Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

[Reever]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

Well, another form of racing NASCAR, many of their tracks are removing seats or covering them up with advertising. Tried to get our usual seats in Vegas turn 3 for the Sunday race, online it said those seats were all sold. They weren't sold, they were ripped out. It seems that racing in general isn't drawing the crowds.

[Desertdawg]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

Well, another form of racing NASCAR, many of their tracks are removing seats or covering them up with advertising. Tried to get our usual seats in Vegas turn 3 for the Sunday race, online it said those seats were all sold. They weren't sold, they were ripped out. It seems that racing in general isn't drawing the crowds.

NASCAR just did itself in with greed. Too many cookie cutter tracks, "hot dog wrapper" caution flags, etc. Then you have the PC factor trying a please all the non race fans. Oh, and then you have Toyota Camry pace cars LOL.

20 years ago we watched every race, had yearly betting poles, ever since Dale Sr died it's gone down hill for me.

[GRNDP51]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

Used to have a car drop. had tanker drops at times (Heck, even the one-off Lincoln races had a red, whit and blue drop from a DC-4) and with the tanker base right there... of course they usually leave at that time. Video I've taken over the years shows some pretty cool fill-in stuff.
I've been to many shows and races over the years and some have been downright nasty, think the Madera shows when it was 105 in the shade. Reno isn't all that comfortable either but better than some.
Dunno, I thought they did better last year than the year before. This year there will be a lot of formula and sports planes. At least it's racing!
The only thing they are doing over the last few years that worries me is the slow removal of the general admission seating and ramp areas. It seems to constantly get smaller. Those are the cheap seats and I am guessing the majority. I have seen shows ruined by the closing off of any viewing to the general admission, both the Salinas show and the Hamilton races did that. Pay to get in then pay to watch. Not stopping me yet though!

Like has already been said in this thread, maybe removing those seats will convince more people to sit in the hot shot grandstands. Increasing ticket prices has also been discussed and maybe this is the same idea but in a different form..? I doubt RARA sees it like that but maybe it's a good thing

[Ron Lewark]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

NASCAR has taken a big hit for many different reasons. Our crowd, son's, in-law's and friends have all but gave up on NASCAR. We used to travel to several a year and did the Talladaga spring race every year for many years. Flew the 185 and 182 down with eight people. Now hardly anyone watches the races.

I see Reno trending this way for many different reason's also. Our first Reno was 1974 and we've missed 3 since then. I look back and see 30-40 unlimiteds at most of the races thru around 2000. The big draw has, is and always will be the unlimited class, bar none! I'm still a die hard Reno fan at eighty, as are my two son's and several other friends. The rest of our large group has aged, died or lost intrest in Reno. Surprising this year some of the old timers have come out of the woodwork and are going. We may actually get back up to having two full boxes. Having a good jet demo team will help with attendance this year.

I'd like to see what we had in the seventies, eighties, nineties, in Reno again, to make that happen will probably take large amounts of purse $$$ due to what it costs to race and support an unlimited racer and if something happens to one of them, the owner is SOL, better have deep,deep pockets. Anyway, in the meantime we can all piss and moan about what's happened to the races, but it won't do any good. Let's do all we can to support the new guys in RARA.
Ron

[fastpace]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

+2 Same here.

What's there to see Rod and Tiger decided to take a year off. If you go back a few years there are many that no longer attend The inflation in racing has escalated and other thing have de escalated like $$$$.

[tow-3]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

this is going to piss a few people off but here is my take. reno is dying. compared to the 80's an 90's its a subset of what once was. having 9 unlimited's will field maybe 2 races a day and probably only on sat and sunday. That is not going to fill the stands. even with the increase in sport and F1 entries, people pay to see the big iron.

the airshow part has slipped from a world class show to what they can get the cheapest. eons ago, when i first got involved, there was never any dead time in the schedule. now there are built in dead times. its the same show year after year and day after day. that does not fill seats.

maybe its time to scale back, get rid of the 4 day schedule and go to a 2 or three day schedule again. they need to find a way to pay for a world class airshow again. they need find a way to get the prize money to get the pits full of big iron again. having a concert with not so well know groups is not going to fix their problems.

I think their advertising budget though small, has been wasted. you never see anything on a national level. I have heard that you do not even see anything in the bay area which i would think would be a prime area being a day trip or weekend trip for those people.

they need to create new marketing ideas geared toward families. they have the same problems that major league baseball has, it costs to much to bring a family of four for the weekend.

bottom line is if they do not find a way to field 3 unlimited races a day and have a world class airshow, and not the same lineup everyday, then there will not be a RENO 2020.

[Leo]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

That and the fact that they asked parties to bring aircraft to fill out the void created by the Roll Royce loss, then do not want to help offset costs.

