If NHRA can't get a handle on what to do about the Saturday qualifying problem they need to look at reformatting the television coverage. Why show just the fourth session when there was basically no action or drama? What a yawner. If the Friday night session is where all of the action is maybe they should show more of that. They can't be attracting many new fans with the current TV format. This is turning into what "Bump Day" at the Indy 500 turned into.

I hate to say this but I think the problem is the Sunday show. Why? it lasts 3 hours. They need to cut an hour off of it. I know that's an unpopular position to take but three hours of anything on TV is to much. It's also likely why the ratings aren't to good and probably why it often ends up on late at night.

For starters I'd reduce PS and PS Bike to just the semis and finals. Then I'd cut the comedy skits and the extra chitchat.

3 hrs is good if its 3 hrs of racing and tech talk, there is too many interviews about the same stuff. how many times today are we going to hear about and see dels explosion? the comedy skits has to stop. nhra needs to have a night session on saturdays too. watching saturdays qualifying on tv is erelevant, no cars move up and its all tire smoke. how about more tech talk and less stupid interviews please.

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Paul you usually make sense, but cutting PS and PSB, will leave us with 2.5 hr of TF and FC now I would think that would get boring.. at least in the PS & PSB you "DON'T know who is gonna win until they cross the finish line.. i.e. they both make FULL runs 99% of the time...

Don't get me wrong I love the TF and FC but sure love those PS cars... Personally I'd love to see some Comp.. buy I'd bet my house 50% of the keyboard racers here do not understand index racing, getting hit by .05 for the next round, or running quicker than the # on the board and NOT losing by a breakout..

And if you took the casual DR fan I'd bet 75-80 % don't understand comp rules.. but thats their problem, & I get more room to stretch out with a good view as most are at the hot dog stands..

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Thank you John! This has been my thought for quite a while.

Absolutely, Johnny!

This current format it pathetic at best. It's bad enough that in most cases they get their best shot to get in the field before they have any real-time usable data.........I never understood that to start with. If you're going to give them killer conditions, make it the last session when they've had a couple of laps to get a feel for what the track is going to give them that weekend.

At least it would make the Saturday night qualifying show worth watching.

Sean D

I went to Saturday qualifying at Joliet this year. It was worst day of "racing" I have ever seen. Also, the first time I have ever complained about being at a race track. I would have rather been out riding my Harley. Thank goodness my tickets were free.

Back to the TV deal, though. The IRL finally changed the Indy 500 qualifying format this year to inject a little life in it. Guess what, it worked. There was a lot more interest. NHRA needs to either switch to a Saturday twilight session or run them all in the heat.

I'll drink to that !

I totally agree.

While the total number of viewers differs by an order of magnitude, it's interesting to note that NHRA viewership is increasing (though slowly) while the 800 pound gorilla of NASCAR is showing a decrease approaching 10% in the last three years.

The one thing that is really apparent from looking at the NASCAR numbers is the huge difference in viewership between different channels. Job #1 for NHRA marketing should be a no-holds-barred push to move to more accesible and highly watched channels.

We used to be on network TV. I wonder if every 5th race (for example) on one of the majors would not be superior to every race on a second tier cable channel especially since the net viewers would be about the same. Plus, I have to believe you're going to get many more new eyes on a network than the current core group of dedicated fans who will search out the broadcast.

Maybe it's just a indication of a soft St. Louis TV market, but when I see infomercials airing on mid-afternoon Saturdays on two of the national channels, I wonder why we're still on the Deuce.

Maybe I'm on the wrong line of thought here, but I would like to see the qualifying position set by the average of all 4 runs. All the teams would need to make all 4 rounds, there would be pedal fests in the heat of the day instead of idling from the 60'. Then give additional points to the fastest qualifying lap of the weekend.

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Problem is like what happened to Worsham yesterday. He couldn't make the last session. Also, many independants can't afford to make all four runs.

Didn't NHRA move up the PS qualifying on Friday nights to keep it similar to Saturday conditions?
Most of us remember that PS had the exact same issue a few years back. I think what your seeing now is Fuel cars can be a lot easier to tune for the cool, tight tracks and everyone is getting smarter with their tuneups. The sport has never seen the fuel classes as tight as they have been this year and its starting to mimmick PS from years past.....like others have said, either add another Saturday night session or move Fridays to the afternoon.

My personal opinion is...

They are called Professionals. There are plenty of people paying good money to see qualifying and cars going down the track. This crap about the low buck teams not being able to afford to make all 4 runs is B.S. If you can't make all four runs then you shouldn't consider yourself a professional. You don't pay an entry fee and your being PAID to put on a show to the paying public. Unfortunately this ain't the 70's and 80's anymore. NHRA is big business and they need to step up. You can't compete racing out of a Dually and a gooseneck trailer anymore.