Re: Really national dragster?
 

It is funny that you mentioned this. The majority of paying customers are sportsman for the companies who advertise in Dragster yet the magazine carters to the pros >wow if it were me and I were in charge I would have the majority catering to the Sportsman . I told this To Phil Burgess about 15 years ago but nothing has changed LOL at my age ;):D:):eek:

Re: Really national dragster?
 

Has NOBODY been paying attention? Whether you like it or not, the National Hot Rod Association is a business, and on the national level, that business is bringing fans (customers) through the gate! They do that by promoting the classes most people want to see, and that's the one's that burn NITROMETHANE. Anything that they can do to increase the number of fans (customers) who buy tickets and pay for parking and T-shirts and souvenirs is smart business! They're making money for somebody! John Force and his team bring a lot of business to the NHRA, so who wouldn't put them upfront?

Sad to say, the Sportsman racer and fans are the minority when it comes to the NHRA's business model. If the race promoter's could figure out how to fill the down-time between the rounds of the Pro classes with some other form of entertainment, we'd be replaced! NASCAR did it with their 3 classes and there's no national exposure for any of their local sportsman racers. But the fan's (customer's) keep coming back for more!

Re: Really national dragster?
 

Marketing......period.

Same as NASCAR.....Danica Patrick.....

Promote a good looking woman in a male dominated sport. Gets the ladies interested.....hopefully brings in more sales and interest.

Or how about promoting some dude that will do anything/drive anything/ jump off anything....
Travis Pastrana.....attract the younger crowd.....

Without the Force Circus.........NHRA has almost no show anymore....

Re: Really national dragster?
 

Of all the things you could rip NHRA a new one for, putting a Force on the cover of the Dragster has to rank way low on the list. I could think of two dozen things that actually matter above that with no effort at all.

Re: Really national dragster?
 

Do you think NHRA's offices being in CA were ever influenced by Hollywood? Similar mentality to a "reality show". Nobody will pay to see true reality; it's what we see every day of our life. People pay to see what they wish their reality could be. NHRA sells dreams, fantasies, thrills . . . cheap thrills at that. You can buy what NHRA sells, but it won't last.

The honor, respect, acheivement, integrity, etc. that racers wish was still prevalent in sportsman racing is what lasts. It comes with a high price too, but its not dollars and cents. What you see on that cover is dollars and cents masquerading as virtue.

Re: Really national dragster?
 

Yet when National Dragster did a survey on the most popular eliminator a couple of years ago, it was Super Stock.

Re: Really national dragster?
 

Very well said, Dwight. That is one of the best statements I have read on this site and couldn't agree more.

Re: Really national dragster?
 

I second that .........It’s amazing with everything I’ve read, he was never around when they were kids growing up, but now that there is revenue gain associated with them……..come to Papa. If anything ever happens to this empire, National Dragster will be down to 6 pages long.

Re: Really national dragster?
 

i can't stand john force! i love it when force cars go out in eliminations. the trouble is espn still interviews this blowhard as if he's got anything relavent to say.and while we're at it i can't stand "the sarge" either. hey tony, you want to be a sarge, enlist! espn needs to showcase sportsman racing the way diamond p did in the 80's. all you get now is tad and tafc.

Re: Really national dragster?
 

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