[Reever]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

this is going to piss a few people off but here is my take. reno is dying. compared to the 80's an 90's its a subset of what once was. having 9 unlimited's will field maybe 2 races a day and probably only on sat and sunday. That is not going to fill the stands. even with the increase in sport and F1 entries, people pay to see the big iron.

the airshow part has slipped from a world class show to what they can get the cheapest. eons ago, when i first got involved, there was never any dead time in the schedule. now there are built in dead times. its the same show year after year and day after day. that does not fill seats.

maybe its time to scale back, get rid of the 4 day schedule and go to a 2 or three day schedule again. they need to find a way to pay for a world class airshow again. they need find a way to get the prize money to get the pits full of big iron again. having a concert with not so well know groups is not going to fix their problems.

I think their advertising budget though small, has been wasted. you never see anything on a national level. I have heard that you do not even see anything in the bay area which i would think would be a prime area being a day trip or weekend trip for those people.

they need to create new marketing ideas geared toward families. they have the same problems that major league baseball has, it costs to much to bring a family of four for the weekend.

bottom line is if they do not find a way to field 3 unlimited races a day and have a world class airshow, and not the same lineup everyday, then there will not be a RENO 2020.

I think going with the two or three day schedule would be a very good idea. Pack more into fewer days.

[Race5]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

I think going with the two or three day schedule would be a very good idea. Pack more into fewer days.

Have the racers show up Monday. Tech Monday, and Tuesday. Practice Tues / Wed. Make qualifying the show on Thursday. Race Fri-Sunday.

[Reever]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

Have the racers show up Monday. Tech Monday, and Tuesday. Practice Tues / Wed. Make qualifying the show on Thursday. Race Fri-Sunday.

Only problem I have with qualifying on Thursday is weather or mechanical issues with a racer. Qualifying starting on Monday gives time for unforeseen problems. But going back to three days of racing and airshow sounds good.

[johnnyrace]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

It has been interesting reading this discussion...The reasons for what's happening are plentiful regarding the issues this great event is facing and you all have touched on many of them...Besides all the unusual circumstances, the self inflicted wounds, and tragic happenings this event has absorbed over the last several years there is also a very real issue regarding getting younger people interested for the future , not just in air racing, but in most forms of racing...Cash of course would be a big help in our situation, but that may only be a temporary solution.

As for the current and future interest ( or lack of interest rather ) for younger people I partially blame technology such as smart phones and social media which has changed nearly every aspect in peoples lives, especially younger peoples lives over the last several years...Attention spans are short and an event like Reno can sometimes be slow...The constant drum beat fed to kids of getting the newest tech, that all things are disposable, and the need for instant gratification makes for a mindset that has virtually no interest in anything other than their smartphone screens ...Many would rather chase imagined treasures playing ridiculous crap like Pokemon Go than attend an actual tangible event like the air races...That is going to be tough to beat as they have been indoctrinated by this new tech world for what is essentially their entire lives... Also an event like Reno is steeped in history , it is connected to a bygone era, and as someone that has been in the antique business for 30 years I can tell you that there is nearly zero interest in the past or for things old and historical by most of those under the age of 35...Now I know there are exceptions out there, but overall it is true and it has been trending that way for several years...Unfortunately nothing really lasts forever...Ask a 25 year old about Vaudeville, or who Humphrey Bogart was , or about a Worlds Fair...These events and people were as big as things get and yet as time passes they have faded away...It is just the progression of time and likely inevitable.

I hope i am wrong and the Reno Air Races continue for many many years to come because once it ends, it will be very unlikely that the world will ever see anything like it again and that would truly be a sad thing...If there are only 9 Unlimited this year then so be it, the other classes are there to enjoy and often much more entertaining...Seems odd that even the smallest of fly ins can often get 9 Mustangs and Sea Furies to show up for no money at all...oh well...I for one will be there in September because I want to support this event that I love so much and I know the only hope I have of ever seeing two dozen unlimiteds showing up to race again is to make sure the event continues to happen. By not showing up you just place another nail in the coffin...I understand that the expense forces some spectators to not come or participants to not participate, but I would think that if someone truly loves and lives for September and can afford to go then they would find their way there, as a spectator or as a participant...Here's hoping for some changes of heart before it's too late.

LONG LIVE THE RENO AIR RACES !!!

[John H]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

At least Miss Tnt is back , hell yeah!

[marada mx3]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

Probably referring to the divorce.

Jarrod

So, Rare Bear not being at Reno 2016 is more about a "divorce" than an engine?

[Big_Jim]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

So, Rare Bear not being at Reno 2016 is more about a "divorce" than an engine?

Well, when the number I heard tossed around that it cost was in the range of $770M.....yeah, it kind of is.

[FlyKidChris]

Re: Open Letter - if RARA is listening.

Well, when the number I heard tossed around that it cost was in the range of $770M.....yeah, it kind of is.

Well, there's the old joke: Why are divorces so expensive? Because they're worth it! $770,000,000.00 kind of puts a new spin on that, though, doesn't it?

That is, look further ahead; will Mr. Lewis ever recover enough from a huge financial hit like that to be able to afford to race again?