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Letters are still coming in about Jok Nicholson and Darr Hawthorne's columns about the NHRA television coverage on ESPN & ESPN2. When Jeff Burk waded in with a column about the ratings, even more letters came in.

We gave ESPN's Shawn Murphy the opportunity to respond to Nicholson and Hawthorne's columns and received this reply: "Thank you for sharing the articles and offering the opportunity to respond. We also appreciate the feedback and the opinions. However, we will pass on responding to the articles. While we know our shows are not perfect, we work very hard and each week challenge ourselves to produce the most accurate and entertaining show possible."

I want to extend my deepest thanks to Darr Hawthorne for utilizing his unwavering brilliance to correct the many obvious shortcomings which exist on our ESPN coverage of the NHRA. It's commendable that a gentleman with no network television experience can sit at his keyboard and so comprehensively pick apart an entire telecasting team with his trenchant observations and ingeniously framed insults, thus rendering a group of hard working, dedicated broadcasters as nothing more than blathering morons.

Criticism is nothing new to anyone who works in the media and our performances, good or bad, are fair game. We understand that if your goal is to please everyone, television isn't a logical place to do it and getting bad reviews is part of the hostile environment in which we operate.

But perhaps Darr should spend a bit more time on critiquing his own work and investing a little more sweat equity into his somewhat feeble attempts at journalism. Anyone with the remarkable powers of observation which Mr. Hawthorne is blessed with and who has spent as much time as he has carefully reviewing our programs should know my last name is spelled "Stephens", my colleague's last name is spelled "Rieff", and Mr. Reinhart's first name is spelled "Alan".

Furthermore, to my knowledge, Mr. Hawthorne has never spoken directly to any of the ESPN production crew in an objective attempt to gather first-hand information on how our telecasts are conceived and produced. Why not?

What a surprise to get your response to my View From the Left Coast column for March. The person who should have responded probably was Director Shawn Murphy, but since you chose to attack me rather than deal with the issues, here goes.

First, I must apologize for misspelling some of the ESPN on-camera talent's names. I completely understand your point since my name has been spelled incorrectly in so many ways over my career, even on film industry awards. When I signed on at Drag Racing Online, Jeff Burk asked that I spend some of my time as the resident media critic, and since you questioned my television experience, I'll give you a short resume.

I've been in the television industry since 1970 when I began working on Saturday morning network TV on ABC. Much of my career is in the TV commercial business, but early on I worked on over 200 film and animation projects for the Children's Television Workshop and their shows Sesame Street and the Electric Company as a writer, director, producer and editor. I also have produced thousands of TV commercials ranging from the old Orange County International Raceway spots of the early '70s to bringing the award-winning commercials for the Department of Transportation featuring Vince and Larry Crash Dummies to life. I also edited corporate films for world-renowned director Saul Bass and edited documentaries including a weird one for the Firesign Theater. In addition to producing and editing five CLIO Award-winning commercials over the years, productions on which I've worked have won ADDY awards, and a Silver Lion at the Cannes Film Festival. I am a voting member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences -- you know, the guys who stage the Emmy Awards.

I grew up in this business and sat in on the early days of network TV observing my father's long career behind the microphone and in front of the camera.

Bill, we sure agree on one thing: there are "obvious shortcomings which exist on our ESPN coverage of the NHRA." I chose to bring them forward, while it appears that you and ESPN have denied introspection in light of a documented 19 percent slide in

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your show's ratings since the 2001 season. Are you proud of the .2 rating with a one share for the Gatornationals Finals show? Could nobody on your staff of "dedicated broadcasters" find an area for improvement or do you wait for the "official" caveat to explain away the ratings shortcomings? Was it the time slot this time?

As far as talking to anyone connected with the show, I have spoken to a number of current and former members of the ESPN television staff, who demanded anonymity, and they see the TV show's problems, have solutions, and mourn for the time when the show was a lot better. I also conducted the Drag Racing Online InnerView with Mike Dunn in our November 2003 issue.

The bottom line is that I'm criticizing your ESPN show as a fan and all I want is an entertaining drag racing show. I find that your show has become void of spontaneity. Have you taken the time to see how that might have happened or is it easier to question my experience in network television? You serve the drag racing public as I do; ratings are your bottom line and circulation is ours. It is truly not important what you think, but if your product is not selling to your audience, you must change it.

