The end of drag racing. (1 Viewer)

[George.]

First, I believe these cars are now ticking time bombs, and we have witnessed this too many times the last couple of years. Having said that, I think the 1000 foot drag strip will be the beginning of a long, unmanageable downturn for the NHRA, so I hope this is just a short term option. Can you imagine what a 1000 foot race will look like on TV? Not a lot of excitement to draw sponsorship to an already sponsorship starved sport.
There are many other, better suited options to improve safety. Granted, these other options are not an instant overnight safety measure, and I applaud the NHRA for making this change instantly to insure our drivers are safer tomorrow..
In the 2009 season, I would hope that NHRA takes a serious look at alternative measures, rather than changing the foundation of drag racing itself.

All one needs to do is look back to see what brought us from 5.5 second cars to 4.5 second cars. Aerodynamics, fuel pumps, ignitions, set back blowers. Also, possible limiting CID, shortening up the dragsters, etc. Any limitations of a combination of these technologies would bring cars back doiwn to earth. I wouild also look at a 2 year program and institute a "COT" mandate in our sport. Removing a few of these latest power makers would dramatically slow down the cars, and still allow 1/4 mile distances that our sport needs to stay viable..

Next, I would totally strip away an NHRA event from any track that doesn't provide a mandated shut down area. I think the safety net tracks should have had a "do it or lose it' mandate after the Doug Kerhulas injury in Columbus
Racing at OBTRWP in it's current format should end in 2008.
I hope a solution is found so an afternoon at the track isn't just a 3 second burst of nothing.

In the words of C.K. Spurlock, this is showbusiness. Without the show, there is no business..

 

[ramblerjay]

this whole situation is a very slippery slope. there is no easy answer. i think we can all agree that it is ridiculous to be putting memorial stickers on cars seemingly year after year. on the other hand, changing the fundamentals of the sport will undoubtedly cause the loss of traditionalist fans, possibly sponsors, and possibly tv audience. hopefully it doesn't lead to the demise of the nhra. there is always a possibility that 1000 ft may not hurt anything. we simply don't know.

in my opinion, they need to either move out of tracks that cannot expand the shutdown area a significant amount with additional soft barriers at the end, or at the very least, reduce to 1000ft at those tracks. the tracks that can make safety adaptations should keep the 1320 events.

this is definitely a new age in drag racing, exactly as nascar became after the death of dale earnhardt.

 

[Demon]

I think the fuel cars need to get back to what I call "basics". On the F/C's,as mentioned several times, a body that can be recognized to the manufacturer,1 mag,small pump and blower with OD restrictions.With the dragsters,same deal on engine,and pull those god awful phone towers off the back,go smaller and shorter.

Some have said that's what nostalgia fuel racing is for...well it's time to get back to basics,whether it's nostalgia or not,and keep the track at 1320 ft.

 

[Spanky]

NHRA needs to drop the bs idea of selling a business monopoly to 'official suppliers' too... it is deadly to the sport and the drivers.

agree with your post whole-heartedly george

 

[NHRADeuce]

I love how everyone has all the answers -- that are going to cost track owners and team owners millions of dollars.

Just how do you suppose they should add length to a track like Pomona? Right, you can't. Better take Pomona off the schedule, who cares about 40+ years of drag racing history.

Let's just mandate all new cars! That's the answer! That should leave DSR, JFR, and the Kalittas racing. **** all those other teams who can't afford to make massive changes right in the middle of the season.

How about we all whine and cry about the decision - THAT THE RACERS AND TEAM OWNERS WANTED - that is going to cost about $20 per track to implement and will server as a temporary answer that is fair to anyone who actually has some skin in the game.

Real drag racing fans don't care if the race is 1320', 660', 922' or 1000'. I have an idea for a t-shirt - I like my drivers ALIVE.

 

[camaro]

I think George touched on a key point and that is how it looks on TV. If u ever watched 1/8th mile racing on the tube, it looks like a joke. From a standpoint of watching dragracing on TV, ¼ mile is already not a very long distance and to the casual sports fan may not be very engaging and shortening the distance will make it even less interesting.

