Make Divisionals Great Again

[Mike Pearson]

Originally Posted by GUMP

The fans understand HEADS-UP RACING!!

The match race that Robin and I put together at the NMCA event at St Louis is a great example. By the last round, almost everyone at the track was in the stands watching.

Class Racers have the ingredients to draw crowds. But, do we have the will?

We already have 3 classes of heads up racing in the .90 classes. Unfortunately the indexes are too slow for the technology that we have today. That is the reason i brought up the index change to make the racing seem more like actual heads up racing. It would still have a breakout just less time on the stop. Maybe rename those classes Heads Up Comp, Gas and street. Like I said earlier you have to give the spectators something exciting. Then maybe they will come back to the next event.

[Lenny5160_v2]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

We already have 3 classes of heads up racing in the .90 classes. Unfortunately the indexes are too slow for the technology that we have today. That is the reason i brought up the index change to make the racing seem more like actual heads up racing. It would still have a breakout just less time on the stop. Maybe rename those classes Heads Up Comp, Gas and street. Like I said earlier you have to give the spectators something exciting. Then maybe they will come back to the next event.

Is Super Comp more exciting than Super Street, because the cars are faster? No!

My Super Street car runs less than one second under the 10.90 index. It is still very apparent that this car launches and then goes on the throttle stop.

Lowering the indexes will do absolutely nothing to increase the spectator or participant appeal of these classes. Pros/Cons comparison of such a change would absolutely be upside-down.

Beyond the common folk not understanding breakout racing, all of the action is at the finish line and tracks don't usually accommodate finish line viewing.

[Mike Pearson]

Originally Posted by Lenny5160_v2

Is Super Comp more exciting than Super Street, because the cars are faster? No!

My Super Street car runs less than one second under the 10.90 index. It is still very apparent that this car launches and then goes on the throttle stop.

Lowering the indexes will do absolutely nothing to increase the spectator or participant appeal of these classes. Pros/Cons comparison of such a change would absolutely be upside-down.

Beyond the common folk not understanding breakout racing, all of the action is at the finish line and tracks don't usually accommodate finish line viewing.

I think you are misinterpreting my post. SC is for sure the most boring of the 3 classes. most people if you ask dont like the cars that leave the line and shut down like the .90 cars. One way to eliminate that is to outlaw the throttle stop. That is not going to happen. Another way is to lower the indexes to reduce the amount of time the cars are on the stop. Spectators come to a race to be entertained and not bored to tears. The indexes in the .90 classes have been the same since they were formed about 40 years ago. The .90 classes are the only ones that can improve drastically with the turn of a thumb wheel. I have friends that race in the .90 classes all of them are killing at least a second with the stop. This thread has mostly been about how to make our events more interesting to attract a larger spectator count. By doing that the tracks will make more money and keep the gates open and if we are real lucky maybe the purse could get raised a bit.
Those are just a couple of ideas that i have. Do you have any ideas or just leave things as they are?

[1320racer]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

Spectators come to a race to be entertained and not bored to tears.

again spectators as in non racers, non crew members, non family ain't ever coming to divisionals. Lowering the indexes is a different discussion and we're killing over 2 seconds.

[Lenny5160_v2]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

I think you are misinterpreting my post. SC is for sure the most boring of the 3 classes. most people if you ask dont like the cars that leave the line and shut down like the .90 cars. One way to eliminate that is to outlaw the throttle stop. That is not going to happen. Another way is to lower the indexes to reduce the amount of time the cars are on the stop. Spectators come to a race to be entertained and not bored to tears. The indexes in the .90 classes have been the same since they were formed about 40 years ago. The .90 classes are the only ones that can improve drastically with the turn of a thumb wheel. I have friends that race in the .90 classes all of them are killing at least a second with the stop. This thread has mostly been about how to make our events more interesting to attract a larger spectator count. By doing that the tracks will make more money and keep the gates open and if we are real lucky maybe the purse could get raised a bit.
Those are just a couple of ideas that i have. Do you have any ideas or just leave things as they are?

I understood your post just fine. If people don't like throttle stops, a reduction in the amount of time on the stop isn't going to make the difference between spectators coming or staying home. Both of my cars are on the stop for 1.5-2 seconds, which is much less than most. My cars are just as boring to watch as the others.

As to what casual spectators want to watch - if I have both of my cars out in my driveway or at a car show, the dragster gets WAY more attention from the everyday person. It's an actual race car. As racers, we know that dragsters are boring but don't assume the everyday common folk also think it.

As for how to attract spectators to a divisional - it's going to require a show. They aren't coming to watch us race, nor should they feel compelled to. It's not a spectator sport.

[1320racer]

Originally Posted by lenny5160_v2

as for how to attract spectators to a divisional - it's going to require a show. They aren't coming to watch us race, nor should they feel compelled to. It's not a spectator sport.

exactly!!

[Keith 944]

Why are we concerned about bringing in spectators???? We pay a good amount to race. If nhra and track’s want more than what we pay then they need to step up and promote. They are laughing their asses off reading our divided arguments and personal agendas

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Keith 944

Why are we concerned about bringing in spectators???? We pay a good amount to race. If nhra and track’s want more than what we pay then they need to step up and promote. They are laughing their asses off reading our divided arguments and personal agendas

Large crowds of spectators are where the money is, unless you have serious title sponsor money. Or serious vendor sponsor money.


Your membership dues license fees, and entry fees are a pittance compared to what they want for profit.

[Bobby Fazio]

Originally Posted by Keith 944

Why are we concerned about bringing in spectators???? We pay a good amount to race.

Because without them we'll have to keep paying gooder amounts of money to race while the tracks, contingency money, track/title sponsors, midway will continue to disappear- while operation costs will continue to rise. The fact that racers don't recognize this kind of scares me.

Originally Posted by Keith 944

If nhra and track’s want more than what we pay then they need to step up and promote.

There seems to be a real disconnect between tracks and NHRA when it comes to these divisionals. I don't think NHRA is inclined to promote the event and may be content getting their cut and operating certain aspects of the race. Their business model might be working just fine on their end. All tracks have slightly different deals with NHRA and it is up to their negotiation skills. Some may have a bad deal in place, or maybe an old deal. It is probably safe to say that the more they take in at a divisional, the more they shell over to NHRA and they may not feel it is even worth gambling on promotions/entertainment and would rather play it safe so as not to lose any money if it flops.

Originally Posted by Keith 944

They are laughing their asses off reading our divided arguments and personal agendas

Anyone reading 1320's post is either laughing their asses off or is confused as all hell. Yes there are a lot of wasted keystrokes on this thread by people offering nothing aside from "nothing will ever be good and that is never was."