I want to see a TV show that better showcases our sport and you seem to want to maintain the status quo. I suggest that rather than attacking the messenger - deal with the message.

Great article, but where is Brett Kepner? Just read (Darr's) article. Great job, I'm sure the late great Steve Evans is toasting to it somewhere. I see you didn't mention Brett Kepner. I happen to think he did a great job and would be a great addition or replacement in the pits interviewing the drivers and giving his perspectives, with his lit ciggy and all. Trouble with today's broadcast is they try to do too much. They should just cover TF, NF, and Pro Stock, no bikes, edit it for a one hour show, cut out half the interviews with the drivers and crew chiefs. Keep the third guy out of the booth (driver that didn't make the show or got knocked off in the first round). Also, like you said, learn to keep their mouths shut and let the action speak for itself (cars staging) and work on the sound.

Jok, I fully agree with what you wrote. My father and I have watched in disgust the past couple of years at what NHRA has turned into. We both love the Pro Stock cars and, yes, lately it has been a little one sided (Greg Anderson). Being a racer myself and really burnt out on dragster/delay box racing, I enjoy my foot brake Mustang and have been class index racing in the NSCA American Muscle Class. These are the cars (Super Stock, Stock, Comp, etc) that really turn me on and I want to see more action involving them. The tide is changing and the face of NHRA has to change if it wants to grow.

I agree with you completely. I love the sport but I get bored to death with the same finish line interviews, crew chief interviews, etc. They could do the whole show in an hour if they didn't sttrrrreeetttccchhh it out so much. Your ideas for improvements are good. I also think changing the rules so that some noticeable innovations make a difference would help too.

Now that NHRA supposedly wants to slow down the fuel cars, I think this is the opportunity to force the FCs to go back to bodies that look like stock instead of these ridiculous Monte Carlos, etc. It's a great sport, but it is boring beyond belief unless you are there.

I am a marketer (not, unfortunately, with the right target regions/demographic to be sponsoring an NHRA car) and I think they (NHRA and TV especially) could do a much better job marketing this sport.

Jeff, Enjoyed your Blast. I think there are a couple of things that have to be sold to a TV audience. Numbers (et's rt's) are o.k. for die hard racer / race fan but you have to add an entertainment angle to the show "soap opera," sort of Good vs. Evil etc.. This could be done with the "color crew" I will sit in a "Break" room at work with the races on, people around me say that's cool but what's going on?

Darr, I would just like to take a moment and thank you for saying all the things I have been thinking! Your statements about the much lauded ESPN2 coverage could not be more true! For the second largest drawing auto racing venue to be pre-empted by a high school girls baseball or college basketball game slays me, and should tell NHRA how importantly they (ESPN2) take Drag Racing. The fact that the qualifying coverage is aired at 1:30 in the morning should be a small clue. I thought that the Winternationals starting line coverage and sound was the worst in any televised broadcast. I am fighting a local battle with the Chicago Tribune sports editors, to at least include the qualifying and race results in amongst the box scores of the sports section. My three-year vendetta has started to pay off; they now include some of the qualifying results, and the Pro Class results on a regular basis; and they recently ran a 10 line blurb about Chicago Native Tony Schumacher! I felt like I won a major victory in my quest!

But I laud you for the articles, which I am sure are the feelings of many drag racing fans, and want to know if an organized E-mail campaign might help to influence both the NHRA and ESPN2 to try and improve the TV coverage of the best automobile racing sport in the world! Have you made sure that Tom Compton & Wally Parks have seen your articles? If not, I urge that you do!!!

As usual, (Burk's) negative attitude towards our sport again biases your 'reporting'. I work in television and can tell you that early morning ratings always stink. People do have to sleep, you know. If 'Seinfeld' was aired at 3:00 AM instead of prime time, it wouldn't have lasted a season. But you seem to have neglected that fact for your story. How many Nextel Cup races would you watch at 2:00 AM, or even 11:00 PM for that matter? How about promoting drag racing for a change instead of the constant negativity.

I agree with Jeff on the TV coverage. I look forward to all drag racing on TV. Having the shows after 10:00 pm central time on Sunday and very late on Saturday is killing the ratings. If I remember correctly when TNN was doing the NHRA shows the finals were live. What a concept! I think it is about time that the brass take their POWERade shirts off and walk around at an event and find out what the paying public wants. They might be surprised. I try to attend at least two national events a year and it is the highlight of my summer (next to riding my Harley, but that another story).

