SRAC Meeting in Gainsville

[Jason Oldfield]

Originally Posted by GaryGoFast

Maybe this is the sign we need to post in the stands.

I can GUARANTEE you would fill the stands if that sign said "FREE BEER".

Heck, I might even fore-go racing and join the fans in the stands...

[Jeff Beckman]

Maybe the FREE BEER TOMORROW sign would keep the gullible ones in the stands, I mean just for looks.

Jason that post was tooooooooooo short.

AHHHHH cold beer goes good while watching those snowmobiles! Before anyone starts I have 2 of them, not hatin, just ride mine on SNOW.

[CBS]

You guys are funny.....the stands aren't filled for any of the sportsman classes....even alcohol....so its all about promotion.....if super street was all over the tv....people would be watching.....

Rock

[kmyers]

I agree Rock. I saw the 30 minute Pro Mod coverage yesterday, which was well put together, explaining the different types of engine configurations. Maybe they should do the same for the super classes and the stock classes, w/ the camera focused more at the stripe.

[Bill Koski]

The trick is finding somebody to sponsor something that's going to have VERY few viewers!

[Jason Oldfield]

Originally Posted by CBS

You guys are funny.....the stands aren't filled for any of the sportsman classes....even alcohol....so its all about promotion.....if super street was all over the tv....people would be watching.....

Rock

That's just not true Rock. The Alcohol classes get a fair amount of TV coverage, but as you stated the stands aren't packed when they're running? Why? I have two theories:

1. They're boring as all hell to watch, primarily the blown alcohol versions. They do three quarter track burnouts, then backup at 0.00001 mph to build heat in the engines. This results in LONG periods of time between races, not including the large amounts of downtime due to oil downs.

2. They're the little brothers of their fuel comrades. Basically the exact same car (as far as the spectator can tell), but they're 1 second slower. Why would somebody want to sit in the stands and watch the same cars they just saw run, but are slower?

Pro Modified and Super Gas / Street share a very important trait - diversity. But, there's certainly more diversity in S/G and S/St than there is in Pro Mod. Yes, the Pro Mods are 4 seconds quicker in the quarter mile, and that would certainly work against the popularity of S/G & S/St. But , people want to see cars leaving the starting line under full throttle! Don't believe me? Then why is it that every time I turn on an ESPN sportsman broadcast I see super slow motion shots of Stockers and Super Stockers leaving the starting line? Because people think it is cool.

Would moving the stands to the finish line help? To a certain extent it would. But again, for the casual spectator watching cars go by at 150 mph from a distance is not as exciting as watching them leave the starting line wheels in the air. We understand the skill it takes to drive the stripe well. The casual spectator doesn't, and NEVER WILL until they get behind the wheel and try it themselves, which MOST have never done and will never do.

You want a perfect example? Golf. We watch professional golfers on TV, and you see guys like John Daly and Craig Stadler waddling around the course shooting par or below. If you've never played a round of golf before in your life, I can GUARANTEE you that watching them on TV you'd probably walk away saying, "OK, that guy is pretty good, but I'm sure I could easily shoot 85 - 90 for a round." Then you go out and try it and your first time out you probably shoot 150. The commentators on TV and even at the event could have told you until they were blue in the face that you can't imagine how difficult this is and you most likely would not have believed them. Same goes for driving the stripe.

As I am sure you are all aware, I could go on and on and on about this subject (like most). But, I'll quit here since I've probably already lost most of you anyway. In the end, I look at it this way - if we need to "educate the spectator", then there's a problem with the current configuration of the class. If fans stopped attending NFL games because they perceived them as being boring, do you think the NFL would say, "Well there's nothing wrong with our game, we just need to better educate the millions of potential spectators so that they understand it better", or would the 32 participants (teams) make an attempt to change the on-field product?

[CBS]

I got to get up there to the NY area... see what's in the water.....

Just because the alky cars are on tv....doesn't mean they're promoted well....at all....

you ever seen an ad for anything to do with sportsman cars on tv

[Jason Oldfield]

Originally Posted by CBS

you ever seen an ad for anything to do with sportsman cars on tv

No, but other than during NHRA broadcasts on ESPN, I've never seen an ad for anything to do with the Pro cars on TV either. So....

Originally Posted by CBS

I got to get up there to the NY area... see what's in the water.....

Trust me, you don't want to know...Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the Niagara and Genesee Rivers aren't exactly the pictures of purity...

The Finger Lakes are nice though...I certainly recommend those in July - October...

[Jeff Beckman]

Love Canal makes whats in the water a poor choice of words. Me not realizing where it is, I'm standing in Walden Galleria, just outside Buffalo talking to a real dumb ***** and I ask. Whats in the ground water here? Almost got me ***** beat. Love Canal was in an area near Niagra Falls. OPPS my bad!

Rock, Pinks works. I think it is Promotion, Television, cars under full power. I realy wish that we could make our series more interesting for fans. But in the end, it is racers for racers.

Bader Promoter, Discovery Channel? No T stops! Still a bomb I'd bet. Stands, TV gives you big smokey burn outs, WHEELIES and a finish line, and a good commentator so the veiwers dont have to think too hard.

When Rock says we are fun to listen to it reminds me. I turn on the CB when I am bored in the truck. Them drivers knows everything. Or so they say.

Jasons not kidding about the finger lakes, makes me long for the UP or Minnesota eh, dont cha know.

[rj2938]

Originally Posted by Jason Oldfield

Trust me, you don't want to know...Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the Niagara and Genesee Rivers aren't exactly the pictures of purity...

The Finger Lakes are nice though...I certainly recommend those in July - October...

The Finger Lakes are nice.
You up there hanging w/ the D'Agnolo's?