Time for a shorter event? (1 Viewer)

[Nunz]

I was thinking, after reading the attendance thread, that maybe, given the times we're in, it's time for a shorter national event weekend. To me, there is very little drama surrounding pro qualifying like years ago. Instead of wondering if one, or several, of the big names will be left out, we're often glad to see a full field. I'm actually very pleased that we have full fields for the most part, and some privateers are getting to see more action. But, do we really need FOUR qualifying runs these days? What if we had 1 day of qualifying, 2 runs, and eliminations day, maybe a Fri-Sat deal with Sunday as a rain date. It would probably save a ton of money and wear and tear for many teams, and crowds wouldn't be diluted over 3 days. I don't know, maybe it's time to re-package a bit. Just a thought...

 

[FC138fan]

Keep the Fri & Sat sessions (two each day) but an 8 car eliminations field, and another couple of classes (make pro mod a regular class, and maybe nitro bikes, or a nostalgia class (IHRA has a nostalgia funnycar class that looks awesome)). This would bring the drama back to qualifying, and not necessarily cut down on entries and add a variety of classes to keep the stands fuller. This would make the race even better in my opinion.

 

[Nunz]

I wouldn't want to cut the fields for the sake of creating drama. Fortunately, even in tough economic times, for the most part we get full fields. I think the drama now is rooting for some of the underdogs, like Chrisman, Haddock, Strasburg, etc., to take out a big name and go a round or two. And it does happen.

 

[FC138fan]

I like you like to root for the underdogs in round 1... but it seems recently round 1 is pretty boring, with cars like Schu, Dixon, Cory Mac, Antron, Bernstein, usually kalitta, grubnic, and lucas winning first round. Cutting the field to 8 would save money in that they don't have to run that typical 1st round where is is typically a big budget team vs a smaller team with typically a slim to none chance of winning. The fans wouldn't get less of a show either if you add a couple other exciting classes to watch. And qualifying would be run just as normal, maybe even more action trying to pack in a few extra classes.

 

[Muddy]

Although I normally don't have a lot to say on here I'll put my .02 cents in and everyone can just pile on.

Eliminate all sportsman classes except alcohol funny car, dragster and top dragster. Add 8 car fields of pro mod, nostalgia funny car and fuel dragster. Run every thing on a 1000' track. Of course they would have to pay all the classes enough to encourage participation.

Run 3 rounds of qualifing on Friday afternoon and evening with perhaps a fuel altered show or something to fill in any dead spots. Run eliminations on Saturday afternoon and evening with again a bought in show to help fill in. Dead spots are not totally a bad thing if handled properly and scheduled. It gives people a chance to go to the concession stands, rest rooms, vendor trailers and walk around the pits.

Televise the whole thing on saturday evening keeping the program to 2 1/2 hours. Eliminate some of the stupid crud.

Ok its time for everyone to start picking on my idea and thats good but only if you have an idea of your own and are willing to express it. Just critizing without offering anything makes you look ........!

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[nitrobobby]

friday nights under the light is great! saturday- smoking tires on a hot track not so cool. either have 2nd day under the lights qualifying or start the eliminations on sat only-sunday as rain day- . with the short fields there is no drama on who gets in . ihra has a 2 day event -with this schedule

 

[d'kid]

John, Great Idea...

Friday, 1PM, 4PM, and 7PM. Don't forget the Wheelstanders and a pair of Jets.

Saturday, Start the Normal Show at Noon, add the fillers as needed...

Carry on.....

d'kid

 

[Dave]

John, Great Idea...

Friday, 1PM, 4PM, and 7PM. Don't forget the Wheelstanders and a pair of Jets.

Saturday, Start the Normal Show at Noon, add the fillers as needed...

Carry on.....

d'kid

All sounds great in theory until you have a few grenades in the nitro ranks and ensuing 45 min clean ups.. now you're an hour and a half behind schedule and that's just session one... a couple more in the now 5:30 session and you start cutting classes from running. Hell there goes session 3 completely if you're at sonoma and have a curfew. I think NHRA does one great job getting their events done in a timely fashion with all of the variables they have to deal with at any given moment. I do miss the days of let's just run til we're done. Memphis 1999 is an example.. How about since it rained so much.. instead of "let's come back next weekend", we qualify sunday morning and still run the race? Or events in Topeka and St. Louis that didn't finish until 1-2am respectively. That's a race, not a show.

