years past I have gone to Indy, Baton Rouge, Dallas, and Houston. I live about 40 miles from the Houston track and shamefully admit I don't even go there anymore. I just watch all the races on TV. Not the same anymore for me. I miss the 1/4 mile for sure!

 

[Jim]

Yes, that IS an upbeat article.
FWIW: I did remark to my wife that (at least Sunday) the stands were packed.

New sponsors" "Yuengling and Dos Equis" ?? Are they talking on-track or TV?
'cause I watch all day on All Access, I have no feel for the Fox broadcasts (I'd like to support Fox but -to quote my wife - enough is enough<G>.

 

[TSK]

Good article.
I sure wish Yuengling was sold west of the Mississippi River.
Thankfully, my son is stationed in Mississippi, so he keeps me stocked. In fact, I had a Yuengling during the eclipse.

 

[mick]

was wondering about yuengling and dos equis too?....never heard or read anything about those two companies.

brainerd's main bleachers are quite large...every year there are empty spots on ends, but middle is packed solid.
they're 39 rows high starting behind starting line and ending around half track......this was early yesterday, as last pair of
FC's blasted off the line; 1st rnd of PS just about to start.....and bleachers just about ready to empty LOL!

 

[mick]

from top of tower 2015, prepping track just before finals......empty spots visible throughout bleachers.....not this year.
this was the year of langdon's 3.66 and about 15 minutes away from crampton beating courtney with a 3.69.
look immediately past last small bleachers, there is a mass of campers crowding the finish line area....i would say enough to
completely fill those small bleachers if BIR would make them GA.

 

[Nunz]

On tv sat-sun looked like strong crowds, doesn't mean SRO, but looked like a successful event to me.

 

[megadeth]

stands @ BIR were pretty full sat and sun, as much as they've been in last decade......friday maybe a little light with weather in forecast. what you don't see on tv @ bir is all the campers that jam standing room only just past finish line....that's a good article about the nhra. positive signs
for sure.....i can see it.

It always looks that way to the spectators that attend but TV cameras show more because they get more angles!
It's a shame Friday was so sparse, I'm sure the weather had something to do with it, but boy did they miss one of the best qualifying Friday's in a long time!

 

[Polish Hammer]

Good article.
I sure wish Yuengling was sold west of the Mississippi River.
Thankfully, my son is stationed in Mississippi, so he keeps me stocked. In fact, I had a Yuengling during the eclipse.

You need a road trip to Maple Grove and a tour of their factory.

 

[T.Smith]

 

[MidnightbluS10]

The stands say more to me than poles and there where a lot of empty seats in Brainerd all three days and Friday was dismal!

Was "empty stands" a major complaint last season, too?

 

[RM FAN]

The stands say more to me than poles and there where a lot of empty seats in Brainerd all three days and Friday was dismal!

But it matters to sponsors and that is what counts.

 

[RM FAN]

Watching the finals on TV it appeared to me there were quite a few empty seats. But if what Paul said is correct, I can understand. My problem this season has been short fields, and racers who don't have a snowballs chance of competing against the money teams filling the fields. In years past I have gone to Indy, Baton Rouge, Dallas, and Houston. I live about 40 miles from the Houston track and shamefully admit I don't even go there anymore. I just watch all the races on TV. Not the same anymore for me. I miss the 1/4 mile for sure!

I have ND's from the mid 80's to around 2005 and cant find a single year or race with 20 plus nitro cars with full time sponsorship where 10 through 16 qualifiers had a good chance of winning.
PS had a few years where any car that could qualify had a chance of winning.

 

[Z28LT1]

After the semi finals on Sunday, I looked at the stands (which were the most full I've seen in quite a few years), then over the back of the grandstand at the gate which was empty, then back at the stands and said to myself, "if you stay it'll take 2 or 3 hours to get out of here..." So, I took advantage and left.

 

[Jimbo]

The report sounds very good and the numbers are impressive for sure.
How do you account for the lack of full 16 car fields in some of the Pro Classes?

Don't the fans come to watch a competitive field of cars race? or are they there for another reason.

Jim Hill
www.nostalgicracingdecals.com

 

[The Swegian]

Yes, that IS an upbeat article.
FWIW: I did remark to my wife that (at least Sunday) the stands were packed.

New sponsors" "Yuengling and Dos Equis" ?? Are they talking on-track or TV?
'cause I watch all day on All Access, I have no feel for the Fox broadcasts (I'd like to support Fox but -to quote my wife - enough is enough<G>.

Good article.
I sure wish Yuengling was sold west of the Mississippi River.
Thankfully, my son is stationed in Mississippi, so he keeps me stocked. In fact, I had a Yuengling during the eclipse.

I agree Ted. I have a co-worker whose sister lives in Delaware. Whenever his parents drive out to visit her, they have standing orders to bring me back a couple cases.

Jim, I'm guessing that the Yuengling presence is "at the track" as I just learned that Yuengling is now available in Indiana and is the "official beer" of Lucas Oil Raceway.

 

[vegasnitro]

The report sounds very good and the numbers are impressive for sure.
How do you account for the lack of full 16 car fields in some of the Pro Classes?

Don't the fans come to watch a competitive field of cars race? or are they there for another reason.

Jim Hill
www.nostalgicracingdecals.com

These things take time, and having an advocate like Papa John helps. Marketing budgets for this year (and very likely next year) are already accounted for. If NHRA continues on it's current trajectory of all the data points covered in the article, then I think you will start to see a positive economic impact at the sponsorship level for the racers.

Also, don't underestimate what the county government is doing to help NHRA in Indy either. They used to really put their eggs in the NASCAR Busch race and the night before the 500 at IRP basket, now the NHRA is the only dance partner they have left, so all of their power is pushing in that direction.

Lastly, short fuel fields are not a new phenomenon. There have always really only been 8 to 12 touring pros that hit every event, with the rest comprised of part-timers and local heroes to fill out the field. As a kid, I can really only remember Pomona, Indy, Gainesville and ETown really running deep fuel fields where qualifying was every bit as entertaining as race day. I can remember going to Columbus in the 80s and there only being 14 or 15 Top Fuel cars, and no one on this board seems to regard the 80s as lean years for the NHRA or their competitors, or that the product was somehow lacking on the track.