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DRR Trophy
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Like a lot of photographers, we’re all looking for a different view but are rather limited when it comes to drag racing. You’ve got burnout shots, launch shots, photos from the stands, and maybe some top end parachutes. You’ve all seen these. Other than a sharp looking car, the shots resemble all the rest.

https://dragracingedge.com/the-blog/empty-stands/
 
Posts: 154 | Location: Beaver Springs, PA | Registered: February 07, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I'm not sure I understand why the objection to having empty stands in the background. Nor the inclination to make it look any different. It is what it is. Trying to disguise it or make it look different doesn't change what it is. Frankly, (and I know I sound like a broken record) bracket racing is not a spectator sport. It was never the intention. The ideas behind bracket racing were to:
1. Find a way to utilize the facility to bring in revenue in different ways other than shows.
2. Introduce a source of new racers into our sport that is affordable to a greater amount of people.

Nowhere in there was anything about spectators. Bracket racing is exciting to participate in. But unless you are somehow connected to the race or the racers, it's not worth a hoot to watch. So why try to dress it up?


Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
 
Posts: 6354 | Location: Illinois | Registered: July 08, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Top Comp
Picture of Michael Beard
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Hang out with Todd Dziadosz. He'll make you tired just watching him, as he's frequently on the move, getting different shots.

I'm nowhere close to being a photographer, but even I move around a lot, looking for a unique shot. I remember a photographer standing on his ladder taking the same shot of every car, while I checked the dial-ins to see which car was leaving first, and hustling to a different spot along the wall for each pair to capture the story unfolding in the first few moments.

I think that's a lot of what is missing. The vast majority of photography I see in bracket racing focuses on a single car burnout or launch, when the whole excitement of the race is the chase.











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Posts: 5727 | Location: Columbus, OH | Registered: December 15, 1999Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of chasracer
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I understand the concerns from both angles (pun intended) but with the new generations not getting overly involved with the sport we might eventually see NHRA going the route of NASCAR tracks and blocking out sections of the grandstands forcing spectators to tighten up and produce a better background image. We all know what is the hook right now in drag racing and the faster that NHRA acknowledges that fact and adds it to their national events, the better things will be. They have made some changes which I believe can be called good but they move much too slowly.
 
Posts: 1135 | Location: The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Savvy?” ~~ Captain Jack Sparrow ~~ | Registered: August 21, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of CURTIS REED
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Just put photographers on the wall that normally shoot political rallies or protests. Those guys know how to make a crowd look huge. LOL



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Posts: 2910 | Location: KIEFER, OK. | Registered: August 17, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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From watching the million on the computer Im noticing the same phenomenon there also. May be a trend?


Lynn Ellison
 
Posts: 133 | Location: The Boat! | Registered: November 29, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I participated at the Barona (Ca.) Antique Drags two weeks ago and the place was packed. Every seat in the grandstands was taken and the pit area filled with spectators. Granted this wasn't a NHRA national event with fuel cars but the turnout was really impressive. They featured a AFX class that had a full field of cars, just like it was back in the 60's and 70's. Walking around you would see a lot of Families, Mom, dad and a troup of kids.

Barona holds two of these events each year, one in April and one in October.

Bob
 
Posts: 3062 | Location: Lakeside, Ca | Registered: February 15, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post



DRR Sportsman
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It doesn't matter what the perception, only drag racers look at those pics and we're used to empty stands, it's a clear indicator of where the sport is heading. Just remember, it's just a show their putting on and I've seen that show a thousand times. In the Pro category's it's the big money that's the main characters and the little guy that shows up usually makes a fool of himself and don't last very long, if John Force had no kids NHRA would be F**cked!! I got into drag racing as a participant, not a spectator, from the spectators point of view it's actually pretty boring, no wonder the lack of attendance.
 
Posts: 163 | Location: New Jersey | Registered: March 24, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Sportsman
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Ron, National events continue to have standing room only crowds and if Force didn’t have kids he’d hire more Robert Hights.

Pro gas, Barona has done a great job of creating a need. They run the antique drag twice a year. I’m glad the turnout has returned because it has been pretty weak the past few years.
 
Posts: 654 | Location: Here | Registered: November 15, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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The challenge with the Antique Drag event at Barona is available pit space and seating areas. They need to double the pit area to accommodate all the cars that show up, the turnout this month was that big. They could also set up another grandstand on the right side to provide comfortable seating for all the folks that had to stand, and there was a bunch of them.

Barona has several funny car/fuel car (not Force or Schumacher type cars) events each year and the same challenge exists at those events as well. These folks have developed a working formula that draws cars and spectators, this October it was a huge success. This will never rival a National, or even a LODRS event but it is very successful on a local scale.

What I can't afford anymore are the long tows and the increased entry fees at LODRS and National events, as much fun as they are it's just outside my income level. I suspect it's the same issue with a lot of us. It might be a good idea to take a hard look at the average age of your "customers" and realize most of them are retired, they're not rollin' in dough. Maybe we need to swing a little lower and become a bit more reasonable if we want to continue drag racing.

