CLASS RACER FORUM - View Single Post - Why cant Sportsman Racing be like this on TV these days???

Jeff Kempton · 02-11-2011, 07:34 PM

The "Lucas Oil - On The Edge" series features a wide variety of motorsports-themed stuff; anything from schoolbus demolition derbies to snowmobiles racing on ponds. These are all fringe type events that certainly can't afford to pay the full cost of getting on that show, yet there they are on national TV. What do all these events have in common? Simplicity! None of them have a bunch of rules to figure out, and each "race" has an obvious winner.

It's frustrating to see these oddball activities getting such great exposure, while what in our opinion is the greatest show on earth is totally ignored. The only way we have a chance of getting similar coverage is to find a way to make our program simple enough for the non-enthusiast to understand.

Dial-ins are a challenge but can be successfully explained by the right announcer. Break-outs are the real tough sell. A typical non-racer simply cannot grasp why the first car to the finish line did not win. It would take a lot of careful preparation and a very knowledgeable announcer such as Alan Reinhart to successfully explain this in the brief time available. Emphasizing the "David versus Goliath" nature of many of the matchups should be something that could build some interest, and a big wheelstand from the faster car as he gives chase would add further to that. Even with all this in mind, putting a successful TV package together wouldn't come easily, or cheaply.

02-11-2011, 07:34 PM	#33
Jeff Kempton Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Posts: 236 Likes: 1,043 Liked 66 Times in 30 Posts	Re: Why cant Sportsman Racing be like this on TV these days? The "Lucas Oil - On The Edge" series features a wide variety of motorsports-themed stuff; anything from schoolbus demolition derbies to snowmobiles racing on ponds. These are all fringe type events that certainly can't afford to pay the full cost of getting on that show, yet there they are on national TV. What do all these events have in common? Simplicity! None of them have a bunch of rules to figure out, and each "race" has an obvious winner. It's frustrating to see these oddball activities getting such great exposure, while what in our opinion is the greatest show on earth is totally ignored. The only way we have a chance of getting similar coverage is to find a way to make our program simple enough for the non-enthusiast to understand. Dial-ins are a challenge but can be successfully explained by the right announcer. Break-outs are the real tough sell. A typical non-racer simply cannot grasp why the first car to the finish line did not win. It would take a lot of careful preparation and a very knowledgeable announcer such as Alan Reinhart to successfully explain this in the brief time available. Emphasizing the "David versus Goliath" nature of many of the matchups should be something that could build some interest, and a big wheelstand from the faster car as he gives chase would add further to that. Even with all this in mind, putting a successful TV package together wouldn't come easily, or cheaply. Last edited by Jeff Kempton; 02-11-2011 at 08:39 PM.