What more can one say? Timely article

[Toejam]

It probably isn't apparent to you that he owned a drag strip in Iowa ,and races super stock cars...
Maybe he knows a little more about the drag racing business than most of the great keyboard track experts that have never invested in the sport other than buying a ticket...

Are you saying he never attended an NHRA race, paid $6-7 for a beer before, sat in the Hot sun before? never met a track operator like that before!

When I read the rants of Jeff Burke or Darr Hawthorne about anything NHRA, I often wonder what they would write if they actually had to purchase a ticket?

 

[mike]

Sorry, but reading that article just cost me 3 minutes of my life I will never get back.

Hahaha amen Paul. It also made me miss my regular train to work this morning.

 

[Paul]

It probably isn't apparent to you that he owned a drag strip in Iowa ,and races super stock cars...

Knowing that makes the article even worse. He should know the economics of owning a track and how to make money and the reasoning for beer and food being priced the way it is. Sorry, but the majority of the stuff on DRO is complete crap and you can add this article to it.

 

[Treeshaker]

To be ignorant and to have little common sense is one thing, to write a story about it to tell the world is another.

If you're getting a package deal to go to Vegas, add a rental car, they are cheap. My experience in just about anywhere I go they are $14 to $40 a day.

Then pack a cooler to put in the trunk. Park close to the entrance so that you can stroll back out to your car for a lunch/snack break. If they allow you to enter with bottles you are drinking from, just open the 4 bottles, take a sip, walk through the gate, put the lids back on and put them back into your backpack. They knew about this because they were telling the people they gave the extra water to.

It has been proven over the years that spectators feel they have the right away over the competitors, so the need for stop signs and guards. You would not believe the amount of times we have been cursed for asking people to excuse us so that we can get our car out of our pits, to the staging lanes or back to the pits. Doesn't matter how nicely you ask. Some will outright refuse to move.

And by all means, everyone should be allowed in the staging lanes!
I will admit it is an inconvenience to have to actually walk to someone's pit area to visit with them.

Reserve seats keep you from having to arrive early and leave someone in your seats all day to save them. They don't cost that much more considering the convenience.

If you need to drink beer at the track, paying the high prices for them is warranted. It helps defray the cost of the added security needed to curb your surly attitude later.

Considering this "story" is published by a "publication" that also promotes events, you would think that the editor would enlighten this "writer" to some of the ways of the world. But I guess that would take some common sense on someone's part.

 

[StockersRock]

Really...I would love to see his opinions of a NASCAR race or an NFL Game! Think concessions are expensive at an NHRA race?

Or a trip to Fenway Park.

 

[Treeshaker]

It probably isn't apparent to you that he owned a drag strip in Iowa ,and races super stock cars...
Maybe he knows a little more about the drag racing business than most of the great keyboard track experts that have never invested in the sport other than buying a ticket...

From the article, it is not apparent that he had any previous experience at a drag race of any kind.

I can see his confusion that there was actually a fence around the property and more than one gate. And the long walks because the property was bigger than a acre. Probably the first time he had seen any empty seats at a race because don't they just pull their pickups up to the track and sit in the beds in Iowa? And concessions consist of boiled hot dogs and warm Pepsi. Not many were sold because everyone brings their own.

And I can now understand his disdain for the nitro racers of the sport. It is a stocker type of attitude.

 

[elvis]

It's gettin' ugly now...

 

[jeff]

Man, after reading that article I thought, "what a whiny b*tch."

Tracks have to make money. It's same with any other sport. I've never been, but I'm sure that football stadiums are just as expensive.

I second that, and after looking at his pic his looks are not deceiving. how much for the whambulance ride home

 

[Rat]

Man, after reading that article I thought, "what a whiny b*tch."

Tracks have to make money. It's same with any other sport. I've never been, but I'm sure that football stadiums are just as expensive.

I agree, Tracks have to make money. The economy is a major reason why I only been to 2 events in 4 years and I will be making E-Town this year finally. A weekend at E-Town for me is almost an entire pay check after gas, tickets, and the hotel. (I have a 3 hour round trip and it's insane to do it just for a 1 day, so I make it 2) Bottom line, yea we all can ***** about what the truth is, but it's the truth no matter what you wanna say. Yea the circumstances are a real pain in the ass, but us fans do what we gotta do to go to a race and we all know the price. Either that, or never go to a race again.

