REASONS
20
REASONS
NHRA + FOX =
A WHOLE LOTTA DRAG RACING ON TELEVISION
No. 13
There is more NHRA on television than ever before, and that’ s very much a good thing. We’ ve got live broadcasts on FOX, more live broadcasts on FS1, seemingly hundreds of reruns throughout the week, and even tape-delayed Pro Mod and Lucas Oil sportsman coverage on FS1 and FS2. It’ s a robust amount of racing, something long overdue for the sport.
Television ratings, especially now that the NHRA is featured in live and ideal time slots, and also given better advertising and promotional attention, show the NHRA ranks favorably not only in motorsports, but across a variety of sports.
NHRA coverage regularly outdraws Indy- Car( minus the Indy 500) viewership, and when given a NASCAR lead-in, an impressive amount of the audience sticks around. NHRA broadcasts outdraw nearly everything on FS1 minus NASCAR and college football. It’ s not surprising for NHRA races to outdraw the UFC, once considered the golden child of the channel, MLS and even MLB regular season games.
Sure, the NHRA – and drag racing in general – is a niche sport, but viewership habits show that niche is pretty darn interested in the sport and those numbers aren’ t dropping. Networks are starved for live content and NHRA is delivering an entertaining package 24 times a year. That’ s a strong message about the direction of the sport, so let’ s hope the coverage, treatment and television contracts reflect that, too.- JOSH HACHAT
No.
OUTLAW RACING STILL FLEXING WITH PRO MOD VS. FUEL ALTERED SHOWDOWN
14
Long known for unpredictable, thrilling performances, Pro Modifieds and Fuel Altereds are two of the most popular categories in drag racing. Put them side-by-side in a noholds-barred battle on Fourth of July weekend in Texas, capped off with a fireworks show and jet cars and you’ ve got The Pro Mod vs. Fuel Altered Showdown! This iconic summer event is hosted by promoter Chris Graves and track owner Gene Nicodemus at North Star Dragway in Denton, Texas. An impressive
No.
15 SOLD OUT!
24-car list of cars qualify for this Chicago-style event that has packed the stands to capacity since its debut in 2013.
Pro Mod and Fuel Altered teams from across the Southwest count down the days in anticipation for this one-of-a-kind outlaw affair. With zero rules on power adders or engine combinations, teams turn the wick up Texas-style. Through the years, some incredible numbers have been recorded, ticking the track record at the quickest eighth-mile facility in the state.
– ROB KING
NHRA NATIONAL EVENTS REACH‘ STANDING ROOM ONLY’ STATUS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT
As CompetitionPlus. com reported a little over mid-way through 2018, one sellout crowd might happen by chance, two may be a coincidence, but three, four, five? That indicates a trend. All told, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour has announced eight complete sellouts thus far in 2018, with several of the series’ best attended events yet to come.
By comparison, the 2017 NHRA season, which saw a 5 percent increase in attendance over the previous year, had a total of six events that saw a sellout. To be ahead of that mark with eight races left on the docket is a good indicator of increasing fan interest in pro-level drag racing. – WES BUCK
PHOTOS: CHRIS GRAVES, NHRA / NATIONAL DRAGSTER
104 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated. com Issue 136