Make Divisionals Great Again

[J.R. Haddad]

Bobby, of the 2 tracks you mentioned, I'm not sure a lack of business
caused their closing. I think that most tracks were built out of town, or
on the edge of town, in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. Our towns and cities
grew, and all all of sudden, the old abandoned farm land that was purchased for drag strip use, has gone from 1000.00 an acre, to
$250,000.00 an acre, or more. Now if the owner has slaved away at
the track for 20, 30, 40 years or more, and someone offers them
10, 20, 30 million, or a lot more, and they can sit on the beach with
their kids, grandkids, wives, mistresses, etc, it is pretty enticing.
I think our best help, hopefully the help of your Feb. 6 Guest, is to compile
an owners manual for Medium Size Tracks Hosting An LODRS Race.
We could cover such things as do they make it a regional? What are the
cost differences, and who is attending? Is it Tony Stewart? A track could have a heyday with that. Do they know how to market their product on the internet? I don't, but you and Alicia and others you know do. Can they work out "Trade" deals with the local radio station? Free ticket give aways,
a DJ RACE Saturday night, etc. There are many good ideas out there, and any business that wants part of the available entertainment dollar, must almost be expert Marketers. How many track owners are, vs. how many are riding a lawnmower cutting the grass when we pull in? We cut the grass at our business because we don't know what else to do to improve our business. As I said, let's put together an instruction manual and call it Make Your LODRS Event Profitable!!
We have a serious amount of Brainpower on this forum, let's ask for everyone's help, and we'll get 6 or 7 good people and make it happen. I'm in.

Thanks,

J.R.

Like the folks who move next to an airport and complain??

Originally Posted by J.R. Haddad

Bobby, of the 2 tracks you mentioned, I'm not sure a lack of business
caused their closing. I think that most tracks were built out of town, or
on the edge of town, in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. Our towns and cities
grew, and all all of sudden, the old abandoned farm land that was purchased for drag strip use, has gone from 1000.00 an acre, to
$250,000.00 an acre, or more. Now if the owner has slaved away at
the track for 20, 30, 40 years or more, and someone offers them
10, 20, 30 million, or a lot more, and they can sit on the beach with
their kids, grandkids, wives, mistresses, etc, it is pretty enticing.
I think our best help, hopefully the help of your Feb. 6 Guest, is to compile
an owners manual for Medium Size Tracks Hosting An LODRS Race.
We could cover such things as do they make it a regional? What are the
cost differences, and who is attending? Is it Tony Stewart? A track could have a heyday with that. Do they know how to market their product on the internet? I don't, but you and Alicia and others you know do. Can they work out "Trade" deals with the local radio station? Free ticket give aways,
a DJ RACE Saturday night, etc. There are many good ideas out there, and any business
that wants part of the available entertainment dollar, must almost be expert Marketers. How many track owners are, vs. how many are riding a lawnmower cutting the grass when we pull in? We cut the grass at our business because we don't know what else to do to improve our business. As I said, let's put together an instruction manual and call it Make Your LODRS Event Profitable!!
We have a serious amount of Brainpower on this forum, let's ask for everyone's help, and we'll get 6 or 7 good people and make it happen. I'm in.

Thanks,

J.R.

[1matcoman]

Originally Posted by Barry Polley

Like the folks who move next to an airport and complain??

Totally different scenario - they knew the airport was there. What Bobby was referring to has happened to dozens of drag strips around the country caused by urban sprawl.

[JP1738]

Originally Posted by 1matcoman

Totally different scenario - they knew the airport was there. What Bobby was referring to has happened to dozens of drag strips around the country caused by urban sprawl.

Well, It isn't like the dragstrip popped up next door either. airport vs dragstrip are one and the same. Sure the urban sprawled out to it, but you still moved in next to it at some point.

[Billy Nees]

Sorry Bobby but you're delusional.

[1320racer]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Sorry Bobby but you're delusional.

dead on with a zero!

Again...

