FEEDBACK ARTICLE: SUSAN WADE: DRAG RACING NEEDS A PROMOTER IN A BAD WAY  

Amen!! We have been talking about this for years but who is listening?  I hope someone, it could save our sport. - JoAnne Vincent-Reynolds

This Might be a little late for when you wrote your article,  but did you read the story about the Parade of Power that Bruton Smith did in the up town streets of Charlotte on Wednesday the the 5th?  Thats one very good way you promote a race.  They were promoting the Lowes NASCAR race and the zMAX NHRA race, both in the fall.  What a very good way to get the peoples attention.  And when Doug Herbert fired up his top fuel car,  If that didn't get people to notice,  then they were dead.  What a promoter.  Bruton is hired.  Just my toughts. - Rick Mitchell

8-28-2009

I can't agree with you more.

What's happened to the rivalries?

Where are the characters?

The last of the great characters (John Force) is showing possible signs of
retirement, and all of the relying that the NHRA puts on him to put people in
the stands will eventually come to an end. Then what? Becuase we all love him,
and who doesn't, he can't last forever.

The article didn't touch much on the situation over at the IHRA. I saw the final
round photos from Grand Bend and thought, my God, why would they show almost
bare grand stands on their website, and believe that that is good promotion?

I used to work in a night club where the manager would have the ticket sellers
slow down if the entry line was becoming short. His belief was that people
passing by would wonder what the attraction was, or assumed that it was a
happening place, and boy did it work. That's the trick the Baders used when I
worked for the IHRA in 2001 & 02, put the people in front of the cameras, and
everyone will think the races is something no one should miss, and of course it
worked, it was the premier IHRA race.

With Pro  Mod becoming old hat, and nothing exciting to the younger crowd (Hondas,
toyotas, Scions, etc.) as far as classes in a national event are concerned, the
drag racing fan is becoming older with no one following in there foot steps.
NOPI seemed to be headed in the right direction as far as bringing in this
crowd, but we know what happened to them.

The article only touched on mostly NHRA national events, one area that has
pretty much disapeared altogether is the local track match race. As it stands
right now in the western NY area there are few to no 'shows'. Dunn Tire Raceway
park offers a alcohol funny car, best 2 out of 3 show at $25 per person, plus
$12 for a pit pass. And if you travel to Canada you can catch the PMRA, that is
if you have a passport to get back into the USA. The local track match race or
show has pretty much died.

Last but certainly not least, is the price. Generally drag racing at any angle,
and at any level is expensive. I work 2 jobs, one full time, and one part time
in the summer, plus I own my own business, and to go to a NHRA national event
would break me, and an IHRA event isn't much cheaper. The last time I went to a
NHRA race was Reading 2002, and tickets for 2 Adults were over $300.00, plus I
camped in my motor home accrossed the street for $150.00. That's close to
$500.00 before food,the stuff we bought at the grocery store not the concession
area, any t-shirts, and gas for the motorhome.

The last IHRA National event I went to was Grand bend 2004 and that one day total was over $300.00.
I found out that if I put the money I planned to spend going to national events
in to a savings accountover a period of a 5 years, I could afford a week stay
with meals included and air fare to Disney World.

This is not to mention going to a show at the local track, I mentioned before
Dunn Tire raceway had a 2 car Alcohol Funny car show, and the spectator fee went
up $10.00. I'm not picking on Dunn tire raceway, It seems any local track gets
pricy when the show cars show up. The reason being that the show cars cost the
track promoter big bucks, and the track owner has to cover the costs, this I
know.

So what's going to change, I don't know.

