Joe, it's all good man. I love NHRA racing, and I'm a die-hard like you, so I'll pay, but what the ADRL is doing is cool, it's a whole different biz model. And like others have said, what a fantastic way to bring new blood into the sport. The races you mentioned are decades old, and have a huge following, so they don't need free tickets (although NHRA would be smart to market price cuts given the economy & gas & etc.). I know for a fact I'm as hard-core as you, read my post on the Indy memories thread, but I am excited that there are other series out there growing the sport on both the fan and participant sides. Also, if you were a promoter, could you imagine the power of having 40K people at your race to up-sell, sell T-shirts & souveniers to, food & drinks, etc.?

There are a number of businesses that work just fine off the "give it away and make it up on the peripheral business" model. How about radio stations or network TV for example? Or today's hottest example, Google? This is a fine business model, it works exceptionally well -- they've just decided to make money in ways other than the gate.

Ever take at look at the crowds at an NHRA event? Notice the age skew toward the "aging hot rodder"? How many 16 - 25 year olds do you see? Not enough... Everything anyone can do to bring new folks to the sport is a good thing.

I think it's not only a very interesting business model, but every drag racing fan should be ecstatic that they're bringing thousands of newcomers, rice-burners, and street racers out to sanctioned drags.

Nunzio I think some here are missunderstanding my intent here, I'm a Drag race fan period. I'm not going to slam anyone's favorite class or the ADRL preticularly, I just feel these News releases about Record crowds is pretty misleading IMO.

Christopher while the bulk of fans at NHRA races are over 35, I think the recent influx of younger drivers such as Ashley, JR and Hillary have spliked the number of younger fans we see as opposed to say 3-4 years ago. NHRA used to have a ticket policy that for every one adult ticket, two kids under 15 were admitted free! Why they discontinued that is beyond me.

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Shift for Brains!!!!

I know you know the answer but I'll give it anyways - MONEY!!!

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Greg
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Say it ain't so Joe!

Well, that's your opinion Justin, therefore it must be wrong......................

You have previously mentioned TV's "Driving Force" as finding younger fans through dragstrip turnstiles, is this your own "Optical Data", a personal intuitive feeling or a premonition or have you found any Official stats to support younger ticket buyers stepping up to attend NHRA National events?

Not much has changed in the age department except all of us fans getting older. The trick will be to find, attract and keep the next generation of fans. There's the Next Level rather than an illusion of progress.

Darr Hawthorne

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Learning From Our Past

The empty seat doesn't buy a hot dog...

Wouldnt be the first time I've been told that and I'm sure it wont be the last..

I dont know about that. I saw a lot of younger (my age) people at Norwalk.

We were chatting about NHRA events, I don't doubt your observations... the Boise Nightfire Nationals had more young people with their fathers than most NHRA National events.

We all need to find ways of bringing in the next generation.

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Learning From Our Past

The empty seat doesn't buy a hot dog...

As was I. The NHRA national event at Norwalk.

If you want to use the term "Optical Data" as my assertion that younger fans are coming to track than I'll take it! I go to enough races to observe who's there walking the pits and sitting in the stands. And Yes I bet Driving Force has made a difference with younger fans, I think John Frech jr can speak for the younger people he saw at Norwalk!

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Shift for Brains!!!!

Optical Data is good for you, we'll all see in ten years or so.

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Learning From Our Past

The empty seat doesn't buy a hot dog...

Actualy Joe i can answer that question... YES they will and yes they do.... Rockingham Dragway, who hosts next months ADRL Dragstock event.. put tickets to the event on sale on its web site for $10 for friday and $30 for saturday.... and actualy sold several. When asked why they would pay when they can get them in a few weeks for free..... that wanted to make sure they got them... didn't want to take a chance and miss free tickets and not get in.. since the last couple years.. the gate was cut off to any new sales do to an over flowing crowd capacity...and the last two years.. several thousand people showed up and PAID to get in at the gate....

For years.. Rockingham Dragway hosted the Winston Invatational NHRA event.. which ranked in the top 5 of attended NHRA events during those years.... The attendance for the ROCK's ADRL events has surpassed those events by huge amounts.

The crowd split for the ADRL events between Drag fans and none drag fans.. is about 50/50 for rockingham. The event feeds both drag and non drag fans needs.... for the Drag fan it feeds a great show of compitition and close racing.. at a discount price. for the non drag fan it offers great entertainment at a greatly reduced cost to a family.

On a couple Pro mod web sites i have posted my address for people wanting free tickets to send a SASE and how many tickets they want and i can send them to them.. so far i have recived requests for 1200 plus tickets and growing... from as far north as Maine... far south as Miami ... from as far west as Cali... all stating they are coming JUST for the ADRL event.

Also.. i have recived a couple hundred requests for tickets from the Concord/Mooresville Area.... go figure...

I know that someone involved with the NHRA/Z-max event has been lobbying very hard to get the Jegs Pro Mod series to add the date this year to the event... or so the rumor mill goes...

In todays economic times you have to get creative to have a successful event. and i Believe that the ADRL has done that.. its finacialy successful for the tracks, the racers the ADRL and the fans... and most of all its a proven ROI for the sponsors....why else would the ARMY National Gaurd come calling to be part of the series?


Billy Weeks
Rockingham Dragway
Marketing Sales Assistant. (as of june 2008)

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Billy are the $10-30 tickets reserved? I can see wanting to pay the $30 if it mean't I got a reserved seat in return! Look I didn't mean this to sound like a pissing match between NHRA and ADRL crowds! If the Rock gets crowds like that great, I was targeting the free aspect that many ADRL races are pronouncing as "Record crowds".

And Darr, if Drag racing doesn't get the next generation as we all hope it does. Than the NHRA will itself become it's own Nostalgia series, and there's nothing anybody can do about it! If younger drivers such as Ashley Force and JR Todd don't pull in the younger fans, than I don't know what can! We can choose to support the sport as is, or it just fades away...

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Shift for Brains!!!!

Joe, maybe we have to have two records, one for a "record paid crowd" and another for a "record free ticket crowd". Just messin'