Jeff, I suppose I am one of those 'hard core" fans that will watch an ESPN broadcast of a drag race at any time of the day night or very early morning. So my comments can be seen through that lens. I agree with you on the potential of being left with the impression of boredom that one could come away with after watching an ESPN-NHRA broadcast. I am not sure how to bring the sensuality of being there to the TV box except to turn up the volume as has been suggested in previous discussions. By the way, I think Mike Dunn is very good in his

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spot, however, this season he seems to be less himself than last year. For example, there was a segment last year when he was explaining the warm up procedure on a fuel car and the driver wapped the throttle to seat the clutch and he (Dunn) got excited and exclaimed something like "that's what its all about!" I say that to say this, maybe a more sensual approach needs to be taken instead of the often sanitized version we get.

Also, I want to state the obvious in regards to the ethnic make up of the NHRA/drag racing in general and NASCAR. White bread vs multicultural. While our multicultural presence should not be exploited, I think it could be embraced, in the media.

Hey Jeff. I just read your recent Burk's Blast on drag racing's television woes. Good reporting, especially in obtaining the Neilsen ratings. Very informative.

My thoughts are that the "packaging" of the overall drag racing telecasts are weak. If you watch the NASCAR package - it's so damn insightful, well produced, good anchors with funny personalities et al. Then, when the NASCAR coverage goes to commercial break, I would say that half of the ads run feature NASCAR drivers pitching corporate products. That's the key. It builds product awareness and driver awareness, which leads to further enhancement of the NASCAR driver1s personalities.

When watching NHRA telecasts, I notice that not one ad (save for Powerade's) features a current NHRA driver pitching products. No beer ads, no auto parts store ads - no nothing with current NHRA drivers serving as pitch men ala NASCAR. This has to change!

As far as the actual NHRA race coverage - the only thing worth watching is the ESPN super slo-mo cams which provide long lens shots of the cars going down the track.

But my ultimate question is HOW do you translate the feel of a drag race through a television monitor. It's damn near impossible. If you go back and watch TNN's "American Sports Cavalcade" shows from the late '80s and early '90s - they were far superior shows compared to today's ESPN shows, but even those broadcasts failed to translate the "feel" of the cars and racing action. Steve Evans and Dave McClelland added much to those shows, which simply cannot be said about today's on-air people.

I'm as stumped as you are as to how to "tune up" the racing coverage. I would start by changing the entire format (hire a whiz to restructure how the current format is played out) and get some new on-air talent. Then I would resolutely turn my attention towards encouraging current NHRA sponsors to USE THE GUYS THEY SPONSOR in humorous, effective and creative marketing and advertising campaigns...

It was interesting to finally see the Nielsen ratings for NHRA's show; didn't surprise me much. The show is boring, really booor, sooze, ing, it doesn't, and never has, fully captured the reality of drag racing, the sound, the excitement and the speed, let alone the competition. If I see one more segment showing Del Worsham's baby carriage I'll NEVER tune in to another NHRA broadcast. Are they nuts? Whoever is the producer of this show is, (he or she) needs a major education about this sport. This isn't Martha Stewart Living...but that's another subject.

Last month someone at Drag Racing Online mentioned featuring one of the Sportsman racers as a filler to the competition, I couldn't agree more! The folks sitting at home have no concept of what grass roots racing is all about, they probably think EVERYONE is a John Force, or a Del Worsham (complete with baby carriage). You don't have to go into extreme detail about Sportsman racing to develop a great and interesting story line, keep it in simple but interesting terms. The entire show needs to be rethought or the ratings will continue to drop.

Your take of sitting a producer at the starting line is a good idea; maybe then he or she will begin to comprehend the magic this sport embeds in those of us who ARE "Hard Core" types.

HOW correct you are. Bring back the days of TNN's coverage when you would actually see all the cars attempting to qualify not just the top 10! How will a new team ever attract a sponsor if they cannot even get a sniff of air time? I miss the old days. Send Marty Reid back to monster trucks or wherever he came from.

RE: Drag racing, television and you Jeff, I just read the above article and the biggest drawback that I can see with the television package IS this television package. When ESPN started doing NHRA, qualifying was on at a reasonable hour (8 or 9 in the evening) and eliminations were run in the late afternoon. Since then the time has gotten later and later where those of us that have to get up in the morning cannot watch the coverage any more.

