Espn

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Floyd Gomez

Mybe it is time we start our own association. We could call it ATSA. American True Sportsman Association. Only classes allowed are Stock, Super Stock, Comp, Super Gas, Super Comp. I would be willing to bet Spike or Speed would pick it up.

Add Super Street to that, and count me in Floyd! How about it X-Tech Man, are you getting any closer with your ideal???

[Tony Janes]

Here is the big problem with this thread. The show is not geared to drag racers it is for the drag race fan and there is a big difference. Just for the sake of argument there are ten thousand drag racers and the program is has an audience of two hundred thousand, the drag racers are 5% of the audience. I would say that ESPN would not be interested in the opinion of the ten thousand drag racers.

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Tony Janes

Here is the big problem with this thread. The show is not geared to drag racers it is for the drag race fan and there is a big difference. Just for the sake of argument there are ten thousand drag racers and the program is has an audience of two hundred thousand, the drag racers are 5% of the audience. I would say that ESPN would not be interested in the opinion of the ten thousand drag racers.

Sad but true are your thoughts Tony, which enhances my wishing that I (or one of us class racers), could be even .10 as rich as "The Donald", or "Ted Turner" (plus why I hope that Terry can get support with big bucks to give us guys a new outlet for tv exposure, by the new REAL SPORTSMAN sanctioning body/organization), so we can let the pro/alcoholic racers have ESPN, and we can have a network for us (and the fans that actually stay in the stands to watch us as well)... It worked for the "Pinks" show with the "Speed Channel", it can work for us too!

[Floyd Gomez]

Originally Posted by Tony Janes

Here is the big problem with this thread. The show is not geared to drag racers it is for the drag race fan and there is a big difference. Just for the sake of argument there are ten thousand drag racers and the program is has an audience of two hundred thousand, the drag racers are 5% of the audience. I would say that ESPN would not be interested in the opinion of the ten thousand drag racers.

Tony here is where NHRA has dropped the ball. The average sportsman racer at a National event spends 600.00 with entry fees, crew fees and misc. expenses paid to NHRA. With an average car count of 384 total TRUE sportsman racers that is a profit of $230400.00. The average paying fan count is 10 to 20 thousand. With the new $10.00 fan relief prices that is a profit of 200000.00. And believe it or not there are still plenty fans that leave the stands after Pro-Stock and head to the sportsman pits. This is where I see a reall benefit for Speed Channel or SpikeTv. NHRA claims that sportsman class is a loser but if you look at the payout and freebies to the Pros that is where they lose money.

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Floyd Gomez

Tony here is where NHRA has dropped the ball. The average sportsman racer at a National event spends 600.00 with entry fees, crew fees and misc. expenses paid to NHRA. With an average car count of 384 total TRUE sportsman racers that is a profit of $230400.00. The average paying fan count is 10 to 20 thousand. With the new $10.00 fan relief prices that is a profit of 200000.00. And believe it or not there are still plenty fans that leave the stands after Pro-Stock and head to the sportsman pits. This is where I see a reall benefit for Speed Channel or SpikeTv. NHRA claims that sportsman class is a loser but if you look at the payout and freebies to the Pros that is where they lose money.

Floyd,

Although I said that Tony's thoughts were sad but true, I like yours better, and feel based on the amount of fans in the stands for Pinks All Out race shows, that we "COULD" have a real benefit for either Speed Channel, or Spike Tv. I just hope we can somehow attract those two tv networks to our kind of racing to prove it...

The shows are basically produced by NHRA who then buys time from ESPN. It is a contractual deal that depending on what they pay is whether are can or are able to preempt or be preempted and what time slot they get. The money to pay for the time comes from the sponsors of the show. IHRA does the same thing with their shows on Speed which are not that great either. Pinks has the same deal but with slightly better production.

I have access to first class production facilities if somebody has the money or the sponsors I am all ears. In other words if you have the money I have the means to make it happen. Of course you would have to have NHRA’s permission to tape and show their product so figure on writing them a check as well. I think a sportsman show could be a real money maker if presented right, the problem is getting it started.

Jackie McCracken

Disclaimer/Guarantee:
My opinions are my opinions and are not anybody else’s opinions either living or dead. Any similarity of opinion, thought process, or idea with anyone else either living or dead is merely coincidence and should not be construed as anything else…

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by Jackie McCracken

The shows are basically produced by NHRA who then buys time from ESPN. It is a contractual deal that depending on what they pay is whether are can or are able to preempt or be preempted and what time slot they get. The money to pay for the time comes from the sponsors of the show. IHRA does the same thing with their shows on Speed which are not that great either. Pinks has the same deal but with slightly better production.

I have access to first class production facilities if somebody has the money or the sponsors I am all ears. In other words if you have the money I have the means to make it happen. Of course you would have to have NHRA’s permission to tape and show their product so figure on writing them a check as well. I think a sportsman show could be a real money maker if presented right, the problem is getting it started.

Jackie McCracken

Disclaimer/Guarantee:
My opinions are my opinions and are not anybody else’s opinions either living or dead. Any similarity of opinion, thought process, or idea with anyone else either living or dead is merely coincidence and should not be construed as anything else…

What a great birthday present that would be for me (tomorrow) to be able to acquire (thru the Powerball Lottery---currently at $192mil) some of the funds needed to meet with you Jackie to launch such a thing for us S/SS racers (plus the other non-alcoholic/injected nitro sportsman ranks)? I know the greater tv exposure would not only help generate sponshorship interest to those of us who desire such, but it would also attract more young racers to our ranks...thus ensuring the stable future of Stock & Super Stock Eliminator for many more years!

With spokesmen such as Bob Frey to announce our style of racing to the viewing audience, I feel fan appeal will grow, and we could get more fans to stay in their seats while we race, and/or get them to want to spend more time checking out our operations instead of focusing primarily on the pro/alcohol classes!?


My .02 worth....

[mcink]

Originally Posted by GarysZ24

Floyd,

Although I said that Tony's thoughts were sad but true, I like yours better, and feel based on the amount of fans in the stands for Pinks All Out race shows, that we "COULD" have a real benefit for either Speed Channel, or Spike Tv. I just hope we can somehow attract those two tv networks to our kind of racing to prove it...

As I mentioned prior, this all sounds good, but comparing Stock, Super Stock, and Competition
eliminators to PINKS ALL OUT is a mistake. I believe the reason it does as well as it does, is that they
show some of the wilder stuff (wheelies, crashes, etc) and then pick a group of cars that run ET's very close to each other, and run it off.

This way, they have heads up racing, and the winner wins (unless you all of sudden go too fast).

Unfortunately, as we all know, the classes I've mentioned are not as simple as that.

They (PINKS) has also figured out that a field of rear engine big block Chevy dragsters isn't
a very good show, so they pick an ET range that has a great variety of cars, but can still run heads up.

I would love to see these eliminator cars racing on national tv, but the handicap starts, breakouts, and CIC penalties will be the hardest sell, as it is very hard to explain to the average Joe.

Am I missing something here?

[Tony Janes]

You hit the nail on the head

mcink,

yes, you are missing something... heads up has nothing to do with it...

Jackie McCracken

Disclaimer/Guarantee:
My opinions are my opinions and are not anybody else’s opinions either living or dead. Any similarity of opinion, thought process, or idea with anyone else either living or dead is merely coincidence and should not be construed as anything else…