Just some "Food for thought".

Bob
 
Posts: 3062 | Location: Lakeside, Ca | Registered: February 15, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Ron Ciglar:
It doesn't matter what the perception, only drag racers look at those pics and we're used to empty stands, it's a clear indicator of where the sport is heading. Just remember, it's just a show their putting on and I've seen that show a thousand times. In the Pro category's it's the big money that's the main characters and the little guy that shows up usually makes a fool of himself and don't last very long, if John Force had no kids NHRA would be F**cked!! I got into drag racing as a participant, not a spectator, from the spectators point of view it's actually pretty boring, no wonder the lack of attendance.


Ron,
I agree. However, to use the amount of spectators in the stands during a bracket race, or the filler between nitro cars as a barometer for where our sport is heading, then it would have been dead and gone decades ago. I don't recall filled stands at ANY bracket race 25 years ago. Like you said....it's boring to watch. It always has been. But as you said, nobody but drag racers would ever look at these photos anyhow. The empty stands aren't a bad thing. They are an expected thing.


Foxtrot Juliet Bravo
 
Posts: 6354 | Location: Illinois | Registered: July 08, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR S/Pro
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The basic difference between the Antique Drags and a "Normal" bracket race is that this is "Heads Up" racing, no handicap tree.

During the October event they offered two handicap classes, one for cars that fit the original description of a old time Gasser (straight axle, etc.) and another I believe was for open wheel cars. There were only a few cars that entered those two classes, (I think it paid $500 to win with a $20 entry) most of the folks wanted to race other cars heads up. Interesting result, I didn't expect that to happen, not for $500.

Bob
 
Posts: 3062 | Location: Lakeside, Ca | Registered: February 15, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Pro
Picture of Eman
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There's more to that article than just the empty stands issue.
The mandate that photographers kneel, which I'm guessing is to prevent them from blocking the spectators view and the TV cameras, is interesting. Today we're lucky enough to have all of the photos from the great drag race photographers that were only restricted by their creativity. granted we'll have more video to see but there is nothing like a great photo.
The running of only the finals for Sportsman classes on Sunday makes a lot of sense for the Sportsman racers. But for the big show it might be a problem as they will need fillers or time burners of some sort to prevent down time. It's obvious that the vast majority of people that pay to come on Sunday are not interested in watching slow car bracket racing which is what the Sportsman classes are in the final rounds.
Now the empty stands deal. Photos and TV video that show the empty stands are reality. Changing the angles and painting the seats to change perception is fake news. Many will tell you how motorsports is dying and that's to blame. Then you look up the pictures and video of Bristol when the OK Outlaws came there and it might change your mind. Go to see a Southeast Gassers show. Motorsports isn't dying, but boring is boring. John Force knew how to work it and make it exciting. Now John is old and there isn't anyone to take his place, it's the Dale Earnhardt syndrome that NASCAR has gone through.
 
Posts: 1451 | Location: E TN | Registered: February 13, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Pro
Picture of Eman
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quote:
Originally posted by Eman:
There's more to that article than just the empty stands issue.
The mandate that photographers kneel, which I'm guessing is to prevent them from blocking the spectators view and the TV cameras, is interesting. Today we're lucky enough to have all of the photos from the great drag race photographers that were only restricted by their creativity. granted we'll have more video to see but there is nothing like a great photo.
The running of only the finals for Sportsman classes on Sunday makes a lot of sense for the Sportsman racers. But for the big show it might be a problem as they will need fillers or time burners of some sort to prevent down time. It's obvious that the vast majority of people that pay to come on Sunday are not interested in watching slow car bracket racing which is what the Sportsman classes are in the final rounds.
Now the empty stands deal. Photos and TV video that show the empty stands are reality. Changing the angles and painting the seats to change perception is fake news. Many will tell you how motorsports is dying and that's to blame. Then you look up the pictures and video of Bristol when the OK Outlaws came there and it might change your mind. Go to see a Southeast Gassers show. Motorsports isn't dying, but boring is boring. John Force knew how to work it and make it exciting. Now John is old and there isn't anyone to take his place, it's the Dale Earnhardt syndrome that NASCAR has gone through. Once the powers that be try too hard to create something the people see through it and have no interest in it.
 
Posts: 1451 | Location: E TN | Registered: February 13, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post



DRR Sportsman
Picture of Quick Dawg
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We just got back from the CHRR and attendance was way down. Sat is always packed, but not so much this year. Even the vendor and swap meet was a down. I will say one thing about nostalgia drag racing, it is sure nice to see all the cars leave the starting line at the same time and be side by side all the way down the track. Beats the heck out of watching bracket racing. I wish they would go to heads up no electronics index racing. It would be way more fun as both a racer and a spectator IMHO...
 
Posts: 166 | Location: Salt Lake City | Registered: January 16, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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