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Wednesday, May 30  Coverage brings fans, sponsors By Chuck Etchells Special to ESPN.com As we head into our third consecutive weekend of competition, I thought I would take a little time to discuss one of the most significant developments the sport of NHRA Winston Drag Racing has had during the 2001 season. Although it has nothing to do with finding a better or quicker way of getting down a racetrack, it is something that could help many teams, and in fact the sport itself, survive and prosper for many years. This revolutionary item I'm talking about is our television package on ESPN. Even though we are just over one third of the way through our first of five seasons together, the impact is already being felt. Quite simply, it was something our sport has been missing for quite some time, and I commend all those who made it possible. The easiest way to explain it is that a solid television package validates your sport and gives it substance. It allows you to reach out and cultivate new fans who may not be aware of what you have to offer. The larger your audience, the greater the interest from corporate America, on whose support your future depends. A prime example of the power of television is the recently canceled XFL. The only reason that ill-conceived notion was ever given any notice in the first place was because it had the backing of a major network. Without it, it would have remained on the drawing board where, quite frankly, it belonged. Our friends in NASCAR offer a better illustration. Every discussion of stock-car racing's rise to prominence begins with the first live flag-to-flag television broadcast of the Daytona 500 in 1979, and continues with ESPN's bringing the races into your living room every Sunday for all those years. Drag racing's popularity has also been on an upswing for the last decade, but until now we couldn't really use television to capitalize on it. With our races scattered over five networks, even our most loyal fans had trouble finding us. Since this year's season-opener in Pomona, however, all 24 events feature same-day coverage on either ESPN or ESPN2, and our skyrocketing ratings show that people have found us. A lot of this success should also be attributed to the people putting on the show. Let's face it, even if viewers know where to tune in, if the product you offer isn't any good, they're not going to be back. A lot of the ESPN crew working this year is new to our sport, and many of us were very critical of their initial efforts. To their credit, they were their own harshest critics. At every event, they worked closely with the racers and the NHRA, listening to our suggestions and never stopped looking for ways to improve. As the many fans who talk to us at the races will attest, the shows just keep getting better and better. To everyone involved, from the on-air guys Marty, Cruz (who is a lot easier to deal with in a suit and tie than in the other lane!), Bill and David to producer Steve Johnson, the camera guys and all the crew members, I give you a big thumbs up. The NHRA has also done its part by working with the track owners to make sure that the racing surfaces at every stop on the circuit offer a level playing field in terms of equal lanes. So far this season, I think we've only had one track where one lane was noticeably better than the other, and as a result, we've been able to show some great side-by-side racing. But the race teams also have a responsibility in this matter. Now that we have this powerful medium at our disposal, it is up to us to take advantage of it, and do to whatever we can to help it succeed, whether it's with timely information or accessibility. This has also generated an entirely new level of competition besides what you see on the racetrack, and that is for air time. Let's face it, getting our sponsors' names in front of all those fans is what keeps us in business. Ironically, it's a case of success breeding success. The simple truth is that if you're winning rounds on Sunday, you will be on TV. That is something the Etchells Racing team is working very hard to do, and it all boils down to performance. Next week, I'll get back to talking about our race team, and hopefully how we were finally able to go some rounds on Sunday. But until then, I'll leave you with these immortal words -- don't touch that dial! Chuck Etchells, driver and owner the Sunoco/Matco Tools Camaro Z28 Funny Car, provides a diary to ESPN.com throughout the NHRA season.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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