Why cant Sportsman Racing be like this on TV these days???

[Caperat]

Super hot babes, ice cold beer, a great time and dynomite class racing. Memories, memories and more memories. Long live SANAIR.

[Stephen & Horace Johnson]

why doesnt nhra sign a deal with Speed channel, and get more tv exposure!! Because ESPN, just aint working....

[Nitro Joe Jackson]

Stephen, I dont think speed would work either, need a independent firm to do it with ex experienced racers more less directing what to do. If i ran it i would make all my announcers watch all the ASC shows that Steve Evans did and say copy this type of doing a show or leave.

This is after i win the lottery, lol.

[Ed Fernandez]

Originally Posted by Stephen & Horace Johnson

why doesnt nhra sign a deal with Speed channel, and get more tv exposure!! Because ESPN, just aint working....

Why?$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$
To get back to original question,it's like asking why can't life go back to the simple times of the 50s and 60s.(That's the time frame most of us oldies grew up in and have fond memories of).Time marches on and progress has brought us to what we have now.Pretty much an impersonal world.Most of us will never see the people we argue and agree with,in our lifetimes.I think Dick Butler brought this up once before.
At this rate, knowing and experiencing what I have ,I really am not interested to know what the future will be like.
It would be nice to see S/SS coverage on TV.

[Stephen & Horace Johnson]

Joe, i guess you are right. The coverage of sportsman and pro stock racing just flat out STINKS!! there is a 2hr show of a race but only 15mins of pro stock. The only thing we see is the pro stockers leaving the line, and they only interview certain racers.... Funny thing is, even if you win S/SS eliminations your odds of being seen on tv are about like trying to win the lottery...lol

sorry back to the topic..

[Greg Hill]

There has been in the last 25 or so years a complete lack of promotion for sportsman racing, unless you include alcohol cars as sportsmen. i don't know if that has been on purpose or just a lack of knowledge by the management at NHRA. Even the times occasionally that there is a sportsman TV program it focuses almost exclusively on alcohol cars. I can remember back to the late 60's and early 70's going to Indy to watch and there were huge crowds the days of class with people hanging off the fence.

When there are only 8 or 16 stock and super stock cars left on Sunday at a National event and they run before most of the fans are even there, how are people even going to find out about us? The lack of effort from NHRA to promote sportsman racing is just another way in which they have strayed from what their mission should be and that should be to make drag racing better for all the competitors and the fans. All they [NHRA] know any more is top fuel and funny car. It's no wonder that's what a lot of the fans know and like because that's all that ever gets promoted. When I first started racing in the late 60's I knew who Don Prudome was and Don Gartlis, but I also knew who Ronnie Sox was and Bob Glidden, and Bill Jenkins, and Jimmy Waibel and George Cureton and a lot more. These guys were in the pages of Hot Rod and Car craft and Popular Hot Rodding on a monthly basis.

I don't know if stock and super stock could ever be as popular as they once were but I do know no one is trying to make them popular with the fans and no one is promoting them.

[Curmudgeon]

Seems to me,the only realistic way for Stock/Super Stock to get their deserved air time is to go proactive . Relying on the media or the I or N crowd to promote class racers seems futile at best . Perhaps the way to go would be havtng an independent producer film, edit and package for sale to Speed , FSCR or ESPN coverage of one or more of the Stock/Super Stock association combo events . If the concept of class racing were for once properly explained and presented I for one believe the viewers interest could be picqued . The limited coverage given now does nothing but confuse the average viewer . There is no explanation ever given as to HP/weight or CID/weight . All they see is one car getting a head start , but why ? And why did the first car across the line lose ? (breakout) Class racing is GREAT competition and would be interesting to viewers if competently presented . As for independently selling a package I cite by example last week's coverage of the Chili Bowl midget race , Pass Time or Pinks . Guys , you deserve the coverage , but mainstream is commited to celebrities and circuses , the only hope is to find an outsider willing to take a chance showcasing the best of drag racing .

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Seems to me,the only realistic way for Stock/Super Stock to get their deserved air time is to go proactive . Relying on the media or the I or N crowd to promote class racers seems futile at best . Perhaps the way to go would be havtng an independent producer film, edit and package for sale to Speed , FSCR or ESPN coverage of one or more of the Stock/Super Stock association combo events . If the concept of class racing were for once properly explained and presented I for one believe the viewers interest could be picqued . The limited coverage given now does nothing but confuse the average viewer . There is no explanation ever given as to HP/weight or CID/weight . All they see is one car getting a head start , but why ? And why did the first car across the line lose ? (breakout) Class racing is GREAT competition and would be interesting to viewers if competently presented . As for independently selling a package I cite by example last week's coverage of the Chili Bowl midget race , Pass Time or Pinks . Guys , you deserve the coverage , but mainstream is commited to celebrities and circuses , the only hope is to find an outsider willing to take a chance showcasing the best of drag racing .

I know this post will go over like a fart in church but here goes. The AVERAGE person who watch TV sports will never understand handicap racing. They are NOT car people to begin with. It just the nature of the beast. I have tried over the years to explain stock and super stock racing to my neighbors, friends, co workers, etc. to no avail. If your not into sportsman class racing to begin with its almost impossable to get someone who isnt already into it to understand or be interested. Yes a few might understand and even become a fan or want to compete but the numbers are very very very small. The class legal racers in stock and S/S racing are a very very small part of the population. Sure we get it but its something we have been involved with for a very long time or most of our lives. We as a group would love TV exposure but WE (class racers) are not represenative of the masses. Without heads up racing of some kind such as Pro Stock, Class runs, or even a Top Stock/Top S/S program the majority will never get it or look a second time. The class racers here could NEVER afford a heads up program if that is all there was. Compared to what you spend the NASCAR races and heads up programs such as Top Fuel, Pro Stock etc. spend and others are enough to keep you guys racing for a life time The average person would rather watch NASCAR (all they know is a car number) even though they know NOTHING about cars or racing because there is ONE winner. ONE Champion at the end of the year. Its a no brainer with them. Its an up hill battle because its to difficult for the masses to understand. We are a drop in the bucket compared to other venues and the number of people who turn on the TV to be entertained. Face facts and just enjoy what you do until its gone. Its might be possable for something like is on TV now on the speed channels but who would do it? I wish I was wrong but Im afraid it is what it is.