IMSA Race Sebring 2015

[Maelochs]

First off, my profound thanks to race fans who shower.

Then ... (Warning: Walls of Text sighted in area!)

I think changing endurance racing to suit a hypothetical short-attention-span crowd is a really bad idea.

First off if they have short attention spans, likely they will move on from racing to six other things, leaving racing mutilated and unwatched.

Second, not every sport has to appeal to every person. If sports car endurance racing can racing can attract enough fans to stay alive that's enough. People who don't like it that much can watch the two-hour highlight reel.

If you start changing your sport to attract people who don't like your sport, pretty soon you have no fans except people who aren't fans ... yeah, good move.

Further not every successful sport is a thrill-a-minute sport. Cricket seems to be doing really well in about half the populated areas of the planet and is boring compared to baseball. Baseball does well across the Americas and the Far East.

Further ... Look at RallyCross. Ten thrills a minutes, jumps and dirt and lurid slides and flips and rolls. But ... it hasn't exploded across the nation as the next big motorsports thing. Perfect for the short-attention-span crowd, except they don't like it.

Back when people had business testes, the successful ones were often the ones who believed in the product and built it and refined it but didn't follow every whim, who wouldn't have run their businesses in fear of every bit of polling data, every tweet or blog post and every comment from the son of a cousin of a friend of a friend.

Nowadays people act like every Internet poll is the most hallowed scientifically researched truthful accurate important information available ... but of course those same people will post contradictory answers to twenty polls in two days and not even notice or care. Most of them haven't thought about what they want or like, and just spew whatever pops into their heads.

Then there are people who have thought long and hard about some issues but have thought totally wrongly, impractically or impossibly. There are plenty of websites one can visit where people who are lifelong fans of something will come up with absolutely ridiculous and destructive plans which they have spent all their experience and free time refining—and can't seem to realize why their ideas flat suck.

If you are looking for new ice cream or potato chip flavors, sure, ask the customer base.

Otherwise know your product and believe in it and find better ways to present and promote it. Don't try to totally remake it every time some guy who doesn't like it and never will, decides he has a better idea.

"Yeah, right after we make all marathons into fifty-yard dashes, then we will make the Tour de France a two-hour race. Then baseball will switch so every team gets one hitter, then the next team gets one—sudden death, first one to score wins. Then folks can watch the Indy Five—two laps is enough. Then we can do the Sebring 12 Minutes right after the Indy winner interviews and knock the whole thing out in a half hour so we have more time for reality shows.

"I can hardly wait for the 24 Minutes of Le Mans—of course I am only watching the five-minute summary."

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

"I can hardly wait for the 24 Minutes of Le Mans—of course I am only watching the five-minute summary."

But only if you have FoxSport2!

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

First off, my profound thanks to race fans who shower.

I lost you after that. I got a text from someone.

[schmidder]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

First off, my profound thanks to race fans who shower.

Then ... (Warning: Walls of Text sighted in area!)

I think changing endurance racing to suit a hypothetical short-attention-span crowd is a really bad idea.

First off if they have short attention spans, likely they will move on from racing to six other things, leaving racing mutilated and unwatched.

Second, not every sport has to appeal to every person. If sports car endurance racing can racing can attract enough fans to stay alive that's enough. People who don't like it that much can watch the two-hour highlight reel.

If you start changing your sport to attract people who don't like your sport, pretty soon you have no fans except people who aren't fans ... yeah, good move.

Further not every successful sport is a thrill-a-minute sport. Cricket seems to be doing really well in about half the populated areas of the planet and is boring compared to baseball. Baseball does well across the Americas and the Far East.

Further ... Look at RallyCross. Ten thrills a minutes, jumps and dirt and lurid slides and flips and rolls. But ... it hasn't exploded across the nation as the next big motorsports thing. Perfect for the short-attention-span crowd, except they don't like it.

Back when people had business testes, the successful ones were often the ones who believed in the product and built it and refined it but didn't follow every whim, who wouldn't have run their businesses in fear of every bit of polling data, every tweet or blog post and every comment from the son of a cousin of a friend of a friend.

Nowadays people act like every Internet poll is the most hallowed scientifically researched truthful accurate important information available ... but of course those same people will post contradictory answers to twenty polls in two days and not even notice or care. Most of them haven't thought about what they want or like, and just spew whatever pops into their heads.

Then there are people who have thought long and hard about some issues but have thought totally wrongly, impractically or impossibly. There are plenty of websites one can visit where people who are lifelong fans of something will come up with absolutely ridiculous and destructive plans which they have spent all their experience and free time refining—and can't seem to realize why their ideas flat suck.

If you are looking for new ice cream or potato chip flavors, sure, ask the customer base.

Otherwise know your product and believe in it and find better ways to present and promote it. Don't try to totally remake it every time some guy who doesn't like it and never will, decides he has a better idea.

