Why do so many people in 2011 NOT know what Drag Racing is??

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Blaumann
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Re: Why do so many people in 2011 NOT know what Drag Racing

Postby Blaumann » Fri Jan 14, 2011 4:58 pm

Drag Racing was always a cult, niche deal. we were better off when there were no pretensions otherwise. television destroyed match racing. TV brought in ignorant "fans' that lowered the level of the whole experience.
Drag racing will always be a niche sport.

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WCB
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Re: Why do so many people in 2011 NOT know what Drag Racing

Postby WCB » Fri Jan 14, 2011 10:22 pm

Parenthood... featuring the famous shot of Dianne Wiest walking behind a running jet dragster on the starting line... :D bp


Man, that was awful........

...................................................................................................

Drag Racing is Far from a snotty "niche" MotorSport....( many fans of many sports are "ignorant"......)
The USA Today even covers us.

100,000 plus fans at INDY gives credence to us..as do many well attended ADRL,etc. events.

Even after disastrous, ignorant acts like Tn. a couple of years ago..our sport rolls on.....
www.wallybell.com

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Chris Gerber
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Re: Why do so many people in 2011 NOT know what Drag Racing

Postby Chris Gerber » Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:40 am

I guess I have a different take on this subject. I don't really care if the national media covers drag racing, or if everyone in the country knows that drag racing is this respectable "real" sport. Does it really matter how Hollywood depicts drag racers?

The best times I have had at the races were at the Grand Nationals at Dragway 42 in West Salem, Ohio in the late 70s. Some highlights throughout my years have been:

Spending time with my dad.

Smelling Marijuana for the first time

Seeing my first wet t-shirt contest after the Motz jet truck caught fire. (I was 10 already!!! sheltered!!)

Watching local T/F stars like Navotny, Goudreau, Jaros, take on stars like Garlits, Shirley, Bradley.

Not caring about peeing in a downspout mounted to the wall of the boysroom.

Really digging the yellow BB/FC with Muppets painted on it from St. Louis.

Sitting in the stands and celebrating with the BA/D crew of Mike Kosky as we watched the last round of qualifying. They stayed number 1 qualifier from a previous good run.

I guess I miss the drag racing the way it used to be. Today all of the transporters are the same, and all the crews wear silly golf shirts or military looking uniforms.

I believe the difference I have is that I have never made a dime drag racing and have no desire to. (I do tend to spend a lot though)

Chris Gerber

ps Thanks to Bill Pratt for doing the Draglist. Many memories would be totally gone if it wasn't for you taking the time to compile the info from our little piece of history.

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Re: Why do so many people in 2011 NOT know what Drag Racing

Postby draglist » Sun Jan 16, 2011 12:23 pm

Thanks, Chris. I totally agree. In fact, I distinctly remember being a teenager in Ohio and thinking, "If drag racing got really popular, would I like it as much?" I DID like the fact that it was something that was "ours" and not something that the whole world was into like stick and ball sports... I admit that I have lost the intense passion for big time drag racing, but I sure do love the nostalgia cars, circuits, etc. Those AHRA national events were awesome, and I regret that I never made it to 42 for the big one back when I was living there. bp
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Headlines and Results: http://www.draglist.com/
Drag Lists: http://www.draglist.com/draglist/draglist.php

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Diana The Doc
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Re: Why do so many people in 2011 NOT know what Drag Racing

Postby Diana The Doc » Fri Jan 21, 2011 8:48 am

Some good points are made... Well, it's sort of like everything else, very often "over-commercialization" has a way of souring lots of stuff (music, entertainment, etc)... Drag Racing is a sport that's sort of fallen into the proverbial "Catch 22" sort of dilemma-- Unless you're talking about the most fundamental forms of ultra low-buck racing, the facts are that most genres of drag racing require oodles 'n' oodles of money-- So, in order for drag racing to sustain itself, a pretty hefty influx of fans in the grandstands, and big bags of cash are needed to keep it all going... Many internet snerts are so quick to report when they see some empty seats while watching a televised drag race from the comfort of their living room couch-- Yet, those are the same snerts who often won't get off their couch and come out to support the sport-- Yes, in some ways, we've become the official form of motorsport that "eats their young" and "cuts their noses to spite their face" (what we see typed on the drag racing internet is absolute proof of that)-- I certainly don't claim to know the reason why that is, but I guess that's not the healthiest way to keep our sport "vibrant" and "prosperous"-- Quite the opposite, it just about smothers it to death... Yes, we now live in an age when practically all our major sports stadiums are named after men's shaving razors and banking institutions, the days of maintaining a modest "grass roots" ideology with our popular sports is definitely on the drastic decline... Hopefully it'll all hold together and the future will be bright-- I honestly try my very best to remain optimistic... "The Doc" (Celebrity Drag Racing Authority & Visionary)...
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Re: Why do so many people in 2011 NOT know what Drag Racing