 

[NHRADeuce]

Good point. The casual sports fan will totally be able to tell the difference between runs that are .5 seconds different. I bet they will totally be able to tell the difference between 330 and 300 too. I bet no one will even watch the Denver race it's going to suck so bad. Well, no one but the people who actually love to watch drag racing.

 

[Rich]

...Real drag racing fans don't care if the race is 1320', 660', 922' or 1000'.

I hope you don't mind if I ask, but who was it exactly that appointed you Commissar of Real Drag Racing Fans? I mean do you know it for a fact that "real drag racing fans don't care if the race is 1320', 660', 922' or 1000'"? If so, I'd like to see the data that backs your claim.

 

[NHRADeuce]

I don't mind you asking at all. It's called common sense. It's really not all that hard to understand. Given the option of watching 280' racing or none at all, a real fan will watch the racing. JMHO.

 

[cp]

I hope you don't mind if I ask, but who was it exactly that appointed you Commissar of Real Drag Racing Fans? I mean do you know it for a fact that "real drag racing fans don't care if the race is 1320', 660', 922' or 1000'"? If so, I'd like to see the data that backs your claim.

Most of us down here don't. As even as being a "SPORTSMAN" racer, if you're a true drag racing fan, you'll watch it. We run 1320, 660, and there's a track in Montgomery (or somewhere's in Alabama we go to) that we race at, and it's only 600 feet. If you truly love the sport, you won't complain.

 

[Marchboom]

Real drag racing fans don't care if the race is 1320', 660', 922' or 1000'.

Yeah...we do care that the track is 1320'. Don't put all REAL drag racing fans in one group.

I'm ok with the decision to shorten the track UNTIL they find out how to stop these cars safely. But then lets go back to the 1/4 mile. What's next after 1000'? 660'? The car has to stay on the track for some time period.

 

[Gary H]

I must not be a true fan because there's now WAY I'd pay the $60+ for a ticket for a national event to watch 1/8 mile racing. I'll stick with the divisional races where the race will last more than 3 heart beats.

 

[Rexfiles]

I must not be a true fan because there's now WAY I'd pay the $60+ for a ticket for a national event to watch 1/8 mile racing. I'll stick with the divisional races where the race will last more than 3 heart beats.

LOL, yeah 3.5 heart beats

REX

 

[Bobby]

I don't mind you asking at all. It's called common sense. It's really not all that hard to understand. Given the option of watching 280' racing or none at all, a real fan will watch the racing. JMHO.

YEah I see all those football fans filling up the arenas to watch indoor football. It's just as big as the NFL.

And I think the NFL should go to that format. HAve the super bowl in a hockey rink. No one will notice. They are 'real fans'

Your attitude is condescending Brent. Real fans do know the difference. It's the real die hard fans that went to their first race 38 years ago like me that are having a hard time with this.


Real die hards like me that are flying across the country to see something other than the gators for a change this year. To see funny cars race at night for the first time since the 1970's.

I mean, they are still going to qualify friday night right? I've heard a lot of complaints about night racing the last few years, will that be the next to go?

Slow the damn cars down if they are too fast. Period. Keep the 1320, keep the night racing. Slow the cars down, or lose me as a fan.

 

[George.]

I don't mind you asking at all. It's called common sense. It's really not all that hard to understand. Given the option of watching 280' racing or none at all, a real fan will watch the racing. JMHO.

But will you real "fans" buy enough "Old Spice", and other much needed sponsors merchandise to keep them investing in the NHRA? I think we know the answer to that..
No sponsorship ROI, no sponsorship and no NHRA.
Like it or not, the sports health depends on the casual, non attending fans who watch TV and are motivated to buy the sponsor's product. If it doesn't look go on TV, there will not be an NHRA in our future.. . Plain and simple business. IMHO, I can tell you that 1,000' drag racing won't get it done. It'll look like some kind of bad monster truck drag race in the Astrodome. One second of throttle, and it's over..ESPN and others could drop it like a hot potato, and the NHRA will lose one non sponsored race team after another.

