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What can NHRA do to improve the quality of their show?
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Prestaged
Nitro Member
Have to admit I like the new format. It is the best solution I have seen to offsetting the advantage some teams get when they make a great pass in the night session while a few teams miss the setup. I don't think we'll ever see a 4.50 something not qualifying in FC. Capps has been whining lately.
Jer
Nitro Member
I was using a number in general,there should be a fri night session and sat night session .
Prestaged
Nitro Member
Sorry. Sounded like you were quoting Capps.
Jer
Nitro Member
Its all good,well except for the qualifying lol.
The Counterfeiter
Nitro Member
Are we talking about improving the quality of the TV show or the quality of the experience for fans at a race? At the CSK race, by the time we got back from the starting line to the pits, teams were done with their turnaround and were ready to pull out for the next round.
NHRA advertises that every ticket is a pit pass - if fans can't get from the stands to the pits in time to see teams working on cars, this isn't going to mean much. NHRA is paying ESPN for air time with miserable results and is ruining the pit experience for paying fans.
NHRA also needs to stop their paranoid control of team hospitality areas - a lot of fans would pay big bucks to have a pit experience, some good food (don't get me started on this!) and a place to get away from the crowds. At this point, if you don't have a connection to a team, you have no opportunity for a hospitality experience.
This doesn't even begin to address a one lane disaster like this weekend - NHRA needs to wake up and provide better racing and fan experiences.
NHRA advertises that every ticket is a pit pass - if fans can't get from the stands to the pits in time to see teams working on cars, this isn't going to mean much. NHRA is paying ESPN for air time with miserable results and is ruining the pit experience for paying fans.
NHRA also needs to stop their paranoid control of team hospitality areas - a lot of fans would pay big bucks to have a pit experience, some good food (don't get me started on this!) and a place to get away from the crowds. At this point, if you don't have a connection to a team, you have no opportunity for a hospitality experience.
This doesn't even begin to address a one lane disaster like this weekend - NHRA needs to wake up and provide better racing and fan experiences.
mike
Nitro Member
it just astounds me how the NHRA/ESPN TV production can make such a dynamic and dramatic sport so d@mn boring on TV...it's pathetic
my guess is the folks making the production decisions know little or nothing about drag racing and simply don't know what's important and interesting and what isn't...
one lane race tracks suck, but not nearly as much as what NHRA/ESPN is trying to sell us on TV
my guess is the folks making the production decisions know little or nothing about drag racing and simply don't know what's important and interesting and what isn't...
one lane race tracks suck, but not nearly as much as what NHRA/ESPN is trying to sell us on TV
BaldyLochs
Nitro Member
Very true, Jim. But I think that greatly depends on the individual tracks. I was shocked last year my first time at Topeka, to see some top fuel & funny cars pitted past the finish line. And God only knows where the sportsman pits were. It's not NHRA's doing, and no fault of HPT either. I'd like to know the square mile land mass of that place. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful facility & great surface.... but it's just so damn sprawled out.
This may be redundant, but remember back when a driver who was about to be stuck in a lane that had an oildown would say, "No problem, usually when NHRA does a clean-up it's better than before", or something like that? Has NHRA changed what they do/don't do that much? I'm not sure what the answer is. I do know that every run doesn't need to be a record run to be exciting. I really enjoy the pedal-fests, as do most I imagine. But smoking at the hit and coasting down while the car in the other lane blasts through is horrible.
BaldyLochs
Nitro Member
And for the fans sake, I firmly believe having an exhibition program at every event, on every day would add tremendous entertainment value. Whether wheel standers, Jets, nostalgia cars, nitro bikes, or even run TF vs. FC; It could be marketed ahead of time, and even shown on TV. It doesn't need to be a points series or best of 3 or anything like that, and nothing that would alter or interfere with the current daily schedule.... 6 minutes out of each day just to entertain people. NHRA should just pay for these guys to show at each race - and they could book different people in different parts of the country.
thats a great point. I go to IHRA national events on Saturday's. Their night of fire is awesome. At Martin people sit there for the quick super stock class, they watch the alky funny cars and of course nitro. Then they roll out with at least one jet and usually wheelstanders too. My kids love it seeing the wheelstanding school bus. They make it a show while also maintaining the integrity of sport. Sure I'm not seeing the "big name" teams there but to me it's just as enjoyable as going to an nhra race and all for less money a ticket.
