zoom Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 Who is going to quit all the talk about support of local tracks and racing and go ahead and commit to doing something about it? Are you? I have been trying to stay out of all the talk the last couple of years on this board about the lack of support (fan, promoter, track, media, etc) for our local racing. I gotta ask. Are you doing anything (other than racing or working on a car) to help show that local racing is a viable sport in your local market? And I am not talking about press releases either. Do you go and support functions? Do you show your car in car shows? do you hand out flyers for the tracks? Do you think that there is no more to racing than just showing up on Saturday and unloading the car and racing? I was just wondering because after attending last nights FASCAR meeting I was thinking about everything said and seeing some of the people that devote a bunch of time to tasks that support our local racing, and they don't race, they are just pure fans. God bless them. I heard someone say just ask and we will help. How about just volunteer and quit waiting to be asked. I was wondering how many of us, honestly can say that we do all we can to support our local racing. I know I can't say that. I don't go out on an evening and pass out fliers. I don't attend every car show or function. I know everyone has other commitments like work, family, church, etc. Ask the people coordinating these events if support is shown by the racing community, and if they give you the honest answer, it would probably be No, attendance was pitiful, or, we had 2 cars come to show their cars. I know how much work is involved in keeping a car race-able. Points battles consume us. Our goal is the car on the track. We are totally committed to the car, the race team, Saturday night. But as has been stated here too many times to count, if we don't do something, we won't have a place to race. Or as Nick says, we will be racing in Kmarts parking lot. I know how hard it is to load the car and go show it. Cool your heels for a few hours showing the car. Been there done that. So again I ask, What are you doing? Coming on TXSZ and discussing it? Telling everyone the way it should be? Or are you doing it? Example - Are you going to be at Dave and Busters on Friday night to support racing? Not to support USRA specifically, but local racing. Put aside your gripes and complaints on touring series versus local classes/tracks. This is LOCAL RACING. We need to support it. It will trickle down. According to Bobby, Dave and Busters said "prove it" that we would have a bunch of people show up. If we continue to have the apathetic turn out of the racing community like the past, it will be like my dad used to say - "you let your alligator mouth overload your hummingbird A$$." Do I want to go? NO. Will I go? YES. I have to, otherwise - to myself, if no one else, I will just be a bag of wind. I will be like meringue on lemon meringue pie - looks good, no substance. I appologize to you get offended by this post. Why does it offend you? If you are doing things to support local racing, you are nodding your head. If you are not, maybe you are busy being offended. I know, I am pointing an index finger out there, but you know what? That means that I have 3 other fingers on my hand pointing back at me. So I will shut up and go plan on some stuff I can do to help support local racing. Here is something to think about. All you can do is all you can do, but all you can do is enough. As they say, just my .02 Thanks for listening. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REBELRACER Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 well we have taken the car to a few car shows, here lately we haven't known about the car shows until the fascar meeting when they are saying thank you to so and so for showing their car...........grant it we were torn up for about a month so we wouldn't have been able to go anyway, but we didn't know about the show until after the fact so it doesn't matter...........as far as dave & busters, it is one of those weeks between pay days so i'm not sure if we will be there or not.............if nothing else we might go to hang out and b.s..........sure there is always more that everyone could do, but to us (me and my team) racing is a hobby..........if i wanted to be consumed by all that is racing i would look into it as a career, but to us it is just a hobby.............that doesnt mean we wont support the class or track by doing car shows and attend the meetings and all that good stuff, but i value my family more than racing........there are some things more important in life .............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truck99 Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 Chisolm trail parade in Lockhart two weekends ago and the Watermelon Thump parade in Luling this weekend. Both are well attended parades with announcers, etc. We make sure that the announcers announce our sponsors and the track we race weekly at. We've done these two parades and multiple other appearances for the past 4 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRACK ANNOUNCER Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 That was one of the most compelling and riviting postings I have read in a while. The stark truth to it iall is that this man is so very correct. Thanks for the shake up and making me stop and ponder on the things that I and everyone else can do for the sport that we all love. I have no doubt to think that racers love the sport. And that they have good intentions and thoughts. But it is way to often that we wait until our backs are against the wall to respond. On a different web site ( Who won ). I have said time and time again. That we all need to step up to the plate and promotoe or sport and volunteer for projects. I mentioned the idea's of support groups to the tracks. Things like a ladies auxilary group. A fan club. Other groups and organizations can be formed. Each taking on a small or even large task that can benefit the track, the sport and the image it has with the public. Some tracks do have this. Most do not. Often people want to get involved. But do not know haw to get started. Communicate with the track. Inform track owners and promotors that you have good intentions. Form a organized board of leaders. Set up a communications post on a web site for those involved and those that are developing a interest in what is going on. Take on projects that may include providing a play ground for young fans. Organize the racers to participate in a parade. Sell billboard ads and get a certain percentage of the sale and donate the money to the year end banquet. The idea's and task that you can do could go on forever. Some of you may be thinking. IT IS NOT MY JOB TO PROMOTE A TRACK. That's the promotors job. Those that