Ratings down for NHRA/ESPN2 show

[BrettV]

Re: NHRA TV Ratings

Good point. And if that is you in the avatar with JF, you could win a Donnie Bender lookalike contest. Not that there will ever be one.

That is me but I don't think it looks like me. Part of it could be that I don't feel as fat as I look

 

[Bill]

>>>"I don't feel as fat as I look"<<<

None of us ever do....

 

[Toejam]

Re: Ratings down - work on the demographics!

Joe:; SX = Supercross is indoor Motocross as in Dirt Bike racing.

Harry, I went to a SX race while in Pomona about 99-'00 at Anaheim Stadium and it wasn't $50-60! It was around $30 if memory serves me right! But remember you talkin 19-25 year old racers compared to the 35 to ??? You see in NHRA! That makes a TON of difference with the fans! I'm convinced that younger racers bring in younger fans, but everyone thinks I'm Nuts!

 

[mikey]

Re: NHRA TV Ratings

Like bass fishing. How can catching a fish be more entertaining than a 300mph blast?

BTW, to the people who want "trash talking:" Please, I tuned into an import drag race one day and the trash talking was about as corny as those Honda Civic DX's with the fart cannon and basket-handle wing. No thanks.

Oh, and about the "We need more Whit Bazemore" types: no, we don't. There is a difference between speaking your mind and being a jerk. WJ on E-town's telecast saying how he likes coming to the northeast because of how the people are is speaking his mind. Whit shouting "Don't call him my teammate!" on national TV is being a jerk.

Samuel, you just proved my point ! How many other quotes from racer interviews do you remember ? Whit is a "badboy"... and hate him or love him you always pay attention to see if he is gonna stir the pot. Drama is good for ratings.Bet we all remember the Millican / Herbert near fight ( Dougzilla was born that day ) ! If I have to watch one more PC, group hug,we are all winners, smile for the camera interview I'm gonna lose my lunch . Can we all just NOT get along ! hehehe

 

[d'kid]

Worst thing about moving to the East Coast is I never see Angel or Dodger games, therefore, don't watch MLB. Then again, with a 7:30PM west coast start time, I'm not going to stay up that late anyway.

Waiting 2 to 3 weeks to watch an edited ASC of an NHRA race back in the 80's or early 90's was okay with me, Heck I knew who won weeks before, and half the time I was at the track on the day it was broadcasted... what the heck, no biggie...

Today, am I going to say up until midnight to watch a drag race? Nope. Am I going to stop listening to the Audio cast because a Mid west race telecast has started on ESPN before the finals have run? Nope.

When I watched N.A.S.C.A.R. races back in the 80's and 90's, kept the Audio off and listened on MRN...

Now here comes a shock to some of you. I AM A FUNNY CAR FAN. Period... I could give a flip about Pipe Racks, Bicycles, or pro stock... Now TA/FC and Pro-mod along with Nitro flops would make a complete show for me... and yeah, Pro Mods are a logical conclusion to A/FX, heck, even AA/GS by the early 70's were just Gas Floppers...

Where am I going with this? There are too many unrelated classes for the 'unenlightened' to understand. Bill, tell me again, Why are they called 'Rails'?
What is the difference between a pro stock and a super stock, beside that the SS is funner to watch?

The sport does not make 'good' TV... The only thing that has got some people watching Is the JFR drama... Princess running floppers, Melaine, Hillary, EE, the whole 'Dancing Bear' thing to the 'unwashed masses'...

Honestly, this is no longer the the sport I grew up with, and my interest in it is slowly dying...

It's not about the RACING any more, it's all about marketing. Like life in general, the sport has gotten way to PC.

d'kid

 

[sdwarf36]

I just dont get the idea of forcing conflict + rivalry where there isn't any. These teams spend more time pitted near each other than they do living next to their neighbors at home. Look at how long they spend sitting around-they are there 4 days-and are on the track less than 30 seconds! Whats the WORSE thing you can do to a competior, make him SIT for an extra 10 seconds?
I have drag raced-and I have circle tracked--these is plenty of reason you can get P.O.ed at people when you roundy round-from purposely trying to harm you to costing you money fixing your car. Drag racing? I had someone stage late on me once--awww.
So lets try to come up with a drag race rivalry-
Gary Gerould: "You really put a lite or racer B."
Racer A: "Yea I really get up on the wheel when we run him."
Gary: Its well known thru the pits + in all the press that there is a long standing rivalry between you + racer B-can you tell us what started it all?"
Racer A: "well-it all started 2 years ago at Gainsville when he had the nerve to park his golf cart right in front of our hospitality tent!"

