New Diesel Drag Racing Series In The Planning Stage

COMP461

COMP461

Comp Diesel Sponsor
Joined
Apr 23, 2006
Messages
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A few of us feel a responsibility to the sportsman diesel racers. Thanks you Natalie for making me realize this. Therefore I have put together the basic plan to allow a diesel racer to race anywhere, at any track, chase a national points system and get paid a contingency program on local wins and R/U along with a possibility of a extremely large purse at the end off the year. You can run any NHRA or IHRA bracket race at any track you choose to run at. You can run NHRDA or DHRA race at one of these NHRA or IHRA tracks to gain points also

The rules are being bounced around to tweak them, and a few major vendors or definitely wanting in.


This no a attempt to slam anyone group of promoters, but to give the grass roots guys a place to really race. The people I have chosen to help on the rules are experiences racers , and track owners
 
I am getting a flood of interested people contacting me, and the support is overwhelming. There are several major vendors that have already given a tentative commitment to this plan.

This plan will give mainstream grassroots exposure to these vendors, giving them an exceptional place to get the biggest bang for their advertising dollars, while also placing these same dollars in the sportsman racers pocket where they can do the most good.

This plan gives the vendors a potential wealth of exposure to non diesel specify events where the other attendees are most likely diesel owners who have no idea of the product available and would be receptive to the diesel performance market and the ability to achieve power and fuel economy gains

The benefit of wide exposure could have a huge payout to a few standout racers , under the proposed structure , a national points winner could earn with contingents in order around $20,000

Think this might perk up diesel racing
 
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Question- wouldn't it be more benificial to have these vendors take this money and pump it into the existing associations purses? Have them sponsor purse money into a Heads Up class or King of the Hill type series within the Associations already existant???
 
I don’t thinks so, this allows racers to race at any track, any bracket race. You get the money direct. This makes everyone of these diesel bracket racers an individual advertisement for the products on their truck. This to non diesel racers at non diesel events. I did envision a provision that at diesel specific event a double points provision towards a national championship.

I see it as a balance of advertising dollars. What will garner the vendor the maximum exposure to potential customers of their product? You have to look at reality, vendors spend advertising dollars to gain sales opportunities, if the only people at events are mostly racers and crew, and this is not benefiting them. Would you go to a car dealer convention to sell a car? The answer is a defiant no, you advertise among the people that are not informed or haven’t had the opportunity to experience diesel performance.

At some time in the future the diesel specific events will attract a mainstream crowd, I think the best way to grow the sport is to plant seeds, cultivate it and farm the results.

The mainstream world is full of Gearheads that could possibly become diesel Gearheads, show them a fast diesel street truck that doesn’t get 8 mpg and that on premium gasoline you have your self a potential convert to diesel.

This series will give you the opportunity to run as many races as possible but you get to count your best 10 finishes out of the first 15 races you enter.

Imagine this scenario, I small time diesel racers with a mild performance truck goes to the local bracket race at his local drag strip. He gives one of the entry’s to the track directors before the race begins. The track official will mail the results in. giving a copy to the competitor
 
So then what do we need associations like the NHRDA or the DHRA or the DDRA?
 
I feel that one day they will draw crowds as the mainstream worlds finds out about the diesel drag racing, until then we have to find a venue to keep mainstream potential sponsors and diesel vendors happy. To their benefit our actions plant seeds that might some day grow. I have a provision where at a diesel specific event the point total will double
 
:bang
COMP461 said:
I feel that one day they will draw crowds as the mainstream worlds finds out about the diesel drag racing, until then we have to find a venue to keep mainstream potential sponsors and diesel vendors happy.
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Greg I'm all for the grassroots- shoepolish- weekend racers- having an outlet to race.

But your above statement rules out the existing diesel associations potentials on bringing vast quantities of promotions of the vendors that crave exposure to the diesel folk who are supportive of their products.... What better place for vast exposure than at a Diesel Specific event ? Rather than one or two diesels showing up at their weekend track of choice, where these one or two diesel racers are the only one's there racing diesels? What type of mainstream exposure does this bring to these vendors who are willing to contribute, yet they are ignoring the already supportive existing diesel specific associations....

please inform further as I'm having a hard time not understanding why these vendors would choose to side step existing diesel associations....
 
Here is how I see that, the people on these forums and diesel performance enthusiast in general are not and never have been the majority of the market for the vendors. The true bulk of the buying public has never heard of any of the organized diesel races. They are people that have bought a diesel truck and hear by word of mouth of thru an advertisement in mainstream magazines that their diesel can be made to perform better and get better fuel economy. These are the people that truck loads of product go out the door to from the giant diesel manufactory, these mega vendors look to the mainstream with the bulk of their advertising dollar. This is the dollar that I would like to get a percentage of, not the moneys that now go to diesel magazines events, promoters, sponsorships with in the diesel community, and the organized diesel organizations

This lion’s share of the advertising dollar is never going to those organizations as long as the events and penetration of demographics groups don’t represent the majority

Lets get this for our sportsman racers
 
I surprised!

