Fans don't understand racing?

david ring · 02-22-2011, 01:18 PM

I think the announcers, particularly people like Alan Reinhart and Leo Taugher, do a great job of announcing and explaining handicapped racing. But fans have got to be willing to listen and think as well. It didn't take me very long to understand comp, and then I was hooked, but I'm still working on the right strategy for comp-that may take forever! And I think the SS/Stk racers have gotten very strategic as well.

And with that new two-car drafting in NASCAR-those guys are going to get very strategic too. That kid on Sunday screwed up the conventional wisdom (if there can be conventional wisdom after only a week) that you are a sitting duck if you are out in front. Pretty soon, the only kind of racing without strategy will be the pros in drag racing-boring!

Mile High · 02-22-2011, 01:50 PM

Class racing and Bracket racing is like any other sport. You need to know the rules to enjoy it. NHRA showcases the Pros so the average person doesn't understand handicap racing.

And we all know its not that difficult because we understand it.

Marvin Robinson · 02-22-2011, 02:03 PM

Absolutely correct....

X-TECH MAN · 02-22-2011, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mile High

Class racing and Bracket racing is like any other sport. You need to know the rules to enjoy it. NHRA showcases the Pros so the average person doesn't understand handicap racing.

And we all know its not that difficilt because we understand it.

Its because we like it and want to understand it. The average person does NOT. They just want to be entertained without using their brain.

Ed Wright · 02-22-2011, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

Its because we like it and want to understand it. The average person does NOT. They just want to be entertained without using their brain.

There ya go.

Curmudgeon · 02-22-2011, 03:10 PM

When marketing to the mass audience the biggest problem with Class Racing is Class Racing. To be inclusive and allow innovation the class system was adopted at the beginning,which we who grew up on it understand and love. To the outsider it all appears as hopeless chaos. The average "race fan" be it oval or drag has only limited to nonexistant technical knowledge and wants the excitement and a winner at the end. They will accept handicap starts but cannot comprehend why a car is disqualified for going too fast. What we love about class racing is the very thing which confuses the potential viewer. The bottom line is most Americans are intellectually lazy and just want to be amused when they turn on the TV .

chris3racing · 02-22-2011, 03:23 PM

I try to explain this on a frequent basis. The average fan can understand "pro", top fuel, funny car and pro stock, and "index" racing, Pinks All Out or Unleashed because there are two cars they both leave at the same time, unless one car gets a good light, and they race to the finish line. The first one there wins.

What most people don't understand about class racing vs index racing is they are the same type of cars and why one car is a quarter of the way down the track and then the other guy leaves and trys to catch him. When the car that got the head start gets near the finish line he either lets off, "pats the accelerator" or "slams on brakes." In some cases the guy who had the head start and puts on brakes he loses. This is very difficult to explain to the average spectator we understand because we are the ones racing.

X-TECH MAN · 02-22-2011, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris3racing

I try to explain this on a frequent basis. The average fan can understand "pro", top fuel, funny car and pro stock, and "index" racing, Pinks All Out or Unleashed because there are two cars they both leave at the same time, unless one car gets a good light, and they race to the finish line. The first one there wins.

What most people don't understand about class racing vs index racing is they are the same type of cars and why one car is a quarter of the way down the track and then the other guy leaves and trys to catch him. When the car that got the head start gets near the finish line he either lets off, "pats the accelerator" or "slams on brakes." In some cases the guy who had the head start and puts on brakes he loses. This is very difficult to explain to the average spectator we understand because we are the ones racing.

The "INDEX" racing still has the slam the brakes, letting off, pat the gas peddle , etc. but dosent look nearly as bad because of the heads up start. In most cases I have seen on the videos the shutting off is minimal. Makes for better TV and is eaiser to explain to those who are not into what most on here love and are used to. I know most dont like to hear this and what it is but a few short years down the road this could be all you have. If you dont like it and quit there will be plenty of racers and less expensive cars to take your place. The $20,000 stocker engines and $40, 000 + S/S engines will be a thing of the past just to bracket race with as most seem to be against heads up racing by combinning class wt. breaks and transmission types. .

