Why were the stands half filled at The Winter Nationals? (1 Viewer)

[my friends call me Zappy]

A lot of good points above. A couple more too concider. 1) all other sports have the photographers do their best NOT to block the fans view. We put them right next to the track blocking the spectator.
2) We also have cement walls blocking the view of the cars.
3)) With today's TV coverage, ( slow-mo, super slow-mo, multi camera, instant replay, driver interviews) face it folks, it's not a very spectator friendly experience
when you compair the two.

 

[mick]

nitro racing is a visceral experience, always was and still is, the moment the light turns green is maybe the
best thing nhra does right; it is undeniably incredible and one facet of the pit warmup/burnout/stage/race that
hasn't changed

 

[FC138fan]

Anyone figure that perhaps the stands aren't full at an NHRA event but full at a Monster Jam because people aren't interested in the NHRA and they are interested in Monster Jam? It's not product identification, it's not the cost of a hot dog, it's not weather, it's not the economy, its the product. I love the drags, but talk to my wife, ask her why she doesn't like the drags - it's not for the reasons listed above, she says she hates it because the stands are uncomfortable no matter what the weather is, she hates the people in the crowds (only takes one smoker to cause problems, and there is a high percentage of smokers in the NHRA crowd - no to mention the drunkeness), its extremely loud, the announcers on the loudspeaker are overwhelming, and bottom line is its a race that lasts 3 and a half seconds... and they're repeating this cycle hundreds of times during the day.

These are her opinions, not mine. but I bet the VAST majority of the population would cite the reasons she did above as to why they don't go to a drag race. Theres nothing anyone can do to change her opinion. Face it folks, most people don't like drag racing. You could make the tickets $5, give away free hot dogs and drinks, but if you don't like drag racing, you wouldn't go. Even if you paid her... my wife still wouldn't go.

Top that with the fact that even fans like me are getting bored with the product itself, things are probably not going to get better unless things change.

 

[FC138fan]

One more point - I hate basketball to begin with. Throw in 150 dB of noise, secondhand smoke, a blazing sun, expensive tickets and expensive food would not sweeten the deal. Think about it... take a step back and observe from an outsider - the things that may attract us to the sport might be extremely offensive to others.

Caveat - I love the racing, I love the noise, I love the weather, I like the people, I tolerate the expensive food and tickets. But that's me, that's not the average person.

 

[Randy]

FAA regs, because of the runway nearby.

The stands are covered at 1,000 feet, the new finish line in 1/4 mile drag racing. FAA has nothing to do with it.

 

[Toejam]

I'm not sure what the attendance count was at Pomona but from the looks of things from the ESPN cameras it wasn't good. Was anyone there over the weekend? Are we losing fan attendance?

Anyone figure that perhaps the stands aren't full at an NHRA event but full at a Monster Jam because people aren't interested in the NHRA and they are interested in Monster Jam? It's not product identification, it's not the cost of a hot dog, it's not weather, it's not the economy, its the product. I love the drags, but talk to my wife, ask her why she doesn't like the drags - it's not for the reasons listed above, she says she hates it because the stands are uncomfortable no matter what the weather is, she hates the people in the crowds (only takes one smoker to cause problems, and there is a high percentage of smokers in the NHRA crowd - no to mention the drunkeness), its extremely loud, the announcers on the loudspeaker are overwhelming, and bottom line is its a race that lasts 3 and a half seconds... and they're repeating this cycle hundreds of times during the day.

These are her opinions, not mine. but I bet the VAST majority of the population would cite the reasons she did above as to why they don't go to a drag race. Theres nothing anyone can do to change her opinion. Face it folks, most people don't like drag racing. You could make the tickets $5, give away free hot dogs and drinks, but if you don't like drag racing, you wouldn't go. Even if you paid her... my wife still wouldn't go.

Top that with the fact that even fans like me are getting bored with the product itself, things are probably not going to get better unless things change.

Nick, Yes Product is the reason, not to mention costs! How much do you think it costs a family of 4 to attend the Monster jam? I bet it's less than half what NHRA tickets would cost! Not to mention everyone stands up, so the kids cannot see anyway!

 

[P-Dogg]

it is not a race...it IS A SHOW...and the show has deteriorated and become stagnant....nhra drag racing no longer
cackles, burns out to half track, runs to a 1/4 mile, wacks the throttle in the pits, allows personal beer coolers
in certain bleacher sections, and most of it's racers are part of multi-millionaire's teams.
you don't think all of this resounds with the average fan? (who for example, as chris schoen mentions, used to pack
the fairplex up until the 2000's).
why does the monster truck and supercross races packem' in?...obviously the fans identify more closely with those
forms of motorsports than they do with the nhra.
nhra used to play to a packed house @ pomona 2x annually in one the largest markets in the US; and now they don't.
got news for you, the fan didn't change.....and it's not a ticket, parking or concession price issue either.