"Yeah, right after we make all marathons into fifty-yard dashes, then we will make the Tour de France a two-hour race. Then baseball will switch so every team gets one hitter, then the next team gets one—sudden death, first one to score wins. Then folks can watch the Indy Five—two laps is enough. Then we can do the Sebring 12 Minutes right after the Indy winner interviews and knock the whole thing out in a half hour so we have more time for reality shows.

"I can hardly wait for the 24 Minutes of Le Mans—of course I am only watching the five-minute summary."

I wasn't suggesting endurance racing should change..was fearing that the younger audience is much different than the one I grew up as/with. Hence, the endurance racing audience will shrink IMO.

[Maelochs]

Originally Posted by schmidder

I wasn't suggesting endurance racing should change..was fearing that the younger audience is much different than the one I grew up as/with. Hence, the endurance racing audience will shrink IMO.

Oh. .... Never mind.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by joeb

They just showed a couch burning and people jumping the flames. Somewhere, Mr. Field is proud.....

BTW, I somehow missed this. Please post pics.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

BTW, I somehow missed this. Please post pics.

wow you dug back for that one. It was at the end of the race broadcast, and there where a whole bunch of guys standing around with flames shooting 4-5 feet over their heads.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by joeb

wow you dug back for that one. It was at the end of the race broadcast, and there where a whole bunch of guys standing around with flames shooting 4-5 feet over their heads.

Beautiful.




I AM cyber stalking you, is what it is.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by joeb

wow you dug back for that one. It was at the end of the race broadcast, and there where a whole bunch of guys standing around with flames shooting 4-5 feet over their heads.

[fieldodreams79]

Excellent stuff, Matt!

We can now close the 2015 Sebring thread

[Matt]

It wouldn't be Sebring without gratuitous couch burning.

[Rcz]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

First off, my profound thanks to race fans who shower.

Then ... (Warning: Walls of Text sighted in area!)

I think changing endurance racing to suit a hypothetical short-attention-span crowd is a really bad idea.

First off if they have short attention spans, likely they will move on from racing to six other things, leaving racing mutilated and unwatched.

Second, not every sport has to appeal to every person. If sports car endurance racing can racing can attract enough fans to stay alive that's enough. People who don't like it that much can watch the two-hour highlight reel.

If you start changing your sport to attract people who don't like your sport, pretty soon you have no fans except people who aren't fans ... yeah, good move.

Further not every successful sport is a thrill-a-minute sport. Cricket seems to be doing really well in about half the populated areas of the planet and is boring compared to baseball. Baseball does well across the Americas and the Far East.

Further ... Look at RallyCross. Ten thrills a minutes, jumps and dirt and lurid slides and flips and rolls. But ... it hasn't exploded across the nation as the next big motorsports thing. Perfect for the short-attention-span crowd, except they don't like it.

Back when people had business testes, the successful ones were often the ones who believed in the product and built it and refined it but didn't follow every whim, who wouldn't have run their businesses in fear of every bit of polling data, every tweet or blog post and every comment from the son of a cousin of a friend of a friend.

Nowadays people act like every Internet poll is the most hallowed scientifically researched truthful accurate important information available ... but of course those same people will post contradictory answers to twenty polls in two days and not even notice or care. Most of them haven't thought about what they want or like, and just spew whatever pops into their heads.

Then there are people who have thought long and hard about some issues but have thought totally wrongly, impractically or impossibly. There are plenty of websites one can visit where people who are lifelong fans of something will come up with absolutely ridiculous and destructive plans which they have spent all their experience and free time refining—and can't seem to realize why their ideas flat suck.

If you are looking for new ice cream or potato chip flavors, sure, ask the customer base.

Otherwise know your product and believe in it and find better ways to present and promote it. Don't try to totally remake it every time some guy who doesn't like it and never will, decides he has a better idea.

"Yeah, right after we make all marathons into fifty-yard dashes, then we will make the Tour de France a two-hour race. Then baseball will switch so every team gets one hitter, then the next team gets one—sudden death, first one to score wins. Then folks can watch the Indy Five—two laps is enough. Then we can do the Sebring 12 Minutes right after the Indy winner interviews and knock the whole thing out in a half hour so we have more time for reality shows.

"I can hardly wait for the 24 Minutes of Le Mans—of course I am only watching the five-minute summary."

It's funny, NASCAR races are around 3 and half to 4 hours long, which proves that people are willing to see a long race.( yes I know the NASCAR audience and sport car audience is different). Yet there are so called experts that's that say it should be more shorter races.

And of course there is the stick and ball sports like football that again are 3 to 4 hours long.

Unfortunately the cause of the races to be shorted in sports cars is because of cost to run the teams and cars. If there were more sponsors and better marketing then there would be more money and therefore more tracks to go to and longer races.

But yes, don't believe the ones that say we need 30 minutes racing because that won't improve anything.

