Street Outlaws has 4 times more TV viewers than NHRA (1 Viewer)

[Paul]

The Discovery channel Street Outlaws show that follows street racers in Oklahoma is now drawing 4 times as many viewers as NHRA broadcasts:

TV Ratings: ‘Street Outlaws’ Topples NHRA Broadcasts - Dragzine

If the NHRA membership doesn't wake up at some point and force the current NHRA board members out the organization is going to keep drifting down, down, down.

The current NHRA board has totally blown it by not connecting with and drawing in younger racing enthusiasts, they've got to go.

 

[mike]

I watched a little bit of one episode and what stuck me was how much more passion those guys have• compared to what most NHRA drivers display...those guys don't wana get beat and I'd be willing to bet none of them ever say anything about "going a to b"

I don't mean NHRA needs more drama like the whole Pedregon vs. Force stuff, but some real passion about winning and losing and beating somebody. Not just having everything about getting some points for a championship...

•of course that passion may be magnified by the prism of reality TV editing

 

[TSK]

That's a really sad commentary as to the state of NHRA's TV draw, or lack thereof. A totally bogus show (Street Outlaws) versus a legitimate multi-million dollar sport.
There is no way the races shown on Street Outlaws are as illegal as the producers want viewers to believe.
They have some mighty powerful lights illuminating the "track". And it seems to be the same racing surface on every show.
I keep watching the show because some of those cars are really bad to the bone. But, I've seen enough of that truck and the big mouth kid.
They have a great track in Norman. I'd like to see some actual E.T.s, especially from that Monte Carlo.

 

[Paul]

I have 19 and 20 year old sons. They like cars but they won't watch an NHRA race with me on the tube.

They love Street Outlaws, its now one of their favorite shows and they are now offering to help me get my mothballed bracket car running again and are bugging me about when its going to happen, although unfortunately likely with half baked plans about street racing it.

The NHRA board has totally flubbed any kind of serious connection with or interest from today's youth. If something doesn't change the sport will die off along with its aging fans.

 

[sammi]

Any show that celebrates street racing has no place in my world.

 

[Nick Name]

Grudge style drag racing both 4 wheel and 2 wheel is where the younger people are. They seem to have no interest in NHRA style racing.

Don't know how much longer it will be until grudge is all there is.

 

[rckymtn3]

This discrepancy in viewer numbers has less to do with how NHRA is run, and more to do with the tastes and interests of Joe Average American.

Sad to say, but Joe Average American has made being better than average a whole lot easier these days.

Why else would a show like "The Universe" be TROUNCED by a semi-illiterate family boo-boo something or other, or Housewives of (Insert City Here).

We used to go to the Moon....

Now we celebrate a phone app.

 

[cephus]

imagine better ratings,, its cause wer tired of JFR,, and scooter riding and the other BS big teams,, same ole circle of drivers (circle jerk) we need another scotty cannon, whit bazemore people who aint PC,, the suits culdnt get the hint wat people want if it slapped em n the face

 

[Toejam]

The Discovery channel Street Outlaws show that follows street racers in Oklahoma is now drawing 4 times as many viewers as NHRA broadcasts:

TV Ratings: ‘Street Outlaws’ Topples NHRA Broadcasts - Dragzine

If the NHRA membership doesn't wake up at some point and force the current NHRA board members out the organization is going to keep drifting down, down, down.

The current NHRA board has totally blown it by not connecting with and drawing in younger racing enthusiasts, they've got to go.

What kind of cars are we talkin about?

 

[None]

imagine better ratings,, its cause wer tired of JFR,, and scooter riding and the other BS big teams,, same ole circle of drivers (circle jerk) we need another scotty cannon, whit bazemore people who aint PC,, the suits culdnt get the hint wat people want if it slapped em n the face

Did the Scotty Cannon freak show bring in or run off more fans to NHRA?

One vote for run off.

 

[StockersRock]

This discrepancy in viewer numbers has less to do with how NHRA is run, and more to do with the tastes and interests of Joe Average American.

Sad to say, but Joe Average American has made being better than average a whole lot easier these days.

