Street Outlaws has 4 times more TV viewers than NHRA

[Paul]

Paul,

What kind of format do you think it would take for the Street Outlaw stars to agree to walk onto an NHRA property and participate?

Do you think they would agree to abide by strict safety rules, such as certified chassis and cages, belts that need to be changed out on a certain date, containment components such as clutch cans, diapers, etc? Also, firesuits (if needed) and certified helmets? You'll note I didn't even touch class divisions/rules.

Do you think these drivers' fans would consider them "sellouts" if they DID start participating in an NHRA sanctioned event?

How do you think the NHRA should react if these same drivers are found to be still participating in illegal street outlaw activity?

David, those are all valid points but I think they are manageable. I don't know any of these guys so below is all just speculation but here's one possible scenerio.

Regarding chassis inspection and safety, most of the cars participating in the OK group also run these same cars occasionally at licensed tracks. Safety is important to these guys and I believe the cars are built to current safety specs.

Probably the biggest one is clearly these racers would have to agree to move off the streets and they may not want to do that.

But if the "Outlaw" format was well thought out and promoted and the incentives were there for them to do it I would be surprised if they wouldn't consider it.

I think that they have to realize that there own growing success racing on the streets will ultimately force them off those same streets. If this craze keeps growing eventually the law enforcement agencies will have to start coming down on it harder and harder and there won't be anywhere left to face.

So this could be a double win. The Street Outlaws racers get a chance to keep growing what they started without it getting prematurely shut down and the NHRA gets a boost in fan interest along with fulfilling their primary mission of getting drag racing off the streets and on to the tracks.

There are challenges, such as keep the "grass roots" nature and street racing attitude alive in a track environment.

But I think smart marketing guys could actually pull this off. Its actually very analogous to the growth of rap music. Part of its original appeal was that it came from outside the traditional music industry with tapes being sold out of the trunks of cars. But the record companies and early rap artists were smart and creative and figured out how to cleverly package and promote it without losing its "street level" appeal.

I think the same approach could work with promoting Outlaw racing at NHRA events. Radio ads blaring out "MURDER NOVA IS COMING TO TOWN" along with callouts from those drivers against local racers would draw in the fans, I don't they're not going to come because its not a street race, look how many people came to the Thunder Valley track on Saturday.

Unfortunately it will never happen in a million years with the current NHRA board in place which is a real shame. Its a golden opportunity to get drag racing fan interest moving forward again.

 

[None]

Paul,

What kind of format do you think it would take for the Street Outlaw stars to agree to walk onto an NHRA property and participate?

Do you think they would agree to abide by strict safety rules, such as certified chassis and cages, belts that need to be changed out on a certain date, containment components such as clutch cans, diapers, etc? Also, firesuits (if needed) and certified helmets? You'll note I didn't even touch class divisions/rules.

Do you think these drivers' fans would consider them "sellouts" if they DID start participating in an NHRA sanctioned event?

How do you think the NHRA should react if these same drivers are found to be still participating in illegal street outlaw activity?

Don't think it would ever happen. At least until the NHRA stops treating the Sportsman teams and the lower ranking Pro teams as bad as they do.

 

[Nick Name]

Grudge racing has nothing to gain by being affiliated with NHRA

 

[Bob]

Perhaps someone here can explain the differences between Street Outlaws and the NHRA Unleashed class Outlaw Street.

I'd also like to know which traditional sportsman class(es) should be dropped from NHRA national events to accommodate Street Outlaws.

Would they have their own class sponsorship deal to pay their purses or would they pay $300 each to enter the event with the winner pocketing $1,500?

 

[Nick Name]

Grudge racing is all betting. There is no established purse, just the win of the bet.

When you get lawyers and insurance companies involved, it just wouldn't work.

