Forum: SCRAFAN.COM Forum (go)
Moderators: ljennings

Race track promoters are frequently uninspired and lack creativity when actually promoting their shows. They would do well to learn from minor league baseball teams when it comes to creating wacky and inventive special promotions that drive attendance and gain publicity.

My latest article address this (the second in a series that started last week with car counts) is up on the Examiner.com site. Do you guys have any ideas for off-the-wall promotions, or know of any that tracks have done recently? I'd love to hear some good stories and ideas.

National Sprint Car & Midget Examiner
http://tinyurl.com/r4opgk

A long time ago when I lived in Colorado, the local track had a race queen each night that was provided by a local Go-Go club. Some of those ladies were hot!

If I remember correctly Ascot used to run some sort of Bud girl contest.

I read your article...your retarded...like most journalist....when I go to a sprint car race ,I want to see a race ...not a dog and pony show.a tight race.....if a promoter had a mixed Martial arts demo it wouldn't benefit his racing ..if I wanted to see martial arts -I'd go to the fights........Now to the point-If a promoter was smart he'd arrange with certain race teams ,for them to display their cars /with race videos at other venues...pay the teams with free pit passes..set up at speedway events/drag races/boat races/moto cross...hell selling an exciting event like midget-sprint car racing should be easy...it ain't boring ass baseball

I was selling at the gun show last weekend at the showgrounds. When cars were running on the track it could easily be heard inside the buildings. Could not believe how many people wanted to know what was going on. A car on display could have gotten hundreds of people to go. Or flyers, or discount coupons (are there such a thing?) Heck passing them out at the front gate would have been a easy grandstand filler!

How can your post be taken seriously with your description of journalists?

"Ralphie, Senor, muchas gracias por una mas cerveza"  -
Scott Daloisio @ the PAS

because he's right !!!

ROB

Here is a guy who brings much needed attention to Sprint Car and Midget racing with countless articles for a huge news web site that is read around the world and you are calling him "retarded." Sheer brilliance!!! What are you thinking? Remember that comment if this guy's editors thumb their nose at our sport and drop the coverage due to comments like that.

Whether you like what he has to say or not, this guy brings publicity to a sport that is dire need of it. It gets harder and harder to get any ink outside of the industry these days, but this guy does it on a regular basis. In fact, he just interviewed David Cardey this morning. I do not always agree with what he has to say, but I thank him for taking the time to try to keep us in the public eye when others ignore us.

Scott did you read his article,his depiction of sprint car racing and fans....there are journalist who get the tradition-the passion and the thrill ..I don't think he does...he should write stories about little league baseball,high school football or drift cars ...leave sprint car racing to those with passion ..like Jack Slash..seriously you don't want to stand next to that guy during the main......remember back in the '70's george Plimpton wanted to write about football,trained with a team -went out on the field in a game an got faceplanted by a 300lbs gorilla,I read his impresions and thoughts cause he got involved ,this guy wants to leave the pressbox and spend time with real fans ,drivers ,owners...see the intensity of a Tony Jones,Rip Williams,Danny Sheridan,Rickey Gaunt...well he wouldn't right fluff...theres more to sprint car and midget racing than just cars going around in circles...we need people who can write with passion about this sport to get fans to come...a college degree in journalism ain't all that

Actually, if you look at the "tradition" of promoting open wheel races going back to the 1920s and 1930s, you'll find that promoters back then put on some wild stunts that not even the craziest promoter today would dream about trying. So to say that suggesting that promoters need to be more creative with their promotional ideas somehow goes against the grain of the "tradition" of racing is pretty silly.

I write about sprint car racing because I love it; even though I'm supposed to be "unbiased" I can be pretty biased that I don't want to see it fall by the wayside - and if anyone wants to argue that things are going great right now, I'd love to have that argument.

I completely agree that one of the best things a promoter can do is run a tight show - keep it moving, and minimize the wait time between races. But like it or not, there is going to be time between races, and instead of hearing the track announcer shill beer at the concession stands, why not be entertaining as well.

Maybe you wouldn't go to a race because there is an MMA demonstration there, but perhaps hundreds of other people who otherwise wouldn't go might. And that influx of new fans is what racing desperately needs right now.