 

[Toejam]

I second that, and after looking at his pic his looks are not deceiving. how much for the whambulance ride home

LOL....Dude that's cold!!!!

 

[jeff]

Babe can you take a couple shots of me with my wally's and practice tree. I need inspiration to write this story about my first time leaving home and attending a sporting event. thanks babe

 

[glofria]

It's been said here many times that "the sport is dying" and what can be done to grow the sport (i.e. spectator count). Now take his point-of-view as someone who has never been to a "drag race" before but wanted to see what it was all about. From that half-day experience, would it seem likely they'd want to come back?

There are only so many times you can jerk people around and gouge them before they say that's it.

 

[Toejam]

It's been said here many times that "the sport is dying" and what can be done to grow the sport (i.e. spectator count). Now take his point-of-view as someone who has never been to a "drag race" before but wanted to see what it was all about. From that half-day experience, would it seem likely they'd want to come back?

There are only so many times you can jerk people around and gouge them before they say that's it.

Gino, I would Love to pay $20 for a ticket, $3 for a Beer a Burger! But this guy makes his experience at LVMS as some sort of anomaly! You dont think it would cost more to attend a NFL, NBA, or a NASCAR race than a day at an NHRA race? I would love to hear from somebody who has experienced those and make a comparison!

 

[Dr. John]

For the record, Las Vegas Motor Speedway's policy is to allow a customer to carry in one bottle of water. If that person happens to have two, they are probably going to allow them. If the customer had two bottles and there were two people, they would not have stopped him.

If a person is alone and trying to bring in eight or nine, that's pushing the limit.

But the statement of The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (or the superspeedway or short tracks) not allowing spectators to bring in a bottle of water is not accurate.

John Bisci
Public Relations Manager
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
[email protected]

 

[Toejam]

I have been to Vegas about 15 times, and I have NO idea of this Spectator gate he is referring too!

Okay, I didnt realize he tried to get in the Pit gate! Yeah sounds like this guy had never been to the track in his Life!

 

[mike]

I agree with most everybody about too much whining about prices and walking around; that's to be expected at any kind of major event...

but I have to agree, at least some, with the author of the article about how little "show" there is in the big show these days...I understand the down time associated with oil downs and such, but the huge delays between classes for track prep and what not is pretty frustrating...

at least in my experience, in the last 8 or 10 years there is much more time spend with things other than race cars (or exhibition vehicles) going down the track than there was in decades past...just something else that seems to dilute the experience at the track :-/

 

[wilbur]

Sammy, you have a big mouth. I see why people are always dissin your ass.

 

[mick]

i get the article.
the time, expense and navigation of a foreign coluseum and the gladiators
are fighting house cats - they chop their heads off in 2 seconds, then
wait 10 minutes for the next match....swoosh, another dead cat in 2 seconds.
repeat.......not exactly edge of your seat entertainment.

whatever though - as others have mentioned, lack of planning = shame on you.
gotta' get out and try new things and you're never an expert the first time
with anything.

 

[PDQ]

John Bisci as someone who used to bring in a couple of waters and a coke in a plastic lined small backpack with a little ice and sunscreen and a radio and this is the only reason I bring a radio is listen to Reinhart, but to get to the point there is a sign at the main gate that says no drinks allowed Go out and read it I did. I have been going to and racing drag cars since 1964 and NHRA and there bull**** has just about wore me out.

 

[Nick Name]

The bottom line is that NHRA national event drag racing is a very bad spectator experience. Has been for years. I used to live 30 minutes from Pomona and got free tickets as a sponsor, and still quit going.

I sometimes fly to Georgia on the same weekend as the finals, to an all motorcycle drag race that is still fun. Pay your way in, sit anywhere you want. Go anywhere you want. . I can afford $7.00 cheeseburgers, but some people struggle with that.

AT National events, I knew enough people to go into hospitality areas and get out of the sun and relax a while. Joe spectator can't do this.

All of the hard core fans on here will defend the status quo., but the fact is this sport is dying. NHRA knows this, but seem uninterested. No one there has any long range vision. As the crowds dwindle, they will have to continue to raise prices for the hard core few that still attend.

I am old enough to remember when it was fun. Young people today will never have that experience and get the bug that makes them fans.

I have heard good things about IHRA Nitro whatever they call it, and ADRL, but haven't had the opportunity to check them out.