 

[TSK]

Back in the early ‘70s, either Hot Rod or Car Craft magazine said (paraphrasing) “The year 2000 will probably not see organized drag racing.”
Yet, here we are in 2013 and organized drag racing is still going on. True, interest seems to be dropping all time. However, there are many factors that will probably bring an end to racing.
The one theme constantly being hit on here is NHRA needs to do something to get the younger generation involved. But, with drag strips closing at an all too high rate, there are fewer and fewer venues for that to happen.
It’s not going to be NHRA that causes racing to cease. It’s going to be lawyers, insurance companies and the knuckleheads who move next to a long established track and successfully lobby to get the track shut down because of the noise.
With tracks getting farther away from the population centers, and with gasoline getting more expensive by the day, today’s young people aren’t going to drive any distance over an hour away to pay $25, or more, just to make a couple of passes down the track.
In spite of the stock market hitting new highs, the economy is still weak. Because of that, big-time sponsorship money is harder and harder to find. When top-flight racers like Erica Enders-Stevens, Warren and Kurt Johnson, Larry Dixon, and others whose names escape me, can’t get enough money to race, that proves how tight potential sponsors are with their money.
And, the fact NHRA has to pay ESPN to air their races certainly does not help NHRA attract sponsors. If drag racing were popular with a large segment of the population, ESPN would be paying NHRA for the privilege of showing the races.
It’s easy to blame the NHRA for drag racing’s problems. Goodness knows I’ve been very critical of NHRA for years.
But, they are merely the easy scapegoat. Most of drag racing’s problems are actually caused by numerous issues out of NHRA’s control. It’s those problems that need to be addressed if we are to see racing survive and thrive.

 

[Larry]

Street race in many communities and you go to jail and lose your ride .
In Houston they will ticket you for carrying a hazardous substance if you have a Nitrous Bottle in your car .
Requires a permit .

 

[NYNitro86]

Back in the early ‘70s, either Hot Rod or Car Craft magazine said (paraphrasing) “The year 2000 will probably not see organized drag racing.”
Yet, here we are in 2013 and organized drag racing is still going on. True, interest seems to be dropping all time. However, there are many factors that will probably bring an end to racing.
The one theme constantly being hit on here is NHRA needs to do something to get the younger generation involved. But, with drag strips closing at an all too high rate, there are fewer and fewer venues for that to happen.
It’s not going to be NHRA that causes racing to cease. It’s going to be lawyers, insurance companies and the knuckleheads who move next to a long established track and successfully lobby to get the track shut down because of the noise.
With tracks getting farther away from the population centers, and with gasoline getting more expensive by the day, today’s young people aren’t going to drive any distance over an hour away to pay $25, or more, just to make a couple of passes down the track.
In spite of the stock market hitting new highs, the economy is still weak. Because of that, big-time sponsorship money is harder and harder to find. When top-flight racers like Erica Enders-Stevens, Warren and Kurt Johnson, Larry Dixon, and others whose names escape me, can’t get enough money to race, that proves how tight potential sponsors are with their money.
And, the fact NHRA has to pay ESPN to air their races certainly does not help NHRA attract sponsors. If drag racing were popular with a large segment of the population, ESPN would be paying NHRA for the privilege of showing the races.
It’s easy to blame the NHRA for drag racing’s problems. Goodness knows I’ve been very critical of NHRA for years.
But, they are merely the easy scapegoat. Most of drag racing’s problems are actually caused by numerous issues out of NHRA’s control. It’s those problems that need to be addressed if we are to see racing survive and thrive.

You'd also think with NHRA being the lone Motorsports entity on ESPN once NASCAR goes bye bye for Fox & NBC. That ESPN would save $$$$ and maybe (I await the never ending laughter here) pay NHRA instead the other way around. NHRA's price is nowhere near NASCAR's Price. It's a drop in the bucket.

Grudge racing is all betting. There is no established purse, just the win of the bet.

When you get lawyers and insurance companies involved, it just wouldn't work.

This
Who Scared Of Whoo!! - YouTube

"The Honey Badger" Stevie Jackson ADRL Pro Nitrous/Pro Drag Radial

One thing that I feel like NHRA is missing---no true "characters" as in the sports past. Just a driver reading off the same canned sponsor mentions like in NASCAR. The Allison brothers fight on the backstretch at Daytona probably did more to boost NASCAR from a small southern series into the national spotlight than any other single event. I still remember a reporter sticking a live mic in front of Dale Sr after Ricky Rudd wrecked him at a short track. He asked him what happened and his reply was "The bast*rd wrecked me---cant you see?". Imagine if a pro drag racer said the same thing? Can you spell FINE. Even today NASCAR has Tony Stewart and the Busch bros (who have been calmed down considerably) to add a little spice to the series. I realize you cant have a "free for all" on track or off, but even NASCAR realized that a certain amount of "passion" should come forth out of the drivers and backed off the clamp they had on them. To me, that is why reality shows are so popular. Viewers like to see folks get mad, say what they think, and occasionally slap the sh*t out of somebody. Drives the PC Police crazy. But it is just human nature.

