NHRA Insider with Brian Lohnes 12/15/2020

[MR DERBY CITY]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Ummm, correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't at least one of the talking heads who occupy the "Ivory Tower" say about exactly the same thing every year about this time?

Ya know Billy, kinda reminds me about the huge dog and pony show that I attended at the GATORS years ago. Graham Light reassured all of us Sportsman racers how VITAL and important we were.....And you know how that worked out....

[james schaechter]

They probably are seeing the big money class races being organized and now they want to follow suit. Well maybe big entry fees anyway...

[Kevin Panzino]

Sounds like great news to me.
Maybe we could wait and see rather than posting negativity right away.

[rboyle]

What makes Street Outlaws so appealing to the mass public? There is zero performance revealed, no ETs no MPH no Reaction Times. But they get publicity and coverage.
Sure they dramatize everything. Sure the fans love the recklessness but a lot of it is edited down to highlight reels. Rivalries can be drummed up.
My point is NHRA can promote or create rivalries in any number of ways all the way down to the Sportsman ranks. The AA/SA heads up final between Poole and McLanahan shows this too. If they take the Sportsman coverage and edit it down to a few rivalries not just final rounds, coverage of the personalities from the pits, show some of the behind the scenes shenanigans etc. you can create a following as well. Promote the sport. Promote the rivalries. Promote the Sportsman. All good things happen from there. Yes the Pros keep people in the stands but thats because those are the racers the fans know. Promote more classes and fans will follow.
I know for me when we would go to the Summernationals or Keystones I always liked walking the sportsman pits more. Seeing if I could find the long distance license plate, or how they camped out, some of the home made modifications, up close viewing of the maintenance between rounds. That was where I took most of my pictures. But alas with Super Stock & Drag Illustrated's demise as well as others over the years we lost a life line to some of the fans
Just my opinion.

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Kevin Panzino

Sounds like great news to me.
Maybe we could wait and see rather than posting negativity right away.

Ya know, it might be negative news but it's not fake news.
Time to stop kissing me and telling me how much you love me. Prove it!

[ken robinson]

I never understood why the TV coverage was living . It would seam better to take living footage of the racing & interviews . Edited it down to what ever the networks time slot is( 1 hour or more } and present it as live edited footage on channel xyz at time slot xyz , and now you got your show . No down time & now you might have time for all the finial rounds . Plus some of the wow look at this kind of stuff that happens { monster wheelies , heads up runs , some of really close races , runs that almost got out of control } .

[Adger Smith]

Originally Posted by ken robinson

I never understood why the TV coverage was living . It would seam better to take living footage of the racing & interviews . Edited it down to what ever the networks time slot is( 1 hour or more } and present it as live edited footage on channel xyz at time slot xyz , and now you got your show . No down time & now you might have time for all the finial rounds . Plus some of the wow look at this kind of stuff that happens { monster wheelies , heads up runs , some of really close races , runs that almost got out of control } .

Ken,
I have been saying the very same thing for years. What is the big deal about "Live" when the quality of the program vastly improves when it is edited?? Duh!
It must take more effort to edit and someone has to know a lot about what is going on.
James, Street Outlaws has that "Soap Opera" appeal to audiences.

[GUMP]

Originally Posted by Adger Smith

......Street Outlaws has that "Soap Opera" appeal to audiences.

It's a big draw everywhere. Kind of like the match racing of the sixties. There was a time when Stock and Super Stock had that kind of drama.