Thoughts?

[Nmbr1GMfan]

With the huge surge in the very popular "No Prep" "Back of The Track" type events with huge crowds and an even bigger TV audience and now with big names like Steve Jackson chiming in on the sport and the Coughlin's building a car to compete in the 2022 season of No Prep Kings, what are your thoughts? I for one don't really care what type of drag racing it is, I like it. Add in the drama and these shows are very popular.
https://www.dragzine.com/news/jegs-p...acing-in-2022/

[jmcarter]

I’m all for it if it helps the tracks. Hopefully it will lead to some crossover if people see class racing and think they want to try it out. I personally don’t care for crowds all around the starting line so have zero interest in participating, but that’s just me.

[Nmbr1GMfan]

Originally Posted by jmcarter

I’m all for it if it helps the tracks. Hopefully it will lead to some crossover if people see class racing and think they want to try it out. I personally don’t care for crowds all around the starting line so have zero interest in participating, but that’s just me.

The small no prep races and or back of the track events always have lots of people around the cars. The televised No Prep Kings races which do have some other classes added as filler are very strict about who is in the staging lanes and very strict about who is near the starting line. I find it pretty amazing that now we are seeing what could be considered well funded professional type teams building cars for this series.

[Mike Pearson]

I like any kind of car racing. NPK is very high dollar heads up format no different than any pro NHRA category. The real difference is the TV coverage and the story line and personalities that accompany the shows. Those races pay big money 40K to win and a championship bonus at the end. So right there its a better pay day than NHRA in most cases. It is winner take all though. Jegs and Summit seem to be involved in all aspects of auto racing so it makes sense that they would get involved either by competing or sponsorship
NHRA is really behind the times on their social media and TV coverage. That seems to be hurting our side of things right now

[Carguy49]

I love car racing. Things have changed during the last 20 years, so it is different now. That being said, any type of racing to help bring money to the various tracks is what the owners have to do. I don't go to the events that happen near me, but do, on occasion, watch on T.V.

As Mike Pearson mentioned, the NHRA is way behind in the promoting aspect of the sport. Other than the National events there is virtually no radio or T.V. time for events. I know it costs big bucks to buy time on the radio or T.V, but you have to spend money to make money.

The last Divisional race I attended at Pacific Raceways here in the Northwest had maybe a hundred people in the stands. I can almost guarantee you that most of those were friends/family of the racers, or the racers themselves when not racing

[340Cuda]

Originally Posted by Carguy49

Other than the National events there is virtually no radio or T.V. time for events.

What about this?

Free 24/7 NHRA channel now available on 10 streaming platforms including Tubi, Roku

https://www.nhra.com/news/2021/free-...ding-tubi-roku

[BillK]

Originally Posted by Carguy49

The last Divisional race I attended at Pacific Raceways here in the Northwest had maybe a hundred people in the stands. I can almost guarantee you that most of those were friends/family of the racers, or the racers themselves when not racing

Ron,
I don't know if any amount of promotion would change that. The biggest issue in my opinion with spectators is that they want to see heads up racing with whoever gets to the finish line first being the winner. I bracket raced for over 20 years and love drag racing but to be honest with you I cannot sit and watch bracket racing which is all that class racing is now days.

[rboyle]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

I like any kind of car racing. NPK is very high dollar heads up format no different than any pro NHRA category. The real difference is the TV coverage and the story line and personalities that accompany the shows. Those races pay big money 40K to win and a championship bonus at the end. So right there its a better pay day than NHRA in most cases. It is winner take all though. Jegs and Summit seem to be involved in all aspects of auto racing so it makes sense that they would get involved either by competing or sponsorship
NHRA is really behind the times on their social media and TV coverage. That seems to be hurting our side of things right now

Totally agree. Funny, they give zero numbers or math. No reaction times, ET or MPH either. I think the average fan can understand " gotta go A to B" better than "I was double Oh Three on the tree, holding two and dropped him at the 1000 and ran dead on with a 2". NHRA though also gets some of the blame. Promote the racers. Not just the Pro's, maybe the Worlds fastest Factory Stock CobraJet vs the Fastest Copo in Factory Stock! The old radio ads were legendary, and worked! They even popped up in the movie Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. It drew you in. SUNDAY Sunday sunday...

[chris ok]

The end of track racing is pretty big and there is some serious electronics and power mgmt involved. I do agree they need to clear the starting line. It’s pulling in big numbers.
Along with all these big bracket races. So there appears to be a food future in racing.

On another note. What about full radial type prep racing. It’s popular too. Cecil has a monthly street car shootout. Many classes pro mod, too sportsman, ultra street and x275 -all 1/8 mile.
8.50, 10.0, 11.50 plus bracket classes all 1/4 mile.
Track is prepped to the max.
I like that a lot too.
Would love to see stock n super stock on radial prep.
Along w nhra, and the other sanctioned bodies we are doing pretty well.

[Henrys Toy]

Originally Posted by jmcarter

I’m all for it if it helps the tracks. Hopefully it will lead to some crossover if people see class racing and think they want to try it out. I personally don’t care for crowds all around the starting line so have zero interest in participating, but that’s just me.

good morning to all,
I love all types of racing cars, Drag Racing is my passion. When the "Street Outlaws" started I figured it would last a season or two then go away. Okay - I was wrong!
I think adding in the personal side helps sell this on TV. I think Wally Parks is rolling over in his grave, seeing how this Street Racing has taken a hold of an audience baffles me. Maybe its the "outlaw" vibe. Yes, seeing all those people on the starting line are a little too close for even my comfort. If one of those land based missiles coughs a blower with all those people or a Nitrous Backfire happens I'm afraid this fun and games will all come to a screeching halt!
I like the fact that I hear people outside of the Car World ( like at my job ) talk about this stuff with a fair amount of interest. If this helps to develop interest in our sport and hopefully gets a few people together to build something - then I'm all for it. If this helps build some support for local Drag Racing, I'm real happy for that. But not for me, I'm a Class Racer,
that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Respectfully,
Henry Kunz 1534 H/SA