Fewer
Classes,
Shorter Tracks
It's no secret to anyone that NASCAR's success is the envy and aspiration of all motor sports sanctioning organizations. And it should be because a case could be made that NASCAR has the best tracks, most loyal fans, highest attendance, best television package, and most corporate sponsorship in all of professional motor sports, and to my mind that includes Formula One.
On occasion I've said that comparing professional drag racing and NASCAR is like comparing apples and oranges because they are totally different racing disciplines, but I may have changed my mind. Recently, in preparation for the January 15th launch of this company's oval racing magazine titled Circle Track Online I've been studying NASCAR and what the organization does that makes it so successful. In doing so I think I've discovered a couple of ways NASCAR runs their program that NHRA or IHRA could adopt to improve their brand of professional drag racing and make it more attractive to sponsors, racers, and new fans.
One thing I noticed is that NASCAR doesn't dilute their main attractions like drag racing does. Here's what I mean. When a NASCAR fan attends a race he or she knows going in that (in most cases) they are going to see nothing but Winston Cup cars and drivers. All they have to do is figure out which brand and which driver they want to root for. At a few races the Busch Series cars may be run as a support race, but for the most part the Cup cars and drivers hold center stage for the entire event and the television coverage. The corporate sponsors of the "Cup" cars know that those cars and drivers will be the center of attention for the fans and the television for the entire event.
At drag racing's National Events it is a much different situation. A fan attending an NHRA National Event for the first time will be bombarded with professional classes. They will have to learn the difference between a Fuel Dragster, Fuel Funny Car, and a Pro Stocker at the very least. At worst there will be at least one and sometimes two more Pro Classes (Pro Stock truck and Pro Stock Bike) for them to learn about and that doesn't include professional exhibition classes. Then they have to learn the difference between alky funny car and dragster and nitro cars, which look alike but are totally different. For the first-time fan it's a confusing scene.
Having so many "Pro" classes at NHRA and IHRA National Events has created four major problems for drag racing:1) Many tracks are literally running out of pit space; 2) It usually takes a minimum of four days to complete a race; 3) For racing fans attending their first National Event there is confusion and sensory overload; and 4) It is almost impossible for the television production crews to really do a proper job of covering the race with so many Pro classes all needing coverage.
Perhaps Drag Racing should take a page out of the NASCAR manual and concentrate on the premier Pro Classes at their marquee events.
Most of NASCAR's major tracks have separate races for the Busch Series and the trucks. Maybe NHRA could do something along the same lines and offer its National Event tracks the opportunity to have more "Money" races. Why not package the Pro Stock Truck and Bike teams and the Federal Mogul racers into their own separately sponsored circuits where those classes would be the main attraction? A 12-14 race schedule backed by Federal Mogul for the Trucks, Motorcycles, T/AD and T/AF racers would be feasible. You could even add a few races featuring these cars to the National Event schedule.
The cars and drivers in those classes are very entertaining, but let's face it, they cannot compete for fans' or potential sponsors' attention at the same event with Fuel Cars and Pro Stock. I'm not naïve enough to think that the sanctioning bodies could do this with a snap of their fingers, but I do feel this is a program worth considering and that the infrastructure is in place at NHRA and IHRA to at least to consider this.
Another thing that NASCAR offers that drag racing doesn't is variety of tracks. They have short and long tracks, high banked and flat tracks, and oval and road courses. Over the course of a 36-race season that variety tends to even up the competition somewhat. Perhaps drag racing could do the same. Now the old Burkster isn't suggesting left turns for drag racing or a return to half-mile drags, but what would be wrong with one or two "short track" races on the NHRA or IHRA National Event schedule?
How about this scenario: Imagine the new Bristol track just across from NASCAR's most famous short track venue becomes NHRA's first eighth-mile event. Chances are all of the seats up to the eighth-mile mark will be sold since the fans can easily see the start and finish of the race from anywhere from the start to the finish line, and that's what NASCAR fans like.
 DRAG RACING Online will be published monthly with new stories and features. Some columns will be updated throughout the month. DRAG RACING Online owes allegience to no sanctioning body and will call ’em like we see ’em. We strive for truth, integrity, irreverence, and the betterment of drag racing. We have no agenda other than providing the drag racing public with unbiased information and view points they can’t read anywhere else except in the bathroom
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The fans and press are at the event in droves because there is a unique event with a whole new set of speed and elapsed time records to be set and seen. For eighth-mile racing NHRA could take the lid off the percentage rule. Once again we actually hear the unique sound of a fuel car burning 99-100% nitro. Who will be first to run 300-mph in an eighth-mile, who will be the first to run a sub-three-second lap? Safety isn't an issue because there is now an additional 660 feet of shutoff area.
Let's talk about the potential of great television. How about packed grandstands at night watching flame-belching fuel cars trying to be the first to go 300 in the eighth-mile, instead of the empty seats we've so often seen this year. Move the Jumbo-tron and the scoreboards up to the finish line. If that isn't the scenario for a "ballpark" type event I don't know what is. Hell, the track could even offer a cheap seat section past the finish line like the $8.00 "nosebleed"seats at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. We all know drag racing needs a cheap seat for the cash challenged fans who can't afford the 40-50 bucks it cost for a ticket to the drags these days.
According to almost every nitro/alky tuner I've talked to, most engine failures occur after the eighth-mile mark. They also say that they wouldn't have to drastically change their tune-up for the eighth-mile. Almost everyone I've talked to says that eighth-mile racing would cost all of the competitors less money.
Now before you start writing those hate letters to the Burkster about real drag racing being quarter-mile, do your homework. Sanctioned drag racing has been contested on everything from 300-ft tracks to half-mile and even on dirt. I'm not advocating changing every national event to eighth-mile, but it would be nice if drag racing offered a little variety once in a while. I especially like the idea of the IHRA giving this idea a try. They have many National Event venues where eighth-mile racing would be better for everyone concerned.
I've tried to see the downside to eighth-mile National Events, but I swear I can't see them. I'm sure somebody out there knows what they are and will let me know.
See you at the drags.
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photo by Kay Burk
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