What are your thoughts on the SAS NASCAR Sanction?

[Budman]

I guess the $64,000 question is how do you motivate that guy (or girl) to get up from in front of their TV on a summer Saturday night, leave their air conditioned house and convince them it's worth parting with a little of their cash to drive out to the track?

 

Racing is not alone in this. There are a lot of people out there trying to come up with that magic formula. Have been for many, many years. Some more successful than others.

Figure out who or what has been the MOST successful at this, and do what they do.

 

Sounds so easy, don't it!

[Budman]

OK, OK, Ok,................................ I'll take the criticism ..................... Who is your marketing target (for the most part) ..................... single males ages 17 to 40 ............... (and some married ones too).................... What motivates THEM!?!?

[REBELRACER]

sex, beer and adreneline............but it will be hard to keep the family atmoshpere if you get the snack shack sponsored by hooters............or the victory lane sponsored by wild zebra...............hahaha

[Budman]

That's correct Rebel ...................... (as much as I hate to admit it). But that type of "rowdier" atmosphere is going to sell more tickets at the gate.

[REBELRACER]

you're probably right.........but how can you get that rowdier crowd to the races and maintain your family atmosphere?.............build a seperate grandstand for the family bunch............but how would you keep the two seperate..............one promotion that seems to be popular in san antonio is $0.50 friday or saturday and $1.00 night at the missions..........they seem to have quite a few folks when they run those promotions.........who doesnt enjoy a $0.50 draft beer as opposed to $4.00 beer..........jmo

[Budman]

Back Straight "Cheap Seats"? ........................ With a few attractive "Inappropriately Attired", usherettes sprinkled in? They would have to be "thick skinned" types, of course, who would' t get offended at a "Wolf Whistle" or "Eeee Hawww" every now and then.

 

Hell, this is beginning to sound like fun! I might even sit over there a time or two myself!

[Budman]

Nobody's posted on this thread in over 8 hours. Just because we brought up that little "three letter" word, everybody's avoiding this thread like the plague. I'm trying to come up with REAL solutions to REAL problems. Help me out!............. Bunch of Chickens!

[ups88john]

im all for it, im all about the rowdy scantaly(sp) clad wemen bring it on, like at tms, rowdy bunch goes to the backstretch.

 

big john

[HORSEPOWER]

I know there are several tracks having the same issues. I'm sure TD and his crew have been asking other tracks that have been doing a lot better for some advice and ideas, which can help turn the program around. One of the tracks that I know got rid of the NASCAR Sanction is I-70 Speedway. It is now an ASA racing member track or something like that. They were already struggling before the change. Last year they dropped their weekly (super)late model show and scheduled them for only special events. This year they changed their rules to match ASALM's, but also scheduled them for special events. They have a forum and are talking about the same old sh..., but are blaming the track owner, so at least that's not the case here, or at least posters aren't aloud to post that crap on here, good!!! Classes of the Super Trucks, Modifieds, Super Stocks averaged 6-8 cars and think same thing with the local ASALM special shows. Their biggest draw was the Enduro and Dash classes, doubling the car counts of the others. Poor crowd attendance. They also held a similar event like Crash-A-Rama and it was a huge success, filling up the whole stands. All this was taken from the forum site. How are the car counts and crowd sizes at THR and Houston? Are they having the same issues? I'm not sure how to fix the issues, but we need more racers and race fans.

[Budman]

HP,

 

I noticed it at THR first, then noticed the same thing at SAS. The circle track crowds are relatively "Old". The ratio of older fans ........ 50+ (like myself) to younger fans 29- is far too great. Your not going to grow a fan base from the 50+ age group. It needs to be marketed targeting that younger age group. That's where the expansion in fan base has the potential to be exploited.

 

This is not a new concept. The Drag racing industry recognized this many moons ago. Crowds there are on average much younger than circle track crowds. They also tend to be considerably larger crowds than you see at circle tracks. That's where the marketing needs to be targeted. This is the source of my suggestions above. Give them a "special place" to have fun and be "rowdy", with reduced ticket pricing and even discounted beer. Start off small, and expand as needed to meet the increased demand (hopefully). I think bleachers on the back stretch is a good starting point. It's relatively inexpensive to set those up and expand as need be. It also physically separates them from the main grandstand. Of course race track management has to be prepared, with a "mind set" that will view fan behavior a little more liberally than is ordinarily the case in the "Main Grandstands". That's not to say they should allow it to get totally out of hand. Just more tolerant of a little more juvenile type fan behavior than in the "Main Grandstands."

Does this make sense to anybody but me?

 

This still doesn't address the second half of the equation. That being low car counts. Perhaps we'll try to address that on here another time, on another thread.

[rebelracewriter]

Buddy one thing that helps the drag strip attract younger people is that they can EASILY become participants. They have plenty of street nights all year round. Now spectator races are always great, we ran them once a month when we raced at South Bend Spwy. Unfortunately SAS is a little too fast for that. THR might be good since theres lots of run off area. LaCrosse Spwy. in Wisc is a big 1/2 mile, they had "barrel" races for street cars. This allowed spectators to race just using the front stretch with barrels at the ends for u-turns. SAS may be too narrow for that.

