Pro Mods? Threat level?

Greg, here in Albuq. they would book alky Dragsters/FC's and Jet cars. They would get over 2,500 people! For that place that's like Bandimere getting 30,000 for their Night of fire! Your right, people want to see variety.

 

Will,

I think your perspective on the crowd going absolutely nuts is a bit skewed. Seeing a dragster run 3.9 excited the crowd. When the crowd saw Hugh Scott carry the front tires through the finish line and run a 4.07, that is when the crowd went absolutely nuts. The crowds go absolutely nuts quite often when watching Pro Mods run. Here are a few examples: Clayton Pool at TXR 4.16 (1996), Landon Jordan at TXR 4.19 (1998), Nathan Martin at TXR 4.18 (1999). Since the 1990’s there have been several 4.0 and 4.1 passes made by Pro Mods and the crowd goes wild every time they see it. Jason Scruggs ran a 3.99, Hugh Scott ran a 4.07 and Gaylen Smith ran a 4.03 all at the same race in 2001. There was a pretty CRAZY crowd that race. Hell I haven’t even discussed Frankie Taylor, Booby Booth or Ron Muenks but I think you get the idea.

And that’s that!

 

Does it matter what someone runs and how many people stand up???? Good night!

 

Does it matter what someone runs and how many people stand up???? Good grief!

 

I think both can get the fans going at the track. You need a great front man and personalties. Look at WWF (till they went to far). Flashy guys with bigger than life images. A touring announcer that knows the racer, and can bring on some drama between the racers. Like in old days were the announcer would talk trash about the racers not liking each other and so on. Maybe a staging duel or two. Just an idea, how about a PM run a FC? Might make for a good booking hook.
Thanks
Bob Lupini

 

Oh ya I forgot, I was a fan before I was a racer. It was the show that got me excited not the numbers. Long smokey burn out and the touring announcer yelling about the cars.

 

The way I see it, when we run Div. or Nat. events in NHRA and IHRA we are racers. First to the finsh wins, as it should be. When we run in a booked in shows, we are entertainers. In booked events it is the show and hype that counts. In a booked show, all the cars have to be on the same page. This is were we could take a page from NASCAR. Hype and a good show can sell alot of Tee-shirts. The money from the booked shows can help take the Nat. and Div. racing to the next level. $= Speed

 

To Randy G.:

Thanks for the cheap shots. When is the wizard supposed to be getting back with you about that brain? That post you made was about as grade school as they get! This topic is about Pro Mods being a threat to Alcohol cars due to their popularity. It has nothing to do with which car is fastest! If that is the argument, then we have nothing else to discuss. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine that TAD/TAFC are faster than Pro Mods. There, are you happy now?

Your analogy of me about Army vs. Navy during a war and that we are all on the same side was so far off base, it was funny. We are not all on the same team. The guy in the other lane at a drag race may be a friend, a family member, or just another fellow races, but they are an opponent and an enemy (if only for a short while). It doesn’t matter what color the strips are on your sleeve, you are about to fight a battle.

 

WHOA! this was one of the last boards to have exchange of good or bad information - personal attacks never contribute to an exchange of info- just an exchange of crap- let's get back to the topic- OK.

 

It happens in UDRA.

 

Randy, Randy, Randy,

How old are you?

Telling someone they are like an Army dude beating up on the Navy in the middle of the war, is a cheap shot. Telling someone to gain popularity by take some guitar lessons, dye your hair pink, get some tattoos and piercings and put out an album talking trash in the 'hood, is taking a cheap shot.

In retort, I use a bit of wit and humor and you totally digress to grade school tactics. Fine job! Now I am an A$$ and I can go straight to Hell.

FYI, I have yet to run out of intelligent things to say. But please allow me to stoop to your intelligence level for a moment. I don’t care to know whom you sleep with and I don’t want to know his name either. No one cares about the stink level of your POO POO.

On a more intellectual note, I didn’t attack you with slanderous statements. Slander is a term used to describe false or defamatory oral statements about a person. Libel is a written defamatory statement or representation that conveys an unjustly unfavorable impression. Libel is also defined as a statement or representation published without just cause and tending to expose another to public contempt. Maybe you need to check with your lawyer buddy about the proper use of these terms. While you are at it, you might want to ask him if your cheap shots were libelous statements.

Now does anyone want to discuss the major threat that Pro Mod cars are to Alcohol cars any further?

 

Okay Grant sounds good to me! Back to the topic.

I haven't lost touch with reality, Will. I don't think that Alky cars can't put on a show of the same quality of a Pro Mod show. I know that they don't now though. "Match or exceed their fan pull." Match? Maybe, if properly promoted and presented. Exceed? Unlikely. I'll get to that in a moment.