 

[vegasnitro]

Re: NHRA TV Ratings

i will go one further. How many people drag race vs how many people fish in America? I have the numbers but how bout some guesses?

I can tell you this Timmah ... I have been fishing from the day I could walk ... and when I die they will likely have to pry the fishing pole from my cold dead hand.

 

[Kenny B.]

Back to drag racing.....to throw salt on the wound for ratings, Sportsman coverage was an hour off schedule here on the west coast. Sweet....


Ohh and quick question, does NASCAR pay to advertise those commercials and info slots that they show during NHRA coverage? I think NHRA could pick up a lot of viewers by doing the same during NASCAR coverage. Gotta get the motorsports product out to motorsports nuts IMO

 

[clwill]

Ohh and quick question, does NASCAR pay to advertise those commercials and info slots that they show during NHRA coverage? I think NHRA could pick up a lot of viewers by doing the same during NASCAR coverage. Gotta get the motorsports product out to motorsports nuts IMO

NASCAR doesn't pay. Rather, NASCAR gets paid millions for the privilege of broadcasting it. Those NASCAR ads you see are probably placed and paid for by the network that is broadcasting it trying to up the audience.

 

[Tim5636sc]

Re: NHRA TV Ratings

I can tell you this Timmah ... I have been fishing from the day I could walk ... and when I die they will likely have to pry the fishing pole from my cold dead hand.

Nice assist! You and about 20 million other red blooded Americans there Chris.

People Wonder why ESPN would put that activity above Drag Racing...its all about the target market...and there are much more 'FISH IN THE SEA' for advertisers to reach than our little niche sport.

 

[Tim5636sc]

NASCAR doesn't pay. Rather, NASCAR gets paid millions for the privilege of broadcasting it. Those NASCAR ads you see are probably placed and paid for by the network that is broadcasting it trying to up the audience.

Bingo was his name-o!

 

[*******]

The lack of pro stock coverage? Even less would be better if you ask me...sleeping pill city.

Oh yeah, it's much better watching a bunch of fill in leakers and boomers waste their time doing a burnout and staging when they don't stand a chance in hell of winning a round unless the other guy screws up worse. They should just let the 8 or 10 " real " teams show up and go for an 8 car field until the economy turns around. Talk about sleeping pill city.

 

[PJ]

you know just reading through this thread would be a programmers nightmare.

Less pro stock..no wait more. Cut the burn outs oh wait more burnouts. Yes fluff no fluff, less replays..more replays and the list goes on.

Sure there are ways that it needs to improve but lets not forget that they are trying to reach such a wide array of people all at once. The need to keep us die hard junkies in tune. The need to also make it easy for the channel surfer to maybe stop and get hooked, they need to help the novice become more knowledgeable.

As we look for ways to improve things, we should think beyond our livingroom as any changes need to be able to keep and draw a huge vast array of fans

 

[Toejam]

Oh yeah, it's much better watching a bunch of fill in leakers and boomers waste their time doing a burnout and staging when they don't stand a chance in hell of winning a round unless the other guy screws up worse. They should just let the 8 or 10 " real " teams show up and go for an 8 car field until the economy turns around. Talk about sleeping pill city.

Sounds like your Talking about Jeggie and Greg Anderson as well! How many winners have there been in PS this year? The Fans come to see Nitro at the track, don't believe me look at the stands when they are done!

 

[4g63rwd]

Re: Ratings down - work on the demographics!

I completely agree with this point ... I am 35 and when I go to a drag race I feel like the youngest guy there. Good for my self esteem ... bad for the future of the sport.

