It’s fast, fun, unpredictable and diverse.
It’s the National Hot Rod Association.
With other forms of motorsports bogged down due to high costs and internal disputes, drag racing could be the next big thing.
Consider that television ratings for NHRA broadcasts have jumped nearly 30 percent since last season and attendance has remained strong despite spiraling gas prices. In facts, some NHRA events attract over 100,000 fans on a weekend.
Cars were lined up at 10 Saturday morning to enter Bristol Dragway and the grandstands were nearly full by noon. While stock car racing remains king in the Mountain Empire, Thunder Valley is rich in history, and interest has been growing the past eight years.
Fans from 20 states were expected to attend this weekend’s O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. No doubt, plenty of those folks appreciated the cheaper ticket prices and unmatched accessibility to star drivers.
From gearheads to speed freaks, the NHRA shows offer something for everyone.
Drag racing has long been far ahead of the curve in terms of diversity. Other pro sports, including NASCAR and Major League Baseball, have been forced to implement diversity programs to broaden their appeal.
The NHRA not only features a number of African-American, Hispanic and female competitors in the pro ranks, but young drivers such as Ashley Force and Antron Brown are contending for championships.
For good reason, minority fans and Fortune 500 executives have come along for the fast ride.
There’s so much to watch and do during an NHRA event. Much like a video game, the action is non-stop and often spectacular.
What true racing fan could resist could resist watching a dragster zoom down a quarter-mile track at 330 miles per hour. It sure beats some of the single-file parades we’ve seen in NASCAR in recent years.
And perhaps best of all, there are the dynamic personalities in the NHRA world.
No figure in American sports can match the saga and electric personality of 14-time Funny Car world champion John Force. This former trailer park kid and truck driver, who could make a living as a motivational speaker, earned icon status the hard way.
Force has dealt with fiery crashes and gruesome injuries, yet he has never stopped elevating his sport. Force and his family even endured a reality show last year which showcased the emergence of
Force’s daughter (Ashley) into a title contender in the ultra-challenging Funny Car ranks.
Bottom line, the NHRA show is all about old-fashioned fun and few stages are more inviting than Thunder Valley.
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