How competitive are you?

[randy wilson]

I don't even pretend to know all the answers. I doubt anyone does. But I know one thing for sure, you'll never put butts in the bleachers, unless drag racing figures a way to get Bubba, and Jim Bob, who bring their family, and friends, interested in local drag racing. And that will never happen with brackets. Like I said, I don't know the answer, but the drag racing establishment damn sure missed it to.

[Ed Wright]

Your right. People will not sit there and watch people lose for going too fast. Even fewer will sit there and watch throttle stop cars.
Before I lost what was left of my mind and put together another car, I started going to national events to watch long time friend Mike Edwards run Pro Stock. Sitting in the stands, after the fuel cars run about half seats go empty for Pro Stock. More leave when the alky cars come up. When the throttle stop cars come up nearly everybody leaves. I'm surprised how few watch Comp. I love Comp, but more money than I'm willing to spend here at the end. Some come back for Comp, Stk & SS, but not many. I've seen guys post about how excited spectators get when a nine second car is chasing down a fifteen second car, but that's only in their minds. Almost nobody watches us do anything.

[Ed Carpenter]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

Your right. People will not sit there and watch people lose for going too fast. Even fewer will sit there and watch throttle stop cars.
Before I lost what was left of my mind and put together another car, I started going to national events to watch long time friend Mike Edwards run Pro Stock. Sitting in the stands, after the fuel cars run about half seats go empty for Pro Stock. More leave when the alky cars come up. When the throttle stop cars come up nearly everybody leaves. I'm surprised how few watch Comp. I love Comp, but more money than I'm willing to spend here at the end. Some come back for Comp, Stk & SS, but not many. I've seen guys post about how excited spectators get when a nine second car is chasing down a fifteen second car, but that's only in their minds. Almost nobody watches us do anything.

Ed everytime I pull up to the starting line the stands are empty. The only people watching us are the stocker guys. LOL

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by deuces wild

Ed everytime I pull up to the starting line the stands are empty. The only people watching us are the stocker guys. LOL

Sad, but true. And, we are the only ones watching them.

[Dick Butler]

It doesnt have to be only ONE form of S or SS. Why not start with one Heads up class(you set the rule and wts etc) with support of others. Allow others to still race till they can afford to switch or care to do it. Give a schedule of moving to the Heads up formats of a year, or 2 so people can adapt, KNOWING the plans. High Light the Heads up for ads, announcer, sponsors as a package. This will do its own drawing if started at the right place. Thursday night test and tune meets locally would show the fans already there what it is and then offer it on a Saturday night /Sunday Meet TOO. This could draw the fans back to watch more of it. Pick the Cars for the development, Mustangs, COPO, SS/B, More SS/AH type OR pick a Mod type car with limited specs at the same time to develop the Cheaper racing format people discuss.

[randy wilson]

Dick, that's not a bad idea, but again, no one truly knows what the answer is, or how to draw a crowd. We lost them, and that's all our faults for letting it happen.

[chris3racing]

Michael Beard, now you and I agree on something that I hear over and over. There are young people coming out to the races and a lot of them. At almost all of the local tracks there are a number of young people in the pit area. Looking and asking questions. If we could give them a show that will get them up in the stands to watch the races then we are accomplishing something.

A lot of people say the younger generations don't have any interest in the old cars. You need to go out to a Saturday night cruise-in at a local resturant and see how many show up to look and talk about the old cars. We have our race car, 1971 Duster, at atleast one cruise in every month. Look at the photos from East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame Reunion and see how many young people attend that event and how many families, Mom, Dad and children attend to look at those old cars. Thanks Michael for your comment.

[randy wilson]

You have to realize, that the nastalgia races are also dial you're own, other then the pros. It will never be a big hit. The reason modified was such a big hit, and popular, is it was balls to the wall. If nastalgia was real racing, and had events in my area, I wouldn't be thinking of a new way to bring in the crowd. It would have already been accomplished.

[Dick Butler]

Randy, I agree 110%. I attended Match races in California, and Indiana when Super Stock cars were booked in to run Heads Up and the crowd LOVED IT.
Assuming Heads up racing would have kept the crowd,The more the organization bent the class structures to allow "yes we have a class for your -----" the less the racing occurs.
Yes for the guy who loves the challenge of a 4 cylinder, V-6, 4000 lb wagon it offers a place to "enter" and PAY the organization.The choice was made to chase the entry numbers and money and it divided out the racers to limited numbers per class. Hard to have Class everywhere when only 3 cars fit the class in the USA.
Had they encouraged racers to accept the limited classes instead , all 400 serious Class racers in the USA could have populated the limited class structure and made for higher numbers per event and the spectators could have seen "racing" in classes instead of featuring the Bye Runs Friday and Dial In Sunday. Even local tracks could have continued with Heads up more easily.
Could it be fixed? Are most too old to change? If it were offered with support of cash, sponsors, featured time at the events, Treatment like TOP Sportsman. Probably but a major combined effort and time would be needed.

[art leong]

Originally Posted by Dick Butler

Randy, I agree 110%. I attended Match races in California, and Indiana when Super Stock cars were booked in to run Heads Up and the crowd LOVED IT.
Assuming Heads up racing would have kept the crowd,The more the organization bent the class structures to allow "yes we have a class for your -----" the less the racing occurs.
Yes for the guy who loves the challenge of a 4 cylinder, V-6, 4000 lb wagon it offers a place to "enter" and PAY the organization.The choice was made to chase the entry numbers and money and it divided out the racers to limited numbers per class. Hard to have Class everywhere when only 3 cars fit the class in the USA.
Had they encouraged racers to accept the limited classes instead , all 400 serious Class racers in the USA could have populated the limited class structure and made for higher numbers per event and the spectators could have seen "racing" in classes instead of featuring the Bye Runs Friday and Dial In Sunday. Even local tracks could have continued with Heads up more easily.
Could it be fixed? Are most too old to change? If it were offered with support of cash, sponsors, featured time at the events, Treatment like TOP Sportsman. Probably but a major combined effort and time would be needed.

Dick you are talking about the "Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday days"
People are not going to come out in big numbers to watch a couple of nearly 50 year old cars race. Even if they carry the wheels clear to the finish line. Look at the lack of success in nostalgia racing. And the flop of top stock.
And you talk about those days as "the good old days" I remember some totally bogus cars being built specificaly to take out certain cars in class, only to lose to avoid a teardown.
The little guy could not compete with the factory cars back then any more that the 1st gen camaros, hemis and max wedges can compete with the new cars.
I also remember some having one legal cylinder and 7 totally bogus ones