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Re: Bruton Smith's dog & pony show...just what I thought!

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 12:08 pm
by Barb
Great stuff Randy.
As far as the racers not hanging it out too far,,,that is crazy. No driver wants to come in 2nd, and HELL NO to coming in 4th!! Again, JMO
If my memory serves me correctly, those who came in last weren't pleased with their showing at all.
Too many people are trying to make it a 3-hour show and go home deal so the people don't get bored. I say, if they are at a drag race and are bored, go play golf and leave our sport alone. They don't have the mental capacity to appreciate what we do here. I believe it is about the racing, bottom line. Now to go along with that, showmanship from the racers is a big part of the racing program. Forcing a days worth of experiences, into a small time window doesn't do anybody any favors.
For the most part, all drag racers are one big happy family. When certain individuals come in and upset that apple cart they spoil what the founding leaders in our sport set out to accomplish.

Re: Bruton Smith's dog & pony show...just what I thought!

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 8:45 pm
by Rapid Randy Baker
Right ON Barbie! Hell I don't even like to lose a qualifying match. :lol:

Wally knows the drill. Sort it all out, get it together before you get out of the car. When you get out, it is all good no mater what happened. 8)

Re: Bruton Smith's dog & pony show...just what I thought!

Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 10:24 am
by Diana The Doc
I will say this, the sanctioning body's constant desire to trim the time length of the "big show", in order to make it more, ahem, "tolerable" for the novice public is an issue that practically can't be avoided in this modern day and age... While most of us hardcore drag racin' folks appreciate a long running drag strip battle, you can't deny that the show has become too long for the "novice" spectator... Our society has become plagued by a massive and collective case of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)-- Most Americans have developed a severe problem with inattentivness (especially our youth)... I just saw a TV commercial the other day, for a new minivan, in the commercial, they show young children sitting in the back seat of the van, playing a game of cards on pull-out tables, while they're also simultaneously watching DVDs play on their own individually positioned TV monitors-- I mean, gee whiz, what happened to the days when kids would be satisfied just looking out the car window and seeing a bird?... Future generations simply aren't going to stand for "all day" racing events, they'll get bored way too easily.-- I think drag racing is really stuck between the proverbial "rock and a hard place" with this modern-day dilemma-- Lots of cars and classes to race, and keeping fingers crossed in hopes that nobody oils the track and makes it necessary for a lengthy clean up... I certainly don't claim to have a "solution" to this "problem", but it is indeed a real problem for national drag racing events, a problem that if it isn't addressed in some form or another, will undoubtedly eventually result in far less novice spectators coming out for a "long day at the drags"... It's a shame that this has become a "problem" that our sport of drag racing is now faced with... The "N.H.R.A." now has to do its best to compensate for the widespread affliction of "A.D.D"... "The Doc" (Celebrity Drag Racing Authority & Visionary)...

Re: Bruton Smith's dog & pony show...just what I thought!

Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 1:20 pm
by WCB
People have learned how to attend,( when, etc.) events of all kinds including nhra,adrl, etc. shows...(nhra #'s, by the way..were great in '09)

4 lane (or 6 or 7 :D ) surely will shorten the race time..however, clean up,etc. will make for 24 hour endurance races....... :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Brutie...stick to counting the money..not re-inventing drag racing...

Re: Bruton Smith's dog & pony show...just what I thought!

Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 1:03 am
by racersforcoffee
I'm young enough to have seen many of the so-called 'circus' acts which helped promoters survive the seventies and eighties...I'm also old enough to remember weekly open competition racing which drew loyal fans, the imagination of "ingenuity in action" made-flesh and the same, exact respect for progressive continuity which baseball still enjoys.
Doorslammer fans traditionally know they will enjoy features which adapt to expenses and the times. It's sad the larger corporate side of the sport can't adapt and prosper with the same enthusiasm....

Re: Bruton Smith's dog & pony show...just what I thought!

Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 8:10 am
by 23t
My thoughts. I can't believe that NHRA would even consider this by the way they have stressed safety in the past. How do they feel this is even safe putting 4 lives on the line at one time? They done it once, why push it. Also I can't believe the drivers would want to risk it, unless the dollar's overrule common sence. And I suppose it does. Sad!

And looking at it from a spectators side. When I go to a race to watch, I want to get my money's worth and that's by spending most of the day there. And I feel the same as RickO, I want to see and hear 2 cars going down the track not 4! That's dragracing! If I want to watch more than 2 cars race, I'll watch nascar.

Dragracing has aways been my first love, sorry crafty, but I know I won't be watching. I don't care to see it.
Just my opinion.

Re: Bruton Smith's dog & pony show...just what I thought!

Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 2:00 pm
by John Howe
Hi, a newbie here, and a casual drag racing fan.

Friday I was at West Palm Beach for the IHRA event and while there I started talking to another fan that was wearing T-shirt that had a picture of the 4 lane event from last year. He was at the event and said he really didn't like it because it was to hard to keep track of all 4 cars at once. He also said the sound was just unreal...in a good way. He does much prefer the two cars at a time format. Something else he pointed out with the smaller fields, due to the economy, it`ll shorten up the event too much. He was a hard core fan, having traveled to many races all over the south east, but was really doubting if he would go back for the 4 lane event again.

My take on the IHRA event later in the IHRA thread. JH

Re: Bruton Smith's dog & pony show...just what I thought!

Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 2:32 pm
by RH
Hi, a newbie here, and a casual drag racing fan.

Friday I was at West Palm Beach for the IHRA event and while there I started talking to another fan that was wearing T-shirt that had a picture of the 4 lane event from last year. He was at the event and said he really didn't like it because it was to hard to keep track of all 4 cars at once. He also said the sound was just unreal...in a good way. He does much prefer the two cars at a time format. Something else he pointed out with the smaller fields, due to the economy, it`ll shorten up the event too much. He was a hard core fan, having traveled to many races all over the south east, but was really doubting if he would go back for the 4 lane event again.

My take on the IHRA event later in the IHRA thread. JH
Welcome on board John.
Great folks here.
Looking forward to your posts.

Re: Bruton Smith's dog & pony show...just what I thought!

Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 3:00 pm
by draglist
Welcome, John. bp

Re: Bruton Smith's dog & pony show...just what I thought!

Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 3:52 pm
by Rapid Randy Baker
Hi John,

Welcome to the board. :D