How competitive are you?

[Ed Carpenter]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

Your right. People will not sit there and watch people lose for going too fast. Even fewer will sit there and watch throttle stop cars.
Before I lost what was left of my mind and put together another car, I started going to national events to watch long time friend Mike Edwards run Pro Stock. Sitting in the stands, after the fuel cars run about half seats go empty for Pro Stock. More leave when the alky cars come up. When the throttle stop cars come up nearly everybody leaves. I'm surprised how few watch Comp. I love Comp, but more money than I'm willing to spend here at the end. Some come back for Comp, Stk & SS, but not many. I've seen guys post about how excited spectators get when a nine second car is chasing down a fifteen second car, but that's only in their minds. Almost nobody watches us do anything.

Ed everytime I pull up to the starting line the stands are empty. The only people watching us are the stocker guys. LOL

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by deuces wild

Ed everytime I pull up to the starting line the stands are empty. The only people watching us are the stocker guys. LOL

Sad, but true. And, we are the only ones watching them.

[Dick Butler]

It doesnt have to be only ONE form of S or SS. Why not start with one Heads up class(you set the rule and wts etc) with support of others. Allow others to still race till they can afford to switch or care to do it. Give a schedule of moving to the Heads up formats of a year, or 2 so people can adapt, KNOWING the plans. High Light the Heads up for ads, announcer, sponsors as a package. This will do its own drawing if started at the right place. Thursday night test and tune meets locally would show the fans already there what it is and then offer it on a Saturday night /Sunday Meet TOO. This could draw the fans back to watch more of it. Pick the Cars for the development, Mustangs, COPO, SS/B, More SS/AH type OR pick a Mod type car with limited specs at the same time to develop the Cheaper racing format people discuss.

[randy wilson]

Dick, that's not a bad idea, but again, no one truly knows what the answer is, or how to draw a crowd. We lost them, and that's all our faults for letting it happen.

[chris3racing]

Michael Beard, now you and I agree on something that I hear over and over. There are young people coming out to the races and a lot of them. At almost all of the local tracks there are a number of young people in the pit area. Looking and asking questions. If we could give them a show that will get them up in the stands to watch the races then we are accomplishing something.

A lot of people say the younger generations don't have any interest in the old cars. You need to go out to a Saturday night cruise-in at a local resturant and see how many show up to look and talk about the old cars. We have our race car, 1971 Duster, at atleast one cruise in every month. Look at the photos from East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame Reunion and see how many young people attend that event and how many families, Mom, Dad and children attend to look at those old cars. Thanks Michael for your comment.

[randy wilson]

You have to realize, that the nastalgia races are also dial you're own, other then the pros. It will never be a big hit. The reason modified was such a big hit, and popular, is it was balls to the wall. If nastalgia was real racing, and had events in my area, I wouldn't be thinking of a new way to bring in the crowd. It would have already been accomplished.

[randy wilson]

Also, once in a while we go to a car show. My daughters 38 chevy coupe gets lots more attention then the cobalt. Just saying. I think all the sanctioning bodies screwed up pushing the new car idea. I know everyone loved the mod racing just because of the old vets, mustangs, mavericks, cudas, challengers, novas, camaros, and chevelles.