Rumors and paychecks

[sammi]

The minute drag racing fans lose interest in the sport and stop gossiping and speculating, those of you who get a paycheck from a sanctioning body or a megateam better start looking at moving to the Dakotas for your new job.

Remember the old PR adage- say what you want, just spell my name right.

 

[megadeth]

I agree! I always thought there is no such thing as negative publicity.

 

[sparky]

The minute drag racing fans lose interest in the sport and stop gossiping and speculating, those of you who get a paycheck from a sanctioning body or a megateam better start looking at moving to the Dakotas for your new job.

Remember the old PR adage- say what you want, just spell my name right.

Or pumping gas at the nearest Mini Mart.

I don't understand the position of the people (in the industry) that refuse to weigh in on these boards because they don't like the content.

Like it or not, this (and other) online communities are the best fans you've got. Last time I checked, we're the ones who keep you in buisness. In looking at the crowds in the stands on TV and seeing the TV ratings, NHRA drag racing needs all it can get.

I admire Don S. for having the seeds to come on here and chime in and give the straight scoop. Don gets it and knows where his bread is buttered. Where is the rest of them?

 

[Draw 3D]

Sounds like without the "fans", there is no drag racing?

Hardly, most racers I know or have spoken to race because they like to race.

Go to a local bracket race or for that matter, a divisional race, and you will see racers racing without much if any "fans".

Having "fans" is nice but not having any won't stop racers from doing what they enjoy, racing.

 

[clwill]

Well said, Paul.

It's important to realize that there are about 2500 registered members here at the Mater. About half of them have posted anything in the last couple of years. Even with a 10-1 lurker to member estimate, you're still talking about not even a good one-day crowd at a national event. And there are nearly 20 times more licensed NHRA drivers than there are members here at the Mater.

Don't get me wrong, I love this little corner of the world. But please don't mistake it for the larger world of the drag racing fan.

 

[sparky]

Sounds like without the "fans", there is no drag racing?

Hardly, most racers I know or have spoken to race because they like to race.

Go to a local bracket race or for that matter, a divisional race, and you will see racers racing without much if any "fans".

Having "fans" is nice but not having any won't stop racers from doing what they enjoy, racing.

That is probably true for the bracket racers but at the Pro level fans and people buying a sponsor's product makes it mandatory they don't alienate what fans they DO have. Which seems to be evaporating at a pretty rapid pace.

I agree that the Sportsman racers do it for the love of the game. At the Pro level, they must do what they have to do to satisfy marketing partners 24/7. Would chiming in here (and at other places) with fact really kill them? It doesn't seem to bother Don Scumacher and his teams are the one's handing them their asses. Besides AJR, of course.

 

[megadeth]

Well said, Paul.

It's important to realize that there are about 2500 registered members here at the Mater. About half of them have posted anything in the last couple of years. Even with a 10-1 lurker to member estimate, you're still talking about not even a good one-day crowd at a national event. And there are nearly 20 times more licensed NHRA drivers than there are members here at the Mater.

Don't get me wrong, I love this little corner of the world. But please don't mistake it for the larger world of the drag racing fan.

For the sanctioning body it sure as hell matters! The money the members generate couldn't pay for their salaries. I bet you it couldn't pay to staff a couple of races with the needed staff to keep it safe.
The sanctioning body provides them with a place to race without them it would be back to the street days!
Don't belittle the fans they are probably the most important thing in this equation.
I realize to the sportsman racer it's all about the competition but revenue is the most important thing in the end! There is a cost and entry fees and membership money couldn't sustain it. What about the owners of the facilities you race at? Think they care about the fans? I bet you they sure as hell do!

 

[clwill]

Fans are important for the pros, true. Never would argue that. My point in the post you quoted was that the Mater should not be considered a proxy for those fans.

Fans are nearly irrelevant for the sportsman racer, and if you judge by the effort to draw them out, they aren't important to most of the tracks where we race. Most of the tracks bringing in sportsman racers care about one thing: car count. The number of fans not directly associated with one of those cars asymptotically approaches zero. This is not entirely true, some tracks do make an effort, but they are by far the exception.

 

[yoda]

Curious: How many races are some of you making a year? National events? Divisionals? Weekly brackets?

Staying in hotels? Drinking and eating at the local joints?

Or is it all behind a keyboard and getting your bits and pieces from your ESPN and the web?

 

[clwill]

For many years I went to 5 national events a year, and 2-3 divisional events. Flew to the national events, stayed in hotels, ate/drank/etc. But in recent years, we've stepped up our racing program, so I spend probably 10-12 weekends a year at the track, a mix of divisional, local, and national events. With a couple of exceptions very close to home, still stay in hotels and eat and drink there.

 

[Jeff]

My work, my wife's Guatemala mission work, and high school football trump racing ... but now that everyone's schedules are out and we've identified the conflicts we think:
1. 8 NHRA Divisionals top dragster (and top sportsman if the 63 vette comes together and goes straight in early testing)
2. 2 NHRA Nationals (1 top dragster, 1 top sportsman), schedule conflicts on a couple of races
3. 2 or 3 ADRL -- number mainly depends on getting a competitive 1/8th mi set up
4. No IHRA nationals -- schedule conflicts on 2 races
5. No planned IHRA divisionals -- fields are too slow for this to be fun, too many rounds fast bracket racing against cars .75/sec slower is not fun, but will use these for testing combinations, if needed, as in prior years

Have to admit I'm still a little bummed at how the top alky divisional classes have been segregated out.

We stay at the racetrack, but eat locally. Biggest non racing costs are diesel and avgas. Really enjoy several of the local restaurants we've found around the country.

Always try a couple of new places ... divisionals in Ohio and Michigan planned for this year. Gonna miss Vegas (again) and Bristol ... but we'll be back when conflicts change.

 

[PiPPi]

Curious: How many races are some of you making a year? National events? Divisionals? Weekly brackets?

Staying in hotels? Drinking and eating at the local joints?

I've been cutting down some but over the last couple of years I've spent 40-45 nights away from home due to drag racing.

That includes being part of a race team as well as working at the tracks doing live commentary. Most of it as a combination and it includes nationals, divisionals as well as the European Championships. If with a team I'm in the race bus across Scandinavia and Europe but I've flown to the UK races 2010 and 2011. I drive my own car if it's only me going as a speaker on events here on Scandinavia. The nights have been mostly spent at the track with a few hotel nights thrown in here and there. I have free food at the tracks but when with the team we both purchase food at the track and buy in local grocery stores for cooking our own meals at the track.

Been to the US for two NHRA races in the last two seasons. Fly in, stay at hotels/motels and purchase food and drink locally and at the track. Also spend money as a regular tourist a few days before or after the actual race.

Regards
PiPPi
http://HarleyDrags.com

 

[MM]

Curious: How many races are some of you making a year? National events? Divisionals? Weekly brackets?

Staying in hotels? Drinking and eating at the local joints?

Or is it all behind a keyboard and getting your bits and pieces from your ESPN and the web?

I went to 24 last year between the TF car and the NFC.

 

[Draw 3D]

I have worked with a few Sportsmen and Pro's proposals to potential sponsors and I can tell you that during the proposal and negotiations stages, like any other business venture, a certain amount of trust and confidentiality is built between the race team and the potential sponsor.

If a rumor regarding said proposal/negotiations is posted in a web site, forum or whatever, whether true or not, the trust and confidentially comes into question because where else would the information come from than a team member?

When the potential sponsor cannot trust the partnership, they usually end the proposal/negotiations leaving the team without a sponsor.