Brent, shall we ditch Pomona because they can't extend the shut down?
Yes, we do.
For years, these cars have been getting quicker and faster, this situation is just starting to show it's disasterous results from years of ignorance.
Well, now it's here...
Will the NHRA dump their unsafe, cash cow tracks like Pomona? That'll be the litmus test of just how much vision Graham Light really has.. Either they dump it, or they come up with some serious top end safety measures to save lives. Places like Englishtown? That track shouldn't have another fuel car run it's course.

 

[Stevens24]

It seems from everything I read the time difference will be .5-.7 seconds. If this is the case I don't see the "casual fan noticing" Drag racing to me is like hockey TV does not do it justice.

I hope this is the temporary solution for this season, And i think it is, and I would rather have this for a little bit than some hair brained quick fix to the top end that we find out the hard way doesn't work. NHRA is a niche sport, like it or not. I feel this to shall pass.

 

[__]

Just a couple thoughts. We all want the same things - to watch a competitive drag race that ends with the drivers' safely coming to a stop. From that point it seems like we're all over the map.

Do the fuel cars and tracks represent an unnecessary level of risk?
The teams seem to think so. The loses of Darrell, Eric, and Scott added with John, Del and Tony all having big crashes seems to say so. Some people say, "suck it up and race." I won't go to a race ever again under those conditions. I love racing. There's a lot of racing outside of the NHRA. I'll go to a series that values a driver's safety. Your mileage may vary.

If the cars and tracks represent an unnecessary risk, how to you fix that?
What is a fan going to suggest that the racers haven't already thought of? I don't know. I will ask a couple questions that maybe you can help me with?
- Why are parachutes not made of a more burn resistant material? Can you deploy them in a way that they won't get tangled up? If you could do that 100% of the time, the shutdown areas would be less important.

- You can cut the tracks to 1000 ft racing. Fine by me if it means Tommy, Melanie and Larry have a better chance of going home at the end of the day. If you can't lengthen all tracks, can you make the shutdown areas run uphill? Uphill enough to really help slow a race car? Can you make the whole track run uphill so that the track could help slow the car effectively?

Can you raise the money to implement whatever measures you think would make the tracks safer?
I loved ETown on Friday, June 20th. Now, I'll never be able to go there again without thinking of Scott. I still want to see racing at ETown. How's about you have a 'buy a brick' campaign or something. I'll put my $ where my mouth is. I want drag racing to be safer; safer so that no driver has to have their last will and testament in order before they go racing. Maybe that's unrealistic but it doesn't change my desire. Show me your care about these racers like the vast majority of fans do. We'll be right there with you.

Can you market a sport that now has obvious performance-limiting measures taken?
NHRA's advertisements center on 330mph, 8000hp, fire breathing monsters. What happens if they don't go 330 and don't make 8000 hp? In 1988, Bill Elliott took the pole at Talladega averaging over 212mph. This year, Joe Nemechek took the pole at 187.386mph; 11% slower than 20 years ago. NASCAR found a way to make their sport interesting to people. F1 has likewise cut performance. I'm not saying drag racing has to be NASCAR or F1 but I do think there's something to be learned there. I think there's a lot more to drag racing than big numbers on a scoreboard. My two cents...

 

[Paul]

Just a couple thoughts. We all want the same things - to watch a competitive drag race that ends with the drivers' safely coming to a stop. From that point it seems like we're all over the map.

Do the fuel cars and tracks represent an unnecessary level of risk?
The teams seem to think so. The loses of Darrell, Eric, and Scott added with John, Del and Tony all having big crashes seems to say so. Some people say, "suck it up and race." I won't go to a race ever again under those conditions. I love racing. There's a lot of racing outside of the NHRA. I'll go to a series that values a driver's safety. Your mileage may vary.

If the cars and tracks represent an unnecessary risk, how to you fix that?
What is a fan going to suggest that the racers haven't already thought of? I don't know. I will ask a couple questions that maybe you can help me with?
- Why are parachutes not made of a more burn resistant material? Can you deploy them in a way that they won't get tangled up? If you could do that 100% of the time, the shutdown areas would be less important.

- You can cut the tracks to 1000 ft racing. Fine by me if it means Tommy, Melanie and Larry have a better chance of going home at the end of the day. If you can't lengthen all tracks, can you make the shutdown areas run uphill? Uphill enough to really help slow a race car? Can you make the whole track run uphill so that the track could help slow the car effectively?

