NHRA Marketing Strategy, or Lack Thereof..

BKSG1198 · 01-11-2010, 11:31 AM

I do have to agree with the original post on here. There is not very much marketing towards the youth of America with getting into Drag Racing. Now I'm one of the "Younger" racers out there and I must tell you the future looks bleak. I mean ever since I was born I was at the racetrack with my Dad (Not that many people knew he had a son) working on the car and going to the track with him so when I finally took over the controls of the car I knew a thing or two about how to operate the car and trust me if I did something "Stupid" I got a mouthfull from my Father when I got back to the trailer (For those on the East Coast who know my Dad he can be very loud and doesn't hold alot back).
Sadly with the invention of Junior Dragsters all the youth of America get's use to a Dragster. I mean by the way they look out of the cockpit to how they see the tree to even turning around to look for the other driver it's in a Dragster so when they get to that age of time for a "Big Car" it's a Dragster they end up trading or selling their Juniors for. They are cheap, the kids are used to it and way easier to maintain rather then a door car in which you have to take half the car apart to get to the motor or the tranny. I mean if it wasn't for my Dad putting me in his car I would prob. be driving a dragster or not racing at all. I mean I think A LOT of the reason why the youth shy's away from racing is the cost. I mean 30 years ago you could go buy a competitive Vega or Monza Bodied car for like 10,000 turn key and take it to the strip and go, all you would need is an open trailer and a pick up truck and you were set. Now things are soo blown up with cost it makes it hard for someone just out of college or with a family to get into racing. You go to a NHRA D-1 or a local Saturday Bracket race and it's like a mini-city with the stacker trailers, giant motorhomes, 2 or 3 race cars and I sit there with my 92 Coachman Motorhome and 26 year old trailer and go "How does someone my age do it?".
One person on here said "Why don't they make up a class explanation and hand them out to everybody at the track". They actually do a explanation in the "Fan Guide" you get with your 1st Dragster every year but thats the only time you get to see it. I think it would be a smart idea to try to market the sportsman guys so it's not like someone yelled "Free Hot Dogs and Soda at John Force's Trailer" when the Super Gas, Super Comp or Stockers come up to the line but even the marketing they do with the "Sportsman" guys are the TAD and TAFC so to the Average fan when they see the ESPN coverage of the Lucas Oil Sportsman show and all they see is TAFC and TAD and IF they are lucky the finals of the OTHER CLASSES. So when they go to a race they are like "What are these other cars that are racing here and why do they stop and start again or what is this Index crap?"
I mean in my own respect even though I was born 25 to 15 years after these cars were out but, I still would rather gawk over a 68 Camaro or a 55 Chevy rather then a Mazda or a Eclipse that is lowered but, I am prob one of a kind in that aspect. Just my 2 cents take it as it is....

01-11-2010, 11:31 AM	#8
BKSG1198 VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Vineland, NJ Posts: 2,640 Likes: 96 Liked 1,303 Times in 397 Posts	Re: NHRA Marketing Strategy, or Lack Thereof.. I do have to agree with the original post on here. There is not very much marketing towards the youth of America with getting into Drag Racing. Now I'm one of the "Younger" racers out there and I must tell you the future looks bleak. I mean ever since I was born I was at the racetrack with my Dad (Not that many people knew he had a son) working on the car and going to the track with him so when I finally took over the controls of the car I knew a thing or two about how to operate the car and trust me if I did something "Stupid" I got a mouthfull from my Father when I got back to the trailer (For those on the East Coast who know my Dad he can be very loud and doesn't hold alot back). Sadly with the invention of Junior Dragsters all the youth of America get's use to a Dragster. I mean by the way they look out of the cockpit to how they see the tree to even turning around to look for the other driver it's in a Dragster so when they get to that age of time for a "Big Car" it's a Dragster they end up trading or selling their Juniors for. They are cheap, the kids are used to it and way easier to maintain rather then a door car in which you have to take half the car apart to get to the motor or the tranny. I mean if it wasn't for my Dad putting me in his car I would prob. be driving a dragster or not racing at all. I mean I think A LOT of the reason why the youth shy's away from racing is the cost. I mean 30 years ago you could go buy a competitive Vega or Monza Bodied car for like 10,000 turn key and take it to the strip and go, all you would need is an open trailer and a pick up truck and you were set. Now things are soo blown up with cost it makes it hard for someone just out of college or with a family to get into racing. You go to a NHRA D-1 or a local Saturday Bracket race and it's like a mini-city with the stacker trailers, giant motorhomes, 2 or 3 race cars and I sit there with my 92 Coachman Motorhome and 26 year old trailer and go "How does someone my age do it?". One person on here said "Why don't they make up a class explanation and hand them out to everybody at the track". They actually do a explanation in the "Fan Guide" you get with your 1st Dragster every year but thats the only time you get to see it. I think it would be a smart idea to try to market the sportsman guys so it's not like someone yelled "Free Hot Dogs and Soda at John Force's Trailer" when the Super Gas, Super Comp or Stockers come up to the line but even the marketing they do with the "Sportsman" guys are the TAD and TAFC so to the Average fan when they see the ESPN coverage of the Lucas Oil Sportsman show and all they see is TAFC and TAD and IF they are lucky the finals of the OTHER CLASSES. So when they go to a race they are like "What are these other cars that are racing here and why do they stop and start again or what is this Index crap?" I mean in my own respect even though I was born 25 to 15 years after these cars were out but, I still would rather gawk over a 68 Camaro or a 55 Chevy rather then a Mazda or a Eclipse that is lowered but, I am prob one of a kind in that aspect. Just my 2 cents take it as it is....