[Ron Middleton]

Don,
While your initial post is interesting I feel that we would be just adding a lot more classes without really adding any substance to Stock or Superstock racing. The economy is having an effect on everybody from racers to sponsors to sanctioning bodies. This is something I think will affect us through this season and probably next season to. Hopefully during this time we(racers and sanctioning bodies) can find a way to insure the health of our sport for years to come. Just like anything else, our sport has evolved into what it is today and will face many changes in the future if it is to survive.

While there have been definite signs of a turndown in NHRA, IHRA, NASCAR and other events there are some series that are still growing in this poor economic climate. Maybe we should look at what it is going on over there and see if there are ideas we can incorporate in Stock and Superstock to insure our future.

The ADRL(American Drag Racing League) has seen tremendous growth the last couple of years and at the last race of 2008(Houston Raceway Park), the first two this year(Texas Motorplex and South Georgia Motorsports Park) record fields and crowds have turned out for all three of these events. Series sponsorships seem to be healthy and growing in a time when other sanctioning bodies are having trouble retaining and attracting new sponsors. I crew on a Pro Nitrous team so I have seen this personally. I think there are those who think that Kenny Knowling and the ADRL are directly competing with NHRA and IHRA but I don’t think that is case per say. Kenny seems to have his finger on the pulse of the American drag racing events market and is doing who heck of a job.

It’s not to say that NHRA/IHRA sportsman racing is broken but we definitely need to assess the direction we are heading in and look to make positive changes before it’s too late. I don’t think adding cars and/or classes is a fix. We already have a hard to understand (from a spectator and newbie standpoint) and it will be hard to entice fresh blood without some changes (possibly major). Without being too self-serving we should look at what the spectators want as we all know that sponsors are looking for maximum exposure for minimal cost. Sportsman racing as we know it today is very hard to understand for the new spectator.

Spectators enjoy seeing good looking and/or fast cars but the idea of dialing in, throttle stops, etc. just goes against most everyone’s perception of what racing is all about. I think most get the idea that a car with a smaller engine or heavier weight cannot compete on an equal basis without a handicap. The idea of running “too fast” just doesn’t work in a persons mind. I think most spectators comprehend Comp Eliminator but not Stock, Superstock or the .90 classes. The idea of a throttlestop really makes for a poor spectator event and if we want to bring in spectators we need racing that is more appealing.
During the early days 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s divisional races included today’s Pro categories and drew large crowds(in most cases) but since the 90’s most divisionals have had weak or poor spectator attendance.

How do we change our current situation? I’m not sure I know the all the answers but I think there are enough great minds in our sport that we should be able to find a way to insure our future. We all know people who excel in our sport from track owners to racers to promoters to potential sponsors. We need to find a way to build our spectator base and make it a show for them. Putting fans in the stands will give us something to sell potential sponsors. Corporate America needs viable marketing avenues and we need to find one that includes our sport. I personally think that reducing classes and having more heads-up runs is a starting place. I know there are many who oppose this and many racers look for ways to avoid this but this is racing and we need to look at it as an investment in our future. I also think that Kenny Knowling has a great idea for getting fans in the stands. Almost anyone can get free tickets to an ADRL race(in fact I got hundreds to give away for the May 22-23 Memphis race if you want any) because he has worked it into the series sponsors package. In today’s economic climate it’s a great way to get fans in the stands(far more economical for a family of four than a night at the movies, etc.). I’m not sure how he has worked the economics out to make this work but he has done a wonderful job of growing the series and making it viable.

I am sure there are many great ideas out there we just need a way to organize them and put these ideas in place. JMT.