Has it ever occurred to the powers that be to feature something during the broadcast like Fox networks "Crank It Up" during NASCAR races, where the talking heads just shut up and allow a race run by a pair of Top Fuelers and/or a pair Funny Cars at top

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volume. Those of us who attend live events would just love it.

Nothing against the current broadcast crew but how many times must we see an engine get torn down and rebuilt? We have the idea now that these crews are fast under very trying circumstances.

Also, when is someone going to get the idea to broadcast the U.S Nationals live? NASCAR really didn't take off until the Daytona 500 was broadcast live in 1979. It could be done as some NASCAR races run the same amount of time it would take to run 4 rounds of eliminations. I realize it would take some intestinal fortitude to do something like this, but no what we get was the show pre-empted by a meaningless Yankees-Red Sox game like last year. I sent ESPN an irate E-Mail which did not merit a reply.

I cannot speak for other races but I just attended the Gatornationals and the attendance was huge, the most I had seen yet in the years I have been going there. The fans are there; the sport needs to package itself better.

ESPN's coverage of NASCAR became staid and unimaginative until the network lost their coverage. Unfortunately, the NHRA doesn't have a Fox or NBC wanting to cover the sport in a better, more innovative way. Such a pity.

Darr, kudos to your article! Maybe that is why it is on tv so late at night that the normal working man can't watch. And I guess NHRA thought ESPNgave them a good deal. Still haven't seen a live portion of drag racing preempt a stick and ball sport or even poker for that matter!

Jeff, I agree with your most recent editorial regarding the quality of the NHRA presentations on ESPN2. One production value I have found lacking in their new format vs the old TNN format is sound quality. I may be wrong, but I believe that the TNN broadcasts had much better sound quality, therefore you had a better sense of the power being generated by the engines.

For the average fan that goes to an NHRA division or national race, half of the race experience is the "noise" being generated from the fuelers and the alcohol cars. We are prime examples of that scenario. My son and I race Super Eleminator in Division 7 and most of the time when we hear the "noise" coming from the track, we stop what we are doing to go to the stands and watch the big cars race. When you are at a national race, the stands are packed when the big cars are qualifying or racing. Not so for the Super Class racers. It's the sounds!

With the proliferation of better sound systems, surround sound, etc., I believe it is something that NHRA really needs to address in order to make it exciting. Unless they do, to the casual fan, its just a bunch of cars going straight for a couple of seconds. "That's even more boring that watching a bunch of cars going around in circles all day!"

It is my considered opinion, and experience, that complaining to the guys who do the work is not too productive. Complaints should be directed to management. When I have poor service from a restaurant worker, complaining to that person seems to do little good. However, when I have taken my complaints upstairs (to management or the corporate level, things get done.

If we expect action on the issue of bad TV coverage of the sport we love, going to the people who are creating and delivering the junk is, at best, not the right place, and at worst going to fall on deaf ears because they think they are doing a wonderful job with all their kitchy doo-dads.

We should be addressing the corporate honchos who have the power to do something about it: at NHRA that would be the President or the Board of Directors; at IHRA it would be the honchos at Clear Channel Communications. Those are the real power behind what gets on the air. Hopefully, they love the sport as much as we do, and they have control of the purse strings to do something about it.

Jeff, I couldn't agree with you more about your thoughts on DRO about ESPN drag racing coverage. In addition to racing in super comp, I am a huge drag racing fan. I find that it rarely bothers me now if I miss a show because they are all the same. I have the same feeling now as I did when Diamond P was near its last days ... the coverage is in a rut & the producers can't think of anything new to show or are lazy and don't want to come up with anything new. I find myself sometimes taping the coverage only to watch the last 10 minutes to catch the finals. Every run, every interview seems just about the same.

One other thing that has bothered me a lot is why the number of spectators seems to be declining at national events. I think ticket pricing, oil down time, cost of food is all adding up to this decline. I see NHRA working on the down time issue, but the other items ought to be addressed. I can remember when you couldn't find a seat to squeeze into at the US Natls, but look at the open holes in the stands the last 5 years. Every time I am at the beautiful Route 66 facility with the huge Chicago population base nearby, I wonder why the stands are not overflowing.

Chuck Walker

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