Yes, an eight car Pro Mod show is less expensive to produce than an eight car alky race would be. And yes, Pro Mods can run harder on shorter tracks. And that's two facts you are going to have to deal with. You still have not stated what is is that you bring to the table that will interest track management. "...this angle
on top alky shows hasn't been taken in a while. at least not in this neck of the woods." True. Do you remember the old Texas alky funny car circuit? Back in the late '70s and early 80's they were a big draw at tracks around the area. Lots of good racing and at least twelve cars tried to make the eight car fields. They were real popular shows. Remember the old Texas Pro Stock Association? They were formed in the early '80s when NHRA eliminated Pro classes from Divisional competition as an attempt to save Division 4 Pro Stock racing. They also put on good show, drawing racers and fans from all across the region. TPSA then went to unlimited cubic inches. They were still Pro Stocks but they went quicker with a more exotic (at the time) engine setup. Then they added N20 and became Texas Outlaw Pro Stock. TOPS also put on great shows while going quicker still. Then came blowers and another name change. Texas Outlaw Pro Mods. They gave Texas a taste of what had been happening in other parts of the country. They weren't quite as quick as cars in other areas at first, but they learned quick. And they always put on a great show and great racing. Today TOPMA racers can run with the best Outlaws anywhere. What was the alky funny car circuit doing all this time? Well, it just kind of died from a lack of interest from racers and fans. The casual fan didn't care much about alky funnycars anymore and I don't think they ever really liked the alky dragsters much. Only the hard core fans care about alcohol cars. I think the classes have great racing. But, if you are proposing to promote a series of alky races you are going to have a hard time convicing the average fan in the stands and track managers that you have something worth the extra money you are asking.

"if you think side by side mid 3 second racing isn't going to be a show, you're on crack". Well, I must be on crack then because I think that would just be good racing, not a show. What are you going to do to give folks more than what they paid for? Are you going to drive back down the track after a win? Are you going to talk smack on the PA about each other? Will you install neon tubes under your racecars? Are you going to be "fan friendly"? See, that would be a show.

"not to mention our show will have some cackle and flames - and i'm not just talking about paint jobs - pro mods dont have flames out the headers. (at least their not supposed to)" Now here it sounds like you might be out of touch with reality. Have you been to an Outlaw Pro Mod race lately? Have you ever seen how a nitrogen "push" system makes blue flames come out of N2O cars'
collectors? Or when they lean it out the flames get yellow? As for the blower cars, well there are no fuel checks. If you were at the Texas State Championship in '98 then you know what Scott had in the tank.You should go out to a TQ8 sometime.

Will, this has been a great thread! Thanks for giving us pro super gas guys a chance to dialog with junior fuel and baby funnycar guys!

I think Greg Duffield may be right. NHRA may be a bigger threat to Alky racing than Pro Mods.

[ July 03, 2003, 08:48 PM: Message edited by: Outlaw Nick ]

 

I'm with ya there.

And Randy don't go anywhere. These Pro Mod racers aren't crap compared to Tad/TAFc racers.

 

I think the question should be what is the threat level of pro mod vs pro stock??? Let me guess only 1 pro class with doors.IM SORRY

 

Will,

What does the $14,000 for your show include? I can't imagine that it covers much more than the purse to pay the guys with. I doubt you plan on getting a cut of the gate revenue like some other associations do.

Does your group handle all of the promotions for the event, or is the track owner required to cover those expenses as well? If the latter, then the tracks would be looking at paying at least another $5,000 just for decent pre-race PR. I think almost everyone here has agreed that great PR is what it takes to pull off any event successfully. A good portion of the events overall success weighs on bringing in the casual fan, which requires substantial pre-race marketing.

At this point there would be at least a $19,000 outlay that would require around 1,000 spectators just to break even at $20 a head. It really just depends on what kind of market you are serving as to whether or not something like this would be feasible.

Back to the original subject of this thread, I would say that in terms of the monetary investment required to put on a Pro Mod show versus an Alky program, that Pro Mods are definitely a threat. A Pro Mod race is easy money for a track, because for some reason these guys race for peanuts on most occasions.

I would be interested in talking with you more about putting together an event for next year, especially after a few races have already been run and the results gauged. Do you still have my number? If not, just e-mail me gduffield@mduweb.com.

Greg Duffield

 

Randy- your adds are tooooo funny...

Serious question to the Pro Mod guys...what is your normal charge to the track owner for the Pro Mod Outlaw show? Will Hanna states that you run for little money and Im just curious as to how much you run for. Is the July 4th race your normal payout? If it is, I'm thinking that that is a GOOD payout for a small track.

"Curious George"

 

Which July 4th race are you refering to F-O-R?

 

I'm sorry, I should have been more specific. What you can't read my mind? lol The web site Texasoutlawracing.com list the payout for a July 4th race.

[ July 04, 2003, 11:31 AM: Message edited by: F-O-R ]