are thinking this at this stage and condition of the sport may not be able to see beyond the end of there nose. Local racing is in trouble. And I mean some serious trouble for many tracks. Track closure is becoming the norm lately in many area's. With out our help. A few more will close SOON! Believe it or not. It may be up to us to save these tracks because owners and promotors have not been able to do it on there own. I also ask the question. Who is willing to step up to the plate and add to a positive cause for your local raceway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerx Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 This comes up about once a quarter (every three months)... The phrase "preaching to the choir" comes to mind...by and large TSZ readers and participants are active in the racing community... In general, I think most people who have a passion for local racing do what they can...sometimes that means just helping get a car to the track and talking to people they work with...some can do more and do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rookie49 Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 I hope very much that I misunderstood you when you said something to the effect of "quit waiting to be asked just go out and do it." It read like you were talking to the fans. If you were talking about fans, and for that matter anybody involved in racing who is offering support, I wouldn't think that that is the right response. I understand that a lot of people want to create an environment where there is support for racing, but keep in mind that you are talking about nothing more than a small group of people's expensive hobby. It will make it or it won't. It will be supported or it won't. This isn't the fight against world hunger or AIDS, its local racing. We all like it or we wouldn't be on this board, but its not the end-all be-all. PS not offended, just offering my unsolicited 2 cent opinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 If anyone wants to hand out some flyers please let me know. Some real nice flyers were made for the SAS race on the 25th. Im going around and handing them out as well as a few others. If you need some please let me know. Gerald @ (210) 643-7581. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arts22 Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 If anyone wants to hand out some flyers please let me know. Some real nice flyers were made for the SAS race on the 25th. Im going around and handing them out as well as a few others. If you need some please let me know. Gerald @ (210) 643-7581. Will there be any at the track on Friday? If so I'll hand some out around SA...... Its a 4-1/2 to 5 hour drive for us to SAS. The closest track we race on is TMS and its 2 hours away. Theres not alot we can do for the promoting of the tracks around here, but we still bring several people to the races, we ask everyone. I dont mind giving money to the tracks to help with repairs or stuff like that, but it costs us alot just in fuel to get to the tracks, not to mention working 24-7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 arts22 Ill see to it that there are some at the track on friday. Thanks for the offer. Ill look you up this friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REBELRACER Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 The phrase "preaching to the choir" comes to mind... bobby used the same phrase last night at the fascar meeting with a response to it like " even the choir needs a bulletin to tell them whats going on"............or something to that effect...........it is true though........we all need there is plenty that can be done, but like was said, this is a hobby to a lot of folks..........a lot of people like to play golf as their hobby...........do they go out and pass out flyers promoting the golf coarse they play at??........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerx Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 When there is a project or coordinated promotion, it has to get down to the individual contact and commitment level to be successful...generic, shotgun approaches don't work...For instance, in San Antonio, Debbie Williams and Cindy Oates will send e-mails and call teams and fascar memebers directly to get the desired participation. The generic "let's all get more involved" is a nice sentiment, but it is not actionable. I am sure there was a lot of direct contact involved in the recent fundraiser. E-mail blasts and press releases alone won't do the trick. Someone has to organize a specific promotion and get commits from people, stay on top of it, and follow through. It has to be driven by leaders and it has to be managed. The track marketing people, fascar and start leaders (I don't know who the equivelent is for ccms and i-37), etc. If someone doesn't belong to one of these, but wants to make stuff happen, they should contact the track marketing people or one of the fan organizations. Managing Volunteer organizations to achieve desired results is not an easy task. More people will help if the task is clearly identified. Example: the SAS race this weekend. Goal: increase attendance by distributing X amount of flyers. Call all SAS team contacts, USRA team contacts, SAS officials, FASCAR members. Ask them each to distribute 20 flyers. Give them examples: post at work, grocery store, cleaners, windshields, friends, bars, etc. Have flyers printed and distributed to teams, officials, fascar. Send an email version of the flyer for people to forward to thier e-mail contacts. This all takes planning, preperation and follow-up. Make sure someone puts the fliers in the volunteers hands and gets a face to face commit to distribute them. Those kinds of things will work. If you just send an e-mail of the flyer and don't do anything else, not much will happen. This was just an example to illustrate how to do a successful program. I have not seen the SAS flyer, but I hear it is professional and people have been handing them out. I think the flyer thing is one of the most effective, low-cost marketing tools we have as a community. That was a very good move. I hope the SAS stands are full this weekend. The people that handed them out will be partly responsible for that happening. Keep doing that and it will build momentum and word of mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arts22 Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 Wow Larry, you should run for President..