[seanyb505]

I was surprised how quickly the Rooms to Glow shenanigans started after the race. I was outside the edge of the hair pin at checker, and the flames were massive before I got halfway to Budweiser bridge! I would have thought people would have waited until the crowd disbursed.

[wdave0]

Originally Posted by Rcz

It's funny, NASCAR races are around 3 and half to 4 hours long, which proves that people are willing to see a long race.( yes I know the NASCAR audience and sport car audience is different). Yet there are so called experts that's that say it should be more shorter races.

And of course there is the stick and ball sports like football that again are 3 to 4 hours long.

Unfortunately the cause of the races to be shorted in sports cars is because of cost to run the teams and cars. If there were more sponsors and better marketing then there would be more money and therefore more tracks to go to and longer races.

But yes, don't believe the ones that say we need 30 minutes racing because that won't improve anything.

NASCAR runs 4 hour events that are a series of sprints between yellows - ideal for short attention span spectators, certainly US football is much the same - 10second bursts of action with commercial breaks and cheerleaders in between. Maybe this is more a US problem, certainly soccer is pretty nonstop and cricket is pretty continuous inaction, they get great turnouts.

[ATLFalconsFAN]

Originally Posted by seanyb505

I was surprised how quickly the Rooms to Glow shenanigans started after the race. I was outside the edge of the hair pin at checker, and the flames were massive before I got halfway to Budweiser bridge! I would have thought people would have waited until the crowd disbursed.

Every time I've been at the hairpin the couch burning starts when there are still a few laps to go. I was looking on TV and never saw it, was disappointed. Saw a great video on Facebook though, looked like it was a proper fire this year.

Last year seemed to be that of the flaming port-potty, did any of those go up?

[Coach Ep]

This year's couch massacre was shown on the T7 screen (folks standing near the fire were actually holding their phones in the direction of the screen to shoot pics/videos) so I assume it was on tellie as well?

Law enforcement let the couch almost burn to the ground before finally have two firemen putting it out - probably to prevent a more disturbing grass fire.

No blue rooms went up in flames as far as I know.

[seanyb505]

Originally Posted by ATLFalconsFAN

Every time I've been at the hairpin the couch burning starts when there are still a few laps to go...

I'm assuming that's because YOU were at the hairpin those times

[fieldodreams79]

My recollections of the final moments of the race after a long day at Sebring, : there's the end of the race fireworks happening, couches are rapidly being engulfed in flames on the haripin viewing mound as the GT battles slice through the thick black (surely not bad for you at all) smoke blowing across the circuit on their final lap while some fans, whom obviously have never been in the hairpin at the 12th hour, scramble to gather their belongings in horror as flames grow higher and higher. After the hairpin couch(es) are extinguished, random house furniture and other "disposable" objects are sacrificed to the endurance racing Gods throughout Green Park for a good Sebring next year and a bountiful fresh from Florida fall harvest.



Then one awakes to the disaster that the now half empty Green Park has become and attempts to pick up camp to drag themselves to what is going to be a crap Monday at work that is upon them after long drive.

What a wonderful, wonderful place.

[Lagunaseca_4life]

The replay is up on you tube now,it's missing an hour or two so it seems.its the fox broad cast.and those hours I thought were boring,don't seems very boring on the replay for some reason.i watched it live on Imsa.com during the race with rlm,I like rlm but for some reason I want to say it feels like they've lost their touch.now that I think back hindy and shaw sounded kind of bored and the stream would randomly change cameras,with hindy and shaw almost oblivious to what was on the screen.maybe that's why it felt boring...l

[Maelochs]

It does seem sometimes like Hindy is doing a radio show and not a race broadcast, paying more attention to the guest in the studio than to the action on track.

Still the best crew in the business .... but not perfect.

[Matt]

They're catering to the people at the track.

[Rodger Davies]

Aye, officially they're doing 'IMSA Radio', but it's also used for the international picture feed and at the circuits over PA. Personally I'd rather have the Fox TV guys on the international TV feed so I had the choice between that and RLM/IR, but no big deal either way; both commentary teams have their merits.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

It does seem sometimes like Hindy is doing a radio show and not a race broadcast, paying more attention to the guest in the studio than to the action on track.

Still the best crew in the business .... but not perfect.

Originally Posted by Matt

They're catering to the people at the track.

I don't think its catering to the people at the track but it is fulfilling sponsorship agreements.

[Adam43]

Yes, paying for the radio. It is their stated approach. No actual advertisements on the radio, but named sections and long chats with those that matter (pay).

I'm listening to it on the way to work. FWIW it works OK not live as a catch up. Hindy has his, er, moments and I miss Trussers at Sebring, but I'm growing to like the US team after 24 hours of Daytona and a bit of Sebring.

[nasportscar]

If you like data and metrics, you'll like the Total Team Performance via Ben Wedge http://nasportscar.com/total-team-pe...-imsa-sebring/