How competitive are you?

[Ed Wright]

I have also seen some of what Art mentioned.

Michael, I don't know who was announcing at Norwalk, nor do know how many college & pro sports teams they have there. If there is not a lot of other local entertainment you can draw more people that don't know much about racing.
The only time I have ever seen "The show starts at 6:00 pm" was the couple of IHRA national events held here at Tulsa. I never heard mentioned at an NHRA race "Time to go buy a hot dog and watch the pros work either." Every one I have been to the announcer said something like "Now it 's time for Comp Eliminatot" or "Here comes Stock Elimminator!, or "Here come the wheel standing Super Stock cars!" Great anoincers like Bob Unkefer and Bob Fry, all talk it up and explain what is happening. I can't speak for IHRA as I have not been in the stands watching. When people ask about brakes at the finish line or somebody losing for running too quick, and I explain it to them, most comment on how dumb it is the faster car lost, and how "that is not really racing." It's not that most don't understand the rules, they just don't like it. Many told me they think nine or ten second SS cars are too slow to sit and watch (wheel stands or not) after loud fuel cars twice that fast. They like watching fuel cars they had watched on TV. I was amazed first time I watched the stands empty, and saw and heard those kinds of comments from the people that didn't leave right away. I didn't mention this to Mike and his guys.

[randy wilson]

It's not coming back. Why, because we lost the crowd years ago. I remember being at Eddyville in, I think 79, and watching Tommy Johnson Sr. race the old Earl Earl's Show Me Shaker C\SM car, and have him visit with the crowd about how he was going to Indy to try to qualify for the nationals, and I'll bet 50 people went from there to Indy to watch their hometown hero try. We don't have that today. Why? Because they totally understand the rules. Because football, and basketball has rules, but each team does not have a pre-recorded dial of what they will score, and if going over costs them the win. Therefore, the crowd understands, and does not like. Sorry, but I can't get hardly anyone to go watch us dial in. Just the truth.

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by randy wilson

It's not coming back. Why, because we lost the crowd years ago. I remember being at Eddyville in, I think 79, and watching Tommy Johnson Sr. race the old Earl Earl's Show Me Shaker C\SM car, and have him visit with the crowd about how he was going to Indy to try to qualify for the nationals, and I'll bet 50 people went from there to Indy to watch their hometown hero try. We don't have that today. Why? Because they totally understand the rules. Because football, and basketball has rules, but each team does not have a pre-recorded dial of what they will score, and if going over costs them the win. Therefore, the crowd understands, and does not like. Sorry, but I can't get hardly anyone to go watch us dial in. Just the truth.

That's the truth! We used to have as almost many C/SM cars running for class as we sometimes have for SS eliminator these days. That is a heads up guys could afford. Royce Freeman & I used to go run IHRA Supermodified when they were close. Our cars I had a C/SM, his B/SM) had smaller carbs, tires, and straight plug heads, but we could pretty much run with everybody but Ricky Smith. One race at Oklahoma City Royce won, I runner-upped to him. (Before Ricky) That was a blast. Won't happen again. People would keep wanting to add this, or that, just like Stock now. Was affordable, won't happen now. People did come watch since it was heads up, and no fuel cars to make us look slower. You can't get many people to watch bracket races if there is anything else to do.

[randy wilson]

Yes Ed, you're exactly right. I bought the old 67 nova,C\SM out of Canton Ohio off of Gary Husser. The car never qualified at a national, but made a big splash at Bethany. Straight plug 461x's by Shepard. I later bought the SS\CS 67 Quay camaro of Linden Bodnard, earlier a Danny Byrd C\SM, .out of Canada. Had a blast with those cars, and had 1,500 spectators every weekend to watch them run. But rules were affordable.

[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.