maybe someone did...

http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/news/nhra-nails-impressive-television-package-for-2016

As I remember it, it was ONE race a year and more like 4 MONTHs after it actually took place.

They'd do the same thing with the USA round of the 500 MX GPs when it used to run annually at Carlsbad, CA. The race would be in June, and they'd finally get around to showing it when the leaves were falling or the snow was already on the ground.

I didn't want to exaggerate. You know how us oldtimers are.

I was out there and the stands were pretty full, when nitro cars were running. As soon as the last pair of the round ran the stands emptied like you had flushed a toilet, and didn't fill back up until they fired the first pair of the next round.

LIVE is a mistake. Even if not an oildown, they generally run the tractors down the track between every pair of fuel cars. I don't particularly care to see that when at the track, much less while sitting on my couch. At the track, you don't have many choices other than to sit there and wait. At home I have PLENTY of better things to do.

As far as the racing being pre-empted by whatever......it is all about ratings. Baseball, womens field hockey, whatever, ALL draws better ratings than the NHRA telecast............so guess what, it gets pushed back. THAT fact will NEVER change on ESPN. Remains to be seen what FOX will do

"Impressive" is in the eye of the beholder. Ever see the amount of equipment ESPN brings to every event?

At the track I have to pay 3-5 dollars for a cold bottle of water and suffer thru the track dragging. At home I sit with the air conditioning on, FREE well water, and a dozen chicken wings. Don't get me wrong I love being there but paying high food and water prices take the joy out of it.

Wish them the best. Anyone remember the live, complete weekend feed on DirecTV, a couple of decades back? lol

Well since espn just announced Catlyn Jenner for the Arthur Ash courage award,Perhaps it can be an announcer for the drag race .
I don't watch espn anymore.

Bottom line is it's boring to watch. ESPN was going to give NHRA an even worse deal come renew time so they don't care about them going to FS channel. Don't know when it will air at but I guarantee if girls H.S. Softball gets better ratings, which I believe it does. NHRA will get bumped just like at ESPN. Did notice the weak attendance at Joliet.

I can't believe guys that hang out on a "racing website" don't enjoy watching good racing action. Last week's race as many others are very exciting. I guess it shouldn't really surprise me as much as it does as many of our members are no longer behind the wheel of a race car anymore. Keyboard want a bees that are no longer really into the sport. 40 plus years for me and can't get enough.

I enjoy the racing and some of the insight on the fuel cars or motorcycles. What I don't enjoy is when the announcer says, "XYZ just set both ends of the record and Courtney Force just farted, we'll interview XYZ later". I know John has done a lot for drag racing, but enough is enough.

That depends on your definition of GOOD racing action. Top Fuel and Funny cars all look alike and is only the Force vs Schumacher show. You seldom get side by side clean passes. In Pro-Stock, much the same. They all look alike and it is all just boring to watch, at least for me. There is no action, no excitement. If close is what you want, the local brackets provide that and I would rather watch paint dry. But because I don't care for the NHRA dog and pony show, does NOT mean I am not INTO racing. Just not into THAT racing. I only go to National Events or divisionals now because I HAVE to and that is to support some of my Top Sportsman customers. I don't watch any of the Pro classes run when there, with the exception of Pro-Mods. I might walk up with Shuler, because he is a friend, but that's it. I don't make an "effort" to see it. I would MUCH rather go to a PDRA race, an Outlaw Radial race, or an Outlaw Pro-Mod race. Show me what I like, I will watch it...........So has NOTHING to do with being INTO the sport, because I am INTO it FAR more than most and the TV show to me is a major snooze.

I think NASCAR, due to it's marketing of drivers and nature of it's racing, is a different entity altogether. I know a number people, including females who follow NASCAR yet they have little knowledge of the actual cars, nor do they care. It's almost as if the cars are just a prop. It's popularity has little to do with performance, as proven by the short tracks, where speeds sometimes are less than what folks do on public highways. These same people have zero interest in watching the NHRA on ESPN. At least this has been my experience.

Drag racings key factors revolve more around performance and technological advancements, resulting in quicker ETs and higher MPHs........along with the occasional driver "personality". The fact that there aren't enough "car people" to knock the ratings up is the issue. If a production company was able to come up with a way to create story lines like Street Outlaws, perhaps viewership from the casual observer would climb. Right now, NHRA has managed to bore too many car people AND the channel flipper.

We have a 3 hour telecast on ESPN. How much of that 3 hours is a pair of cars making a run??? Very little. The rest is filled with fluff. Now, I'm not against fluff in general since I realize you can't simply show 2 cars making runs (not that I want to see that either)......but it's the KIND of fluff. I DVR the telecast and spend much of the time on the FF button. If more time was dedicated to the inner working of the cars, I'd be paying attention.

There is also the fact that TV has a difficult time translating the violence of drag racing.....especially in the loud classes. The casual viewer has NO idea what's really up with these machines as far as the acceleration aspect. On the other hand, while most people have no idea what it's like to travel at 180 for for lenght of time, many do know what it feels like to drive well over 100, so NASCAR on TV seems to translate better to the less than serious car fan.

Like most problems, I think NHRA's issues with TV popularity are multifaceted.

You think people in this thread find the ESPN telecasts of NHRA racing boring because they are "keyboard want a bees"??? You do know what Monte Smith does for a living.....do you not??? I never miss Street Outlaws, except FFing the commercials. So what does that say???

I DVR and watch every race. I also FF through some of it because it's boring......and let's face it, the classes televised are not exactly the most exciting in the sport.

I also get chili dogs with a couple cars that might just remove the doors of a handfull of "real" racecars. So there's that....

NASCAR... a couple hours of seeing cars actually racing...

NHRA... 20 minutes of BS for 3 seconds of action

The last couple of years I've been watching the races live on ESPN3. I sure hope that continues but I kinda doubt it. Got lots of work done in the garage between rounds. Bummer.

That is gone for sure as that was the unedited version which was later on ESPN2