Setting the Standard for the Divisional Series
Last month we touched base on the divisional series scheduling. We got a variety of feedback from racers in different classes. I knew I was going to miss a lot of stuff on the local level, but the main point was to spread the racing out. Bill Holt of Division 2 pulled me aside and told me he’s had the highest car counts ever since he’s switched to the new schedule. One thing I found is two different agendas between the alcohol racers and Comp eliminator down.
Most alcohol racers have an extensive amount of maintenance to do between races. Depending on the class from Comp down, varying degrees of maintenance exist; most far less than an alcohol car. So a back to back string of races for someone who has little maintenance between races isn’t that bad of a proposition, while nearly all the alcohol racers polled on InsideTopAlcohol.com would prefer a spread out schedule vs. condensed back to back events. Expense also plays a part as it’s harder to recoup funds when races are piled close together, and that gets proportionately worse as you move up to the alcohol ranks vs. other classes. If you missed last month’s column, click the archives link for more elaboration on scheduling issues.
One would think since the alcohol cars are the “show” for the Lucas series, their concerns would deserve merit. A very low percentage of the divisional events even attempt to draw a crowd anymore. Most tracks are taking the easy approach of being content with a profit at the back gate off entry fees and crew passes rather than risk trying to get a crowd.
What that has created is a broken system that nobody is winning. The payout sucks for the alcohol cars (everyone else, too). Some of the tracks are marginal at best. With no crowd, they have little or no marketing value. In fact, upon analysis, these no-crowd divisionals have a very NEGATIVE impact on any sportsman car’s marketing value, and the sport itself. More on that later. Well, if the track is just trying to make money at the back gate, and these alcohol cars aren’t paying entry fees, with no attempts to draw a crowd, the alcohol cars are taking $14,000 out of their bottom line. So now they’re unwanted. Who the hell is winning in this?
Most sponsors are going to want their car to compete for a strong points finish. You have to run a full divisional schedule to accomplish that. Divisionals have far less marketing value than what they cost to run, so it’s nearly impossible to find adequate sponsorship to fund a year’s racing efforts. It would be far easier to sell 16 races with television potential than 16 races with only eight having television potential. Both of those 16-race schedules will probably cost the racer the same, but option B with the divisionals has FAR less sponsorship value.
Enough with the build-up, here’s the point. Either the new ‘sportsman oriented’ NHRA association and/or the series sponsor, Lucas Oil needs to set a standard for tracks holding their events. It’s pretty simple. If you want a divisional event, you need to have a minimum of ‘X’ spectators through the gate. If you can’t do that, we’ll go to a track that will. Whether they’re paying or you gave them the ticket, it’s detrimental to the racers and the sport to have events like a divisional and nobody in the stands.