I agree, but what can be done with the NHRA to make it "good" again?

 

[mw6789]

Anybody who thinks its not about the economy is sadly mistaken. Or works for the government propaganda machine. I work everyday in a business that is not a requirement for day to day life, and what I am seeing is two things----customers with NO money, or customers with money that are afraid to spend it.

 

[clwill]

The stands are covered at 1,000 feet, the new finish line in 1/4 mile drag racing. FAA has nothing to do with it.

They were covered long before the change to 1000'.

 

[bing]

sorry steve, but said like a politician....just like they try to explain our country's economic downturn...
"the contributing factors seem to be multifaceted"....well maybe someone should identify specific factors.

someone in this thread already mentioned downturn in displays in mfg. midway......wonder why?
could it be less fans? less fans wandering in pits?

lets see - mfg. midway companies pay nhra to be there.....nhra's racers lessen entertainment value in pit area.....
less fans visit pits = less fans in mfg. midway = mfg. midway companies choose to spend money elsewhere.
nhra raises prices elsewhere to compensate for lost revenue from mfg. midway.

think about the pits purely from a fan's comfort/health aspect.
80's and 90's you went to pits; the cars cackled beautifully and the fuel volume was such that you did not get,
with rare exception, obnoxious nitro clouds practically asphyxiating the crowd. the teams could use a rag over
noses until engine was off, or they used nothing at all.

today the cackle is gone, the wacks are gone, and fuel volume is so high that rarely a team member can be seen
without a breathing mask....when the casual fans see this then wonders why he/she is subjected to these fumes
while being caught between trailers with multiple cars firing and there's no easy way to escape the fumes!?
is this really a fun experience?...they go sit behind the bleachers with a beverage or food.
"thanks honey, you drug me back there once and once was enough"

did their asphyxiating experience in the pits combined with on-track action convince them that this form of
entertainment is worth pursuing again?....or do they say to themselves, 'been there, done that'

and sum of us lifers say 'why do i still come here year after year?' obviously there
are a few that have quite.

I think you have nailed it right there. As a young adult we used to run between warm ups and get as much of it as we could. We even used to count how many whacks of throttle we got a day. That to us was just as good as seeing a number out on the track. Those days have gone. alot of people here know me as the guy who would stand in the nitro cloud when everyone else bailed but these days I cannot last a full warm up. The pit experience is what dragged me in and got me hooked but sadly that experience has gone. I am hooked and nothing (apart from a lack of cash) will stop me chasing nitro both here down under and the NHRA stuff but it sure aint what it used to be. Hell I even take an interest in the other classes as it aint worth hanging in the pits to see the warm ups anymore

 

[Huge]

Nick, Yes Product is the reason, not to mention costs! How much do you think it costs a family of 4 to attend the Monster jam? I bet it's less than half what NHRA tickets would cost! Not to mention everyone stands up, so the kids cannot see anyway!

The Monster Jam tickets are cheaper, but the Supercross tickets are not, and they keep packing in a large crowd for about a 3 hour show, and the food, drink, and parking is just as expensive. You have to pay extra to go in the pits at just about all the racing series other then drag racing. I think you get more bang for your buck at an Nhra event then you do at just about any other kind of Motorsports event.

 

[Huge]

The question on this thread is why were the stands half empty at the Winternationals...but, i have to wonder why were the stands so packed just a couple of months earlier at the World Finals. I guess we just can't expect to fill the seats everytime.

 

[FC138fan]

Nick, Yes Product is the reason, not to mention costs! How much do you think it costs a family of 4 to attend the Monster jam? I bet it's less than half what NHRA tickets would cost! Not to mention everyone stands up, so the kids cannot see anyway!

We went to Monster Jam in Minneapolis back in December, a family of 4 - it was $30 per ticket, underground parking was $15. They had a "party in the pits" where you get to walk down and touch / take pictures of all the trucks, get autographs or whatever - that we free. Show was from about 7 - 10 pm. And there was a great mix of SHOW elements mixed in with racing. It was probably 30% racing 70% show... and it was incredible! The opening sequence of fireworks, lasers, flashing lights and all the trucks going around the dome, then the equivalent of John Force of monster trucks came flying out of the tunnel with fireworks shooting out of the body came out and did doughnuts and whatnot, I was completely impressed and entertained.

