"Yes, there are all sorts of excuses as to the above, but in the big picture, drag racing is rather healthy. The problem is that it has become very splintered in that there are so many other types of drag races to contend with."

https://dragracingedge.com/the...ing-is-dead-5-29-19/

This is a really good point. We are in the age of everything kinda tailored to us. Look how many channels are on our televisions! Lots and lots of choices. Locally, even when all the tracks cooperate and try not to step on each other, you can travel less than 100 miles and be at a great drag race every weekend in a month. I just don't do that anymore. There are more facets of my life that can't or don't want to ignore like I could when I was younger. So now we race 2 or three weekends per month. Certainly that hurts numbers somewhere when there are many others like me.
So we have competition. even if they don't schedule over each other, we pick and choose what and where we are going to race that month. There may be a really great $5k race 2 hours away, but a $1k race 40 minutes away. This has spread racers out and really makes each race look smaller unless it is a real knockout that can attract everyone.

I used to be a die hard points racer at our local track. I stopped that over a decade ago. Now, even my son doesn't enter points. There are just too many other things that we will miss out on if we commit to racing every points race. So we go out and be as competitive as we can be at the races that we go to.

Of course this year, rain is the biggest story. Lordy we could do without more rain.

Seems to be ups and downs over last 20 years. I am retired now and trying to run as much as possible. I will run until I cannot have any chance of being competitive. My oldest grandson is 6 years away from driving. Hopefully local events will still exist by then.

A bad day racing still beats a good day at work or lately sitting on couch watching tv. I still enjoy objective competition.

I have questioned the Anthem thing before... ? The Loosey Goosey racers have their own following and it has gained momentum but will not replace god ole class racing and bracket racing! They will run out of cars and body pieces long before that! No Prep Racing? How about no burnout either? That’s no PREP! I’ve said it before... Rant over.

I am doing my part to keep it alive - currently building my first personal car that I will actually own and not just drive.

John I don't know if its dead or dying or what but this I do know. I have raced once this year and they didn't have enough participation to pay the purse without 2 rounds of buybacks. 2 day Sportsman Spectacular near by had less than 100 cars and the 2 day was cut to one. Not much going on for bracket racers here in NC on a weekly basis. Tracks have all points races done in 2 weekends then move on to heads up, diesels, concerts, or whatever to pay the bills. After I moved South I raced at one track every week for several years. Always a good group of racers. Then came a new owner and it was so bad I never went back and my friend lives 1/2 mile from the track tows 50mi when he feels like racing. He also bought a boat! There are a herd of bracket cars around here just sitting so something isn't right.

We went from rain 6 weekends in a row to 95 degrees. We tried to race last weekend but is was 107 heat index. Not to mention every track within 100 miles of me had something big for Memorial weekend. I'm assuming that's why the numbers were down.

Don, are you going to Wayne County Saturday?

I'd say it isn't dying. However, I would definitely say it is undergoing very big changes. Take care. Tom Worthington

Tom, are you racing again? Northeast or Wayne Co?

quote:

Originally posted by Phil Dees:
Tom, are you racing again? Northeast or Wayne Co?

Yep. Northeast on June 1. Take care. Tom Worthington

Down this way purses have never been better...Pro ET (No Box) pays between $1500 and $1750 to win for a $60 entry...pretty much every weekend at one of three tracks...

quote:

Originally posted by fuzzy dice:
Down this way purses have never been better...Pro ET (No Box) pays between $1500 and $1750 to win for a $60 entry...pretty much every weekend at one of three tracks...

And $2500 to 2750 in box class.

To me, looking at one successful event or series is like going into a flower shop the day before Valentines Day and assuming they must be doing great because they look so busy...

I've been attending the Summernationals since 1986 and racing for over 25 years and the two biggest observations of mine are that years ago, the staging lanes were packed at ALL of the tracks in the area for the weekly program, now we act like its great news when ONE of the tracks that's still in business has a strong day! When I look at an old pic of the staging lanes and compare to today, there are a LOT more faces missing than there are newcomers. 600 cars at a 'Fling or SFG race or packed grandstands for a no-prep race are cool but the weekly bracket program is the grass-roots of this sport and its health is a likely prediction of whats to come.
The other thing is the NHRA and their "sellout" crowds at national events - I think they promise the advertisers lets say 10,000 people will attend and get 11,000 so they thump their chest about how many "sellout" races they have had in a row. It sounds nice, but if you're old like me (I'm old enough to remember when John D. drove the 'Peurto Rican Dream' Vega) you remember the days where if you weren't in your seat at a national event by the time Pro Stock came out for the next round, you were out of luck and watching that round of the pro classes from the fence because you weren't getting a seat! Now we consider an event a success because there wasn't a lot of empty seats visible.
I'm not saying the sport is dead, but to me its definitely past its prime and on the back-half of its life cycle. Yes, its evolved, changed, splintered, branched out, etc and that's all great but if you think its "growing" or "healthy as ever" then in my opinion you're not really looking at the big picture.
By the way, I noticed a lot of people at the Kentucky Derby this year, the place looked packed - HORSE RACING MUST BE AS HEALTHY AND POPULAR AS EVER!!!! lol.

It's Booming! It's Dead! It's all of that and more. It's whatever you make it. The tracks that have capitalized on the enthusiasm created by the TV outlaws and the radial racers the no-prep racers and the big money brackets have done well especially if they know how to work social media. It's so much easier for tracks to advertise and reach incredible numbers of racers today. Gas is cheap and most racers are willing to travel to tracks that want their business. Tracks even have the instant notification system for rainouts.
Then you have the tracks that think because they have a strip of bumpy asphalt and a timing system you should race there.

The sports not dead, its is constantly evolving. I'm an old **** who started racing at Masters Field in the mid sixty's (now Miami/Dade Jr College), Miami Hollywood Dragway soon after and PBIR. Over the years cars changed, people changed, attitudes changed and money corrupted the sport. At PBIR the predominate race car is an import IMO its what the younger people want. I just sold my S/C rail and now building an S-10 to bracket race a few weekends a month, no more chasing points around the region. As time progresses and attitude change so will the sport. The NHRA had better wake up and smell the coffee, that segment of drag racing is fading fast. It amazes me how many people go to national events dressed as aluminum seats. Also, the Super Chevy show at PBIR last week was a tremendous disappointment. Don't think the format has changed much from the past, it's sad to see this. The tracks/promoters need to better read their market and adjust the business model to reflect the changes. BTW, any buggy whip manufactures out there?