Changes?

cicero819 · 07-05-2014, 10:10 PM

Bill France Sr was interviewed by a well known automotive writer and I quote:" I don't care how much TV will offer us for our broadcasting rights, what we count on days in and days out are the fans sitting in our seats, we care about them, because they made us who we are."

David Lee · 07-05-2014, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cicero819

Bill France Sr was interviewed by a well known automotive writer and I quote:" I don't care how much TV will offer us for our broadcasting rights, what we count on days in and days out are the fans sitting in our seats, we care about them, because they made us who we are."

If you believe that I have some beach side property in Orlando.

6mmgunship · 07-05-2014, 11:41 PM

Since France Sr passed it has been a different game played. The focus has been lost in many racing venues. It is the seats being full at ALL events that lets you know you have the right mix. If not you need to re wobble things until you get the balance back. Like Adger mentioned Bubba has no reason to leave his Kumfy chair & Big Screen. You need to inspire them to leave the house and see things LIVE!!!!!!!!!! Like the King said tonight on TV Its The Noise & Smells of Racin that brings them home to the track. Gotta Luv Petty!!!

Pat Collins

Alan Roehrich · 07-06-2014, 03:50 AM

You cannot charge people what NHRA and NASCAR want to charge. It simply won't work. The tickets are high, the concessions are high and they are not good, and the memorabilia is outrageous. They are not even close to being competitive for the entertainment dollar.

I dearly love this sport, to the point of doing fiscally stupid things to stay in it. But I won't pay what they charge just to spectate.

There is nothing wrong with profit, profit is a good thing, and it inspires businesses, and keeps them viable. But NHRA and NASCAR are killing motorsports with greed. They drive off the live spectators with price gouging, and then NHRA drives off the TV audience with their ESPN deal. All of which drives off sponsors. Half the pro fields are hanging on by their fingernails and going broke doing it.

MikeMoller · 07-06-2014, 08:27 AM

Both NASCAR and NHRA have just plain forgotten the fans. Notice during TV coverage they hardly ever show the stands, which are hardly full for any event. The money comes from TV. Ten years ago there was a major increase in popularity, lot of 'newbie' fans, and of course ticket prices got raised. However, the economy went south, the fad passed, and attendance has dwindled. But ticket prices have not come down, and will not come down, a lot of the 'old' loyal fans can't afford the higher prices. The sanctioning bodies have no interest in having fans in the stands. Shame on them.

Mike Pearson · 07-07-2014, 09:37 AM

I was at Daytona this weekend for the Coke Zero 400. I was amazed at the amount of construction taking place at the speedway. They are spending millions of dollars on the place adding a huge amount of seating, concessions and restrooms. Escalators to get to the upper seating. Its hard to believe that they adding more seats when they cant fill the seats they have now. I guess they are planning for the future when the economy picks up and we have more disposable cash. Nascar is crazy expensive for what you get in entertainment value. You can go to NHRA national event for the whole weekend for what it costs for an afternoon at the Nascar track.
Cost dictates everything in racing. If you make it more difficult it will only hurt the already dwindling car counts. we as racers need to do everything we can to help the new blood get excited about our sport.

cutta · 07-07-2014, 10:01 AM

The people I've exposed to racing simply are not interested enough to ever get involved or interested enough to pay to attend an event. They have about a 2hr interest window and then there interest is gone. I've also done a good job of explaining classes and why the classes are run the way they are, and have exposed them to Pro, Sportsman, and Outlaw racing. They simply aren't hooked enough to attend any of those events. In addition, when I explain the costs involved to race at these events and then further discuss the costs of the trailers and rigs people haul with, they definitely can't validate that kind of expense. At the end of the day, racing really is not an average mans game anymore unless your bracket racing or racing 4-6 events a year like local outlaw racers.

Mile High · 07-07-2014, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

I was at Daytona this weekend for the Coke Zero 400. I was amazed at the amount of construction taking place at the speedway. They are spending millions of dollars on the place adding a huge amount of seating, concessions and restrooms. Escalators to get to the upper seating. Its hard to believe that they adding more seats when they cant fill the seats they have now. I guess they are planning for the future when the economy picks up and we have more disposable cash. Nascar is crazy expensive for what you get in entertainment value. You can go to NHRA national event for the whole weekend for what it costs for an afternoon at the Nascar track.
Cost dictates everything in racing. If you make it more difficult it will only hurt the already dwindling car counts. we as racers need to do everything we can to help the new blood get excited about our sport.

I took a tour of Daytona Speedway last fall. They said they are going to close the back stretch seating and have seating only on the one side when completed.

It's all bang for your buck. They are pricing themselves out of peoples reach. From the local bracket race to a national event make the prices where a person can afford to go. Make it the most affordable entertainment there is.

Bracket racing isn't that hard to follow. Most of us aren't brain surgeons or rocket scientists and we understand how it works. Make it affordable and promote it through the media. Watching the NHRA on ESPN if it isn't nitro its no big deal.

Jeff

NHRAFAN156 · 07-06-2014, 03:03 PM

You took the words right out of my mouth. I am far from being cheap. But I don't like feeling like I am getting bent over. The last NHRA national event I went to I went into the Nitro mall to look around. t shirts were $25.00 make them $15.00 and more people will buy them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

You cannot charge people what NHRA and NASCAR want to charge. It simply won't work. The tickets are high, the concessions are high and they are not good, and the memorabilia is outrageous. They are not even close to being competitive for the entertainment dollar.

I dearly love this sport, to the point of doing fiscally stupid things to stay in it. But I won't pay what they charge just to spectate.

