Calif. newspaper article

[Oclk Dlux]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

That being said, they are two different animals, and do not need to be compared.

Rubbish Mike. What's been everyone's favorite subject to rant about on this forum for the last two years? NHRA and fans. That's what the article is about. Let's be real shall we. NHRA gets it's money from the racers, whereas NASCAR gets theirs mainly from the fans. This explains all their TV coverage, commercials, sponsorships, etc. Fans eat that up and will pay for more.

Shoot, many NASCAR racers are even household names. For example, I asked my Mom & Dad, who are very mild race fans, if they knew any NHRA racers. They couldn't answer, so I threw out the name John Force, hoping to jog a memory. All I got was, "Didn't he advertise for Castrol?" Hey, at least they knew that. Yet, both were able to name Gordon, Johnson, Kahne, Stewart, Jarrett, and even Ken Schrader of all people! Unbelievable......

To drive the point even further, I recently purchased a "Super Six" asphalt sprint car for next year. I could never get a sponsor for my stocker (who wants to sponsor a LeBaron anyways?), yet I have people asking me if I'd like to have them sponsor my sprint car. Incredible! Well, they know that lots of fans go to their local circle track, especially on Grand Nationals night, and will patronize businesses they see advertised on cars.

NHRA doesn't cater to the fans anymore, and they're not worried. If they want a pay raise, they can simply create classes to attract more racers. More racers equals more money. So the guy who wrote the article hit the nail right on the head. However, will lack of fans be the demise of NHRA? No. If there's hundreds of cars lined up at the local drag strip's front gate prior to opening, then what are we scared of?

[Michael Beard]

I guess my saying "they do not need to be compared" was another way of saying, "Don't bother comparing them, because they're never going to be comparable." They each have positives and negatives.

Bruce - thanks for the added info. That at least sits a lot better than "Why do you think the pros wear face masks in the pits?" Otherwise, you'd have people banning the peeling of onions in the kitchen!

[Chris1529]

I think the comment Oclk Dlux wrote about his parents only recognizing John Force's name when they associated it with Castrol. If you look at the most recognizable names in Nascar, they have been associated with the same brand for longer periods of time. Look at the frenzy that was created with Dale Jr when it was announced he wasn't going to have Budweiser as a sponsor. It led to a live telecast to announce his new sponsors!

I think that Force is clearly the most recognizable name in drag racing. The show driving Force has probably alerted more folks from non-racing arenas to know his name as well just because of the "drama" show on TV. People that tune in to see someone "Flip that house" are now introduced to a family that drag races.

I truly believe the best way we as sportsman can promote our sport is to be as friendly as possible when fans come walking through the pits. They need to know that we are regular people that work regular jobs, work on our stuff over the winter and between races. They need something to associate us with.

I think if they know that Joe ABC is a union electrician, or that Sally ABC is CPA, etc. They need to know that we have been racing the same cars for 20 years, or that the motor has 400 runs on it, or that you used to drive it to high school, etc. Naming the cars like was done in previous years can help out as well.
Take a name like "Steel CIty Wedge". You can immediately associate that with someone from Pittsburgh if the car was racing at Bristol or other tracks a far distance from their home. I was at Hagerstown last weekend and it was the first time I have heard an annuncer call my car " The Mountain State Mustang". I only run there a couple times per year, but that could be the difference between someone in the stands saying "Hey, I remember that car from last year" and "I think I remember seeing that white Mustang here before"

It also helps if the announcer is more familiar with sportsman racing and can tell the crowds about the drivers as well as the cars. Whether we are running a crate motor car, comp eliminator, or a hot rod or super gas, the crowd needs to know more about the person sitting in the drivers seat. In certain markets, such as North Carolina area for IHRA and the Northeast Division for NHRA, the announcers and the fans get to see the competitors more frequently, and thus are more familiar with the drivers.

In other markets though, such as instances, maybe in the western region of the country, in which competitors travel 8-12 hours to get to a race, names and cars won't be as familiar. I think both sanctioning bodies should put more efforts in telling the fans about the drivers. NASCAR promotes the drivers and their sponsors. They don't promote the cars. Fans can assoicate with that. Gear-heads are more interested in the cars that race, but I think casual fans are generally more interested in the drivers and the story that goes with them.

[Bunkster]

The best dollar and time investment for a fan ... a spectator... is a night at a WOO sprint car race.

Nothing..... be it NASCAR, NHRA, Indy cars or whatever, can compare to what you get with this beautiful, up-close, in-your-face display of power.

If you could ever put nitromethane on dirt, it is a WOO car. If you've never attended one, before you die, try it. You'll wonder why NHRA or NASCAR ever impressed you at all.

[Michael Beard]

Amen! If WoO can't compete with NASCAR, how can anyone? I think their biggest limitation is that the venues are so small. Need to Bristol-lize those tracks! More seats to be able to put butts in the seats is where the money's at, and everything else flows from there.