But I do know I agree with you totally, and I believe the Scotty Cannons, John
Forces, or the Shirley Muldowneys need to be revived. I think some form of
rivalry needs to be implemented, I think that the corporate professionalism that
has  taken over the sport needs a little jolt, the nice guy interveiws at the
end of the track need spicing, thanking the crowd for coming to the track (I do
that weekly), and giving back to those who do come. Oh, and also make it fun
again. - James W. Robinson



Amen! We have been talking about this for years but who is listening?  I hope
someone, it could save our sport. - JoAnne Vincent-Reynolds


This Might be a little late for when you wrote your article,  but did you read
the story about the Parade of Power that Bruton Smith did in the up town streets
of Charlotte on Wednesday the the 5th?  Thats one very good way you promote a
race.  They were promoting the Lowes NASCAR race and the Z MAX NHRA race, both
in the fall.  What a very good way to get the peoples attention.  And when Doug
Herbert fired up his Top Fuel car,  If that didn't get people to notice,  then
they were dead.  What a promoter.  Bruton is hired.  Just my thoughts. - Rick
Mitchell

 

7-31-2009

Excellent story from Susan. Drag racing does need to be promoted better - a lot better. Rhetorical question: take a look at National Dragster with the list of NHRA personnel inside the front page. Is a "Promotions Manager" listed?

Answer: No, just sales, marketing, financial, operations, technical, etc. If you don't have someone with the job title (and support), how do you "promote" the sport?

The lack of a named person to "promote" the NHRA speaks volumes. - Fred Simmonds

 

Right on!  The current NHRA bosses are nothing more than bean-counters, who have no imagination or idea of the drag racing history or the players.  Having fun at a drag race has gone out the window.  Now, it's all business.  Irwindale and OCIR were more fun than anyone can imagine, unless you were there! - Pat Green

I agree with the writer NHRA needs to be promoted.  They have a good product which can attract a big fan base beyond the gear-head they have focused on for decades.  I worked with GE for 10 years in a managerial role. I have worked with Coors, GE, GEICO and a host of other big corporations to get them into NHRA Sponsorship....not much interest because the fan base is fragmented, nothing to rally around, or as the writer mentioned' a drum beat'.  I have discussed this
with many people in NHRA management, Tom Compton, John Siragusa, plus many team owners Don Schumacher, David Powers and Victor Cagnazzi.  The desire is there ... but who will lead the charge, not Tom.  I agree a nice guy, but really belongs in the background.  Need a front man, like a Humpy Wheeler or Bruton Smith from NASCAR.  Having worked with both of them, NHRA needs a person who lives outside the box that Wally Parks (RIP) created.  Humpy or Bruton realize the goal is a butt in every seat and a great facility with plenty of bathrooms and decent food.  Additionally as a corporate guy, I need a place to entertain client.  Not the Top Eliminator club but something better.  It's not just about racing it's about entertainment. - Steve Farley


Very well said. I have been saying for years that we need sombody to push this great sport. After years of having ESPN constantly pushing our sport to the back and scheduling us with no promise of actually getting on the TV at the scheduled time has hurt our sport. We need the same commitment from the broadcaster that they have given NASCAR. That is where it needs to start. People that we tack or invite to the track always have a good time and look forward to coming back. Now we just need to reach the people that never thought about heading to a track before to experience the thrill that is being blasted from the highest towers as the "Thrill Of The Century". - Jason Azbill


You are 100% correct. Drag racing definitely needs a promoter as the public face of the NHRA. The sport is exciting and accessible, and they need someone who is just as exciting and accessible to talk it up.  But that role is to get people to pay attention to the sport and attend that first race. The success of Bill Bader Sr.(and Jr.) and Summit Motorsports Park is more than that...they get the crowds to come BACK again and again.

I've been attending events at Norwalk for almost 20 years, and am a fan, not a racer. The Bader family not only understands the sport but they also ask the fans (customers!) what they liked and how they can improve, and then act upon what they learn.

There is also the 'attitude'...every member of the Norwalk staff makes me feel appreciated and I know they're glad I'm there. You see Bill Sr. and Jr. on the grounds at every event making certain everything is working right. They care, and it shows.

