A Subject Seemingly Totally Ignored

[kennystone5k]

 

[speed demon 7]

Kenny, I hope that Bullet Chassis has a roof hatch, I don't think Paris Hilton could squeeze through that window opening.

[1-Crew]

Are these any better - New England supermodifieds on asphalt.

 

[fast18]

That 10 car looks fast & mean!

[hray]

They are MODIFIEDS (as opposed to Stock Cars). They are not supposed to look like Stock Cars. In the original spirit of the class, they were supposed to be a class that allowed teams to experiment and modify Stock Cars to improve performance (chassis and engine). In doing that, the weight had to go so most body parts had to go. It didn't matter what it looked like as long as it was light. That's not exactly what we have today since the "let's make it equal" crowd has made rules, but that's where it started.

If you want a certain look in a car, start another class (which is just what we need).

[kennystone5k]

those look more like a sprint car to me....... new usac class....... LOL

[jumbo]

I've been lucky enough to watch super mods before. They are some kind of ugly I suppose. I never really saw one go slow enough to tell.

[kennystone5k]

KEN SCHRADER GOES TO DIRT TO HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Josh42]

yeah but just looking at these two brings back a dream ive had ever since i saw the cars race at PIR on tv and thats to drive one.

[tqj3]

Everybody's missing the point. We're talking about marketing, and trying to "sell" a modified to an uninformed but hopefully receptive group of potential fans whose only expectation is that racing cars look like what they see on NASCAR telecasts is difficult because, to those potential fans, the modified cars are ugly. Worse, the new audience can't relate to them.

Worldwide, what works is vehicles the general public can relate to (NASCAR, Touring Cars, Superbikes) because they are similar to what they drive or ride, and pure racing vehicles (Formula 1, MotoGP bikes, sprint cars) they understand have nothing to do with anything driven on the street. In this context, the modified is neither fish nor fowl, as the saying goes, and it's a hard sell.

If we had enough paying customers in the grandstands it wouldn't matter. But we don't, and it does. We need to promote the late models, because they look like NASCAR "stock cars." But we should also be promoting, say, four-cylinder and six-cylinder cars, because they are what most people drive, and we need to promote Super Stocks, but preferably with bodies that resemble newer cars, not 25-year-old Camaros.

You can probably bring this "new market" to modifieds eventually, but first you need to get them in the door with cars they can recognize.

There are something like one-and-a-half million people in Central Texas, give or take. Two-tenths of a percent of that is 3,000. If we can't get two-tenths of a percent of Central Texas to come out to Thunderhill, we're really in trouble.

But they have to know the tracks are there, and they have to like (and somewhat understand) what they see when they get there.

[Budman]

Its good to see I got you all thinking about this issue. That was the whole point of starting this thread! See y'all at the track!

[Nathan]

tgj3 have you been to a dirt track lately? Killeen has no problem filling the stands. the two dirt tracks in kennedale back to back put people in both stands. race cars that look like the cars people drive is an old way of thinking. Not that many people drive 78 camaros or 84 monte carlos. IMCA is one of the largest racing bodies in the us. There were how many modifieds at the imca super nationals. good racing with great car counts are what attracts fans. I still stand by my statement that I Have Never Heard Anyone Say That IMCA Modifieds Are Ugly until this thread. Late Models don't really look like the cars they are supposed to either.

[abrungot]

This is not a bash, this is truly what I would do if I was trying to build a recovery plan in Central Texas for 2008:

I have thought a lot about this….

 

Group A (8 race nights)

TSRS Late Models $750 to win $50 To start ($125 entry fee Car & Driver)

Pro Modifieds $600 to win $40 to start ($100 entry fee Car & Driver)

Pro Trucks $500 to win $40 to start ($75 entry fee Truck & Driver)

* All above based on 20 or more starting

* 15 or more Purse to win will drop to 2nd Place and move down.

* 10 or more will drop to 3rd place and move down

Group B (15 race nights)

Super Stocks $400 to win, $25 to start

Thunder Stocks $250 to win $25 to start

Grand Stocks $ 150 to win $25 to start

Street Stocks No Purse, Drivers Free admission to Track.