Wade Mahaffey · 02-22-2011, 05:03 PM

Most fans do understand racing. They just don't understand what we do! There probably is'nt one of them that has'nt been involved in a race of some kind, somewhere along the way (ie. bike race, foot race, street race) And they have watched racing (ie NASCAR, boats, the Olympics, even NHRA). Where the first guy to the finish line wins...that's racing! The only penalty is if you jump the start, just like all the other types of racing. Everything else is some form of speed contest. The problem is so many classes. It might help to shrink down the classes and add or subtract weight as an equalizer per combination in an effort to make heads-up competition. Heads-up and no breakout is the right stuff....it's real racing!
The problem with real racing is cost, that's why I could never do it. But I can take my little home built 60 Corvette @ .20 under and have a very real chance at putting a 150K (not the same class) program on the trailer in the Eliminator of a National Event. That's what I need to play the game....but to me it's not real racing....but it is practical. And it is a driver contest....It's competition and that's what I like!
As far as folks that can announce/describe handicap racing, Alan R, Leo T, Bob F, and Lewis B, are awsome and a joy to listen to WOW!

Wade Mahaffey

02-22-2011, 01:18 PM	#1
david ring Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Oneonta.,NY Posts: 889 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Fans don't understand racing? I think the announcers, particularly people like Alan Reinhart and Leo Taugher, do a great job of announcing and explaining handicapped racing. But fans have got to be willing to listen and think as well. It didn't take me very long to understand comp, and then I was hooked, but I'm still working on the right strategy for comp-that may take forever! And I think the SS/Stk racers have gotten very strategic as well. And with that new two-car drafting in NASCAR-those guys are going to get very strategic too. That kid on Sunday screwed up the conventional wisdom (if there can be conventional wisdom after only a week) that you are a sitting duck if you are out in front. Pretty soon, the only kind of racing without strategy will be the pros in drag racing-boring!

02-22-2011, 01:50 PM	#2
Mile High Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: My RV Posts: 218 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Fans don't understand racing? Class racing and Bracket racing is like any other sport. You need to know the rules to enjoy it. NHRA showcases the Pros so the average person doesn't understand handicap racing. And we all know its not that difficult because we understand it. __________________ Street legal 64 Falcon Sprint with 410W living in Texas. Stock - Super Stock fan Last edited by Mile High; 02-22-2011 at 02:20 PM.

02-22-2011, 02:03 PM	#3
Marvin Robinson Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Gary, IN Posts: 139 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Fans don't understand racing? Absolutely correct.... __________________ Marvin Robinson 3188 STK/SS

02-22-2011, 03:10 PM	#6
Curmudgeon Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Asheville,N.C. Posts: 54 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Fans don't understand racing? When marketing to the mass audience the biggest problem with Class Racing is Class Racing. To be inclusive and allow innovation the class system was adopted at the beginning,which we who grew up on it understand and love. To the outsider it all appears as hopeless chaos. The average "race fan" be it oval or drag has only limited to nonexistant technical knowledge and wants the excitement and a winner at the end. They will accept handicap starts but cannot comprehend why a car is disqualified for going too fast. What we love about class racing is the very thing which confuses the potential viewer. The bottom line is most Americans are intellectually lazy and just want to be amused when they turn on the TV .

02-22-2011, 03:23 PM	#7
chris3racing Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 528 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Fans don't understand racing? I try to explain this on a frequent basis. The average fan can understand "pro", top fuel, funny car and pro stock, and "index" racing, Pinks All Out or Unleashed because there are two cars they both leave at the same time, unless one car gets a good light, and they race to the finish line. The first one there wins. What most people don't understand about class racing vs index racing is they are the same type of cars and why one car is a quarter of the way down the track and then the other guy leaves and trys to catch him. When the car that got the head start gets near the finish line he either lets off, "pats the accelerator" or "slams on brakes." In some cases the guy who had the head start and puts on brakes he loses. This is very difficult to explain to the average spectator we understand because we are the ones racing.

02-22-2011, 05:03 PM	#9
Wade Mahaffey Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 581 Likes: 0 Liked 17 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Fans don't understand racing? Most fans do understand racing. They just don't understand what we do! There probably is'nt one of them that has'nt been involved in a race of some kind, somewhere along the way (ie. bike race, foot race, street race) And they have watched racing (ie NASCAR, boats, the Olympics, even NHRA). Where the first guy to the finish line wins...that's racing! The only penalty is if you jump the start, just like all the other types of racing. Everything else is some form of speed contest. The problem is so many classes. It might help to shrink down the classes and add or subtract weight as an equalizer per combination in an effort to make heads-up competition. Heads-up and no breakout is the right stuff....it's real racing! The problem with real racing is cost, that's why I could never do it. But I can take my little home built 60 Corvette @ .20 under and have a very real chance at putting a 150K (not the same class) program on the trailer in the Eliminator of a National Event. That's what I need to play the game....but to me it's not real racing....but it is practical. And it is a driver contest....It's competition and that's what I like! As far as folks that can announce/describe handicap racing, Alan R, Leo T, Bob F, and Lewis B, are awsome and a joy to listen to WOW! Wade Mahaffey