no spectators for sportsman racers?
 

I am kind of new to this forum and I have been hearing alot about the problems with no spectator turnout at sportsman based races and no spectators wanting to watch bracket racing/.90 racing. This is not something new to me either...hardly anyone turns out at my local track for bracket races and the NHRA divisional spectator turnout is low too.

As a racer, I think it is amazing how close some of this racing is and how unpublisized that is. I mean, people love close finishes in Nascar, football, etc. So why can't we or somebody with the NHRA/IHRA organization really show/express that.

Examples:

why can't the finish line margin be expressed a little better...instead of saying the winner took the finish line stripe by 6 thousandths of a second, some math and software could be devolped to give an accurate reading so the announcer/TV program/magazine can say that the winner got there by 5 inches. I know they use this sometimes but not expressed all the time and I don't know how accurate it is (with acceraltions and decceration at the stripe and all). Plus replays on a big screen...people love replays showing how close it was...it would be nice to have big screens at more events.

just putting some ideas out there...people have probably already heard/talked about this.

Tim Wilson,

Re: no spectators for sportsman racers? ( kinda long re[ly)
 

Tim: racing is a numbers game, plain and simple. The track owners need car cound or spectators to pay so the event works, or even to keep the gates open, the racer needs a decent chance at a payout before most decide to go to a race, and the spectator needs a show.

I have been racing for many years now, and have even helped organize a few events myself. The spectators have become so used to assosiating drag racing with 300+ mph guided missles, that they really dont care to see anything else. More education is needed to show the spectators what real drag racing is all about, but niether sanctioning body is willing to pony up the funds needed to re-educate the fans. It is cheaper for them to just put on a bigger guided missle show.

Pinks all out, seems to be a craze that is educating some of the viewing spectators on how hard it is to not only have a competitive field of cars, but to win even at a 11 second level. Rich and his crew do a great job with advertising, and providing a show for thier fans.

NHRA from what I have seen could care less about the sportsman racers until enough sportsman racers decide enough is enough and stop going to the "National Events" or guided missle shows. Bottom line is without the support of the sportsman racer ,NHRA could not put on the big show, yet we still year after year allow them to treat us like dirt. I dont care what class you race, anymore the costs have way outgrown the purses.

I have heard some drivers say I dont race for the $$$ i do it because I enjoy it. Well I enjoy alot of other things too but you dont see anyone throwing $200K to go golfing a year, or dont see anyone throwing that kind of $$$ to go bowling. My point is this "Sport" cost big money to do, and we all do it in hopes that one day we will win one of these events we all go to. My question is when are the sportsman racers going to have enough balls to let NHRA/IHRA know how they feel? With all the fuel teams loosing sponsors, and this looking like a year where many "PRO" fields will not be full might be a chance for the sportsman racer to stand up and shout... "WHATS IN IT FOR US?....

Re: no spectators for sportsman racers?
 

I hate to say it BUT.....Its NEVER going to happen. To many different personalities and thoughts on the subject. No one will ever stick together and NHRA knows it. Its either quit or use more greese on yer butts.

Re: no spectators for sportsman racers?
 

We go to about 6 National Events a year to race. More some years less some years. We have been doing that for the last 7 years since I retired.
One thing I noticed this last year (2008) was that the NHRA personnel are getting a little more user friendly. The only exception was at INDY this year. The guy parking me was having a bad day I guess and he was very rude and crude. I really think NHRA had instructed the National Event Crews to be a little more user friendly this year. It was a noticeable change from years past in the stacking crew/parking crew and in the registration crew also.
This is not to say they are helpful just better this year than in years past. I really get tired of the NHRA hassles the sportsman gets at the National Events. Maybe I am just getting OLD.
My 2 Cents

Re: no spectators for sportsman racers?
 

There are many more races for sportsman. Only twenty some National events. Yes, we take the back seat. Don't Go! But if you go, enjoy yourself and the experience of having access to the back round view of the Circus. If you want to be the star of the show, build a pro team. Or go to a race that fits your car and accept this, not that many people are interested. The only one that needs to be is you. If your treated that poorly, don't go back, race elsewhere. I wanna be a rock star with a full head of hair, but my dog sings better than me and I am bald. So should I get booked to play a gig and then bitch because everyone goes to get a hot dog? ENJOY YOURSELF, RACE FOR YOU. AND MOVE THE GRAND STANDS TO THE FINISH LINE please.

Re: no spectators for sportsman racers?
 

What Jeff says..

Re: no spectators for sportsman racers?
 

Jeff, I agree with you about EVERYTHING you said. FYI I am also bald and can't sing

"ROCK ON!!"

Re: no spectators for sportsman racers?
 

Dont get me wrong, I love racing more than anything else I do, but it would be nice if NHRA or even IHRA for that matter would up the payout some. When was the last time the payouts were increased?

I stopped racing NHRA for a few years, and ran NMRA National Mustang Racing Association, great group and didnt cost an arm and a leg to run a good heads up class, but, most of thier races are up north and for us at least traveling from Fla. to Chicago, Milan, Atco.. Etc.. all but one race was at least a 10 hour tow. But we had fun and met some great people.

I am comming back to NHRA racing mainly because I want to stay closer to home. And now both my sons ore racing so taking two rigs on a 10 hr tow is definatly out of the question at this point. I am looking forward to meeting alot of the people I have spoken with on here, and like with the NMRA guys, if I am at a race and anyone needs anything, dont hesitate to ask... I love helping others, almost as much as racing.

Re: no spectators for sportsman racers?
 

did we get into racing for spectators to watch us , or for our own enjoyment?

Re: no spectators for sportsman racers?
 

I know the payouts suck. The Pros get most of the money and they will tell you it's not enough. A wise man once said "in order to make a small fortune racing, you had better start with a big fortune". I too wish racing was not so expensive with so little reward, but then everyone might try it. It may be better just to have those of us who are truely driven to race, and those couple of crazy guys. I remember being just as giddy if you will, to race my first super street car as I am to bring out my new top dragster next year, maybe more. I did not have 8500 in my race operation then. Nineteen years later, I have hundreds of thousands sunk into this, my choice and privlage. But the 8500 race team still drinks beer, sees the same races and has every bit as much fun with all you fine folks. So at least in the end, most folks who want to, can race. I hope everyone that wants to can come and watch, dose/can. The only one/two who will ever get rich is NHRA/Force.

When I think about most of the post as of late, it occurs to me that with the rite partners we could start a new sanctioning body. Free tickets for spectators, get them in the gate. Add .50 to everything inside, hot dog, beer, t shirt. Just like Norwalk, hand the racer a cup of coffee in the morning heck he might just come back. Give them a big bowl of ice cream for a buck and a half. Have grand stands from 800 feet to the finish line. Educate the fan! Set up pits and vendors down both early sides of the track. Put box seets behind the strip, if you wanna pay big bucks for burn out shows, let them see how on the edge a fast car goes "not so straight" down the track.

Pinks is huge because it is tight racing with lots of air time, average Joe can say "I was there man" or, "I was in that race dude, no realy". Average Joe will never run a fuel car. Dont forget the hook, a school bus wheel car or jet cars, I would prefere to use some nostalgia cars AA?FA, add a car show. everybody wants a good parking spot! I know it sounds like Super Chevy but a traveling sportsman show like the Jegs races could work with a couple of tweeks. Dreamer, I know.