Can you raise the money to implement whatever measures you think would make the tracks safer?
I loved ETown on Friday, June 20th. Now, I'll never be able to go there again without thinking of Scott. I still want to see racing at ETown. How's about you have a 'buy a brick' campaign or something. I'll put my $ where my mouth is. I want drag racing to be safer; safer so that no driver has to have their last will and testament in order before they go racing. Maybe that's unrealistic but it doesn't change my desire. Show me your care about these racers like the vast majority of fans do. We'll be right there with you.

Can you market a sport that now has obvious performance-limiting measures taken?
NHRA's advertisements center on 330mph, 8000hp, fire breathing monsters. What happens if they don't go 330 and don't make 8000 hp? In 1988, Bill Elliott took the pole at Talladega averaging over 212mph. This year, Joe Nemechek took the pole at 187.386mph; 11% slower than 20 years ago. NASCAR found a way to make their sport interesting to people. F1 has likewise cut performance. I'm not saying drag racing has to be NASCAR or F1 but I do think there's something to be learned there. I think there's a lot more to drag racing than big numbers on a scoreboard. My two cents...

Very good post!!! Thanks Charles

 

[Gipraw]

As a rabid fan, and a very casual weekend racer my feelings are simple.

I would rather watch a 250 mph 5.5 second run @ 1,320 than a 300 mph 4.0 sec run @ 1,000.


As an employee of a company that spends significant dollars in sports marketing (none in drag racing), I would be extremely concerned about a long term solution that shortened the amount of time my name was being exposed to the fans by 15 - 20 %.

My feelings are that the issue is not the distance of the race, be it 1/8, 1,000 or a full 1,320, but the speed and amount of time the car is under power.



1,000 seems to be the best short term answer, but the NHRA better come up with a better long term solution, or it will end up hurting the sport. imo.

 

[NHRADeuce]

But will you real "fans" buy enough "Old Spice", and other much needed sponsors merchandise to keep them investing in the NHRA? I think we know the answer to that..
No sponsorship ROI, no sponsorship and no NHRA.
Like it or not, the sports health depends on the casual, non attending fans who watch TV and are motivated to buy the sponsor's product. If it doesn't look go on TV, there will not be an NHRA in our future.. . Plain and simple business. IMHO, I can tell you that 1,000' drag racing won't get it done. It'll look like some kind of bad monster truck drag race in the Astrodome. One second of throttle, and it's over..ESPN and others could drop it like a hot potato, and the NHRA will lose one non sponsored race team after another.

Brent, shall we ditch Pomona because they can't extend the shut down?
Yes, we do.
For years, these cars have been getting quicker and faster, this situation is just starting to show it's disasterous results from years of ignorance.
Well, now it's here...
Will the NHRA dump their unsafe, cash cow tracks like Pomona? That'll be the litmus test of just how much vision Graham Light really has.. Either they dump it, or they come up with some serious top end safety measures to save lives. Places like Englishtown? That track shouldn't have another fuel car run it's course.

First of all, you have no idea what 1000' racing is going to look like on TV because you've never seen it. 1/8 mile drags drag huge crowds every weekend all over the country and cars as fast as Pro Mod race on it more often than 1/4 mile.

Maybe you didn't know this, but "bad monster truck drag race at the astrodome" also draw huge crowds, enough to support a huge tour that has already had over 100 events this year.

Do we ditch Pomona? Home of the Winternats and the World Finals? You guys are freaking out about changing the length of the track, I am sure that would go over well. Last time I checked, there are very few tracks built for 330 mph and other than Bruton Smith, no one is really building any more. If changing the race length to 1000' save otherwise perfectly suitable facilities without anyone spending a dime other than paying Jeff Foster to install an extra cone then I am all for it.

Forgive me if I sound condescending, but it seriously pisses me off when the drivers who strap themselves in to these land missiles and the crew chiefs who tune them are greeted with "pussifying the sport", "returning my tickets", "The end of drag racing" and "Slow the cars down, or lose me as a fan". They are the ones who are risking their lives and who have to wash the blood off their hands when the unthinkable happens. I think I will defer to the experts on this one.