As short track reality shows gain popularity in mainstream television, COMP Cams and Quarter Master visibility grows.

Over the past few years, with several of the top national and international sanctioning bodies in motorsports struggling to maintain popularity, cable television providers have begun searching other motorsport realms for new media outlets that will produce ratings. These searches have struck gold with the rediscovery of grass roots racing.

The floodgates opened when the History Channel aired the smash-hit weekly TV series Madhouse, which follows the lives and happenings of asphalt grass roots racers at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston Salem, N.C. The show has attracted the attention of millions of people across the nation and has gone a long way to educate the general public about the entertainment value of their own local race tracks.

Madhouse has paved the way for the birth of other short track reality shows, including the recently announced Dirt Knights, which will be shown on the VERSUS network beginning in January 2011. Dirt Knights will follow several competitors in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey's General Stores National Championship.

While Madhouse profiles asphalt racers, Dirt Knights will obviously be following the lives of five dirt track racers. Typically, a strong dividing line can be found between fans of asphalt and dirt track racing, as each claim their track surface preference to be the superior proving-ground. But no matter the track type race fans prefer, there is no denying that the increase in television coverage of short track racing in general is leading to the growth and resurgence of a sport that has not been immune to recent economic issues. The publicity is attracting new fans and sponsors to the sport at a time when they are needed more than ever.

While the on and off track action is principally what fills the weekly content of these shows, the on air presence of COMP Cams and Quarter Master has become increasingly noticeable. Whether it is through direct visuals of these companies’ products, racer testimonials or just simply decals that viewers happen to see, COMP Cams and Quarter Master have a strong presence in grass roots racing; in fact, both companies initially were started to provide parts to local small track racers. And despite today’s involvement of these companies in major racing groups such as NASCAR, COMP Cams and Quarter Master employees are quick to mention that local racers are still the fuel that keeps these companies churning.

After all, without local racers and local race tracks, there are no proving grounds for the future superstars of motorsports to hone their driving skills.

For more information about COMP Cams, call 800-999-0853 or visit them online at www.compcams.com. For more information about Quarter Master, call 888-258-8241 or visit www.quartermasterusa.com online.