CLASS RACER FORUM - Make Divisionals Great Again

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Re: Make Divisionals Great Again

no where did I state stock/super stock racers are stupid :D the rest you've got right! :p

Re: Make Divisionals Great Again

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1320racer (Post 690662)

it's no surprise, 1/4 mile bracket racing is dead and has been for years.

1/4 mile racing died as Femininization took hold.

Re: Make Divisionals Great Again

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike natoli (Post 690840)

300 mph in 660' do you have the balls???

Some 1/8 mile tracks i wouldn't have the balls or brains to go over 150mph.

Re: Make Divisionals Great Again

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd Hoven (Post 690772)

What has been the attraction for bracket racers and track owners to push 1/8 mile racing? I know just about all bracket racing has gone this way. Money,Time, profit margin?

electronic e.t. controllers aren't as accurate in the 1/4 mile.....the weather affects them too much.

Re: Make Divisionals Great Again

Time to revive this thread since I will be having Bill Bader back on my show Tuesday Feb 6 @ 9PM EST and we will be LIVE. Have your questions ready as he will probably answer in one hour what we could not answer in 19 pages of this thread. Watch on YouTube or Facebook just search @driverinterviews

For those that don't know, Bill is the owner of Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH. He knows how to pack the house for his events and understands the balance between competition and entertainment.

Re: Make Divisionals Great Again

Bobby, just what is it (in the 21ST century) that will determine the "greatness" of a Divisional? Car count? Spectator count? Bottom line?
As a Sportsmen Racer, I feel that a well attended Divisional Race is a far greater event than a Natl. Event. It's about US not the dog-and-pony-show. But that's just me.
I am still very much behind the idea of Class Eliminations at well attended Divisionals. Again, it's about us.
To the issue of spectator count? I posted on another thread that of the Track Owners that I personally know, I can't imagine that any of them DON'T have buddys who run PM, Drag radial, fastest street car stuff and couldn't be called upon for a "favor".

Re: Make Divisionals Great Again

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy Nees (Post 692103)

Bobby, just what is it (in the 21ST century) that will determine the "greatness" of a Divisional? Car count? Spectator count? Bottom line?

All of the above.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy Nees (Post 692103)

As a Sportsmen Racer, I feel that a well attended Divisional Race is a far greater event than a Natl. Event. It's about US not the dog-and-pony-show. But that's just me.

Well attended divisionals are not enough to save a racetrack, let alone increase our payouts, entice sponsorship opportunities, grow the contingency program, and preserve our style of drag racing for the long term. Etown and Atco always had large divisional car counts. So sadly no, it is not all about us. If it were, tracks would stay open. Tracks have to balance competition with entertainment if they want to survive these days.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy Nees (Post 692103)

I am still very much behind the idea of Class Eliminations at well attended Divisionals. Again, it's about us.

Nationals grow our brand, divisionals do not. Not yet anyway. And as long as this "it's about us" thinking continues, they never will. It's not about us, it's about the growth and preservation of our style of drag racing for years to come. Racers, track owners, and especially NHRA all have to do their part.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy Nees (Post 692103)

To the issue of spectator count? I posted on another thread that of the Track Owners that I personally know, I can't imagine that any of them DON'T have buddys who run PM, Drag radial, fastest street car stuff and couldn't be called upon for a "favor".

I'm all for it. But this might contradict the "It's about us" thinking if some entertainment shows up that brings people in to watch. I don't care what brings the people in, I capitalize on it. I hand out flyers, educate spectators on our class, get lots more social media followers, and grow my brand. We don't have to be "the show"...we are #thecarshow and it's just as good. :)

Re: Make Divisionals Great Again

Bobby, of the 2 tracks you mentioned, I'm not sure a lack of business
caused their closing. I think that most tracks were built out of town, or
on the edge of town, in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. Our towns and cities
grew, and all all of sudden, the old abandoned farm land that was purchased for drag strip use, has gone from 1000.00 an acre, to
$250,000.00 an acre, or more. Now if the owner has slaved away at
the track for 20, 30, 40 years or more, and someone offers them
10, 20, 30 million, or a lot more, and they can sit on the beach with
their kids, grandkids, wives, mistresses, etc, it is pretty enticing.
I think our best help, hopefully the help of your Feb. 6 Guest, is to compile
an owners manual for Medium Size Tracks Hosting An LODRS Race.
We could cover such things as do they make it a regional? What are the
cost differences, and who is attending? Is it Tony Stewart? A track could have a heyday with that. Do they know how to market their product on the internet? I don't, but you and Alicia and others you know do. Can they work out "Trade" deals with the local radio station? Free ticket give aways,
a DJ RACE Saturday night, etc. There are many good ideas out there, and any business that wants part of the available entertainment dollar, must almost be expert Marketers. How many track owners are, vs. how many are riding a lawnmower cutting the grass when we pull in? We cut the grass at our business because we don't know what else to do to improve our business. As I said, let's put together an instruction manual and call it Make Your LODRS Event Profitable!!
We have a serious amount of Brainpower on this forum, let's ask for everyone's help, and we'll get 6 or 7 good people and make it happen. I'm in.

Thanks,

J.R.

Re: Make Divisionals Great Again

Like the folks who move next to an airport and complain??

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.R. Haddad (Post 692109)

Bobby, of the 2 tracks you mentioned, I'm not sure a lack of business
caused their closing. I think that most tracks were built out of town, or
on the edge of town, in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. Our towns and cities
grew, and all all of sudden, the old abandoned farm land that was purchased for drag strip use, has gone from 1000.00 an acre, to
$250,000.00 an acre, or more. Now if the owner has slaved away at
the track for 20, 30, 40 years or more, and someone offers them
10, 20, 30 million, or a lot more, and they can sit on the beach with
their kids, grandkids, wives, mistresses, etc, it is pretty enticing.
I think our best help, hopefully the help of your Feb. 6 Guest, is to compile
an owners manual for Medium Size Tracks Hosting An LODRS Race.
We could cover such things as do they make it a regional? What are the
cost differences, and who is attending? Is it Tony Stewart? A track could have a heyday with that. Do they know how to market their product on the internet? I don't, but you and Alicia and others you know do. Can they work out "Trade" deals with the local radio station? Free ticket give aways,
a DJ RACE Saturday night, etc. There are many good ideas out there, and any business
that wants part of the available entertainment dollar, must almost be expert Marketers. How many track owners are, vs. how many are riding a lawnmower cutting the grass when we pull in? We cut the grass at our business because we don't know what else to do to improve our business. As I said, let's put together an instruction manual and call it Make Your LODRS Event Profitable!!
We have a serious amount of Brainpower on this forum, let's ask for everyone's help, and we'll get 6 or 7 good people and make it happen. I'm in.

Thanks,

J.R.

Re: Make Divisionals Great Again

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barry Polley (Post 692110)

Like the folks who move next to an airport and complain??

Totally different scenario - they knew the airport was there. What Bobby was referring to has happened to dozens of drag strips around the country caused by urban sprawl.