Schedule buzz kill

[Toejam]

Very well Joe, thank you for asking.

Throughout the weekend attendees will at various times race their cars, work on their cars, help others work on their cars, watch others race their own cars, work on and around the track, meet with freinds in the pits, walk around the pits, walk around the car show in the grove, walk around the swap meet, work in the swap meet, eat a meal, take a nap, buy from merchants, or whatever else they may want to do.

But, I will garantee that not all 20-25,000 attendees will all want to sit in the grandstands all at once.

Gino, I was being Sarcastic! I don't believe for a second they had 25,000 or 20,000 for that matter! That track's stands holds maybe 8,000! If you think those pits had another 10-12,000+ people just milling around you must be NHRA's official attendance keeper

 

[Jimbo]

In many different sporting events the real numbers of spectators are sometimes fudged in an effort to promote future events and to hide some problems.

Just remember empty seats don't buy hot dogs. They can play games with the numbers but most people realize what's going on.

Jimbo

 

[Toejam]

In many different sporting events the real numbers of spectators are sometimes fudged in an effort to promote future events and to hide some problems.

Just remember empty seats don't buy hot dogs. They can play games with the numbers but most people realize what's going on.

Jimbo

While I will agree that empty seats don't spend money, I know people who were at that ADRL race in Ennis about 5-6 years ago where there gave out over over 100,000 free tickets! Turns out over 50,000 showed up and over ran the place! Every food or Beer vendor was a 10-15 minute line, bathrooms at least that long! they said there were a lot of fights with little security to handle the crowds!

 

[Jimbo]

Joe there is no question that you are right and yes there is more then one way to fill up an event and giving away 100,000 free tickets is just one of them.

I do think major changes are going to have happen for NHRA drag racing to continue and I also believe it will survive in the future but it may just look different from what you see today.

Just my opinion. Jim Hill

 

[glofria]

Gino, I was being Sarcastic! I don't believe for a second they had 25,000 or 20,000 for that matter! That track's stands holds maybe 8,000! If you think those pits had another 10-12,000+ people just milling around you must be NHRA's official attendance keeper

Joe, I get the sarcasm now. Truth be told I am not a attendance keeper and I really don't know how may people show up. However, if you are judging by what you see on Bangshift (they will be back for the CHRR this weekend), then don't forget the far side of the track behind the camera as RVs are parked almost the full 1/4 mile and about 8 rows deep.

So perhaps somewhere in the middle of that 8,000 and 20,000 is a more realistic number.

 

[Nick Name]

They are parking in the groves a couple of miles from the track

 

[MW]

Gonna be a killer weekend at the CHRR!!! Great weather & tons of nitro!!! I'll be there with the other 7,999 people!!!!

 

[SoCal Racer]

Very well Joe, thank you for asking.

Throughout the weekend attendees will at various times race their cars, work on their cars, help others work on their cars, watch others race their own cars, work on and around the track, meet with freinds in the pits, walk around the pits, walk around the car show in the grove, walk around the swap meet, work in the swap meet, eat a meal, take a nap, buy from merchants, or whatever else they may want to do.

But, I will garantee that not all 20-25,000 attendees will all want to sit in the grandstands all at once.

Very true. In fact I don't think it's even possible for everyone in attendance to get in the stands due to seating capacity, but one thing is sure - at CHRR & March Meet the stands have no seats available, and it's 4 deep on the fence!

 

[glofria]

At one point on Saturday during the FC qualifying there were more people in the grove and midway than in the stands. I know I tried to make it to the tower and back.

 

[yoda]

Some of the independent teams need a small break to regroup in the parts department. Too many in a row hurts the "little guy."

Agreed RG... I saw Diehl at the Patch on Saturday, and he looked more worn out than I've seen him in years. And I bet his wallet was worse than he was...

 

[yoda]

I'm still wondering how Famosa handles the 20-25,000 they claim attends that race!

I pulled up to Gate 1 at 9AM, Joe, and immediately did a u-turn to get a parking spot on the roadside, about a 1000 feet back... It was packed, and I knew it wasn't going to get better closer. 20,000? Yeah- by the end of the day, I'd say they hit that number... Hell- some of the crew Dualies going down the return road had so many bodies in them they looked like they were making the midnight run up from Naco...

 

[PJ]

I do find it funny how the countdown can't even keep our attention long enough to make it 2 pages on a thread as we quickly flipped to CHHR

 

[Huge]

I do find it funny how the countdown can't even keep our attention long enough to make it 2 pages on a thread as we quickly flipped to CHHR

I think if you had as many big nostalgia races as you do the Nhra National events it would be a lot less entertaining or popular.

 

[PJ]

Oh I'm not doubting the entertainment or popularity of the nostalgia events, just funny how a thread about how the long gap in the middle of a playoffs will lead people to focus on other things. We couldn't even complete one page about it before the <yawn> countdown was an after thought

 

[mike]

Since NHRA builds a gap into the schedule to accommodate the CHRR, why don't they at least put it on TV as an hour long re-cap show or something to bridge the gap between the "Big Show" races?

 

[glofria]

Simple Mike, $$$$$$$$$$

With Mike Dunn as the Grand Marshall, you can bet he'll talk it up.

And for your viewing pleasure...http://competitionplus.com/drag-rac...deo-recapping-the-bakersfield-chrr-nitro-show

 

[d'kid]

Lets just say I had Bang Shift on ALL Weekend Fri/Sat/Sun... patch hasn't changed much since the weekend before I went off to bootcamp March of '73 'cept the Trees grew up lol...

d'kid

 

[Nick Name]

Simple Mike, $$$$$$$$$$

With Mike Dunn as the Grand Marshall, you can bet he'll talk it up.

And for your viewing pleasure...http://competitionplus.com/drag-rac...deo-recapping-the-bakersfield-chrr-nitro-show

At the awards cerimony at the Doubletree, Fry introduces Dunn as the grand marshall. First thing Mike said was "Who in the heck thought I was old enough to be Grand Marshall of the hot Rod Reunion?"

 

[Raconteur]

Simple Mike, $$$$$$$$$$

With Mike Dunn as the Grand Marshall, you can bet he'll talk it up.

I really wondered why Big Jim Dunn wasn't the Reunion Grand Marshall? No doubt, Mike was an exceptional driver, but the legend in that family is Big Jim and he's still doing it.

Please don't encourage Joe to attend any Heritage Series events, he'll see all the inflatable balloon people that we all know are positioned in the grandstands to fill the holes because of lousy ticket sales. A couple of them popped at the Reunion because of the Famoso wooden bleachers, early Sunday morning there were a few of them floating in the Famoso Grove pool.

NHRA is field testing the inflatable crowd for the 2015 Mello Yello series to make the grandstands look like a sell out on ESPN2 for potential buyers of the sanctioning body.

 

[Raconteur]

Lets just say I had Bang Shift on ALL Weekend Fri/Sat/Sun... patch hasn't changed much since the weekend before I went off to bootcamp March of '73 'cept the Trees grew up lol...

And the quarter mile is now concrete and most of the joint is now paved.