I have to agree with Greg. There will always be MONEY for the upper classes! It draws in the people. BUT you need normal people"everwhere" to show off what theses trucks can do. My truck is not fast. 12.30's BUT when I race at my local track "15 minutes from enterprise engines" so you would think diesel's would be mainstream here. People THINK my truck is fast. I always have people asking questions. I have run heads-up racing since the early 90's The heads-up car market is dying a slow death because there is only so many people who are willing to spend the money it takes to run at the TOP LEVEL. I didn't say there could not afford it! Just not many that ARE WILLING TO SPEND IT. You need lower level racers. I have had purpose only cars"truck's" and to me there just NO FUN ANYMORE! I like my slow truck that I can tow with, pull with, drag race with, polish if need or just sit like a purpose only truck. I drove 3 hrs each way last night to a pull "and won" and wed night I will go to the and run my slow 12.30's and have fun. BEEN THERE and DONE THAT class stuff you guys can have at it! Thanks Jeff
 
COMP461 said:
This lion’s share of the advertising dollar is never going to those organizations as long as the events and penetration of demographics groups don’t represent the majority.
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Greg, have you ever been to a National Caliber Diesel event and seen the vendors midway? Please answer this question.

I would venture to say that the manufacturers that come back every year to promote and sell their products at Diesel Specific events aren't too disappointed with their advertising dollar. I have no studies to back this up, but I would venture to say that 5,000 core diesel enthusiasts spend more than 30,000 gasser lookie-loos. "Diesel People" are a stronger, more affluent demographic focused on motor sports with more spending money than your average chuggida-chigidda gasser racer.

I'm not talking pro's here and neither are you. John Force don't give two chits what Banks can do for his one ton. The average diesel sportsman has more wrapped up in his rig show room stock than most of the gasser racers at the track have in their cars. (Yes, there are exceptions to this so dont go thinkin I'm :poke: 'n all your gasser buddies.) Buying the truck is the cheap part for us dieselheads! Making em really fast is what costs real money, and this demographic has it to spend!

There is a great deal of value in the advertising dollar for these corporations when invested in diesel focused arenas. Why do you think Diesel Power/World/Builder have more advertisements than many of Primedia's truck rags. Hell, DP is as thick as TRUCKIN magazine now, and believe me it aint from editorial content. Its from Manufacturers that see the benefit of going directly to the core market. The diesel enthusiast.

I'm all for anything that helps our diesel racers, and am not against the ideas you're laying forth here about a broad reaching points series. If it works, GRREAT! But the advertising principals you're basing it on are sketchy at best.
 
I kind of agree with Greg, enough to try it out anyway. Obviously, the diesel only events bring in money for vendors, otherwise they wouldn't do it. But, as a for instance, I'd be willing to bet that DI gets more calls from people that see my truck run locally (where it stands out a lot more than at an all diesel event) than it does from a diesel only event. About every time I go to a local track there ends up being a group of people around the truck with lots of questions, just like a previous poster said. I think some seem to think this is shunning the diesel events but I don't see it that way. Not to mention he said there was a plan for double points or something at diesel events. When vendors put up money for sponsorships and stuff they expect something in return and I think this sounds like a viable idea.
 
Diesel events

I did not mean to not have diesel only events. You have to have them! :hehe: I mean for every top class racer you will have 100 bottom class racers. You have to have to place for the hard core guys to go. You also have to have the little guys who someday want to be the top guy. Everyone starts out somewhere. But always remember you need the wannabes to make new hero's someday. Jeff
 
Greg,
this is Mike,i am tyipng this for David as we are on our way home from another dyno event.

The idea you speak of,i believe is a good one,and the DHRA tried that exact program.but it failed.

I believe the best way to promote diesel motorsports,is to get off the computer and get out to diesel events.this should also mean,supporting the vendors that support the sport.we are still a very small demographic,and as long as the efforts continue to divide or seperate this group,all of our efforts will fail.

i am asking everyone,to remember the sport,and forget about finding reasons not to support what we all really want to do ,which is race our trucks.

Greg, on a final note,i want you to understand,that i have been consulting with a gentleman that helped expand NHRA in it's earlier years.he was at the DHRA Vegas Nationals and that saturday night,he reminded me of a NHRA race he attended years ago that barely had 20 racers show up.he told me to be patient,stay focused,and to do the best job we could for our sponsors,competitors, and supporters.

I hope you will do the same.

Thanks,
David
 
The vendor midway is a great place to see product first hand , but most of the people at these events are already diesel gear heads and already have their mind made up on their brand of parts.

In the small market of extreme parts this is a place for the exchange of idea’s and buying part for all out performance.

The money I speak of is the deep pockets of the large diesel and mainstream world manufactures. These giants depend on wide spectrum exposures that spawn thousands of sales a months. This is the place where a great racer could garner more money in sponsorship deals then an organization. The possibility for wide spread exposure is great.
 
m_b said:
I believe the best way to promote diesel motorsports,is to get off the computer and get out to diesel events.this should also mean,supporting the vendors that support the sport.we are still a very small demographic,and as long as the efforts continue to divide or seperate this group,all of our efforts will fail.

i am asking everyone,to remember the sport,and forget about finding reasons not to support what we all really want to do ,which is race our trucks.
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Maybe I'm missing something here. Why does everyone keep saying this is going to hurt diesel events or diesel motorsports? Whether or not I race at my local track will have zero effect on whether or not I go to particular diesel event.
 
imelmo said:
Maybe I'm missing something here. Why does everyone keep saying this is going to hurt diesel events or diesel motorsports? Whether or not I race at my local track will have zero effect on whether or not I go to particular diesel event.
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Danny,
I don't think i implied that this would hurt,if i did i'm sorry.the point i was trying to make was, what this sport needs is particapation of all forms.the attention diesels recieve at local gasser events is a good thing.but in many cases,more of a novelty to the fans in the stands.of course that's exciting.just as a nitro burning pro motorcycle pass would be at Indy next weekend.my point i guess is,look at what you've done for awareness toward the Powerstroke.do you think it would have been as productive had you not come out and particapated at events?

Danny i support all efforts to promote diesel motorsports.

David Dunbar
 
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