Re: NHRA and the Olympics
 

Damn....I missed all of them.

Re: NHRA and the Olympics
 

Greg,

One of my big interests, besides drag racing, baseball, and economics, is music and none of the stuff I really like (jazz, blues, bluegrass, folk) was on the Grammy's during prime time either, although it was nice to see Esperanza Spaulding (a jazz artist) win Best New Artist rather than a haircut (Justin Beaver or whatever his name is).

Re: NHRA and the Olympics
 

If you followed the NASCAR coverage over this past weekend, there are a few companies paying large sums (millions) of dollars and not getting a penny's worth, while others spending a few dollars are getting tons of exposure. In the few short hours we watched, Danica somebody got more exposure than a company which spent most of their last years earnings for no dollars!! Where are the shareholders?

Re: NHRA and the Olympics
 

Addressing Greg's initial observation about NHRA/Olympics media coverage,at least the sport gets coverage as flawed as it is. Without the "Pro" and "star" coverage drag racing would probably be relegated to the airtime given to Figure 8and Demolition Derby events. I cite by example the SCTA which drag racing evolved from,with the exception of terrible Bonneville coverage they get no airtime at all. Much as I despise the format of National Event coverage , I am thankful drag racing is being aired at all. I remember the days when the Daytona 500 was shown six months later interspersed with figure skating and drag racing was barely covered if at all .

Re: NHRA and the Olympics
 

No, you don't.

As a veteran of twenty-eight years on the salt, I can attest the SCTA doesn't actively pursue any television coverage of their events.

I'm beginning to get the impression you read NONE of my replies to your observations in the "Why Can't..." thread.

Re: NHRA and the Olympics
 

I am truly sorry Bret,I did not intend to offend you. I did read with interest your posts as put up and after first realized how unworkable and unrealistic the concept proposed really is. I was only trying to make apoint of how one group took a path toward commercial success and the SCTA proudly stuck to its roots. I do by the way remember when stockcar races were broken up into segments for TV with unrelated sports in between segments. I did read and learned how television really works from someone respected within the industry,thank you for the education. Once again my apologies as was never my intent to offend.

Re: NHRA and the Olympics
 

I'm just jokin' around so no offense was taken. Funny thing about our memories; even I thought the old Wide World of Sports coverage of Indy and Pomona showed up months after the fact but I did some research and found, (to my dismay), the shows actually aired no more than five weeks after the races! I didn't look it up but I sure the Daytona 500 was probably never delayed by more than that amount.

You got it right about the SCTA; it's a gaggle of the hardest-core "old school" racing people on the planet. They make drag racing class racers look like Marilyn Manson by comparison and those old guys wouldn't care if there was never another TV show shot on the salt. A TV camera at El Mirage is almost unheard of!

Re: NHRA and the Olympics
 

Ya know, I was thinking the other day about how the normal fan does not understand handicap racing and how to explain it in a way they would understand.
How about first round of stock eliminator (everyday at a national meet) run two cars, say an A or so car and have it run a lower class car and have the announcer explain it as their running.

Re: NHRA and the Olympics
 

This is a myth. This is like saying The Price Is Right is too difficult to understand. People have watched and understood game shows for decades. Here's the set of rules, here's the objective. It's NOT hard. I have explained the sport to novices in the stands (or over the PA) on numerous occasions, and people not only pick it up quickly, but also start to enjoy it -- once somebody BOTHERS to tell them what it is they're looking at. It was only a matter of minutes before a 12-yr-old boy watching Super Rod running at Tri-State (1/8th mile) was pointing to the scoreboard, "Dad, look! There's another 6.40!"

Announcing at a bracket race with all racers and no spectators is a different discipline than announcing at a National event. I was given the opportunity to give an NHRA announcer a pizza break at Maple Grove one year, and got to announce a round of Super Comp. I had Stocker guys tell me that was the most interesting Super Comp had ever been to them... like, they actually paid ATTENTION to it.

Know your audience. Inform, then entertain.

Re: NHRA and the Olympics
 

You guys are all talking AROUND the central point of the problem as far as TV goes... there is no apparent will on the part of the NHRA TV crews to enlighten the television audience about sportsman gasoline racing... it would not be too difficult to put an announcer in place that could pass along the nuances of the sportsman competitor, they just need to want to (granted, part of that wanting is driven by how many revenue dollars they think it will generate). I point again to the phenomenal rise of televised POKER... a sport where everyone sits at a table and plays with CARDS!!! The interest comes from giving a CLEAR explanation of strategy, potentials and outcomes to the viewer, and making a connection to the personalities for the audience... how easy would THAT be for NHRA to do??? Right.... not hard at all, the problem is with NHRA, not the spectators.