I was at Firebird for Friday night qualifying at the CSK Nats. What made the track dark was some lights on the spectator side that had gone out. I was surprised that no one attempted to replace them and they simply ran qualifying without the lights. It did make it dark the first 400 feet. Reminded me of night time races at Lions and OCIR.
By the way, the local Phoenix paper, The Arizona Republic, does run articles on the drags, but not usually front page stuff. I guess the drags don't pull in the number of spectators like Phoenix Int'l Raceway with its NASCAR and Indy races, so we're kind of considered the "red headed stepchild" of motorsports by the media.
Cliff Morgan
Phoenix, AZ
MAYBE DRAG RACE FANS DON'T READ?
I was in Phoenix on business Thursday and Friday before the CSK Nats and while I can't comment on the lack of ink in the local (Phoenix) paper, I do know that there were a TON of ads on the radio (98 KUPD and a station called 'The Peak') from early AM "drive time" to late night. Additionally, both stations were giving away tickets for Sunday at the tune of 2 per hour or so. I think (hope) NHRA is trying, but it's an uphill battle, especially with the 800-lb gorilla that is NASCAR.
Charlie Nichols
WHAT SELLS DRAG RACING?
With regards to the lack of mainstream media attention being paid to drag racing, I have this to offer. It's simple marketing or lack thereof. We have a sport that offers fantastic speeds (no other series even comes close to 300 mph), close racing (margins of victory in the HUNDREDTHS of a second) and sensory assault of the most extreme kind possible! Yet the powers that be seem oblivious to the advantages of these attributes. Formula 1 touts itself as being the fastest race series on earth. Bull! They only momentarily attain top speeds of more than 220 mph at best, and only on certain tracks. A friend once opined that he'd never heard anything louder than an F1 engine at full song. I told him he'd obviously never heard a nitro car at idle, much less at wide open throttle!
Why doesn't drag racing start getting wise to what really sells. You want speed? NASCAR has superspeedways that are capable of 200+ and then regulate the cars to 190. Every year F1 brings out new rules to slow the cars down. Drag racing also has methods of regulating speed, but we still have almost 100 mph in the bank over those guys!
Part of the problem is that drag racing is still viewed as being a sport for punks and misfits. It certainly doesn't help the image of drag racing when every time someone is killed in a STREET RACING incident the papers splash headlines such as "Drag racer kills two!" all over their covers. Again, perception becomes reality to the average Joe.
It certainly is incumbent on major league drag racing to address this phenomenon since it will forever stymie the recognition of the sport for what it is. A professional race series with all the speed and excitement that a motorsport enthusiast (or even a sports enthusiast in general) could ask for.
Mike Gamache
Montreal, Canada
HOW DO YOU THINK WE GET SUCH GREAT PHOTOS, SIMON?
I attended the NHRA Nationals in Phoenix and was pretty disappointed with all the "NHRA Photo" guys in my view of the show. Count the "NHRA Photo" guys, I count 26. How does one get these prime spot tickets? I'm gonna start my own web magazine so I can get access to the front line!
I wonder if you're one of those guys out there. Ha ha ha. Keep up the good work.
Ticked off fan,
Simon Gonzalez
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