 

[Muddy]

All sounds great in theory until you have a few grenades in the nitro ranks and ensuing 45 min clean ups.. now you're an hour and a half behind schedule and that's just session one... a couple more in the now 5:30 session and you start cutting classes from running. Hell there goes session 3 completely if you're at sonoma and have a curfew. I think NHRA does one great job getting their events done in a timely fashion with all of the variables they have to deal with at any given moment. I do miss the days of let's just run til we're done. Memphis 1999 is an example.. How about since it rained so much.. instead of "let's come back next weekend", we qualify sunday morning and still run the race? Or events in Topeka and St. Louis that didn't finish until 1-2am respectively. That's a race, not a show.

So factor in 30 min to an hour of nothing between each qualfying session. That allows everyone to go to the pits, vendor trailers, concession stands etc. if everything goes according to schedule. If not you have some time built in you can use to get back on schedule. It's not like we're taking medicine or something as long as we finish before the curfew. Those races with a curfew can start earlier.

I'll bet they NHRA could guess very close to how much time it will take before the first race using this format. I didn't say it was perfect but it's a start. Do you have a better idea?

 

[Reese]

Although I normally don't have a lot to say on here I'll put my .02 cents in and everyone can just pile on.

Eliminate all sportsman classes except alcohol funny car, dragster and top dragster. Add 8 car fields of pro mod, nostalgia funny car and fuel dragster. Run every thing on a 1000' track. Of course they would have to pay all the classes enough to encourage participation.

Run 3 rounds of qualifing on Friday afternoon and evening with perhaps a fuel altered show or something to fill in any dead spots. Run eliminations on Saturday afternoon and evening with again a bought in show to help fill in. Dead spots are not totally a bad thing if handled properly and scheduled. It gives people a chance to go to the concession stands, rest rooms, vendor trailers and walk around the pits.

Televise the whole thing on saturday evening keeping the program to 2 1/2 hours. Eliminate some of the stupid crud.

Ok its time for everyone to start picking on my idea and thats good but only if you have an idea of your own and are willing to express it. Just critizing without offering anything makes you look ........!

Just my 2 cents worth.

Then it would look almost like IHRA national event.

 

[rocketman]

If you are going to shorten the pro qualifying then you need to shorten some other things that support it. My vote is rid the pro show of pro Stock Motorcycle and super comp as well as super street in the sportsman classes.

 

[Taunsie]

It very well maybe time for a complete revamp. I was invited to a meeting several years ago where a few racers, manufactures, sponsors, and NHRA officials attended. Wally Parks calrdl the meeting and I am not sure if he even mentioned it to the "brass" until a day or two prior to the meeting. After a bit of discussions I made the commet" you guys have to figure out if you are a racing association or an entertainment company" Often the two do not mix well. if you are concentrating on the tradition ladder elimination concept your "show deteriorates" as the day progresses. Or imagine a family of four driving for hours and spending hundreds to see "thir hero" whoever that may be, and they do not qualify for one reason on another. NASCAR figures a way to get thier stars on the track Sunday. On the racer side I said" this is the only place I know of where the clowns pay to get into the circus"
Four rounds of qualifing to provide good entertainment and not a penny of compensation. The only fuel entries than make a dime from NHRA are the low funded teams that sqweek in with a single run and lose first round, after that is is a diminishing return, even the winner will not recover his costs from the purse. I was on a flight returning to LA from Indy and the guy next to me as returning from a PGA tour event where he came in somewhere in the 50ish spot. He was complaining that he only made $30,000 , had to pay his caddy 10% and his travel costs were over $5.000.00. I told him that John Force had just won the Bud Shootout , Won Indy, had low et and top time and he won almost $250,000 one of the biggest pay outs to that time. Hmm, "I won that much coming in 5th at the Hawaii Open earlier this year,

Many of our racers and spectators are self employed business owners in many industries, thier incomes are down and the are expecting a major tax increase in the near future, All of these combinations sure point to tougher times in the near future, NHRA may want to try a different format, schedule for a few early races next year, or they may find themselves looking for a bailout. Tough Times require tough decisions

 

[Mooseman]

Maybe I view things different then most but the ladder eliminator format is very exiting in my oppinion. For example 16 cars face off car versus car, man versus man team versus team each round a car wins leaving the opponent in his or her dust round by round eliminating the compitition untill the last round where it is the 2 guys left the 2 that come out on top battling it out only one will win and then they race and one wins and the man or women comes out on top in their class at that race.