Postby stimpy » Fri Jan 21, 2011 10:39 am

Diana and chris you have a point with the stadium racing , I think this is what kills alot of our sport as investors have to see a profit for the big infrastructure they invested in , I for one wouldn't mind to see a certain track get rid of alot of infrastructure that has caused in mine and alot of the sportsmanracers alot of problems this last 5 or so years , we just wanted a place to safely play and get off the streets they ( the investors looked at is a big moneymaker and overbuilt it ) , but now its a fight to keep it open as they complain how much it costs to keep the lights on ,with gateway closing up it has opened some of our eyes to the fact they can shut it down and walk away , I prefer the little tracks as they are more true racers and supporters of our group , we do it for fun and don't rely on it for a paycheck . if we make a litle money well thats one of the perks .
the Groom that went Vroom At DLN IV

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Diana The Doc
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Re: Why do so many people in 2011 NOT know what Drag Racing

Postby Diana The Doc » Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:26 am

Stimpy, it's an extremely "fickle pickle" to operate a successful drag strip in 2011... Yes, investors want to see lots of return if they put their money into a racing facility, and the school of thought for the last several years is that you must have a major national event (or at least a big divisional race) to make it worth your while... You've got to have a lot of patience and tolerance to operate a drag strip in the current social and economic climate... Trying to operate and stay financially afloat with a track that just gives the "little guys" a safe place to play has become an extremely difficult task-- Even though you're personally not looking to make big bucks from racing, you've got to admit that there's an awful lot of so-called "little guy" racers who do expect, and even demand that tracks provide them with a substantial purse (and rounding up the number of sponsors and sponsor dollars necessary for track operators to give their racers a phat purse has become a full time job in itself-- it's a lot of time working the phones and practically begging for the cash)-- So, the juggling act that track operators now have to play, balancing entry fees, lack of spectators willing to pay for non-bigtime racing, legal liabilities, property taxes, employee salaries, it all makes for lots of headaches and potential fiscal failure... Grass roots places like the late, great George Rays' are definitely on the endangered species list... "The Doc" (Celebrity Drag Racing Authority & Visionary)...
THE MOST READ FEMALE BLOGGER ON THE DRAG RACING INTERNET. THANKS TO YOU. I LOVE Y'ALL FOR THAT!

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Bret Kepner
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Re: Why do so many people in 2011 NOT know what Drag Racing

Postby Bret Kepner » Wed Feb 09, 2011 3:19 am

Grass roots places like the late, great George Rays' are definitely on the endangered species list.
Actually, not true. They make up the vast majority of the nearly four hundred tracks currently in operation in the United States.
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Maritime Drag Racing

Re: Why do so many people in 2011 NOT know what Drag Racing

Postby Maritime Drag Racing » Wed Feb 09, 2011 7:45 am

Grass roots places like the late, great George Rays' are definitely on the endangered species list.
Actually, not true. They make up the vast majority of the nearly four hundred tracks currently in operation in the United States.
I would have to agree with Bret. Three of the five tracks in this region are totally run by racer associations and staffed by racers and one of the other two is totally dependent on fund raising by a racer association for infrastructure improvements and also uses volunteer workers(racers) on race weekends. The other privately owned track had been struggling with finances but the owner seems determined to stay open no matter what and with help from the racer associations seems to be treading water. Those three racer run tracks have to be totally set up from scratch on airport runways and everything removed after the event. It doesn't get any more "grass roots" than that.........

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Diana The Doc
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Re: Why do so many people in 2011 NOT know what Drag Racing

Postby Diana The Doc » Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:43 am

I guess I was going on what I see happen more 'round this neck of the woods (well, suburbs)... When West Hampton Dragway a.k.a. Long Island Motorsports Park closed its doors, it was mainly due to the fact that the place was getting so much grief from the neighbors and municipality-- and the profits from keeping the track open didn't come even close to the kind of money the owner received from selling it (and yes, it became a "retirement village")-- If the property value makes it a lot more tantalizing to sell out, as opposed to going through all the headaches of keeping a track running, some owners are going to opt to sell out-- Currently there are zero drag strips on Long Island, NY (there used to be three back in the day)... It's good to know that there's still "grass roots" oriented strips hanging in there and doing well... The only time I was ever at a makeshift drag strip, that was really an abandoned air field (airport) was when I visited North Weald Airfield in England-- I believe the folks who were running Santa Pod Raceway were the ones who brought the christmas tree and timing equipment to temporarily convert the airfield into a drag strip... It was pretty packed and they had a good car count... North Weald Airfield was most active during World War II... It was a lot of fun to experience that... "The Doc" (Celebrity Drag Racing Authority & Visionary)...



P.S. there's some new (sort of) videos we just put up on youtube...
BIG STICK VIDEO TOUR DIARY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTFvqwC6E04
BIG STICK STORY (tongue 'n' cheek Rockumentary) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqqD0hcLPV8
BIG STICK & THRILL KILL KULT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fir3PRKtkho
THE MOST READ FEMALE BLOGGER ON THE DRAG RACING INTERNET. THANKS TO YOU. I LOVE Y'ALL FOR THAT!


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