NHRA Insider with Brian Lohnes 12/15/2020

[rboyle]

What makes Street Outlaws so appealing to the mass public? There is zero performance revealed, no ETs no MPH no Reaction Times. But they get publicity and coverage.
Sure they dramatize everything. Sure the fans love the recklessness but a lot of it is edited down to highlight reels. Rivalries can be drummed up.
My point is NHRA can promote or create rivalries in any number of ways all the way down to the Sportsman ranks. The AA/SA heads up final between Poole and McLanahan shows this too. If they take the Sportsman coverage and edit it down to a few rivalries not just final rounds, coverage of the personalities from the pits, show some of the behind the scenes shenanigans etc. you can create a following as well. Promote the sport. Promote the rivalries. Promote the Sportsman. All good things happen from there. Yes the Pros keep people in the stands but thats because those are the racers the fans know. Promote more classes and fans will follow.
I know for me when we would go to the Summernationals or Keystones I always liked walking the sportsman pits more. Seeing if I could find the long distance license plate, or how they camped out, some of the home made modifications, up close viewing of the maintenance between rounds. That was where I took most of my pictures. But alas with Super Stock & Drag Illustrated's demise as well as others over the years we lost a life line to some of the fans
Just my opinion.