When three legends of the sport speak NHRA needs to listen! (4 Viewers)

[Litefoot]

Tony, would like to know your thoughts on how to improve show and fan attendance with you being in the top fuel mix, thanks for your timek

 

[65 Goatboy]

I hear you on those stupid monster trucks.
I took one of my grandsons to one and I felt like I was in Romper room.

As for the wacks,dry hops, and burnouts.
If all entries were required to do that for the show factor. It would eliminate any benefits of not doing it. And I'm sure the tune-up could be made to accommodate that actions.
This probably slowing down the cars a few mph and et. The once a year fan will never notice the difference in performance.

The wacks, dry hops and long burnouts would more then make up for 3.6 second times and 345 mph speeds. The newbies wouldn't notice and us old timers would be estatic. I will never forget the first time I heard a throttle wack.

 

[jsracz]

Chop off 40+ miles and hour off the TF runs and see how many more seats are available on race days. I respect what these guys did way back in their day but that ship has sailed.

 

[Litefoot]

Chop off 40+ miles and hour off the TF runs and see how many more seats are available on race days. I respect what these guys did way back in their day but that ship has sailed.

I don’t think the average fan can tell the difference, but it is really obvious when only a handful of full of cars show up because not many can afford the run away cost of making 340 mph runs, something needs to change or we’ll see 4 or five cars that can afford the new parts it takes to run 340 + passes, not acceptable either

 

[yoda]

Chop off 40+ miles and hour off the TF runs and see how many more seats are available on race days. I respect what these guys did way back in their day but that ship has sailed.

I'm curious to that 40mph reduction: First, if the stands are full of old timers like they are now, losing speed IF the "show" came back (including staying at 1000') wouldn't be looked at as "This sucks! Im never coming back!", would it?

And if the stands are filled with newbies, will they know/ care if most of the passes aren't record setting runs, if the show runs smoothly and the guys on the mic can keep their audience's attention during the down time (even though most of them will have their noses deep in their phones...)?

So for that 10% attending that are in the middle, who are pissed off and leaving because everyone isn't running 345, losing that minority will be better than the 40-60% that aren't there now because there is no show...

 

[mick]

So for that 10% attending that are in the middle, who are pissed off and leaving because everyone isn't running 345, losing that minority will be better than the 40-60% that aren't there now because there is no show...

that's the rub. do they and the pro racers make a wholesale change betting on better attendance and tv/streaming ratings?
what if it doesn't work? how much longer can TF and FC keep pushing the envelope? 1000' worked for a while, but look where
we're at now ...... you get a hot track like gainesville and a lot of up in smoke runs. fans don't like it. racers losing early probably load up
thankful of minimal carnage. they lost early and the race was more of a financial success than if they had won ..... except for rwr,
they went out early and hurt parts.

 

[jsracz]

Yes I think the big numbers on the scoreboard is what "wows" people. Taking the 340+ off the board to gain 320 more feet will do nothing for most. Catering to the old timers (the group I fall into) is a losing strategy in my imo. Turning back the clock rarely ever works in anything. In the process you're more than likely going to piss off the teams that actually show up week after week. I can't recall any current team saying what we should do us drop 40+ MPH, change basically everything and go that 320. We're not talking about bracket racing here in this case are we because it seems like that might be the goal.

 

[jsracz]

I'm curious to that 40mph reduction: First, if the stands are full of old timers like they are now, losing speed IF the "show" came back (including staying at 1000') wouldn't be looked at as "This sucks! Im never coming back!", would it?

And if the stands are filled with newbies, will they know/ care if most of the passes aren't record setting runs, if the show runs smoothly and the guys on the mic can keep their audience's attention during the down time (even though most of them will have their noses deep in their phones...)?

So for that 10% attending that are in the middle, who are pissed off and leaving because everyone isn't running 345, losing that minority will be better than the 40-60% that aren't there now because there is no show...

Agree to totally disagree. ::cheers:: While I only attend 2-3 races per season now when I'm sitting in the grandstand the huge majority of people are glued to the numbers on the board and only the MPH. I think it's not remotely possible that we're talking about gaining 40-60% ,more in the stands by doing any of this. I don't think there's enough hard core old-timers out there that would be suddenly knocking the gates down to get in.

Again, respect any and all opinions.

 

[Litefoot]

Agree to totally disagree. ::cheers:: While I only attend 2-3 races per season now when I'm sitting in the grandstand the huge majority of people are glued to the numbers on the board and only the MPH. I think it's not remotely possible that we're talking about gaining 40-60% ,more in the stands by doing any of this. I don't think there's enough hard core old-timers out there that would be suddenly knocking the gates down to get in.

Again, respect any and all opinions.

It’s not so much the reduction of mph, it’s the high cost that shorten the fields, old or young will not be attracted to half fields at any track distance, I like 1320, but 1000 isn’t a deal breaker, smaller fields, yes

 

[John Farce Racing]

Yes I think the big numbers on the scoreboard is what "wows" people. Taking the 340+ off the board to gain 320 more feet will do nothing for most. Catering to the old timers (the group I fall into) is a losing strategy in my imo. Turning back the clock rarely ever works in anything. In the process you're more than likely going to piss off the teams that actually show up week after week. I can't recall any current team saying what we should do us drop 40+ MPH, change basically everything and go that 320. We're not talking about bracket racing here in this case are we because it seems like that might be the goal.

so what happens when the laws of physics kicks in and they can't go any faster? They are getting close now, IMO. you can only shove so much fuel into a combustion chamber of a certain volume. You can only apply a certain amount of horsepower to a surface with X amount of grip. Frankly, the fuel car show at national events is becoming meh if conditions aren't basically perfect. lots of aborted runs, etc. who cares if one or 2 cars go 340 MPH if the other 14 go 80?

 

[jsracz]

I've seen shitty days of single lane tracks and blowing the tires off all day long when they were running 1/4 mile too. Hey I'm not one of them and even as a motorsports photographer, but there's people that go with the hopes of seeing a funny car body blown to pieces. Personally it makes my heart stop every time. But that's part of the draw for some. I don't think the majority in the stands are about combustion measurements, how hard the blowers are spinning, gearing etc. I'll stop here but I'm betting the days of running out to 1/4 at 300mph are the day the sports nose dives even more and whatever media coverage they get today drops even more. it's just never going to happen imo. 3 old timers sitting around reminiscing about the good old days and hitting 300 are long gone imo. The days of getting kids off the couch and computers to work their asses off to go bracket racing on Wednesday and Friday nights is also gone.It's a mute point. With that I'll grab my popcorn and watch how this thread plays out along with the sport. I'll also enjoy this forum where the hardcore reside not the average fan. ::double and last cheers::