Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Never hit stationary objects!

Wouldn't be in Rhode Island, they don't even have a real race track. They have Barnyard , which is literally that, a barnyard with no defined classes, no fan area, no schedule, and the Coffee Cup indoor races, and that is all. Auto racing was illegal for decades in Rhode Island, and the indoor races in 2009 were the first legal races in 50 years.

And you are correct it will be difficult to grow local racing, but no growth will occur without a lot of hard work, but hard work will bring rewards. Look at the King of the West, they resurrected car counts for traveling 410's in Cali, and grandstands were pretty full too.

In all honesty, I'm not even totally sure that it comes down to just kids. I agree the kids are a huge part of the equation, but sometimes the adults are the starting point.Ticket giveaways at local stores, advertisements and coupons in the paper, promotional flyers on windows at Wal-Mart are all things I have seen that are relatively effective but eventually you gotta find new, outside the box ways to do this stuff. One I have done with my drivers is put them up at a local store the day of the races handing out free and discount coupons. We've also done "Ride to the Races" programs where people will all meet at a local place and take a bus to the track together. In the long run, any idea that sells even a few tickets is a winner...

I was raised around racing as well as my to teenage kids. My daughter is on the other side of the state going to college & when she's home for her 1 month summer break she loves going to our local 3/8 mi dirt track watching her brother race his Focus Midget or she'll make the 12 hr round trip to watch if she has the weekend off. Around here there are alot of the local high school kids that attend on Sat. nights throughout the summer.

I've taken the Midget to the HS shop class & talked to the students (5 classes worth) about racing, shocks, Midgets etc.& supporting the local track. I handed out free passes to to the students which most of them were used. I've talked to our promoter last fall & I will be doing it again this spring. Last year was my son's first season racing Focus Midgets & he's got quite a few fans from his HS that come out & watch him race...most of them without their parents.

I think the adults are alot of the problem. I work with 60 other employee's that say "yeah i hear them every Sat night but...". About half of the employee's live less than 10 mins from the track & have either never attended a race or have @ one time when they were younger & only a couple of them go to the races a few nights during the season.

Put together a positive atmosphere and start racing these. Of course new builds with all the latest safety items needed.

Time and patience, it would work

Individuality and style meets speed, wingless!

I am getting quite a few KIDS telling me they wish race cars still looked like these. Yes, they are!

It's not the cost of the cars, nor is it the size of the haulers. It's how many butts in the seats that wish to watch you guys race , that bring in the money, and survival of the tracks themselves.

Racers tend to be their own worst enemies when they alone get to choose the way a movement is going to be.

I'm done................for now

Probably the closest you'll get to what you want....Ray Evernham's U.S. Dirt Legends...

http://www.circletrack.com/ultimateracing/ctrp_1103_legends_modified_dirt_car/photo_14.html

Doug Bushey

Passionate Fan / Announcer / Media & Public Relations 
Agent 

Never hit stationary objects!

I love this picture! If this car was still in competition somewhere, I'd like racing much better. Count me as one who only goes to the races occasionally any more. Why? Because I love sprint car racing, and local sprint car racing has all but been ruined in the Dallas area. Yeah, I can go and watch 11 or 12 racesaver 305 cars somwhere, but I have to put up with mods, sportmods, stocks, and other classes I have absolutely no interest in. Yes, I'm mourning the death of sprint car racing where I live!

Thank God the ASCS comes in once in awhile, or I probably would never see a dirt track this summer.

Everyone owns some type of vehicle. Few people walk to the races. Most red blooded boys have an interest in the brand of cool car or truck their daddy or big brother drives. If we don't try to get Fords and Dodges out there with the oceans of chevs and also pump up the rivalry, we are missing about half the potential fan interest. When I tell my countless Mustang buddies I'm going to watch a bunch of scrubs, I go by myself. If I told them a bunch of 410 or 430 Windsors turning 9 grand making 900 horses were going to be there, I'd have to borrow the church van.

Luna's Ford engine style that won 2 WoO titles and 3 
Kings Royals before a weight rule against the best EVER
in their prime and now DOMINATES super dirt late model
racing is no longer allowed/wanted in a WoO sprint
car.... Was Luna a miracle worker?

I have been going to races for 50 years and I put a lot of blame on some of the local promoters and tracks for not keeping up with the times. Tracks and RACERS need to realize they are in the ENTERTAINMENT business that involves race cars. They are competing for the consumers dollars and they better deliver a good entertainment value. They have to keep the people ENTERTAINED and that means keeping the program moving, engaging the kids and getting families home by a decent time. If the program calls for hot laps at 7 and racing to start at 7:30, make sure the track prep is finished and the program is ready to start at 7 sharp. Nothing infuriates me more than going to a track and see that they are still grading the track at 7. Once the racing starts, keep the program moving. If heat 1 has started, head 2 should be lined up in the staging area and ready to go.

My local track is running 4-5 classes and they have delays between every race. Most of the time the races finish after 11:00 PM, which is their cut off time. I realize they want to keep people there to buy concessions but keep the program moving. Next time you go to a local race, watch how many families start to leave about 10:00 PM and that will tell you WHY many patrons are not returning. If those people are leaving early, they are missing the A main and they will feel like they did not get their monies worth.

Relatively short shows. Have the track prepped to start on time. Run the races in an expeditious manner. Have clean rest rooms and good, reasonably priced concessions. Also have considerate, competent and congenial employees!

I've been a race fan for over 50 years and, as I get older, I don't want to spend a lot of time at a track while the maintenance people redo a track that wasn't prepped right in the first place. Likewise 30 or 40 minute intermissions to allow for the sale of beer are out as far as I'm concerned.

Also, although I know the "back gate" income is critical to a promoter's existence, limit the number of classes so the show doesn't go on forever. Many years ago I attended an Indiana Speed Weeks sprint car race at Paragon Speedway. In addition to the sprint cars, there were local stock car classes. I honestly believe that someone was building the stock cars in the parking lot as there was a never ending stream of them. I had an older uncle and his young grandson with me and I eventually decided to leave even before the sprint car main event as the program was dragging on and on and on and on and on!

Tucson Osty

Osty

You have nailed it, I would say one more thing, when tracks run 5 or more classes and make the sprints the last race the track by then is usually garbage so now it has become a waste of time and the one thing I don't want to see is so so racing and you walk away thinking why do I put up with this. So my suggestion would be to run the sprints early not late, as I know the promoters need the back gate to make it a success, then if it was a long drawn out show you have the choice to leave.

Grady

. 

I can sure tell promoters, how not to get more people in the stands. Charging adult prices for 13 thru 18 year olds is one of the reasons attendance is down. I have said it before and I will again, how many 13 year olds have a job and can afford to pay their way in? So who pays? Mom, Dad and two or three teens at most tracks cost over $50 to see a weekly show. Few family's can afford this. The future is dependent on these young teens and they are being shut out because of greed. An adult admission price should never be charged untill the fan becomes an adult! At least 18 years old. Teens should never be charged more than $5 for a weekly show.