Re: 2012 Camaro in the NHRA Classguide
 

Next time your at a national event go look in stands for that young crowd, my bet it there not at the track yet, note stock normally runs very early in the day or very late sometimes both, and there there for the beer and nitro, check it out

Re: 2012 Camaro in the NHRA Classguide
 

I agree with you 100% and I do go to at least four national events a year with my 26 year old son.If your assumption is correct nhra stock racing wiil die in a few years.I sure hope not.

Re: 2012 Camaro in the NHRA Classguide
 

As others have said, you're not looking at the fans in the stands. I do. Every time we take either car to the lanes. No, the "new" cars are not bringing young fans to the track or to the classes.

Re: 2012 Camaro in the NHRA Classguide
 

The only way to to bring new young racers and new young fans to the sport of drag racing we all love is to bring more new cars into the nhra classguide.My 26 old son and his friends could give a dam about a rust bucket 1969 camaro.lol

Re: 2012 Camaro in the NHRA Classguide
 

I agree. I got involved with this sport when I was 20 years old. 20 plus years later the only fans you see in the stands when s and ss run are the same as when I started! The racers and their family or friends that came with them. Everybody thought that when the firebirds and camaros in the mid to late 90's came out that this was going to bring in the young crowd! Well how did that work out?

I say good luck and have fun while it lasts! Might be 2yrs or 20yrs. But the young crowd will never be there through the week and early mornings no matter what car is running!!

Re: 2012 Camaro in the NHRA Classguide
 

Ha!

Re: 2012 Camaro in the NHRA Classguide
 

Maybe, but I think the best way to get new fans into racing is one at a time. Bring a neighborhood kid to the races or a test and tune. Play big brother for a day. Let them ride with you during the warm up and to the lanes. The bug will bite them hard.

Just seeing the cars doesn't have the tangible impact that sitting in the car, hearing and feeling the rumble happens to have. Whop the throttle a time or two to really drive home the message. It will have a huge impact on your guest.

One of my clients attended a race to help me on a Make a Wish event I did for a boy. She got hooked! I did all of the above and she is a regular at the races. She even brings or sends cookies! Can't get any better than that.

Re: 2012 Camaro in the NHRA Classguide
 

New cars have come into the class guide every year for decades.

The new fuel injected cars, with relatively soft factors, have been in the class since 1999, that's how we ended up with the FI classes for several years. If your son and his two friends haven't gotten interested by now, they never will be. Any of the 3 of them building a new factory car with a give away factor? I thought not.

If you haven't figured it out, it is about the entire class, as it works, as a whole, and not about any one car. No car is going to get anyone interested, or save the class.

In order to be of any use to Stock and Super Stock, as a fan or a competitor, you have to understand how the classes work, and want to compete or watch on that basis. You have to love the classes for what they are and what they mean. If all you're looking for is an absurdly soft factor, or the car of the week, you'll be gone soon enough, and no one will miss you, or even remember who you are.

I'm sure the guys with the 70 Challengers and 68 Mustang Super Cobra Jets, among others, are just as broke up as we are that your son and his two friends don't give a damn about our rust bucket cars.Yeah, that would be not at all. We're out there racing, and contributing to the classes. If that's all any of you (you, your son, and his "friends")have as far as love for cars goes (that you don't give a damn about our "rust bucket 69 Camaros), you won't be of any help to class racing. :rolleyes:

Re: 2012 Camaro in the NHRA Classguide
 

I could not agree more with your message.When I take my son I always invite his friends to come with us and they all seem to love it once they understand just how hard the sportsman racer works to just get to the race.The Sportsman Racer Is NHRA!

Re: 2012 Camaro in the NHRA Classguide
 

This economy has been sinking for a solid 4 years now. Maybe thats why no one is at the races. Everybody is broke. I don't go as much as I would like because I have to work 7 days a week to make ends meet. Maybe a lot of you guys who race are retired and can afford to smell the nitro. :)

At the very least these new cars are something to talk about.....