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Tom Compton, in a Street & Smith interview this summer
said, “I think ESPN Regional Television has done a tremendous
job of improving the quality of our television, bringing the
storylines and the experience to the television fans in a
better way than we've ever done in the past. But it still
doesn't replace being there.”
In some ways the ESPN coverage is quite good and has improved
this year. I feel that is a result of the newer bells and
whistles production techniques being used like the overhead
blimp shot and the incredible super-slow motion footage. The
only problem is that the time slots ESPN gives the drag racing
shows -- when they aren’t pre-empted by women’s
softball games or the cricket championships -- contain very
few live elements any longer. So why not create an established
time where drag racing fans may find a regularly scheduled
slot for drag racing and actually increase the number of fans.
Don't even bother with times after midnight in any time zone.
Is it remotely possible that with the newer NHRA marketing
and management -- you know, the ones without any background
in drag racing at all -- are just missing the boat? Isn’t
it possible that you cannot market drag racing the same way
you would any other product or stick-and-ball sports event?
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Based upon my conversations with fans over this year, the
new marketing and TV production of the NHRA POWERade show
has managed to alienate the hard-core fan, the grizzled drag
racing veteran in search of the neo-NHRA fan. Not only that,
but continually telling sponsors, racers and the media that
the numbers are up and then having the actual figures indicate
the opposite only suggests to current and future sponsors
and partners that the NHRA either is incompetent or incapable
of telling the truth.
NHRA is trying to attract Fortune 500 companies who undoubtedly
will do the research and get the real facts. And if potential
sponsors are being treated as if they are stupid they won’t
come to the party and, what's worse, they’ll tell their
friends.
It's time to take a look at the total marketing of NHRA drag
racing and to revamp it. We need to bring new fans to the
sport while not alienating our existing fan base; to regain
the respect, passion and love of our sport that drag racing
used to have, before it's gone and is lost for good. 
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