Originally Posted by 1320racer

tracks don't want to host divisionals because it's a money losing proposition and there are no spectators because we no longer have a car culture in this country, what we do makes no sense and is boring to watch to all except racers

Originally Posted by 1320racer

Let's be clear and all agree, nothing will change that benefits the racer, payout certainly won't increase, the contingency program won't get better, track conditions will still vary from track to track as will the rollout and the NHRA will still struggle to finish the event on Sunday many times. THIS is all the racers that are paying the entry fee at the gate care about, not spectators in the stands, not the concessions stand, not a barbecue and not live music.

Originally Posted by 1320racer

Not only will Divisionals not be great again but tracks will continue to close, meaning there will be less divisionals and more travel.

[Billy Nees]

Ed, Divisionals CAN be great races. There's a couple of things that need to be brought up and decided upon before this can happen. Does the track owner love Drag Racing? If this person is doing it for the love of the game (I'll call it a game for now) or is this person doing it for the money?
Is Dragracing a "Sport" like Baseball/Football or is it a "Hobby"? If it's a "sport" then it should be self-supporting, everyone should be making money. If it's a "hobby" then it is being done for the personal satisfaction of the participants (therefore, "it's about us") and no-one should be complaining about making or losing money.
IMHO, here in the 21ST century Drag Racing is no longer a "Sport". To the Pros, it's a "Show", to the Sportsmen, it's a "Hobby". I can't see any way in which the NHRA increases the purses and contingencies to a point where there is going to be enough money to be made to offset the overall expenses. Those days are long gone. If Divisionals are in any way going to be "great again" then it's going to be in the individual minds of the Racers.
To the benevolent Track Owners who put on these Races for the love of it, Thank You.

[1320racer]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Is Dragracing a "Sport" like Baseball/Football or is it a "Hobby"? If it's a "sport" then it should be self-supporting, everyone should be making money. If it's a "hobby" then it is being done for the personal satisfaction of the participants (therefore, "it's about us") and no-one should be complaining about making or losing money.
IMHO, here in the 21ST century Drag Racing is no longer a "Sport". To the Pros, it's a "Show", to the Sportsmen, it's a "Hobby". I can't see any way in which the NHRA increases the purses and contingencies to a point where there is going to be enough money to be made to offset the overall expenses. Those days are long gone. If Divisionals are in any way going to be "great again" then it's going to be in the individual minds of the Racers.

Agree, what we do is a hobby done for personal satisfaction.

That said, divisionals will never be great again based on Bobby's definition of what would make them great. For me and many class racers they are great because they provide a venue for us to race for a NHRA Wally and a NHRA LODRS Championship. I don't care about spectators, barbeques, music or truthfully the payout and neither does anyone else that supports these events because if I or they really cared, we wouldn't show up as my son and I mostly didn't last year, choosing big $ gambler races and supporting my home track's events over NHRA LODRS racing.

[Dan Bennett]

[QUOTE=Billy Nees;692136]Ed, Divisionals CAN be great races. There's a couple of things that need to be brought up and decided upon before this can happen. Does the track owner love Drag Racing? If this person is doing it for the love of the game (I'll call it a game for now) or is this person doing it for the money?


That's hitting the nail precisely right on the head.

Between racing with teams and covering events for DRC and Super Stock, I probably was at 60-70 different tracks, maybe more. The ones owned by racers (or former racers) were the ones I looked forward to the most. Sure, the big tracks had nice facilities but were totally different from those that I started racing at. Might sound a little goofy, but they were just cold.

Places like Tri State and No Care had a completely different atmosphere and always provided more fun and brought out that thing inside that made us all love drag racing in the first place.

[joe huestis]

Originally Posted by 1matcoman

Totally different scenario - they knew the airport was there. What Bobby was referring to has happened to dozens of drag strips around the country caused by urban sprawl.

I recently drove by a track that I would test at back in the day. This track has been hit or miss as far as operating sporatically the past 8 years or so. Is a great location right off the interstate and I now see land clearing for development right across the street from the track's gate. It's a goner...