ADVERTISEMENT
 |
Those
races not on TV may well see an increase in attendance. If
you can't see it on TV, maybe you'll buy a ticket. Lord knows
the stands have had some bare spots in recent years. Besides,
nonprime events can always be parceled out to the cable providers,
just as the entire tour is now. It's going to take a sizable
outlay of dollars, but if that's what it takes to get true
national exposure, on the national networks, then so be it.
Now it just may be the networks won't be interested in what
drag racing has to offer, no matter how much money is offered.
I doubt it, but it's possible. After all, money talks, right?
Assuming there's a problem with the product, what could be
done to fix it? If you want to keep to the "traditional"
definition of drag racing, probably not much. But if one chooses
to look ahead and evolve a bit, there are some possibilities.
I never thought I would hear myself say this, but it may be
time for drag racing to divest itself of most of what passes
for national event eliminators, and go with a "one class
is everything" approach.
Virtually any sport you can think of, it's this way. If you
go to an NFL game, they don't have a high school game at half
time. Baseball's Triple A teams don't play the first half
of major league double headers. If you go to a Nextel Cup
race, NASCAR doesn't ask you to sit through a Busch event
first. While you and I love to see Pro Stock, Pro Mod, Super
Gas/Comp / Street / everything else, it's just a ball of confusion
to outsiders. And at this point, the decision makers at the
networks are outsiders.
I'm not necessarily saying to keep everything but the nitro
class off the grounds at national events, but I am saying
it might be time to move the nitro burners to a true front
and center position. In short, on Sundays, run the nitro classes
right on through to conclusion. And then run everything else.
The TV guys get their show, and all the other classes get
to run on a national event-prepped track, in front of a big
crowd (if they stick around).
Will changes be necessary? Sure thing. For one, somebody
is going to have to figure out how to hot-lap fuel cars, and
I mean truly hot-lap them! Heck, it might even mean scrapping
the time honored ladder elimination system for something different.
How about thirty-two fuel cars, making three laps apiece,
with a points system determining the final round match-ups?
Not traditional, but sounds entertaining to me.
All kidding aside, NHRA better be looking ahead, while keeping
a vigilant eye on that gorilla. They got caught napping once
before, and found themselves temporarily in the dark. Were
it not for ESPN losing the NASCAR races, they might not have
ever regained the stage. Now that they have a reliable broadcast
partner, they need to do whatever it takes to keep the sport
moving ahead. If that means The Board has to take home fewer
dollars, and they have to hold off on all those capital improvement
programs they have scheduled, so be it. Spend what it takes
to get a Network slot, and don't be afraid to evolve. As Charles
Darwin once said, "Evolve or die!" He did say that,
didn't he? 
|