I think everyone would love to know how to get the younger crowd involved ... the professional import drag racing thing is OVER. Most of them took their toys and started drifting ... and now the drifting thing is dying down. I am convinced there is talent and serious gear heads in that realm ... but how can we get them to stop fad-hopping and come play in our arena? One idea I floated a long time ago and got poo-poo'd all over for was a revision of Pro Stock. No one under 50 cares about 500 cubic inches with carbuerators generally or the current GM and Chrysler cars specifically. Pro Stock needs to go back to being a logical extension of stock cars. Flat hoods, EFI, stock displacement (maybe even real stock blocks and cranks) ... 4, 6 or 8 cylinders ... FWD or RWD as long as they are a stock configuration ... maybe even allow an AWD car play in the sandbox ... more cylinders mean more weight ... same for power adders. I wouldn't mind seeing a FWD 6 cylinder Camry line up against a RWD 8 cylinder Mustang or a real Cobalt SS (FWD 4 cylinder with a power adder) or an AWD Subaru WRX. It gets WAY more manufacturers involved and way more tuners involved. And all of that could lead to the point of this thread ... which is higher TV ratings (with a much better demographic).

When Sport Compact/NOPI ended last year, they told us all that we would have a place to race in Comp Eliminator, Stock and Super Stock. When we tried to come out and compete, we were told that "all wheel drive is not allowed in Comp". That turned away at least 10-20 racers who were interested in that class and needed a place to race. Now I'm one of the few left in the country (along with Scott Kelley) who remains interested in bringing our cars to NHRA events. How many fans has this turned away? We're not trying to have classes to ourselves or our own series or anything silly like that; I just want to fit in to the class where they "claimed" I could. I know our "kinds of cars" aren't really wanted there or accepted, but they're certainly more like cars some of the younger kids that should be targeted as fans could possibly identify with......

 

[mick]

i think the show pinks is doing something right.
not sure how to describe the appeal, but seems like the show
presents drag racing in a very stripped down form; back to it's roots
so to speak??

 

[PJ]

Sounds like your Talking about Jeggie and Greg Anderson as well! How many winners have there been in PS this year? The Fans come to see Nitro at the track, don't believe me look at the stands when they are done!

I think it depends on where in the country its at. As WJ said last week when it was mentioned how E town loves its pro stocks. These people just have their heads screwed on right.

I like PS, granted I realize the majority come just for nitro but I like it all.

Look at pinks, 5 years ago who among us would have thought that they could have a tv and packed stands for 9 and 10 second cars.

 

[Marchboom]

Re: NHRA TV Ratings

BTW, to the people who want "trash talking:" Please, I tuned into an import drag race one day and the trash talking was about as corny as those Honda Civic DX's with the fart cannon and basket-handle wing. No thanks.

I agree completely. I watched a few of those NOPI sport compact races on TV and it was one of the most immature shows I've seen. Gang bangers in the background flashing their gang signs, guys wearing pants 10 sizes too big, goofy looking hair styles, gross looking piercings and tattoos, etc. The interviews with the racers were even worse. Talk about a lack of education. There was no doubt they were targeting the viewing public with an IQ under 30. If this show was the first exposure to drag racing a person had, they would think that drag racing was for idiots. Putting distance between sport compact racing and NHRA drag racing was the best thing NHRA has ever done.

Talk about dumb, sport compact racers don't even know which end of the car to put the slicks on.

 

[Reese]

I know I am going to get flamed by here goes.
Show more sportsman coverage. Sportsman racers don't watch a pro show, give us a reason to watch. Let the average fan see that they can get into drag racing without having to get a ride in a fuel car. I lot of people didn't know you could go to a drag strip on Friday night(street night down here) and race your street Camaro until Pinks came along. N.H.R.A don't even promote their Street Legal program on their show. That would be a great start. They could announce on the show that you could take the family car to the dragstrip and race or explain how to get into drag racing thru the sportsman ranks. Take time and show Joe Blow who drove 1,000 miles to run his home built superstocker to see if he can win SS/CM class trophy.

 

[T.Smith]

Oh yeah, it's much better watching a bunch of fill in leakers and boomers waste their time doing a burnout and staging when they don't stand a chance in hell of winning a round unless the other guy screws up worse. They should just let the 8 or 10 " real " teams show up and go for an 8 car field until the economy turns around. Talk about sleeping pill city.

Mike, you can talk about fill in's, leakers, boomers and whatever other name that comes vibrating from your butt cheeks, but the facts remain. The stands empty when pro stock comes to the line and the fast forward buttons are pressed at home.

I like Asher and Cook's ideas, run them on Saturday or revamp the class.