I have never been to an nhra race but I live in another country can't really fault me on that but the spectacle is great and all big burnouts noise fire thats awesome but the racing is where its at maybe if more people loved the racing aspect of the sport more people may find it exciting. Maybe my passion for this sport is rare. The racing is where its at for me.

 

[mick]

...............On the racer side I said" this is the only place I know of where the clowns pay to get into the circus"
Four rounds of qualifing to provide good entertainment and not a penny of compensation. The only fuel entries than make a dime from NHRA are the low funded teams that sqweek in with a single run and lose first round, after that is is a diminishing return, even the winner will not recover his costs from the purse.

wouldn't think nhra racers are the only pay-to-play participants in motorsports but maybe they are?.....you are right though, the compensation
is low vs. racer's high addiction level.

I was on a flight returning to LA from Indy and the guy next to me as returning from a PGA tour event where he came in somewhere in the 50ish spot. He was complaining that he only made $30,000 , had to pay his caddy 10% and his travel costs were over $5.000.00. I told him that John Force had just won the Bud Shootout , Won Indy, had low et and top time and he won almost $250,000 one of the biggest pay outs to that time. Hmm, "I won that much coming in 5th at the Hawaii Open earlier this year

established country club sport a large percentage of population play
vs. niche' motorsport a fraction of one percent of population will ever
be involved in.......maybe a few more percentage points who will ever
view on TV or see in person

regarding title of thread.......having 2nd thoughts whether or not nhra nat.
events should strive for 'live' tv on sunday
an nhra national event is fairly spectacular over 3 days, displaying a wide
variety of classes and cars all scheduled fairly well depending on weather.....
the average fan does not sit for 4 hours straight and can follow their nitro
heros on track and in pits........the sportsmen racers compete on an nhra
prepped track, the insurance is paid, the safety safari is there, and then the prestige
of winning one of 23 nhra nat. events.

the 'gatornationals' trophy on the mantle of super gas racer is just as
important as the same tropy on the mantle of professional racer.

not against change, but don't change just for change's sake.
i'm still for sat. night elims. at hot summer track though.

 

[Professional Fan]

I think many of you are over-reacting. I agree that the fuel classes have become more predictable in the early rounds, especially Top Fuel, due to mismatches between the big funded teams and the low funded teams who essentially can't win on Sunday unless one of the big guys breaks or smokes the tires. The cause of this is the economy which has sidelined a number of teams with good drivers-Herbert, TJ, Fuller (most of the year), Van der Griff (most of the year), Baca, etc. Even Force cut back one car. With all these teams back out there, qualifying would be more interesting because there would be danger of good teams not qualifying, the way it was a few years ago. The flip side is that it is giving a lot of opportunity to the little guys like Chrisman, Haddock as they get to race on Sunday. I think once the economy comes back (who knows when!) and we get bigger fields, things will be more like they used to be.

I do agree with the comments on what is included in the broadcasts. It would be interesting to see a survey of actual viewers (not just the die hard fans like all of us) to understand what the viewers really want to see. I agree with most of the comments that I'd like to see a lot of the fluff eliminated but I don't know if that's because I am an avid fan and possibly the average fan likes that stuff.

You'd think NHRA could do that kind of survey, not just among members but among people attending the races.

 

[clwill]

the 'gatornationals' trophy on the mantle of super gas racer is just as important as the same tropy on the mantle of professional racer.

Actually it's likely WAY more important to the SG racer. It's more than likely their one/only Nat'l Event Wally and they've toiled for years in obscurity for it. A pro has a shot at one 20+ times a year, and they appear in the circus every week to the accolades of thousands.

 

[Pete]

I have had this discussion for a few years, with fellow racers and we all seemed to agree that NHRA should hold national events for professional categories. This includes adding TAFC/TAD/ProMod to the list and shorten it up to 2 days, Friday and Saturday.
Add additional "SportNationals", to be run at the National event tracks during the same year and use those as races as national points for sportsman racers and keep running divisional races as usual.

 

[Nunz]

Even though i started the thread, I myself am torn. Being a diehard who remembers spending a week at Indy when my dad ran Comp in the early '70s, I love the mult-day circus that is a national event. To this day, if I go to Indy from Saturday through Monday, I'm sad when it's over. But, like I said, I'm a diehard, like many here. And back then, even with a 32 car TF field, there were many that missed the field. Different animal now. I agree with the sentiment that an improving economy will likely add more teams and therefore make qualifying more of a challenge, and more exciting to watch. But for now, cutting down on laps doesn't seem to be a bad idea, given the budget restraints of just about everyone out there.