Even Travis Kvapil & Danica. Listen to Travis on the Communications when they wrecked at Pocono and then his Twitter comment where he mentions #FIBS (Offensive acronym for Illinois natives).

 

[Muddy]

I'm 69 years old and I attended my first street race in Oklahoma City at the age of 14. Back in the 60s and 70s we used to trailer our cars to a local drive in cafe, decide who and for how much and where. Still happening today. Until recently 75 or 80 cars would meet in a car wash parking lot after midnight and go race. It's not getting smaller was just as popular then as today. Once saw a 55 chevy show up with a blown and injected hemi with a semi large load of pop.

 

[Baron]

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.

NAZICAR shut down PPIR as a spectator facility and pulled their races. They have none in the Mountain Time Zone. There is something else they don't have and never will: any of my money.

 

[Baron]

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.

Vote # 2 for post of the year.

 

[Muddy]

Just read their contract was renewed for a second season.

 

[rocketman]

If the young people prefer old souped up bracket bomber to top fuel and funny cars why are the stands empty when those types of car are running and full when top fuel and funny cars are racing?

I think this type of show is going to encourage deadly street racing and make what we do look bad when it happens. I have google news set to the word drag racing and half the time it's about an illegal street race gone bad and guess what the media calls it...drag racing and drag racers. NHRA NEEDS TO BE ON THEIR TOES BECAUSE THIS HURTS US!

 

[rckymtn3]

This
Who Scared Of Whoo!! - YouTube

Three words....

Major Drama Queens

 

[HEMI6point1]

One thing that I feel like NHRA is missing---no true "characters" as in the sports past. Just a driver reading off the same canned sponsor mentions like in NASCAR. The Allison brothers fight on the backstretch at Daytona probably did more to boost NASCAR from a small southern series into the national spotlight than any other single event. I still remember a reporter sticking a live mic in front of Dale Sr after Ricky Rudd wrecked him at a short track. He asked him what happened and his reply was "The bast*rd wrecked me---cant you see?". Imagine if a pro drag racer said the same thing? Can you spell FINE. Even today NASCAR has Tony Stewart and the Busch bros (who have been calmed down considerably) to add a little spice to the series. I realize you cant have a "free for all" on track or off, but even NASCAR realized that a certain amount of "passion" should come forth out of the drivers and backed off the clamp they had on them. To me, that is why reality shows are so popular. Viewers like to see folks get mad, say what they think, and occasionally slap the sh*t out of somebody. Drives the PC Police crazy. But it is just human nature.

Depends on what "spice" you want to see. Showing emotion and maybe calling out someone? Sure. Fisticuffs because you're a sore loser? Nope, let's leave that to NASCRAP thank you very much....

 

[Larry jr.]

The real difference is this, with the reality shows you are seeing planned scriped, re-take BS that was filmed 18 months ago for TV and is an insult to anyone with a tool box or race car .

With NHRA drag racing you are seeing race teams competing for a champoinship.

I guess with the Street Outlaws you can see them in re-runs over and over, and over, and never get sick of them, right?.

 

[Mooseman]

I wonder what the ratings were like when it was Diamond P with Steve Evans and Dave Mcclelland. The broadcasts were far better then todays.

 

[TSK]

I wonder what the ratings were like when it was Diamond P with Steve Evans and Dave Mcclelland. The broadcasts were far better than todays.

So was the racing.

 

[d'kid]

I wonder what the ratings were like when it was Diamond P with Steve Evans and Dave Mcclelland. The broadcasts were far better then todays.

Didn't matter... Taped delay, sometimes weeks later... and diamond P was owned by one of the Four Founding Fathers...

 

[NYNitro86]

Three words....

Major Drama Queens

Stevie Fast is gold here "anything ya'll got, I got the Baddest ***** in the world and it's sittin over there and ready to go"

And boy he does. "Honey Badger Don't give a ****! "