Would the NHRA send similar letters to all Street Outlaws sponsors who advertise in National Dragster or sponsor their events or broadcasts? If the NHRA feels that this is unbecoming to the sport as they state, do they also feel it would be unbecoming to the sport if a certain driver posed naked for ESPN magazine in 2013? Where does the NHRA draw the morality line?
written by Hot Rod editor Thom Taylor: http://www.hotrod.com/news/nhra-warns-participate-in-street-outlaws-cable-show-lose-your-competition-license/
among the comments was this wisdom: NHRA: we don't condone street racing. Therefore you cannot run on our track.
The NHRA responds to Hot Rod Magazine's post, and commentary from readers: http://www.hotrod.com/news/nhra-responds-to-the-hate-over-their-street-outlaws-letter/
My commentary to their bag of hot air response to Hot Rod .com
this demonstrates, that they effectively said nothing, and shifted focus from their PR problem to the kids... like politicians (But look what we do for the kids!)
Well, thanks for nothing PR spokeman.
Thom, can you try hard case journalism? I know that HRM has a historical tie in, what with Wally Parks, but you represent the journalist reporting magazine now, and the NHRA can soft sell its pablum on it's own paper or magazine. Hit them with the "And?" follow up until they see that blowing smoke up your skirt ain't cutting it.
Specifically the ratings question. You are letting that fall this way? He didn't answer the question, and you didn't follow up with, "So, answer the question." Are the ESPN ratings of NHRA races higher or lower. When they broadcast is irrelevant, no one asked about your ratings trending higher or lower. ATFQ
Thom, retract all the BS about Jr Street and jr Dragster. Why are you advertising BS for them? They didn't answer the questions, and you let Hot Rod.com get used for their advertising instead of your interview.
I'm disappointed Thom. I know you're a hall of fame designer, award winner, and professor, and not a journalist, but serious time to tighten the belt and take no prisoners when you interview a slick PR bloated bag of crap. Get answers, don't give advertising for unrelated child programs.
For the stats comparison between NHRA (400k watchers) and Street Outlaws (2 million viewers) http://www.dragzine.com/news/tv-ratings-follow-up-street-outlaws-widens-the-gap-on-nhra/
It's not, where the racing takes place. It's the cars. Top level street racers use cars that closely resemble what fans can buy and drive. Top level professional racing cars don't resemble anything that fans can buy and drive. People want to see cars that they are familiar with, understand, and have first hand experience with. In other words STOCK (which includes slightly modified) cars. NHRA and NASCAR are too stupid to figure this out, so they loose viewership.
ReplyDeleteI agree absolutely, and further, we want to drag race our cars, and not spend anything more than the cost of the fuel to get us to a location where the road is long, straight, and flat. I don't know what it will cost for me to drive 150 miles to Pomona, the nearest NHRA dragstrip, but I know it's 30 gallons of 100 octane, at about 5 bucks a gallon, and that is just one way. Plus, 1/8th mile dragstrip racing showed me that I went through 1/2 tank in 4 passes. So... 40 gallons, 5 bucks per, that's 200 in fuel, plus how much the NHRA would charge me to get on their strip and register, then tell me to sign waivers that they aren't liable for anything. So what point is it to race on their strip? None. I save about 250 bucks by drag racing anywhere there are no cops, and I don't have to buy a new helmet!
DeleteNascar needs a head shrink to figure out how to pull the head out of the ass, and come out of the coma... ratings are falling, and the new cars on the dealership lots can race at 200mph, factory stock. No more bullshit race cars, go back to real cars.
I couldn't have said it any better. I can't prove it, but I believe that the majority of people who have even the slightest interest in racing, feel the same way. We are currently living in the second golden muscle car age, and racing organizations are squandering this opportunity away. Even if NASCAR and other racing organizations ever get the message, the EPA and other government bodies will make sure that this second golden age ends before the racing organizations can take advantage of it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the govt would bother interfering, they've dealt with racing already, and so long as the tracks don't change, what races on them according to the current rules, wouldn't attract any govt attention... is my opinion. Whether they race gas, diesel, or electric... new or old, it's only going to get or lose support of the fans. They could stop NASCAR current cars, and switch to factory built cars, but they won't. None of the current race team owners would want to lose all the equity in their programs. Sure would be a cheap way to go racing... buy a car, race it, then either race it some more, or drive it to and from the races. SCCA racers did, like Mark Donohue with his first couple Corvettes
DeleteI was not speaking of government interfering with racing, I was speaking of the government mandating that auto manufacturers make cars that are so lame that no one would want to see them race. (Who would want to see a bunch of Toyota Priuses "racing"?) It's definitely coming. Ever increasing CAFE standards are going to kill off the V8. They practically have alread. You recently had a post about that fact. There is nothing I would enjoy seeing more than current race teams losing all the equity in their programs. All the small guys got wiped out in the '60's and '70's, what's so special about the big guys that we have to make sure that they are immune to that? If race cars were required to be mostly stock, we would see some truly awesome cars come out of the factories. How do I know? It happened in the '60's and '70's. That's why Plymouth Superbirds, Dodge Daytonas, Ford Galazie fastbacks. Chevy 409's and many of the other legendary cars ever even existed.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people got a kick out of the Neon pro-am racing... 1995 96. Anyway, the v8 was nearly dead in 1976, when smog laws were causing it's demise... but then what? Innovation, adaptation, and viola, 500 to 710 hp smog legal v8s in sedans and coupes. The govt interference killed, but caused the reincarnation of, the muscle car wars. And now cars have more power, with ac and full stereo systems, plus luxury suspension and interior. So I'll disagree with you on the govt interference. What's so special about the big guys? Well, they are fully the only people involved in major sports like NHRA and NASCAR that gets people to the events and on broadcasts. No one watched to see John Anderson from northern Minnesota get his time on a 1/4 mile in whatever he can bring to the track. The Mopar Nats don't get any tv time, nor do they pull a crowd, and they have the few factory super stock lightweights left from the 1968-69 production of Darts, Barracuda, Coronet, etc. I'm all in favor of NASCAR and Super Stock drag racing going back to factory delivered stock cars. I think I said so before. Nothing about a top fueler has any street use, not tires, gas, or oil.
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