Should NHRA Start Giving Away Tickets?
Written by David Lamm · October 31, 2009
There is no escaping the wide reaching effects of the economic recession we are currently in. Industries once thought to be “recession-proof” have been hit hard forcing layoffs or wage decreases. The NHRA was not immune to this and just two weeks ago issued pink slips to a number of its employees, some of whom had worked for the NHRA for over 40 years. These layoffs might have been prevented had the NHRA chosen to give away tickets to their races rather than charging for them.
CNBC.com: League Gives Away Tickets, Sees Big Growth by Darren Rovell
The NHRA is currently racing in Las Vegas this weekend and ticket prices are not cheap. An adult reserved seat costs $65.00. If you wanted to bring your family of four, assuming you had two children between the ages of 6-12, it would run you $182 just to get reserved seats. That does not include parking fees, concessions or a trip through the souvenir Nitro Mall or driver T-shirt trailers. Not cheap at all in today’s climate of job losses and reduced hours and wages. So how is the American Drag Racing League (ADRL) turning a profit across the board by giving away its tickets for free? Corporate sponsorships are picking up the slack.
The article by Darren Rovell outlines how the fledgling ADRL is now bringing in crowds that would make it appear that Larry Dixon and John Force were on the marquee. Much lesser known names are in those cars yet the attendance figures are swelling due to thousands of free tickets being given away. The sponsors love the fact their logos and products can be marketed to a captive and targeted demographic. The ADRL offsets the loss in ticket revenue with an increase in sponsorship dollars. And it souds like everyone is happy with the results.
Although I haven’t worked for the NHRA since 2003 and can not speak on their behalf on what business decisions they would or would not make, I find it impossible to believe they would ever consider following the ADRL on this. The main reasons being that once you let the genie out of the bottle, there is no putting her back in. You can’t just fling open the gates and let everyone in for free and then a few years from now when the economy has recovered, jack the prices back up. There would be a riot that would rival some Saturday nights in the infield “Zoo” at Brainerd International Raveway.
But maybe it is time to go unorthodox and think outside the box. Afterall, I am sure those now former NHRA employees would be open to some new ideas that might have had a chance of saving their jobs.
It may be a crazy idea that the NHRA would never adopt but it is crazy enough to be working elsewhere. Desperate times calls for desperate measures and this might be one of those times. Maybe this is the time the NHRA thinks outside the “ticket” box.
Comments
3 Responses to “Should NHRA Start Giving Away Tickets?”
Got something to say?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I attended my first NHRA event this year at Brainerd for free (my wife’s company supplied me with tickets). I have to say, as a lifelong short-track and NASCAR fan, I never would have attended this event without the free tickets. That being said, I had the time of my life. Seeing the Top Fuel drags was something I will never forget, and I do plan to attend future events that come my way for sure. So I think this is a great way to expose those that don’t understand the sport to get in on the ground level for not much $$$. It’s one of those events that if you never get to see in person, you’ll never fully appreciate.
I already have convinced and assembled a group of neighbors, friends, and current fans to attend the MN events next year when they come our way. I say hear hear to the current efforts to bring more clueless fans to see the sport that has bitten me.
For my complete notes on the day, see my blog entry: http://blog.raychampagne.com/blog/2009/08/16/why-has-it-taken-me-34-years-to-do-this/
I think that should sum up a non-fan’s perspective perfectly.
A unique and interesting approach that should be applied across the board to most of the motor sport industry, NASCAR included.
And Ray, I’ll make a small wager that the money you did not have to spend on tickets was probably gladly expended on tee shirts, hats, and other souveniers, not to mention food and beverages.
I wonder if Glendora is hearing this? Nah, they never listened to me when they gave me a paycheck, why would they now?