When Leaders Lead

[Dan Bennett]

I've watched Roger Penske for most of his career, long before Penke Leasing/Rental, track ownership, and all the dealerships. He's now agreed to buy one of the most iconic places in the United States.


I was struck by the comments he made regarding the open wheel series. It is so different from anything I've heard from Glendora in years that I'm still sitting here thinking "If only...."


His statement: "We have to be relevant in the markets we are, it can’t just be just another race coming to town. We’ve always got ideas and are already kicking some things around. The series is not broken. We need to enhance it. We need more revenue. Not only for the league, but the teams, and we’ve got to make sure the product remains relevant to what people are seeing in their cars. All of these things need to be taken into consideration."

[jmcarter]

Why he’s called The Captain....we have a series of Gilligans

[jwsamuel]

Originally Posted by Dan Bennett

I was struck by the comments he made regarding the open wheel series. It is so different from anything I've heard from Glendora in years that I'm still sitting here thinking "If only...."

I had the same thought but my thought was followed up by another thought wondering if the current fan/participant base of NHRA would go along with the kind of changes Penske is likely to make in IndyCar.

When Penske talks about making the sport more relevant, he is talking about making the sport more attractive to younger fans and the sponsors who want to reach them. He is talking about adding more entertainment to the sport and making it more attractive to younger fans.

Would the current fan and participant base be behind that if similar changes came to NHRA? Is a Stock Eliminator race between a pair of '69 Camaros really relevant to young fans?

A lot of people here post a lot about how they wish NHRA would change but I wonder how many would really like it if NHRA made the kind of changes Penske is talking about.

[rognelson777]

Actually from some of the info i have read about this is indycar only has 10 or 12 full time teams with budgets of 6 million dollars. My belief is top nhra teams fuel teams spend that much and there are more full time teams. I also believe nhra has better tv ratings and better attendance.

I think penske has a tall order in todays society to try increase drastically.

I hope he can improve the sport because it helps all of motorsports

[Lenny5160]

Originally Posted by rognelson777

Actually from some of the info i have read about this is indycar only has 10 or 12 full time teams with budgets of 6 million dollars. My belief is top nhra teams fuel teams spend that much and there are more full time teams. I also believe nhra has better tv ratings and better attendance.

I think penske has a tall order in todays society to try increase drastically.

I hope he can improve the sport because it helps all of motorsports

There were 18 Indycar drivers who ran every race this season, and three more cars that ran every race but split between two drivers. That's right in the neighborhood of full-time nitro teams.

From what I can find, both Indycar and NHRA are getting roughly 500,000 viewers when on cable channels.

In my mind, the biggest problem with the NHRA pro series is that there is no room for innovation. Everyone is driving the same car. I don't watch it because I have no interest in the outcome. I can't think of another form of motorsports where for the most part the amateurs are not aspiring to be professionals. What we do and what they do are barely related.

F1 racing is incredibly boring as a sporting event, but I watch every race because there is a big soap opera going on between the drivers and teams, and the races are part of the story.

I don't watch much Indycar, but I've been to the Indianapolis 500 twice and am dying to go again. From a professional racing perspective, I don't think NHRA has anything to offer than can hold a candle to it.

[340Cuda]

Originally Posted by Lenny5160

In my mind, the biggest problem with the NHRA pro series is that there is no room for innovation. .

I understand what you are saying and I agree. But there is the issue of cost containment and than with much innovation the fuel cars would quickly overwhelm the tires and the tracks. I don't know the solution.

[Mike Jones]

In my mind, the biggest problem with the NHRA pro series is that there is no room for innovation. Everyone is driving the same car. I don't watch it because I have no interest in the outcome. I can't think of another form of motorsports where for the most part the amateurs are not aspiring to be professional
.
Tony, I see the same situation with Indy cars. It will be interesting for me, if RP can reach young fans. Few are as fascinated with cars as we were.
MJ

[Dan Bennett]

Just as a follow up, I wanted to make some things a bit clearer about my original post. I was impressed that he gave equal importance to increasing funding for the series AND the teams. That thinking does not seem to happen with the NHRA.

The other part I liked was about working to keep the cars relatable for the fans. Pro Stock was where I concentrated and so that point really hits home for me.
Top Fuel gets a pass on this, since they are the "unlimited" class even though that hasn't been true for many years.

I watched the first funny car races and they were a sensation for being outrageous overkill of cars anyone could buy and would be seen daily on any street in the country. Now, they're some sort of doorstop looking blob - and it got bad enough that a Mustang changed into a Camaro just by decals and nobody seemed to care.

As for Pro Stock, I could go on for pages and pages but everyone here knows that they bear no relationship to anything that has rolled off a production line or sat in a dealer showroom.

This whole thing doesn't need to be a "living in the past" vs "change with the times" argument. I am still excited to see a great run from a 60s or 70s car. But that comes from having raced them before I ever saw very many on a drag strip.I would also be excited to see the best tech minds give their all to increase the already impressive performance of modern production cars. But even though we've had that chance for the last few years, it went out of control very early. Leadership was not there.

Let me see real invention, and not just a series of ghost packages that appear out of thin air, were not a part of production, and depend on having enough sway with NHRA to get them approved. So, Leadership. Not in maximizing profit, bonuses, or golden parachutes. Leadership in actually advancing the sport. Keeping the past and allowing for the future.

No, it's not easy. But what Penske has planned isn't either. The difference is that he cares enough to try and make it happen. That's why I posted.

[Lenny5160]

Originally Posted by Mike Jones

Tony, I see the same situation with Indy cars. It will be interesting for me, if RP can reach young fans. Few are as fascinated with cars as we were.
MJ

You're not wrong.

The biggest issue with F1 is that the performance of the cars is so far apart. I guess I like the cars being the same on an oval or road course when the driving can really shine.

It's not to say that there aren't driving skills used in professional drag racing, but it usually isn't impressive to watch from the stands or on TV. I do enjoy watching nitro in person, but it's a sensory experience for the noise, smells, and feelings.

[ken robinson]

Ok good point but if the 2 camaros from 1969 are not good enough for the fans . What would you add to the list/ guide of cars and manufacturer s
? Which car would you like to field ?