Mona's idea of getting people involved is good.

More two-seat truck rides might get people more involved. You've got the dang thing....use it. Hell Ill even drive them. LMAO

 

And oh ya......I'm all about the Hooters section. Talk to Johnny Kellough(finishline413--I think) he'll get hooked us with the Hooters deal. Big john and that group will need their own special section.......just the recycling on the empty cans could buy a new racecar.

[Budman]

How's this Jay,

 

What if the track kept a couple of Grand Stocks on hand? Those interested could "enter" each night for the drawing to actually race that night. That would be one of the "perks" for those sitting in the back-stretch stands.

[REBELRACER]

or rent a grand stock or two for the evening like a grown ups malibu grand prix.......but the thing with that, you would have to have a bunch of suits in all different sizes and helmets in all different sizes.........might cost more than its worth.........

[97car]

Budman,sounds good in theory,but remember the scantily clad women and beer cans,may not be real good when someone has had a 6 pack or so and suddenly thinks he is a race car driver. Yes I know some racers have more then that if truth would be told.

[South Texas Speedway]

We did a spectator race at CCMS with some Bombers that the Dr. owned and it went fairly well.

 

I am hoping to have an Enduro early next year that will consist of 300 laps and have a break every 100, it will pay 3 to 5 thousand to win and third will at least get a thousand but as part of the rules to keep it fair the track keeps the top 3 cars when it is over with. We will build a spectator class using this method, hopefully the cars that win are good safe cars.

 

Anyway good info on here hope I can figure out how to get the rowdy section with Hooter girls at my track, we will see.

 

Owen

[97car]

Great idea Owen,how about getting a 4 race deal similiar to this with other tracks joining in and a bonus to whoever wins the most in the series,may see at least 100-200 cars for that kind of a race.

[texasprd]

As a long-time fan (my first race was at PAS in '69 or '70, age 6 or 7), I'm going to put in my 2-cents worth.

 

The suggestions about free/reduced-admission for kids are great! Get the kids in - they'll drag their parents back. Kids love to see the cars & drivers up close - that's how it was for me when I was a kid, and I'm sure it is for kids today. Maybe the previous week's winners can set up in a spectator area before the races - let them qualify first if need be, but get them where the fans, and especially kids, can see them (and maybe sit in them?). Figure out how to keep the racers from leaving right after their races are over, so the fans can see/talk/touch in the pits afterwards. They want to see their hero drivers. Do a kid-ride night every so often - this will only work in lower divisions due to the interior sheet-metal in LMs or mods, but it's something... I was always a Harold Oatman fan (since my brother crewed for him), but when I rode in Ed Szchech's car I started rooting for him, too. Every track should have a no-beer, no-smoking section. And CLEAN RESTROOMS (makes the wives happy - VERY important!)

 

Short intermissions & quick clean-ups are a must! Fewer classes, with more cars in them, is the way to go. We want to see competition - not one car running away in a 3-car race. This will also speed up the show. Given the cost of late models, I will admit I don't have an answer for the problem of a wide gap between car-class costs with only 3 divisions. All my racing was drag racing, but I've always followed short track, have known several racers, and have at least some idea of the costs. Maybe someone has an idea there... But having umpteen fields w/ few cars in each is a lousy show. Invert the field (either by qualifying or points). It's much more fun watching passing than watching someone run off from the pole. If some of the slower guys finish a little better, it helps keep them coming back thus helping the show in general. To prevent sandbagging, offer a qualifying position bonus. If inverting by points, it will probably even out.

 

Do any track owners/promoters attend the RPM workshops or read Speedway Illustrated? SI sometimes has articles & columns that pertain, and recommend the RPM workshops.

 

Just my thoughts as a long-time fan who doesn't want to see the sport die...

[Budman]

Good points 97Car and Texasprd.

 

Now, at this point maybe it's appropriate to post a photo. This is my all time favorite. It breaks me up everytime I look at it. Not just because it has to do with Hooters. It's because the photographer, whoever it was, was able to capture the exact instant of irony when it took place. That's a rare and beautiful thing. The photo speaks volumes with no caption at all. Enjoy ....................

[Budman]

>>>> >>>>

[rebelracewriter]

Priceless!!

[zoom]

Well at least one of them believes the sign.

 

What is that punchline

"Here's your sign"

[ProTree]

whatevever that is with the sign gets my vote for an "EXTREME MAKEOVER"

[Pacecar]

Perhaps this topic has run its course. So I'll sum it all up by saying:

 

My Nascar member computer mouse pad is wore out.... should I renew my membership and maybe they'll send me a new mouse pad..... or should I just buy another pad? Maybe SAS will provide a new pad

[Rick Day]

Larry

 

I will buy you a new mouse pad, in exchange for the rain gauge. Which ever way we end up going.

 

Rick Day

[Definitive]

Did Rick just say"rain"this close to Octoberfast?Omg didn't anyone explain to him about our past experiences with mother nature during Octoberfast?Sun...the key word here is sun.