Why else would a show like "The Universe" be TROUNCED by a semi-illiterate family boo-boo something or other, or Housewives of (Insert City Here).

We used to go to the Moon....

Now we celebrate a phone app.

Post of the year nominee.

 

[XPilot]

imagine better ratings,, its cause wer tired of JFR,, and scooter riding and the other BS big teams,, same ole circle of drivers (circle jerk) we need another scotty cannon, whit bazemore people who aint PC,, the suits culdnt get the hint wat people want if it slapped em n the face

I'm not sure that would do it.

Professional drag racing in its current form is sunk. The NHRA just doesn't have the ability to reach the populace is NASCAR does. Think about where the tracks are. I would bet that there are few addresses in the US that don't have a NASCRAP track within 3 hours of their front door. Not so for the NHRA.

If you use my house, I can be at Talladega within 2.5 hours. Commerce is the closest national event to me, and I'm looking at a 5 hour haul to get there. After Commerce I've got Indy and Bristol just over 6 hours away. Inside a 10 hour ring I can hit plenty of tracks. Joliet, Charlotte, Gainesville, Norwalk and Madison. Problem is towing a 5 year old, fuel, food, hotel, and tickets and I could go to the beach for a few days. It's simply out of reach.

Not so for NASCRAP. That'a day trip (not that I'm interested).

Obviously the situation is different for other people, but I'd bet anything that NASCRAP is simply more accessable for a larger amount of people than the NHRA is.

 

[handsome]

Any show that celebrates street racing has no place in my world.

winner!!!

if anyone has watched it, most these so called racers all have family's and most have admitted to skipping mortgage payments to be able to afford parts.....great! where will their families live when houses are foreclosed on.... .if they are lies to get an audience ....shows how much BS this show really is!

 

[Just Paul]

I watch the show...

I know a lot of it is staged and set up, but that's how all reality TV is.

The X275/10.5/Drag Radial/Pro Street etc. type racing is very popular these days. I think the show is drawing a lot of those guys becasue they can relate to having a Fox Body Mustang, Camaro, Nova whatever becasue that's what they are running themselves.

 

[Paul]

I'm old enough to remember that when US motorsports were discussed, the NHRA would be spoken in the same breath as NASCAR, NASCAR was #1 but the NHRA was in the conversation.

Since then through smart marketing moves NASCAR has grown nicely while the NHRA keeps sinking down.

Here's a prime example of smart marketing versus lame marketing:

NASCAR has always known that keeping the major auto manufacturers heavily involved was extremely important and they've done a great job of that.

One of the smartest things they've ever done was to woo and then land Toyota as a major contributor of both team support and marketing dollars.

This strong commitment from an import manufacturer forced Chevy and Ford's hands to also stay heavily involved in the sport.

In addition NASCAR gained many new young fans who own Toyota cars and trucks.

On the flip side the NHRA has totally blown relationships with both US and import auto manufacturers.

When the "fast and furious" import car modification and racing craze first hit, the NHRA had a golden opportunity to land both a whole new generation of new fans and also the commitment from some new deep pocket import auto manufacturers.

The NHRA had already developed a formula for this- give these young racers and fans a safe place to race and spectate and promote the races to develop some new young stars.
Then show the import manufactures that committing some marketing dollars to this activity will help sell more cars and get these deep pocket companies committed to the sport.

The NHRA should have developed a new Pro Stock formula that would have allowed these import cars to directly compete against Chevys, Fords and Mopars,
even if it would have required a staggered start. This would have generated tremendous controversy, but this is good, controversy generates press coverage
and fan interest and involvement.

Instead, as far as the NHRA is concerned its like this youth driven import car modification craze never even happened.

On top of that, with Ford leaving now the NHRA can't even demonstrate enough benefit to the US manufacturers for them to stay seriously involved with the sport.

Its past time to force a change in the NHRA board structure by restoring membership voting rights so new blood can be brought in to run the organization.

If a majority of current pro teams banded together to force this change I think it could happen. I'm no attorney but my best understanding of the
current business league non-profit status of the NHRA is that if a majority of the business owners that the organization is supposed to be servicing
are in agreement that the organization is not fulfilling its goals then an organizational change, such as restoring member voting rights, can be enforced.

