Big $$$ S/SS Races as a Business Model..Viable?

[Crisco]

I think it could be a very good business model if you (the promoter) would have the racers actually show up. Not many businesses will survive without customers. Alot of them S/SS racers complain about NHRA raising entry fees, not raising payouts, contingency not paying anymore, having to be there (at a National, hell even a divisional) for a week, etc, etc. Now, you have some good, reputable S/SS racers stick their neck out for them to have a good place to race, pay them on the spot more money than they could ever win at a National or a divisional even with contingency, actually tell them thanks for coming, throw them a party, and actually have a damn good time yet no one shows up. I guess alot of the S/SS racers think its not S/SS racing if it isn't under the NHRA sanctioning. I know there is some prestige in winning a Wally, but doesn't 25k sound better?

If the S/SS promoters can keep this going, get more product sponsors on board for round wins/loses etc, make it fun with the rules still in place, why anyone wouldn't support it is beyond me....

Chris Avaritt

[GUMP]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

Take a look at The Southeast Gassers on Youtube (SEGA) before anyone disagrees with me
1/8th mile only
Stick shift only
Straight axles and wheelies required
Flat out racing
No ET on scoreboard.
Car names highly recommended
Racers do not pay entry..They are the show
They do race for money..It comes from the spectator gate.
...People drive halfway across the country to spectate and race
More new cars every year

Doesn't relate? Okay, what does?

We get two SEGA races at Shadyside Dragway each year. The place is packed beyond capacity for both. They sell tons of food and souvenirs. Quain runs a great race!

The place is also well attended for the Shadyside Owtlaws and No Prep races.

The one thing that they have in common is that all the racing is HEADS UP. Fans can relate to that.

Bracket racing is dumb to most people that don't race.....

[Nick Heath]

Originally Posted by GUMP

We get two SEGA races at Shadyside Dragway each year. The place is packed beyond capacity for both. They sell tons of food and souvenirs. Quain runs a great race!

The place is also well attended for the Shadyside Owtlaws and No Prep races.

The one thing that they have in common is that all the racing is HEADS UP. Fans can relate to that.

Bracket racing is dumb to most people that don't race.....

Daren, I gotta comment here because I think you hit on an important point. A while back, I took my wife to a S/SS combo race at Brainerd. I explained Stock Eliminator eliminations (e.g. the bracket racing) to her. She laughed and said, "I don't get it." Then when two B/SA's line up, I say, "Watch this, a heads up race! First to the finish line wins!" She intently watched that round and asked, "Are there any more of those?" I laughed and said, "Now you know why I take 2-3 days of vacation every year to go to Indy!"

Bracket racing will always be a niche attraction to most spectators because it takes more than 10 seconds to explain. If you want spectators, I think you need a lot of promotion and a lot of heads-up racing. If you don't care about spectators, then then you need other avenues make money - and I'm not smart enough or qualified enough to comment on that.

[Mark Yacavone]

Okay..Lots of folks think heads up racing would be the big draw for spectators.

Lets think about this , but first a little history lesson. Heads up class racing was all there was in the beginning . Someone got the idea to run all the class winners in eliminator fashion.. You had to win class to be in the eliminator..Obviously, you had to have class runoffs first.
Not so today..Everybody gets a chance to qualify.
But maybe , for the sake of promoting heads up, spectator friendly racing, we need to re-think this.
I'll just throw this out here.
What if class runoffs were held Saturday night, under the lights? You can imagine what the local radio commercials would sound like?
Maybe channel some of the entry and / or advertising money towards a class win. Or racers could put up a Franklin towards the pot. Strictly an optional program.
Of course, run them in order...A,B, C and so on.
How about that, Larry Hill? 1500 bucks cash for a class win?

How about it? Any merit to this?

[GTX JOHN]

How about combining classes stick and auto plus lumping three together
ABC@B weight DEF@E weight GHI @ H and so on = no limit to ballast and run them each heads up.

The winner of each Mini Eliminator could then
run off with each other winner on a dial in for a final winner.

[james schaechter]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

Okay..Lots of folks think heads up racing would be the big draw for spectators.

Lets think about this , but first a little history lesson. Heads up class racing was all there was in the beginning . Someone got the idea to run all the class winners in eliminator fashion.. You had to win class to be in the eliminator..Obviously, you had to have class runoffs first.
Not so today..Everybody gets a chance to qualify.
But maybe , for the sake of promoting heads up, spectator friendly racing, we need to re-think this.
I'll just throw this out here.
What if class runoffs were held Saturday night, under the lights? You can imagine what the local radio commercials would sound like?
Maybe channel some of the entry and / or advertising money towards a class win. Or racers could put up a Franklin towards the pot. Strictly an optional program.
Of course, run them in order...A,B, C and so on.
How about that, Larry Hill? 1500 bucks cash for a class win?

How about it? Any merit to this?

II think offering class is a great idea. It could be a separate entry fee and these should be some effort to pair up by class. Maybe an incentive to get more heads up. Move up or down a class so there is less in the combo. It might get a few more cars to show up?

As far as an entry fee, just figure out what it would should cost for entry, consider a format and try it out. The more side by side races, the better.

[Larry Hill]

When we first started if we won class the weekend of racing was almost paid for. Several companies paid for class, with MoPar paying the most.
$1500 class win sure! I got a $100 for the Baby Gators

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Larry Hill

When we first started if we won class the weekend of racing was almost paid for. Several companies paid for class, with MoPar paying the most.
$1500 class win sure! I got a $100 for the Baby Gators

Yeah, I can remember those days!
If there was still that kind of money to be made for winning class it would almost be worth taking a HP hit.

[pmrphil]

Side by side racing is what most drag race fans want to see. Some understand the reasons for staggered start, but a lot don't care for it. How about trying to pair up cars by dial ins, I realize it would be a pain to do, but the appeal of "drag racing" from the spectator standpoint would be huge, resulting in more paying spectators. You could still have dial ins and a staggered start, but it would be so small of a difference that it would appear that they were leaving together. There's more spectators at the start line than the finish line.

[novassdude]

Originally Posted by Crisco

I
If the S/SS promoters can keep this going, get more product sponsors on board for round wins/loses etc, make it fun with the rules still in place, why anyone wouldn't support it is beyond me....

Chris Avaritt

The answer is easy for many, location. Not ll racers can afford the time and money it takes travel over a 1000 miles to race. I think Ken's race is close to a perfect set up good money fair entry multiple races for one tow. But the location for anyone out of div 1 and maybe 3 is a very long tow. SGMP had the same issue just a different corner of the country. Not to mention another race 250 miles away on the same weekend.
There is no good solution for the location part. no matter where you hold the race there are people that will not be happy and therefor not attend.