Random thought on improving spectator experience (1 Viewer)

[Luke Nieuwhof]

A few months back I went to check out a Lucas Oil Offroad race at Lake Elsinore in California. Walking through the pits one interesting thing was that all the pit bays were parellel to the walkways.
So basically each trailer had 10-15 metres of exposure to fans and it was a lot easier to see what they were up to. I know pit space is not the strength of some tracks, but I reckon this is something that would greatly enhance the spectator experience in the pits of NHRA events. Instead of getting just a glimpse of your favourite team, especially the ones that don't have hospitality areas alongside, you can really see what they are up to, get a close look at the turn arounds and all that.
I guess some teams prefer to reserve that area for their hospitality patrons, but for those who want to be crowd facing, why not give them the option?

 

[Jeff]

Pretty good idea, easier to implement in the wide open spaces of off road pits.

The thing that I think would have the biggest impact is to have some kind of mobile cell towers brought in. People want their connectivity and when the stands fill up they lose almost all connectivity (just not a big enough bandwidth pipe for that many people). I think solving that issue would bring larger, longer lasting crowds. Most other sporting venues address this item.

 

[JF]

You want to improve the spectator experience.
1. Get rid of hospitality areas by the cars. Move them to areas outside of pits. We are there to race not socialize.
2. Mandate 1 car = 1 trailer
3. Put a walkway in between each pit area
4. All of the above are possible except this one, Pay NHRA for the lost revenue teams pay to have hospitality areas and extra trailers.

 

[Just Paul]

That is not a new idea. Brainerd did that all the way up 'till at least 90 or so. They lined them front to back with with just enough room to get the cars out.

 

[Jimbo]

Some very good idea's on how to improve everyone's experience.

Now if only someone would listen and make some positive changes and try something different.

Jim Hill
http://www.nostalgicracingdecals.com

 

[Butch]

The one thing that absolutely drives me nuts is. Your sitting in the stands and everyone has a great view. Then as the cars stage all these asshats have to stand up. WHY
I'd like to put shock collars on them. You stand you get zapped. Lol
The people that come to any sporting event to get falling down drunk. I don't have a problem with drinking but dam doing it that way is stupid
expensive.
One more thing. Taking a
newbie to the races and having to explain. If you go faster you loose.

 

[Jeff]

Harry, you are going to have to turn your thinking cap knob up a click or two. Explain that sportsman racing is designed to avoid the who has the deepest pocket syndrome, use the "price is right" example and explain the challenge of having the best reaction time and then taking as little stripe as possible. Obviously sportsman racing is more of a participant sport than a spectator sport .... although many sportsman are blinded by this reality.

 

[NitroRichFire]

Harry, Bristol is our favorite track cause the seats you sit in are angled away from the track. The seats near the starting line are closer to the track then they start to angle away from the track giving everyone a great view of the track from the starting line to the finish line. All tracks should be built like this, cause if your short in height it's extremely hard to see the action when everyone stands up. This is the reason, we stopped going to the races, you can't see anything when people stand up, so we now watch it on HDTV, so the NHRA has lost 22 people in our group that use to go to the races every year, I'm talking ( Gainesville, Atlanta, Englishtown, Indy, Maple Grove ) that we no longer go to. I don't know if any other tracks are like this with the seats angled away from the track, the 5 mentioned above are not. I agree with the falling "down drunk" has to stop, we've seen people throw up on the people in front to them, it's NASTY! The Winternationals did not look good this year, cause when they showed the fuel classes running we saw a lot of empty seats. Have a great week!

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

I agree 100% with the "NO STANDING" rule. Also get rid of the wall side photogs. Any other sport makes sure the photogs are NOT in the way of the viewing public. The comments above are
right, with todays TV coverage, the die-hard fan sees it better at home.

 

[StockersRock]

Man, I love divisionals.

 

[sammi]

The Pro Stock bike guys and guys have always puzzled me. They beg and beg to be noticed and then they park in such a way that it is impossible to see the bike or rider in the pit. I have been to Pomona on Thursday and had been given the hairy eyeball by the Smiths and the Harley guys because I was looking at their uncovered bikes. Sponsorship 101-if you want to be someone's "marketing partner" wouldn't it make sense to make sure that everyone who came by your pit had a positive experience. Get the damn bike and rider out to the ropes where you can create positive impressions on the customer. A gi-norous cheesy wrap photo on the back of the trailer doesn't even come close seeing the machine and talking to the rider.

 

[mick]

even john force commented @ winters he's getting used to the hospitality....when your nielsen rating is so low; sponsors need
more; IMO pit hospitality is great way for sponsors to entertain clients and guests with an extremely unique experience.
i would argue team's hospitality in the last decade or so may do more to attract 'newbies' to nhra nat. events than efforts by nhra.

 

[PJ]

That

even john force commented @ winters he's getting used to the hospitality....when your nielsen rating is so low; sponsors need
more; IMO pit hospitality is great way for sponsors to entertain clients and guests with an extremely unique experience.
i would argue team's hospitality in the last decade or so may do more to attract 'newbies' to nhra nat. events that efforts by nhra.

