That's Not What We Are Looking For: TORC's 9/6 TV Ratings...

[spalind]

out now...

http://nismostuff.blogspot.com/2009/09/dont-shoot-messenger.html

 

[pdailey]

I imagine it would be tough to get a good rating on labor day weekend. How many people do you think were actually home this weekend?

 

[justafan]

I would be curious to see what the Atlanta Cup race ratings are compared to a non-holiday weekend race. Wonder if that is down also??

One thing I did notice, or didn't, was I do not remember anything on ABC in the weeks leading up to the race saying it would be on. I know "Dirt Nation" knew, but how many would have tuned in out of curiousity if they would have advertised more. Also from what I am hearing there were areas that it didn't even show up live on ABC.

Best thing to do is get out there and truly see it LIVE!!

 

[BF_702]

We up here in Michigans Upper Penensulia where off-road racing is very popular did NOT get to watch it live on ABC. They had TMZ or something like that on instead. I was at Crandon on Saturday to watch it, but was unable to make it back on sunday. Not sure how the "market areas" were selected, but there are a lot of bummed people up here that have to wait until it airs on ESPN2 thursday morning.

 

[ragracin]

Torc is "The Greatest Show on Dirt" it will be just fine. First year out and they will have a few things to learn the hard way. The racing this summer in the midwest has been the greatest yet. Now raise the bar for next year. How about Monster puts up $50,000 for first place in pro 4 for every pro 4 race next year? That might change everything.

 

[Steve_Naughton]

One thing I did notice, or didn't, was I do not remember anything on ABC in the weeks leading up to the race saying it would be on. I know "Dirt Nation" knew, but how many would have tuned in out of curiousity if they would have advertised more.

Your exactly right. I've never understood what the purpose is of having live TV if there's not going to be any promo leading up to it. If Evil Knievel was going to make a jump back in the day, the whole world starting learning about it a month before the event and then everyone tuned in the day of.

"Live TV" seems to be a buzzword that off-road promoters like to use to get race teams to join their series, and it works! (Baldwin proved this) But what would be way more powerful is for the series to not only offer Television, but also a very strong promo effort leading up to it.

 

[Masek Racing]

My Tivo didn't record it live but its on tonight @ 10:30 Pacific.
Its was auto racing and I had to read the discription to find it.
Its not under TORC or Traxxis

 

[hoeker]

My Tivo didn't record it live but its on tonight @ 10:30 Pacific.
Its was auto racing and I had to read the discription to find it.
Its not under TORC or Traxxis

This needs to be high on TORC's priority list for next year. the generic "autoracing" badge stinks. no one in their right mind will dvr all of them and we are a perfect example, we forgot to DVR this weekends race and we are at the track so now we'll get it tonight.

 

[drtracr]

Ross, you're right about it needs to be seperated from the generic label "auto racing". What needs to be done is the listing needs to simply state "Off Road Racing". The general public doesn't know Traxis from TORC.
Unfortunatly the masses don't know a Pro-4 from a Drag Car by name. They don't really recognize the drivers names, untill they see them run.
We always have to remember the general public knows NASCAR and pretty much nothing else due to marketing or lack of.
That doesn't mean they are not potential fans, they are just not savy in off road racing in places like New York, Chicago, Atlanta, etc. etc. You take any 21 year old average person off the street in New Orleans, La. He has no idea who Johny Greaves or Carl Renezender are. He does know who Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart are. But if you ever get him to watch Crandon,he is a new fan, but getting him to watch the first time is the challenge.


jimmy

 

[jonpfive]

This needs to be high on TORC's priority list for next year. the generic "autoracing" badge stinks. no one in their right mind will dvr all of them and we are a perfect example, we forgot to DVR this weekends race and we are at the track so now we'll get it tonight.

Switch from cable to satellite. My Directv DVR is set to record "Lucas Oil Off Road" and "Traxxas" and I havent missed one since I set it... Kevin was grumbling about the same thing with his cable

 

[racechick]

my cable in Chicago said Truck Racking --- Comcast

 

[spalind]

I imagine it would be tough to get a good rating on labor day weekend. How many people do you think were actually home this weekend?

I agree, as I stated in the piece off-road fans are some of the LEAST likely to spend a long holiday weekend at home waiting for a TV show to come on...

 

[spalind]

Torc is "The Greatest Show on Dirt" it will be just fine. First year out and they will have a few things to learn the hard way. The racing this summer in the midwest has been the greatest yet. Now raise the bar for next year. How about Monster puts up $50,000 for first place in pro 4 for every pro 4 race next year? That might change everything.

