Re: Fans don't understand racing?
 

That rubbish("reality"shows) seems to be what a large segment of the populace wants. Give them fast cars,"drama" and the occasional crash and they're happy. Armpit man hit upon an idea that went over with the casual viewer who has little understanding of racing. The ordinary viewer does not know or care why the flagman start was scrapped in the 50's , they just see it as "cool",so we can't expect them to care about sandbagging. Newton Minnow said it best in the 60's "TV is a vast wasteland".

Re: Fans don't understand racing?
 

Most fans do understand racing. They just don't understand what we do! There probably is'nt one of them that has'nt been involved in a race of some kind, somewhere along the way (ie. bike race, foot race, street race) And they have watched racing (ie NASCAR, boats, the Olympics, even NHRA). Where the first guy to the finish line wins...that's racing! The only penalty is if you jump the start, just like all the other types of racing. Everything else is some form of speed contest. The problem is so many classes. It might help to shrink down the classes and add or subtract weight as an equalizer per combination in an effort to make heads-up competition. Heads-up and no breakout is the right stuff....it's real racing!
The problem with real racing is cost, that's why I could never do it. But I can take my little home built 60 Corvette @ .20 under and have a very real chance at putting a 150K (not the same class) program on the trailer in the Eliminator of a National Event. That's what I need to play the game....but to me it's not real racing....but it is practical. And it is a driver contest....It's competition and that's what I like!
As far as folks that can announce/describe handicap racing, Alan R, Leo T, Bob F, and Lewis B, are awsome and a joy to listen to WOW!

Wade Mahaffey

Re: Fans don't understand racing?
 

Wade you are correct about what people conceive as racing.

That is exactly the point I have tried to make. Racing fans understand two line up, two leave at the same time and the first one to the finish line wins. The class eliminations would not make for good tv for the majority of drag racing or any type of racing fans; therefore, ESPN, Fox, who was televising Unleashed and Speed Channel, with Pinks All Out, and the new channel M??, televising the ADRL and the other door slammer races, would not be able to use the time, which is expensive without sponsors, to show class racing that no one understands and would be watching.

"The casual viewer being the only people watching these shows", you might contact the office of SPEED Channel in Charlotte and ask about the viewer numbers. It was not in their plan for the shows to end. Propose a tv show on class racing and outline how the show should be taped and produced and the projected audience. While having the conversation asked them what the TV figures were for the shows everyone hates, you will be REALLY surprised.

Now let's beat up on me again.

Re: Fans don't understand racing?
 

Handicap racing is a lot easier to understand than hockey. Go to a hockey game with someone who doesn't know the rules and explain icing or off sides.

Re: Fans don't understand racing?
 

I dont like hockey either. To bad the hockey game gets in the way of a good fight.....LOL.

Re: Fans don't understand racing?
 

My generation (35 under ) for the most part have never been explained to how the "Class Racing " system works. Imagine my surprise the first time pops took me to bracket race!! Or how about the first time I didn't get the "W" light when I knew I was the first across the finish line. I think the avg American who watches TV needs the drama, but explain to them the drama of sitting @ the tree while your competior drives away from you then trying to run him down and win without breaking it out. They may be lazy couch potatoes, but explain to them what's going on. I have seen the few seconds of class racing they show on ESPN , and have had people @ work who really care nothing about class racing say "man did you see that Camaro jump off the ground on tv last night ?" I say the next time some one has a SS/STK race, someone take a video camara and a note pad take down names and rough car info and submit it to somehting like SPEED. I'll being willing to bet that if you put together a promo commerical for a pilot tv show that had several shots of big SS wheel stands or high winding small block stockers people would tune in. IMO just my .02

Re: Fans don't understand racing?
 

The fans could give a rat's ***** how much you do or do not have in your car,or if my
Gremlin beats a DP or Mustang.They want their eyes blitzed by Forces nitro fumes in the pits (while we're out on the track running)Also his or now Courtney's scribbling on an over priced shirt and of course at least one explosion or car hitting the wall.
What we do on the track doesn't flick their Bic.
We're a stationary car show in the pits when one or more of those torches on wheels
causes a pause in the racing.

Re: Fans don't understand racing?
 

Amen !

Re: Fans don't understand racing?
 

Ed is correct. We aren't fast or loud enough. After the fuel cars we look like slugs going down the track, no matter how high somebody's front end flop up and right back down. Don't make enough noise, nor smell bad enough. We aren't fast or loud enough to be impressive. Some of us just need to get over it.