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REBELRACER Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 he makes a damn good point............the flyers are very professional and i plan on passing some out after work tonight.............i already hung a few up around the office............would it be possible to do a flyer like this every week for the following weeks events for the local shows.............like make up a mess of flyers advertising the next weekends events and hand them out to the drivers to distribute during the week.............im not sure of the cost of the flyers, but would it be possible to work out a deal with a copy house for the flyers.............an ad for the copy house in the racing program in exchange for the flyers.........they both win with that deal..........just a question.............but the flyer idea is the best and least expensive way to promote the track other than word of mouth............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 I was told the price was about $0.18 a piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 Just curious - Which race car is on the flyer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arts22 Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 One thing the promoters, tracks, etc. could do is have flyers made up for next weeks races to give to drivers, teams, owners, fans, etc at this weeks race. Example, I'll meet up with PAPA friday and get flyers for Saturdays race. Why not have flyers made up for our next race on 7-16-05 at THR and hand them out Saturday to the drivers, teams, fans, etc. That gives them 2 weeks to hand out flyers..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REBELRACER Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 thats pretty much what i was saying.............tq the flyers we have now have the usra super late models on them and the usra trucks.............very nice looking flyers and if they were only $0.18 each then that is a good price............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rookie49 Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 very well said Larry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rookie49 Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 I want an e-copy of the flier. I'll send it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrungot Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 Ahhhh.. Larry I think I am having flashbacks.. To the Drivers get off your.>> post.. With that in mind.. I have taken the constructive feedback I got back then… and done this.. I have a Circle of contacts… That are dependable, and strong… It has now come to the level that I don't have to call them to get them involved they call me…. Example.. They called me to get my help for a 7/2 event and 7/16 event.. Both I am completely willing to help with.. My hats off to these people and you will find out in upcoming press releases.. *(Bet the names won't surprise you) My wife and I haven't focused on bring in more families to the track right now.. Indirectly we have.. Actually we have focused on creating a better atmosphere at the track… Example.. Getting the kids involved… Handing out flier's of upcoming events Collecting donations JR. VIP.. *(if you don't know what it is.. Your missing it…) Brining Watermelon out Bring Candy out for all… Handing out "Checkered Flags" to the kids… *(Thank you to our sponsor CHECKERED FLAG COLLECTABLES!!!!) Kids bike races are a huge success!!! JRA Tee shirts.. Have to order more almost out of 12 dozen!!!! *(And they have black sharpie writing all over them!!!!) Josh Freeman Bringing his Race truck to the track… Pictures/Autographs.. Hot laps.. Kids loved it.. And it advertised upcoming race. Playground improvements I can keep going on but man.. I got to stop!... Its not just about getting the people out there.. Its KEEPING THEM THERE!!!!! Thank you to: Nelson Auto Group www.TRUCKSOURCE.NET >>> Title Sponsor of JRA Kids CLUB Checkered Flag Collectables >>> Materials/Trophies/Signs/Banners Sponsor ALTRANZ Transmission in Austin >>> Sponsor of the Nightly JR. VIP TSRS and MAN Racing Promotions >>> General Sponsor Action Equipment Rentals >>> General Sponsor Frontline Deliveries >>> General Sponsor White Knuckle Racing >>> Playground/General Sponsor Skiles Trucking >>> Playground Sponsor Gatti's Pizza >>>Bike Race Sponsor Pedal Power Bicycles of San Marcos >>> Bike Race Trophy Sponsor Gural Racing >> General Sponsor Team Teague Racing >> General Sponsor These are just a few of the people that help make every Saturday Night a success!!! AND ALL THE LADIES AND GENTS THAT HELP MY WIFE and I EACH AN EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT!!! That is how Laura and Aaron Brungot support local racing… It's not just what you do away from the track its what you do at the track!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerx Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 Courtesy of Cindy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REBELRACER Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 aaron that is also a good point...........that jra deal sounds like a great thing, how would one go about getting something similar started at sas................. what ever happened to the kiddie rides...........that used to be fun when i was a kid, getting to ride around the track for a lap in a racecar...........did they do away with them due to saftey and insurance reasons, or was it in an effort to speed the show up........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerx Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 The flyer looks great... Just a footnote that drives me nuts as a business person: The TV watching NASCAR fan isn't going to understand why we say or what we mean by "asphalt" or know what a "super late model" is...let the dirt tracks say what they race on and explain what they do...(sorry to our I-37 friends and Jay H.)...if it is confusing, they won't pay attention...some people probably don't even know NASCAR is "stock car" racing... We ARE the local version of Car Racing they see on TV...we don't need to explain or confuse people...we race stock cars on pavement just like TV...we have the advantage...we need to be thinking like they think not all caught up in terms only the local racing community understands....the simpler the message the better... We play on a field-turf surface, 100 yard field with a wilson 1001 using NCAA rules??? Oh you mean you play College Football! Kosher has it right "Big Kar Race" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 And the race cars should jump out at you, not in an artistic collage that's covered up with type. Wouldn't hurt to put a hero driver or two on the flyers, either, to start building name and face recognition among new fans. What about all the type? Well, once you get their attention, they'll look at the smaller type. And race cars do draw attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerx Posted June 22, 2005 Report Share Posted June 22, 2005 TQ and I have good points, but whoever did the flyer did great...it is a very good start... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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