I've attended races at other tracks, and it’s always a letdown because the bar has been raised so high. - Jim Hammer


This is so true. I remember going to tracks in the past and being all jazzed up about who would win or lose it was like going to your school’s games. Now it is all about numbers and stats. This don’t put butts in the seats. At the pro level they are all p.c. clones giving the same boring mantra and tip of the obligatory hat. The only team I even care to watch is Schumacher. And that is only because he will piss people off once in a while and say what’s on his mind. - Mark Price


I remember back in my day when the local track would have a 16-car field of Top Fuel or of fuel Funny Fars on a Saturday night, god that was a crowd draw. The stands were full and people lining the fence.  The track promoter would have T.V. advertising, bill boards on the road, and flyers at every restaurant, bar, gas station, and car parts store in the country.  I remember one Sunday my dad let me drive, me and a friend by ourselves, to see a match race.  We got there early.  The two drivers were none other than Big Daddy Don Garlits and Steve Carbone. There was cars lined up for a mile each way up and down the road wanting to see these two race the best two out of three.  Most of them didn't see the first round because of the traffic jam.  Man what a time that was. I love drag racing, but if it could be like it used to be, it would be more exiting and more of a crowd draw. We don't need a fist fight at the end of the track, but that time when John Force was in Lee Beards face sure did get a lot of air time, and when Ron Capps busted Whit Bazemore in the jaw, I would have paid to see that.  If the sport was promoted louder, with more GOOD T.V. time, instead of having to wait on the cheese and cracker eating contest over in some foreign country, before drag racing can start at a later time then scheduled, it would be better.  If the tickets weren’t so expensive, so more people could go, and the racers could win more prize money, and it wasn’t so expensive for the sportsman racers to race, that would also be better.  I am 54 and I like Krista Marie, but if the intro music to NHRA was a little louder a more upbeat, that would be better. Now I just want it to be a perfect world.  Really, good promotion and much better T.V. time, that would help a lot. Just my thoughts. - Rick Mitchell



I agree 1,000% with the premise that the NHRA needs a world-class, highly visible promoter. I am co-owner of an East Coast Super Stock team so I have the good fortune to be familiar with some of the sport's best tracks. I just returned from the race at Infineon Raceway, a superb facility with a super-friendly staff and unbelievable weather that produces world-beater performances, plus the city of San Francisco and the wine country within easy spitting distance, yet very little publicity, and NO official or unofficial NHRA presence was in evidence, even in the local press. Imagine the buzz that could
be generated with Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock Car and Pro Stock Bike show vehicles AND their drivers on display at, say, Robert Mondavi or one of the other well-known wineries. My personal vote to fill the NHRA's new position of Promoter Extraordinaire goes to the one and only Humpy Wheeler, but please get somebody before drag racing simply up and dies because nobody knows we're out here.

Thanks for a great article. - Larry Guest



I agree that NHRA needs promotion, but how much does that cost?  Most races the stands are pretty much full at $55-60 tickets, what more can NHRA promote at the track?  If anywhere NHRA and Drag racing need promotion is on Television and in the Media.  The Television ratings are in the Toilet, that's the First place to start!  But until NHRA cares about addressing the problem, it won't ever get addressed! - Joe Sherwood


This article is right on the money.  The problem with NHRA is there are no more racers running the show.  The people at the top have no clue of what it is like to compete at your local track or attend those special attraction shows at the track.  The lessons learned in track management could help.

To put it simply, they are business people and not racers and have no idea of how to communicate with the racer and the fans. They are not and have not been through the Fan and racer experience to understand what the people want.  As business people they are applying the standard business approach but it doesn't work because this is not a standard business.  A perfect example of some body who knows is found in the ADRL.  They know how to market and get spectators into the stands along with racers at the track.  The Baders are also very good at this. Their track reputation shows this.

Until this changes and they lose their Not Invented Here Attitude, the NHRA will continue to slip away and become less relevant than they already are. - Jim Burke

 

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DISCLAIMER - The views presented in these feedback letters are the opinions of the individual author, and do not necessarily represent those of CompetitionPlus.com, its staff and advertisers.   

 

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