Hopefully some day it will, if not the NHRA will keep moving backwards.

 

[cephus]

if I remember correct Cannon's pit was always full John I still love the sport but last nite I turned the channel haven't watched a full show n a while,,

 

[mike]

imagine better ratings,, its cause wer tired of JFR,, and scooter riding and the other BS big teams,, same ole circle of drivers (circle jerk) we need another scotty cannon, whit bazemore people who aint PC,, the suits culdnt get the hint wat people want if it slapped em n the face

no, NHRA needs some variety with the cars going down the track. The drivers shouldn't be more interesting than their cars. But when all the cars look, and more importantly act the same way, why should anybody care?

 

[SoCal Racer]

no, NHRA needs some variety with the cars going down the track. The drivers shouldn't be more interesting than their cars. But when all the cars look, and more importantly act the same way, why should anybody care?

DING DING DING! We have a winner. Remember that once upon a time it was "the cars are the stars"? I am a car guy first and foremost, and would wager that the majority of you guys (and gals) are too. To me driver personalities are secondary to what drag racing is about: cars. What got me interested in this sport was not the idiosyncrasies of drivers, but invention, innovation, and the myriad different ways of solving the problems of going quick and fast. Over the past decades we've watched the top classes morph into IROC-like cars (for those who don't know what IROC was, it was a road racing series where the cars were all prepared identically and driver skill was the only variable).

I'm a gearhead who wants cars and competition, not Ashley's cat, John's scooter, or Courtney's T&A. Well maybe the T&A ...

 

[cephus]

Mike & David I agree with u guys also, I miss the cars having names anything but wat we have

 

[FC138fan]

NASCAR has always known that keeping the major auto manufacturers heavily involved was extremely important and they've done a great job of that.

I was always under the impression NASCAR... similar to the NHRA, has gotten away from stock, thus the auto manufacturers involvement is limited to the decals on the side of the car... meaning the auto manufacturers are using NASCAR as a means to advertise. As you mentioned, NASCAR is always number 1... if I were an auto manufacturer, and I were going to continue involvement with NHRA or NASCAR, I'd choose NASCAR too. It's business.

...gained many new young fans who own Toyota cars and trucks. On the flip side the NHRA has totally blown relationships with both US and import auto manufacturers.

NHRA did involve Toyota.. Remember the Celica FC bodies? And what would a Toyota dragster look like? A regular dragster with a toyota sticker on it. A pro stock Toyota would have been cool.. but then again wouldn't it just be a pro stock car with a Toyota shell on it? What's the fun in that?

When the "fast and furious" import car modification and racing craze first hit, the NHRA had a golden opportunity to land both a whole new generation of new fans...

Fast and the Furious came out in 2001. From an article in 2001-"GLENDORA, Calif. - Ushering in a new era in the import drag racing scene, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) announced today, in cooperation with mail order giant Summit Racing Equipment, the formation of the NHRA Summit Import Drag Racing Series."

...would have required a staggered start.

How would that look... say WJ beats a Toyota with his Chevy... Toyota can't even win with a head start! What an embarrasment. And if they do win... they need a head start.. it's a lose lose.

I'm not trying to pick on you. Some of you folks on this board have got to realize not everyone likes NHRA or drag racing. The fan base is limited... even if everything were taylored to your liking, it is still limited. NASCAR for whatever reason is the biggest auto sport in America. As the biggest auto sport, it will attract auto manufactures dollars. That's just the way it is. NHRA's lack of popularity isn't 100% due to NHRA leadership decisions, a good portion of it is just because drag racing isn't very popular.

As for the ratings on that street outlaws show... its a show. A reality show... Its manufactured drama. That phrase sounds familiar... oh I get it! Kinda what the ESPN shows are doing by showcasing the drivers and the backstories... trying to manufacture drama and give people apparently what they want.

And if you really wanted to make a red light comparison... compare the NHRA ratings with Honey Boo Boo... 2.8 MILLION viewers. Seriously though... 300,000 viewers nationally is terrible, no wonder they're running at such odd times.

Brainerd, 3 weeks!