* All above based on 20 or more starting

* 15 or more Purse to win will drop to 2nd Place and move down.

* 10 or more will drop to 3rd place and move down

Group C (8 race nights)

Dwarfs

Pro Sedans

Legecy

Karts

 

 

New Class

Street Stocks - (4 or 6 cyl, Modern, Min Safety requirements) AKA Twisters from Texas Thunder

 

Schedule, March to Labor day, 15 race nights (Every Other Saturday)

7 of those race nights Group A and B *($15 admission 18 up/$10 Student & SR./ $5 Child 6 up)

7 of those race nights Group B and C *($10 admission 18 up/$6 Student& SR. / $5 Child 6 up)

1 race night All 3 Groups, Features only. AKA Spectacular!!

Friday night Run Streets with and Enduro & All Qualifying

 

Parking is $5 per Spectator car, All parking fees go toward the cost to advertise.

Continue to create drivers points fun from Raffles and such at the track.

Focus Marketing efforts on 16 - 24 yrs old

2nd Marketing focus is Family With Family pack. ($30.00 2 adult/2 child With $12 food credit)

 

Advertising Partnerships to invest in:

Greensheets

San Marcos paper

HOA (Home owners Associations) News Letters, 30 mile radius of track

Hispanic paper, (Not sure of name)

Austin Stateman for Group A events.

[kennystone5k]

people like to watch races!!! run heat races then run a A-main and see how many more people come out to watch. i don't race asphault mods. anymore cause you practiced then qualify then race, take all day and its boring for the fans!! DIRT TRACK RACERS MAKE EXCUSES TO RACE, ASPHAULT RACERS MAKE EXCUSES NOT TO RACE!!!!

 

why have entry fee for a local night of racing??????

 

change THR to dirt and see how many cars and fans show up!!!!

[HiTech]

... DIRT TRACK RACERS MAKE EXCUSES TO RACE, ASPHAULT RACERS MAKE EXCUSES NOT TO RACE!!!!...

change THR to dirt and see how many cars and fans show up!!!!

ASPHAULT RACERS MAKE EXCUSES NOT TO RACE ...THATS FUNNY ...SO WHAT YOUR EXCUSE FOR NOT RACEN ASPHAULT ..

[Truck99]

There's an interesting assumption that has come up a few times in this thread about the necessity of race cars to resemble street driven cars in order to maximize their appeal to the fan. I'm not sure if that is entirely true. Maybe it is, but maybe it's not. I'm sure there's been some research done on it somewhere.

 

All I can say for sure is what applies to ME, and that is this: If it is LOUD, goes fast, and produces beautifully aromatic smells of burning race fuel, I like to watch it!

 

Aaron, your post about the group A, B, and C stuff made me go hmmmm. Might be something to consider there.

[Racer26]

I know I'd bring my Mod when we rain out here in CC. Last week we ran Edna. This week who knows where we might end up. STS, Valley........................................I would probably be inclined to run asphalt if they were IMCA rules and I didn't have to change the whole damn car.

[kennystone5k]

BORING!!!! I DID RACE ASPHAULT, BUT IT WAS JUST TO BORING FOR ME.......

[Budman]

Nathan, let me explain to you how it works. The reason you haven't heard anybody say dirt mods are ugly is because on a Friday or Saturday night in the pits at a dirt track all the guys are there telling each other how "bad-ass" this car looks or that car looks until it gets to the point everybody standing around there comes to actually believe these cars a good looking. Its a matter of perception.

 

I've certainly heard they are ugly before. Its NOT just MY opinion. Its NOT an OLD way of thinking or a YOUNG way of thinking, its a DIFFERENT way of thinking, from an outside perspective. Its a REAL WORLD way of thinking from outside the inner circle of drivers and crews.

[RobbinsSr]

Abrungot,

I like your plane with only two exceptions....Low pay out for the local classes and To high of gate fee for spectators. Spectators should not have to pay more than $10 bucks to get in. The track will more than make up the $5 with bringing more people into the stands...Oh make that 3 things no parking fee.

[abrungot]

mini,

I hear your thoughts.. just understand its a recovery plan.. not a standard...

