Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

National Trail has done that for years. Every Saturday of the point meets a couple dozen yellow school buses show up and all the kids walk around. Even at that, it looks like the place is empty. When a place holds 20 thousand people, a few kids don't make much difference.

Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

That's great Jeff, but we need them kids that have drivers licenses to come out, then they will bring their friends, kind of like investing in the sport.
If you ask a couple of track owners what brings them in, it's the import crowd. No tech, just kids having fun. They buy food, spend money.
If we don't get new blood, the sport will continue to decline. There are plenty of racers who have their kids racing, and have friends, but we need way more.
The stands are packed for all these different import events they now put on, the reason is the kids have all these different cars to pick from, but most are imports.

Just my opinion, but NHRA is going to have to put imports into Stock if they want new blood. it's kind of happening now with the new EV classes that some tracks have.

Spectator Attendance. You got to make people want to come to a race while competing against all the other events in the area for that weekend.

Track owners have to make a profit, it's a business. What's it cost to do a Divisional. What does NHRA want out of it.

Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

It's all about the money! Young people can't afford this sport. Being at the Vegas double the last few days, the only young people are the children of people already established in the sport and are financially set.

Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

You got it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NHRA's "entry-level" classes (Super Street and Stock) are now full of 150/160 MPH cars! That's not "entry-level"!

Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

But you don't have to have/build a 150/160 car look at McNeals taxi !

Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

None of the import crowd would want to attend an NHRA event to sit around old folks to see their buddy make a pass.

Imports have there own events and don't want any part of a divisional. Try telling them they have to put a dial on the car. Their heads would spin. They want to race to finish line.

The only NHRA imports you see are Comp cars because an engine builder saw something in a combo to run fast.

Oh, and the Toyota Funny Cars:D

Drag racing as we know it is dying in my opinion.
We'll still race,watch and follow but not many to replace us when we stop.

Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

IMPORTS? I'm not so sure I wouldn't rather see it die than allow that. I've been at events where imports were there, came away with a hatred for those buzzbombs. They may be even more irritating than having Jr Dragsters at a Divisional. Just my 2 cents. Bill Taylor B/S 1005.

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Not to mention, all the imports that I have ever seen at the track, usually just go for the local "street legals" event, or maybe a test and tune, and have zero interest in class restrictive "rules", or handicap racing. Almost everyone that I have seen , has either a turbo, or NAWS", and all kinds of "Mods" that would never fly in Stock. There may be a FWD Ricer that would possibly enjoy working with most of the factory issued components, and find satisfaction in finding incremental gains by experimenting, but it seems most of them would rather slap a nitrous kit or turbo on their Hondas.

Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

and McNeal's not a "kid"! But he's having fun like one.

Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

I had a thought, on Friday night of a points meet a car show where the racers line their cars on the track

like the pro's used to do back in the day and also include the locals to join and display their hot rods whether it be classic or imports.

Maybe something like that could get the community involved and create a friendly atmosphere.

Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

Did you ever notice that there are movies out there showing the new blood all about cars. Like a series of Fast & Furious. There aren't too many "American " brands. Ya got drifting, circle burns, and side by side racing. Who's gonna go faster, bolt this on, add this, add that, go faster. So what do you think what the new blood thinks.

I have never seen a movie with class racing as a backdrop.
You could have a comedy where if you go real fast, but get penalized, but that would be a long running series where it becomes a documentary.

I've seen these different import events, there is a wide variety. Some of these cars are very fast, rather impressive, but they don't weigh much. Race fans like to see cars, and they like it when these cars are on the verge of losing it. We all hold our breath momentarily when we see that scenario, and then talk about it. And the stands are full.

I don't know about the future of our sport, I've seen the decline in attendance at divisional for a long time. NHRA is safety conscious and its racers are basically perfectionists trying to go faster in a structured environment. NHRA started out so that any car could run, there was a class for it, from pros to the little guy. There was no imports then. Times have changed, just look at the "American " manufacturers now compared to back then.

It's your choice what to do, me, I'm just about finished with my car for a return to Stock. I don't mind who I'm against, some fast COPO or Jet, a real quick A-G class car, any ole H-Q class car, time retardant R-W class car, or maybe, just maybe, any import.

Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

For thousands of years the Golden Rule has been "he who has the gold makes the rules." If we can find ways to pack the stands at divisionals then maybe NHRA and the tracks will begin to take notice.

Look at division 4 Comp. The racers have banded together to promote participation, make qualifying an event and increase the purse significantly. There's a full field in Noble this weekend, with drivers participating from far away places. Brogdon has invested heavily in the saving the class, and others are doing their part providing quality video and other incentives. The results speak for themselves.

There are more Comp cars at Noble than super stockers and almost as many as stockers.

While it's true that times have changed, and the glory days are probably far behind us, there's still opportunity to make an impact. Every time I bring someone in their teens or early 20's to the track, they have a great time.

If we encourage young people to attend and they show interest, we can always offer to help them build a car. Maybe invite them over to the garage or shop to wrench on a car and learn.

Event attendance is the key.

Why do people still go to the crappy town carnivals every year? It's free to get in, a fun environment and exciting. They spend money on cheap rides and games, and...funnel cakes.

Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

Great idea.

Regardless of the naysayers, there are lots of ways to make the races an event that spectators want to attend.

Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

One only has to look to Norwalk and how the Bader family fills the stands at their divisional race June 2-4. It will be a huge show there for sure. Promotion promotion promotion

Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

Watched the divisional from Reynolds GA. I could see the concession stand where they cook pork rinds but couldn't tell if they were open. On the spectator side there were three groups of people, one at halftrack, another at the starting line and the third under a big tree. I just find it hard to believe that fifteen years ago that side would be almost full. And now just an open field....at a drag race.....in Georgia.
And the NHRA TV video was choppy to boot.

Re: Divisional Spectator Attendance
 

The concession stand was open. Also the ice cream stand at the end of the track was open. They had a festival going on that weekend in Reynolds. There were a few spectators there but could have been more.
That place is ok but has gone downhill of late. The bathrooms were dirty and the entire place seems a bit run down. The track was the best I have seen there in a while. I had my best 60 ft time ever at that track. And I think best ever for my current combo.

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Do the alcohol classes still need grade points like we do? If they are required to run Divisionals as we do, then there is the show........

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The place always had people in the stands when Ed & Dorothy owned it. It certainly has been neglected since then.

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I saw Ed there racing super street last weekend. I wonder what he thinks when he ;looks at the condition of the facility. The current owner did some improvements up by the staging lanes also widened the pit road at the area past the scales. Fixed some of the entrance road that was full of big potholes. So some improvements have been done there.