That might help attract race teams but does nothing for putting more fannies in the seats or more viewers on TV...

 

[GJLnorthernmichigan]

I would be curious to see what the Atlanta Cup race ratings are compared to a non-holiday weekend race. Wonder if that is down also??

One thing I did notice, or didn't, was I do not remember anything on ABC in the weeks leading up to the race saying it would be on. I know "Dirt Nation" knew, but how many would have tuned in out of curiousity if they would have advertised more. Also from what I am hearing there were areas that it didn't even show up live on ABC.

Best thing to do is get out there and truly see it LIVE!!

I agree, What good is live TV if only off-road related people know about it. TORC needs to be sure to push the networks to run ads weeks ahead. We need to get back to educating the folks who dont realize how great short coarse Off-Road racing really is. I was a huge NASCAR fan until I saw OFF-ROAD. Now NASCAR really doesn't do anything for me but puts me to sleep. TORC has incredible talent from the owners of the series, Don't forget the PDG, teams & drivers, tv production, race facilities, etc.
All they really need to do now is get the networks to show it to the people. You cant hook the folks if they dont know about it.

 

[offroadracer]

The whole not promoting enough has been going on for years.
I remember being in downtown Lake Ganeva during the Memorial Day 100. People
didn't even know offroad racing was going on right down the road.
Then again they didn't even know what offroad was.
I remember saying to the guy, "What, your not going. Walker Evens is going to be there".
Somehow, someway, we need more advertising! I suppose it takes big bucks.
TV, Radio, Newspapers, something.

 

[Kartman]

"Live TV" seems to be a buzzword that off-road promoters like to use to get race teams to join their series, and it works! (Baldwin proved this) But what would be way more powerful is for the series to not only offer Television, but also a very strong promo effort leading up to it.

To me Live off road TV is a total waste of money. Outside of a small handful of off road people who really cares if it is live?

 

[Steve_Naughton]

To me Live off road TV is a total waste of money. Outside of a small handful of off road people who really cares if it is live?

Like I stated in my previous post, "Live TV" is just a buzzword that some people in the off road community seem to get excited about (whether it makes sense or not)

Live network TV is only relevant to shows that have large followings. Off Road does not YET have a large enough following to justify live television.

The fundamental organization of our sport needs to be fixed way before live tv should ever even be a consideration. Then once the fundamentals are fixed we can focus on growing our core following, and then at some point thereafter live television may start to make sense. For now, I say keep it on the smaller networks (speed, espn2 and the internet) and focus on crafting an awesome show and building the core following.

As far as fixing the fundamentals, boy I can't say it enough: Have only one elite top level (not two) and make so that a person must qualify for that top level. Any professional sport that allows beginners to buy their way to the top main event is never going to become successful. Also, focus on establishing sound long-term venues. All the time, energy and money that goes towards live tv could be spent on finding and establishing new venues so our sport has a place to run in the future. Jim Baldwin could've probably purchased and established 5 excellent new venues in this country with the money he spent on live television.

 

[pappawheely]

At least the "Live TV" format gets it on at a decent time. Who watches a race at 3:00 am on a Tuesday?

 

[hoeker]

Like I stated in my previous post, "Live TV" is just a buzzword that some people in the off road community seem to get excited about (whether it makes sense or not)

Live network TV is only relevant to shows that have large followings. Off Road does not YET have a large enough following to justify live television.

The fundamental organization of our sport needs to be fixed way before live tv should ever even be a consideration. Then once the fundamentals are fixed we can focus on growing our core following, and then at some point thereafter live television may start to make sense. For now, I say keep it on the smaller networks (speed, espn2 and the internet) and focus on crafting an awesome show and building the core following.

As far as fixing the fundamentals, boy I can't say it enough: Have only one elite top level (not two) and make so that a person must qualify for that top level. Any professional sport that allows beginners to buy their way to the top main event is never going to become successful. Also, focus on establishing sound long-term venues. All the time, energy and money that goes towards live tv could be spent on finding and establishing new venues so our sport has a place to run in the future. Jim Baldwin could've probably purchased and established 5 excellent new venues in this country with the money he spent on live television.

steve and i agree more and more these days. ive been saying it for years already that i think TORC should be the first to mandate 2 years in limited 2 before anyone is allowed to move up to pro-2 or 4.

 

[LORENZ]

steve and i agree more and more these days. ive been saying it for years already that i think TORC should be the first to mandate 2 years in limited 2 before anyone is allowed to move up to pro-2 or 4.

The Elite class is UTV and Karts. Mark my words.