The above plan does the following:

 

Creates a short-term revenue source for advertising

Increases current payouts over 2007.

Rewards for higher car count

Creates a more modern class of cars, creates opportunity to parter with Killeen track.

Increases # of race nights

Balances # of classes racing each night Regular max 8 classes.

Establishes premier classes again.

Adds consistency to schedule

Limits Schedule conflicts in fall.

Lower Student pricing to attract that audience.

 

 

i can keep going but again... my dream plan that would address current issues in 2008.. beyond that you would continue to adjust...

[Lucky161]

Are these any better - New England supermodifieds on asphalt.

 

 

Now we're talking race cars! Not so pretty, but no doubt about their intent.

 

 

Everybody's missing the point. We're talking about marketing, and trying to "sell" a modified to an uninformed but hopefully receptive group of potential fans whose only expectation is that racing cars look like what they see on NASCAR telecasts is difficult because, to those potential fans, the modified cars are ugly. Worse, the new audience can't relate to them.

Worldwide, what works is vehicles the general public can relate to (NASCAR, Touring Cars, Superbikes) because they are similar to what they drive or ride, and pure racing vehicles (Formula 1, MotoGP bikes, sprint cars) they understand have nothing to do with anything driven on the street. In this context, the modified is neither fish nor fowl, as the saying goes, and it's a hard sell.

If we had enough paying customers in the grandstands it wouldn't matter. But we don't, and it does. We need to promote the late models, because they look like NASCAR "stock cars." But we should also be promoting, say, four-cylinder and six-cylinder cars, because they are what most people drive, and we need to promote Super Stocks, but preferably with bodies that resemble newer cars, not 25-year-old Camaros.

You can probably bring this "new market" to modifieds eventually, but first you need to get them in the door with cars they can recognize.

There are something like one-and-a-half million people in Central Texas, give or take. Two-tenths of a percent of that is 3,000. If we can't get two-tenths of a percent of Central Texas to come out to Thunderhill, we're really in trouble.

But they have to know the tracks are there, and they have to like (and somewhat understand) what they see when they get there.

 

Amen

[RobbinsSr]

abrungot, Texas Thunder and some other dirt tracks are what I was comparing to.

they only charge $10 to get in and I think SR is $8. If it cost a family a furtune to get in they are not going to come out. Its kinda like going to the matinee compared to reg price. I know one thing that THR really has going for it and its thanks to you is the kids club. When I told my boy we were going to be racing at THR next year instead of dirt he was exstatic...

[Lucky161]

mini,

I hear your thoughts.. just understand its a recovery plan.. not a standard...

The above plan does the following:

 

Creates a short-term revenue source for advertising

Increases current payouts over 2007.

Rewards for higher car count

Creates a more modern class of cars, creates opportunity to parter with Killeen track.

Increases # of race nights

Balances # of classes racing each night Regular max 8 classes.

Establishes premier classes again.

Adds consistency to schedule

Limits Schedule conflicts in fall.

Lower Student pricing to attract that audience.

 

 

i can keep going but again... my dream plan that would address current issues in 2008.. beyond that you would continue to adjust...

 

Just my personal opinion, but you wouldn't need a very big parking lot if you charged $5 for parking. I'd be more likely to just toss in a $5 donation towards recovery than I would to pay for the parking. I don't attend Ranger games anymore because of their parking situation.

 

Parking fees can have their place, but I don't see it for local short track racing. TMS probably should get away from free parking. They could use fees collected for parking to pay for buses which done properly could really cut down on their 3-6 traffic jams. But that's another topic.

[tqj3]

Lucky161, those cars are gorgeous, but have more in common with an IndyCar or a Formula 1 car: they are purpose-built open-wheel racing cars, and look it. They just happen to be front-engined (though, really, they're mid-engine.) As I said, modifieds are neither fish nor fowl.

 

Aaron, you're close, but Mini9r is right: the parking fee won't fly and it'll alienate the spectators. Your numbers for gate admission are pretty close for 2008, with a look at lowering them again in 2009. Purse payouts for locals are another problem, maybe best addressed by getting a title sponsor for each class, which they should have, anyway.