That's very true. When I've been in the hospitality tents of a few teams I've noticed there are far more newbies there than fans. It's a nice way to introduce them to the sport.

 

[mastertone]

Harry and Paul said it all!

 

[CrewMan]

Posted this in another thread right after Pomona.....

As far as getting butts in the seats:

1. Increase the turn around time BACK to 90 minutes
- Obviously live coverage doesn't mean a damn thing these days, and neither does tape delay if you are sucking hind tit to Little League Baseball
- You eliminate all the extra "bs" with having to have part of the team down at the top early, and you would actually get to see the crews go down the return road after victory. Remember that? All that cool waving hooting and hollering? Now all we are treated too is a closed up SUV barreling down the road and maybe a honk or too.
- You could actually, just maybe, get some decent interviews, more than the mere 5 seconds plug fests we see now and get some technical info out there. Technical info....drives interest on and off the track for the curious minds.
- The crews will actually WORK on the cars because they have time. What I see in the pits is not "Working" like it used to be. Hurt something....it gets changed...not worked on...cleaned up etc...just changed. Put a new one in. I would rather go back and watch these guys save a busted motor than wheel a fresh plant out of the trailer...drop it in the rails....hook the magnetos up and call it done. Gee...THAT was exciting...NOT.
- You cut down on the craziness of returning to the pits....someone, someday is going to get run over and get hurt if they haven't already (I'm not aware of anything at the moment) All in the name of time...which really doesn't matter anymore...because nothing is "live".
- You get people IN THE PITS....IN THE MIDWAY....and that is where the interest starts. NHRA allows a very unique experience in that we as fans get to be part of the pit area...if you keep the turnaround so short people have no time to explore (you don't have time to watch a thrash on a car that caught fire etc), you force them to stay in their seats...and that becomes boring (hey look kids...big ben...parliment...zoom.....hey look kids...).

2. Drop the damn ticket prices.

- Your brand is suffering
- You need exposure, charging inflated ticket prices is not the way to bring people in, hell even NASCAR has dropped prices

3. Bring back NHRA Today....the SHOW....not the raceday version

- Go back to 1/2 hr or hour show each week covering the NHRA. From manufacturers, to race shops, to bio's to the excellent sportsman coverage that Bob Frey did.
- Quit giving me this 1/2 hour to hour BS on raceday
- Doing that just may bring someone into the sport....you get manufacturers exposure, the why's of things, etc etc. I loved when ole Steve Evans would go to someplace like Lexan, or Edlebrock, or BDS blowers that's how you peak interest that how you get people talking

 

[T.Smith]

Harry, Bristol is our favorite track cause the seats you sit in are angled away from the track. The seats near the starting line are closer to the track then they start to angle away from the track giving everyone a great view of the track from the starting line to the finish line. All tracks should be built like this, cause if your short in height it's extremely hard to see the action when everyone stands up. This is the reason, we stopped going to the races, you can't see anything when people stand up, so we now watch it on HDTV, so the NHRA has lost 22 people in our group that use to go to the races every year, I'm talking ( Gainesville, Atlanta, Englishtown, Indy, Maple Grove ) that we no longer go to. I don't know if any other tracks are like this with the seats angled away from the track, the 5 mentioned above are not. I agree with the falling "down drunk" has to stop, we've seen people throw up on the people in front to them, it's NASTY! The Winternationals did not look good this year, cause when they showed the fuel classes running we saw a lot of empty seats. Have a great week!

The new Eastside stands at Indy are much closer to the track and were built with a steep incline much like many stick and ball stadiums. I've sat there the last two years on Monday and didn't have to stand at all.

 

[Nunz]

It seems like I hear more and more reasons not to go to the track. And I'm not saying they're not valid, but what's perfect? I will say the Top Eliminator Club cured the standing deal for me, but that's just Indy.

 

[T.Smith]

It seems like I hear more and more reasons not to go to the track. And I'm not saying they're not valid, but what's perfect? I will say the Top Eliminator Club cured the standing deal for me, but that's just Indy.

I don't get it either, but maybe I'm out of touch.

 

[mick]

first year attendee at a sporting event....ok, i get it, you didn't know the landscape and you bought the wrong seats,
you paid too much to park, you walked too far, you forgot half your shit in your car, your wife had to use a port-a-jon,
you're allergic to beer and your seats were in the beer section, etc., etc.
ok, if you liked it, then figure out how to do it better next year, and the next year.
but for cryin' out loud, don't tell me you've been to the same event for 10+ years and still upset about things.
wouldn't do BIR every august if i didn't have fun; and usually pack about 2 days of fun into every day.
tend to spend a little less time in pits these days; the throttle whacks are gone, the last souvenir i bought was a blue BIR hat i had
frank bradley sign when he called the shots on the primm TF'r, and my beer is always cold in between rounds, or my beer is
all gone and just go hang w/my sportsman friends and drink their beer!! .....or maybe paul's beer