National Sprint Car & Midget Examiner
http://tinyurl.com/r4opgk

my agreement with race88 was based on the fact that most"journalist"wouldn't know the truth if it bit them in the butt,and not intended to disparage SprintExaminer's writings heck I havn't even read them.

ROB

It's cool. If I had a thin skin about people making journalist comments, I wouldn't be doing this. At least I'm not a lawyer.

National Sprint Car & Midget Examiner
http://tinyurl.com/r4opgk

I agree with you Sprint dude if they did more promoting like two for one passes ,wet T-shirt contest , naked bike races at intermission, or buy two beers get the third one free deal the stands would probably be full .

your friend

Al.Boner

What is happening at the PAS is called "family fare". What you have suggested is anything but that.

get it right ..you said.sprint car racing was a poor backwoods cousin to nascrap....on the family tree of racing .sprint cars and nascrap are in no way related...as far as Rob goes ..don't agree with me if you won't even bother to read the article ....some of the best people I know are racing fans and racers..you don't have to be unbias to report on a sport like racing ..you need to get your hand on the pulse of the sport and realize why people are so intense in there passion for it..then write about that...damn dude you gon'a stand on the outside all your life ..Get involved you'll love it! If Cory Krusman still got that tandeum git in the back and 'live' it for 10 laps!

race88: I didn't say that sprint car racing was a poor backwoods cousin to NASCAR. What I said what that is the perception that a lot of non-fans have about the sport:

"In many ways, the similarities between sprint car and midget racing and minor-league baseball are striking. Both are firmly rooted as part of Americana, steeped in tradition primarily in the small towns and rural areas that make up the heart of the country. Both appeal to a small but devoted group of fans. And both live in the fringes, often seen as the poor, backwoods cousin of larger versions of the sport (whether it’s MLB or NASCAR)."

I don't know how much more clear to make it than this: I firmly believe that if you take casual sports fans to a good sprint car race, they will want to come back and tell their friends about it as well. It's happened with me more times than I can remember. The job of a promoter is to not just rely on loyal fans converting new fans, but to actively do things to bring in fans who otherwise wouldn't think about spending a night at the track.

And on another note: I think you can bring in Bud/Hooters/Whatever Girls and sign autographs, give out prizes, etc. without being trashy. Mainly, I just wanted to post a picture of a hot girl, since I was struggling for a picture idea!

National Sprint Car & Midget Examiner
http://tinyurl.com/r4opgk

JayP,yours is the only positive /promising post on this subject....if PAS was willing to print up posters [like Ascot used to] with their schedule ...fans like you and me would place them in every speed shop ,auto shop,motorcycle shop,offroad truck shop..ect. in our area...may not fill the stands but couldn't hurt...it's your idea but I'd help in the Victorville area..new fans are needed....what do you say Perris?

Cheers!

Come on guys, this guy is tying to help our sport and has asked for ideas to help it grow and prosper. I believe everyone on this board are the hard core sprint car fans and it can't hurt to have writers that will give publicity to the sport we love, there is no bad publicity. As far as the PAS goes I think you have to give them their due the stands appear to have more fans than the previous years (just a guess) and they do promote with different types of gate promotions.

Grady

. 

I agree Grady and couldn't have said it better. It's to bad 88 has to use a word that has become offensive and just plain wrong in his description of the writer. T4, you should really read the article before commenting.

"Ralphie, Senor, muchas gracias por una mas cerveza"  -
Scott Daloisio @ the PAS

Don't bash the guy to bad. Most non race fans hear that you are going to a race think nascrap first. But when you explain the thrill of seeing and feeling high horse powered L/Ms or Sprints thundering around a clay oval, throwing dirt high in the sky, they are a bit more interested.

I really like what Chris Kearns is doing at Santa Maria Speedway. First year promoter there and he has a lot of things going on. They have been out in the communities promoting. A car show at the mall. Had a float in a parade. Has different groups at the races with 50/50 drawings, a dunk tank, cars that aren't racing that night on display, kids bike give-a-ways, a two-seater L/M ride and more. Sure, sometimes it slows the program, but you always have some down time anyways. I see it as time to do whatever else you need to do. But I see it as a positive 'family' thing also. Then its time to put the kiddie stuff away and get our race on.

There are promoters and there are the guys that just have a race. I say Promote.

Kenny

Cover your beer, the race is on!