I think NHRA would benefit from introducing a show element.. and I think EVERYONE unanimously agrees, but year after year theres nothing but pure racing, which come on admit it... is coming down to whoever has the most money dominates to the point of its getting boring and predictable. I was a huge fan of the T/F - F/C grudge matches they had at that one specialty race they had years back. I remember Hofmann blipping the throttle on the start trying to draw I think it was Vandergriff in a TF car off the line... it was fun! The smack talking between the classes, the unification of bitter rivals in each class coming together to beat the other class. I remember Columbus mid 90's wheelie cars & Fuel altereds running exhibitions. All of these things are gone.

I wonder if some would argue these things cost to much money to play with (put on a show), but draw in the people and the money will come. You can keep the focus on racing, but what's wrong with having some fun along with it?

 

[mw6789]

I think the sport has just lost much of its personality. I used to go to Pomona in the 80's, to Indy most years, Texas Motorplex, and to Baton Rouge when the NHRA raced there. A lot of what kept me coming back, was the chance that one of the "little guys" could jump up at any time and win an event. I watched Darrell Gwynn win his first top fuel Wally at Pomona. I remember Big Daddy (certainly not a "little guy", but not exactly on top of the NHRA world at the time) coming to Indy in a pick up and trailer, dwarfed by the big rigs in the pits, and then take names and kick a** for the title. Watched Jim Head pick up the funny car title in Baton Rouge. It just seemed like the playing field was a lot more level before the super teams like we have today came along. For a sportsman racer, you could look at a lot of the "little guys" and think that just maybe a professional class was not unobtainable. Now the chance for a "little guy" to race bigtime is somewhere in outer space. It makes it a lot harder for the average fan, I believe, to relate. Couple that with higher ticket, parking, and concession prices and the fact that money is tight for the average family, and I think you see why many seats are empty. The last NHRA event I attended was the 50th anniversary Winternationals in 2010, and the ONLY reason I went was to see the display of the vintage race cars, and the old racers that attended. I spent most of my time looking at the old cars, and very little watching the on track action. What I hate most about it is that I know the part of the sport that I loved is gone---and is never coming back.

 

[rocketman]

Some very good posts here. Nhra should read them. The post on the wife is right on the money. I lost interest in the warm ups when the yellow additives and the haze around the pits started happening. I'm thinking if everyone is wearing gas masks now this can't be good. I think we need to clean up our act before the EPA does it for us. Mike's post is also right on.

 

[Mooseman]

How far can you go with the entertainment stuff though. When does it lose it's seriousness as a sport and just becomes a big joke. Like in the show happy days where they made the fonz jump a shark on water skies to boost ratings. Where do you think the term jumping the shark came from,

 

[Randy]

They were covered long before the change to 1000'.

Nope. The only thing the FAA did was ask them to lower the height of the scoreboards, which was done several years ago. And I'm sure you remember that.

 

[dragstats]

L.A. is obviously a big town with lots of options and stuff to do...I lived there when the Raiders were in town and guess what...they aren't there anymore, no one cared and still don't care if an NFL team is in town because people have a ton of options to spend there money and time at in L.A.
2 cents added....

 

[Mike]

Randy, if those stands are open Brackett field has to close a runway..

 

[rckymtn3]

Economy still stinks, and yes, people are sick of the yo-yo economics (bad then great then bad then good then bad then so-so) and the only folks that come out unscathed are the bankers and investors. People HAVE changed their spending habits, people ARE considering value. So this last disaster that started in 2008 hasn't ever rebounded (no matter what the warm-fuzzy propaganda machine says). Manufacturing has been sent overseas, and we're a nation of car insurance companies and dining outlets. That's what we do. We eat, and insure our vehicles. So yeah, that's a major part of the down-turn. But let us NOT kid ourselves. Drag Racing experienced a big growth spurt, and then it's been steadily waning since. I agree with so many people here, I won't point everything out, but here's the highlights.

Too many events, therefore too long of a season. It's like giving a girl roses every week. Pretty soon, roses aren't a big deal, it's just something that happens every week.

It IS the product. It's changed. What used to be a colorful group of solo efforts has become a homogenized dairy product.

Great shot of Frank Bradley borrowed from Ted Kuburich's photo thread.

#5

I always liked the low-key cool customer racers. No flash, no over-the-top nonsense. Just have fun and show whatcha got on the track. The 80's were the last time you saw a whole bunch of owner/driver/tuner combos, and a field of people unaffiliated except for the fact that they loved to race. Yeah, there was sponsors for a lot of cars, but it was just ad space, not a friggin infomercial. Now it's Walmart Super Centers, and then it was Mom and Pop (sort of, depends on how far back your mind is going right now). Hard to think of it as competition when the field is in the pocket of three or four teams. Team Chef? Say what?

It's a push-button world. Bring back the sledge hammers.