There is nothing wrong with profit, profit is a good thing, and it inspires businesses, and keeps them viable. But NHRA and NASCAR are killing motorsports with greed. They drive off the live spectators with price gouging, and then NHRA drives off the TV audience with their ESPN deal. All of which drives off sponsors. Half the pro fields are hanging on by their fingernails and going broke doing it.

NHRAFAN156 · 07-06-2014, 03:08 PM

I live in NJ and for the last 20 years or more I have been going to the E town National event on Fri Sat and Sun. This year I only went on Sunday. and I got a free ticket from a friend of mine. I just could not see spending all that money for 3 days at the races. on top of the price of the ticket's the food and drink's are way out of hand. as long as the NHRA keep the bean counter's they have working for them thing's will keep going the way they are.

07-05-2014, 10:10 PM	#1
cicero819 VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Aylmer Quebec, Canada Posts: 1,086 Likes: 31 Liked 69 Times in 30 Posts	Re: Changes? Bill France Sr was interviewed by a well known automotive writer and I quote:" I don't care how much TV will offer us for our broadcasting rights, what we count on days in and days out are the fans sitting in our seats, we care about them, because they made us who we are."

07-05-2014, 11:41 PM	#3
6mmgunship Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Huntersville NC Posts: 12 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Changes? Since France Sr passed it has been a different game played. The focus has been lost in many racing venues. It is the seats being full at ALL events that lets you know you have the right mix. If not you need to re wobble things until you get the balance back. Like Adger mentioned Bubba has no reason to leave his Kumfy chair & Big Screen. You need to inspire them to leave the house and see things LIVE!!!!!!!!!! Like the King said tonight on TV Its The Noise & Smells of Racin that brings them home to the track. Gotta Luv Petty!!! Pat Collins

07-06-2014, 03:50 AM	#4
Alan Roehrich Veteran Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 5,105 Likes: 1,564 Liked 1,789 Times in 408 Posts	Re: Changes? You cannot charge people what NHRA and NASCAR want to charge. It simply won't work. The tickets are high, the concessions are high and they are not good, and the memorabilia is outrageous. They are not even close to being competitive for the entertainment dollar. I dearly love this sport, to the point of doing fiscally stupid things to stay in it. But I won't pay what they charge just to spectate. There is nothing wrong with profit, profit is a good thing, and it inspires businesses, and keeps them viable. But NHRA and NASCAR are killing motorsports with greed. They drive off the live spectators with price gouging, and then NHRA drives off the TV audience with their ESPN deal. All of which drives off sponsors. Half the pro fields are hanging on by their fingernails and going broke doing it. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S

07-06-2014, 08:27 AM	#5
MikeMoller Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Raleigh NC Posts: 637 Likes: 27 Liked 254 Times in 78 Posts	Re: Changes? Both NASCAR and NHRA have just plain forgotten the fans. Notice during TV coverage they hardly ever show the stands, which are hardly full for any event. The money comes from TV. Ten years ago there was a major increase in popularity, lot of 'newbie' fans, and of course ticket prices got raised. However, the economy went south, the fad passed, and attendance has dwindled. But ticket prices have not come down, and will not come down, a lot of the 'old' loyal fans can't afford the higher prices. The sanctioning bodies have no interest in having fans in the stands. Shame on them. __________________ Mike Moller NHRA 203 Q-R-T/SA

07-07-2014, 09:37 AM	#6
Mike Pearson VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2,444 Likes: 613 Liked 1,916 Times in 574 Posts	Re: Changes? I was at Daytona this weekend for the Coke Zero 400. I was amazed at the amount of construction taking place at the speedway. They are spending millions of dollars on the place adding a huge amount of seating, concessions and restrooms. Escalators to get to the upper seating. Its hard to believe that they adding more seats when they cant fill the seats they have now. I guess they are planning for the future when the economy picks up and we have more disposable cash. Nascar is crazy expensive for what you get in entertainment value. You can go to NHRA national event for the whole weekend for what it costs for an afternoon at the Nascar track. Cost dictates everything in racing. If you make it more difficult it will only hurt the already dwindling car counts. we as racers need to do everything we can to help the new blood get excited about our sport. __________________ Mike Pearson 2485 SS

07-07-2014, 10:01 AM	#7
cutta Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Little Rock, AR Posts: 347 Likes: 0 Liked 5 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Changes? The people I've exposed to racing simply are not interested enough to ever get involved or interested enough to pay to attend an event. They have about a 2hr interest window and then there interest is gone. I've also done a good job of explaining classes and why the classes are run the way they are, and have exposed them to Pro, Sportsman, and Outlaw racing. They simply aren't hooked enough to attend any of those events. In addition, when I explain the costs involved to race at these events and then further discuss the costs of the trailers and rigs people haul with, they definitely can't validate that kind of expense. At the end of the day, racing really is not an average mans game anymore unless your bracket racing or racing 4-6 events a year like local outlaw racers. __________________ Adriel Paradise, Paradise Racing Team Driver/Crew Chief(at least my dad claims me to be) B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Arkansas

07-06-2014, 03:08 PM	#10
NHRAFAN156 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 60 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Changes? I live in NJ and for the last 20 years or more I have been going to the E town National event on Fri Sat and Sun. This year I only went on Sunday. and I got a free ticket from a friend of mine. I just could not see spending all that money for 3 days at the races. on top of the price of the ticket's the food and drink's are way out of hand. as long as the NHRA keep the bean counter's they have working for them thing's will keep going the way they are.