In fact I dropped going to an NHRA race this year to take in and IHRA one.
I will say one thing they did right with the LV1 show was wiring John Force. Several times we actually heard discussion of car setup and the input that goes into decisions in the heat of battle instead of the usual guarded and uncomfortable conversations.
A season or two ago Don Prudhomme spent a couple of fuel sessions in the booth. I still remember it because he and Mike Dunn were spectacular together (Larry Dixon was very good this past weekend too) and it was one of the most enlighting and entertaining hours of drag racing I've ever seen on TV.
These things need to happen more often and not just on a whomever is available basis (I still feel sorry for Doug Kallita when he was thrust into the 'penalty box').
One lane tracks make for a horrible show on TV and in person.
A season or two ago Don Prudhomme spent a couple of fuel sessions in the booth. I still remember it because he and Mike Dunn were spectacular together (Larry Dixon was very good this past weekend too) and it was one of the most enlighting and entertaining hours of drag racing I've ever seen on TV.
These things need to happen more often and not just on a whomever is available basis (I still feel sorry for Doug Kallita when he was thrust into the 'penalty box').
One lane tracks make for a horrible show on TV and in person.
Which is exactly why I quit going there! You had better rent a Golfcart or invest in some walking shoes or you'll be in Trouble there!
Good call having Froce mic'ed AND wondering around was great. Not every driver could pull that off but for the ones that could I would like to see that done more often
Wes
Nitro Member
let me see............................maybe unplug someone's microphone???
Thank you, Suzie, for making my morning!
Remember when NHRA National events had soooooo much on-track racing action that they would have never dreamed of having a cacklefest or some other on-track distraction during the late rounds on Sunday? That wasn't all that long ago...perhaps as little as 5-6 years. Don't get me wrong...I think the cacklefest is way cool but it has it's proper place...like during pre-race ceremonies or, say, at a nostalgia event. Remember when Sunday at an NHRA National event cars were going down the track as early at 7:30 am? When was the last time sportsman cars ran that early on Sunday? Sunday used to be full of RACING. Seems as if the quick turn around rules have produced less racing in a shorter period of time. Was that the goal?
BlueStangGT
Nitro Member
Re: What can NHRA do to improve the quality of their show?
let me see............................maybe unplug someone's microphone???
You don't like Reinhart?
Suzanne
Nitro Member
I would like to see each race throughout the day bring up the team owner or tuner, driver, crew guy, of a team if their car goes out and do some commentary. Make it a guess who'll be here next thing. Bring in say rival team tuners whove just gone out in a session. No matter what class they visit the broadcasting area, that would interesting. One rule, one min of airtime for sponsors AFTER they do their time assisting in commentary. Fans win, sponsors win.
As far as at the track, Id honestly be happy with seeing the cars slowed way down. I look at it this way, itd be one more second Im watching the competition. I dont want to see cars go any faster than they are now. Call me scardy cat, because I am. Flaming competition at 250-275 would be fine by me.
As far as at the track, Id honestly be happy with seeing the cars slowed way down. I look at it this way, itd be one more second Im watching the competition. I dont want to see cars go any faster than they are now. Call me scardy cat, because I am. Flaming competition at 250-275 would be fine by me.
BaldyLochs
Nitro Member
That'd be cool Suzanne. I'd like to know how or who sets up the RaceDay guests and who determines who comes to the booth during the evening telecasts. There's so many colorful people out there besides Force & Scelzi. That's a huge un-tapped resource for ESPN. Shouldn't matter who your sponsor is or how many races you've won.
Terry
Nitro Member
Nahhhh, she doesn't like DunnYou don't like Reinhart?
