CLASS RACER FORUM

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- - Nhra (https://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=36402)

Quote:

Originally Posted by FINESPLINE (Post 286393)

I believe Gary Richard gave away many free tickets in Division 1 this past year as he is a major sponsor ( P.C. Richard ) . I never heard any comment on the turnout at the track due to his generosity. Did anybody notice ?

Tony and Finespline.That was tried at Englishtown a few times.I don't think 50 people took advantage of it.I'll bet some of them were coming anyway.Jack did his best to distribute passes and it was a bust.It's not for not trying that the tracks can't pull in fans for divisionals.Years ago they did,I think for two reasons.One we were more of a car culture and two,they used to run fuel cars and P/S at those events.
Maybe if they booked in a show with fuelers,you know the local leakers,and do some advertising,they might fill some seats.I'm not just about negativity,see Ken?

Just on the topic of younger guys. Just got back from a CanAm race. There are 3 of us younger guys ( believe I'm the oldest at 23) who just built cars. A '68 baracuda, '68 Camaro, and mine is a SS/JA '69 Camaro. Some of us still know where it's at.

John

I can only speak for my part of the country. Gary Richard is great and if he is at the dutch I plan on thinking him for his support of D1 sportsmen. I don't see too much advertising for maple grove and I am only an hour away. That's why I believe we need to bring back match racing. Maybe a big weekend s/ss combo with the sunoco series. Maybe a pro mod shootout, something to really give people the over the top with the bloodline of drag racing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by skills (Post 286426)

That could be a start,if they recognize the fact.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Miele (Post 286225)

Skills, you have to understand guys like Ed Fernandez are stuck in the past and don’t except change very well. There are a small minority of Class Racer members that have been predicting the demise of Stock and Super Stock for many years.

The truth is, although the numbers are down this year, both classes are as popular as ever. What would have these guys said if it was 1973, when there were gas shortages, and the death of the muscle car started. They would say, “this is it guys, its all over, there is no way anyone will be interested now”. 38 years later and we are still here. I’m tired of hearing there is no new blood. There are plenty of new racers running Stock and Super Stock. Ford and Dodge have invested heavily into Stock and Super Stock, and GM is about to. Do you think the big three would be interested in a class that is dying. Yes there are other venues for young people to race, Class Racing is just one of them. The heads up racing is great, but all the numbers combined at one of their events still does not come close to the numbers of class cars.

This forum is proof that class racing is not dying. The Class Racer forum numbers have grown every year by 10%, and the last two months have been the best months ever on Class Racer.

The class is changing, there is no doubt about it, but its not the 1960’s. You can not compare what was done then to today. It cost more money to race today, but the people that have it are willing to spend it. I’m sorry if people like Ed can not or choose not to race with NHRA anymore. Things are changing, NHRA is not for everyone, the old guard is dying, its time for the new, like it or not. The problem is that the same old minority would rather see the demise of NHRA than offer solutions to help improve the over all drag racing experience.

X 2 You da man Ken ...

I don't think Gary did the Free Tickets at E-Town this year but, did it in the past 2 years and it was a weak turn-out to say the least but, big Kudos to Gary for trying to get the fans into the seats to showcase the sportsman racers. Maybe if they did a Free Fireworks show at E-Town you would see a better turnout cause it might draw in some of the neighborhoods (the people not trying to shut down e-town..haha). I'm pretty sure a few tracks did a discount program this year. Atco did a buy 1 get 1 half off deal and I'll be honest the stands didn't look that full if I can remember, Epping did a big spread for the event and had 10,000 + people there, Maple Grove does the $25 carload every year and $5.00 to cross over to the pits deal with Fireworks, etc. The only downfall I see with the discounted tickets is they announce it too late. I know Atco & Cecil announced on the Monday prior to the event they were doing a ticket discount. Unfortunate but, most of the people have plans already going on for the weekend and it's too late to get them to change their plans and use the discounted tickets. I think out of the free tickets I've printed out at work and gave to people I've had 1 person use them and that's because they didn't already had plans and it was announced to late.

The question that I have is how is the promotion deal working for these events. I think if we could get Gary to come to local PC Richards Stores near the track and display the cars you could draw some more spectators. Put Gary's Camaro, New Mustang, Pat D. Corvette, Eddie Alessi's "Rat in a Cat" and maybe an Alky Car out in front of the stores and be like "Come see these cars and more at Atco Raceway on July 18th" get your free or discounted tickets here. Maybe give everyone a voucher when they come into the gate at the weekly bracket race at the track "Use this ticket on Saturday, get 5 bucks off your admission to the Lucas Oil Event". Racers might not use it but, I bet they might give it to someone who might. Trust me I go to Atco on a weekly basis and the amount of paperwork they give you when you enter the gate with promotions is insane so a $5.00 voucher might just work and get people to come see drag racing.