Something To Think About...

[DarrellGoode]

I copied this from Paducah International Raceway's facebook page. Folks, the bashing of race tracks and owners on social media has to stop or there won't be race tracks to go to. I'm guilty of this, and I feel I'm partly to blame for Bob Sargent not promoting Late Model specials at PIR. I got all bent out of shape about the track conditions at last year's World 50. I went on here and facebook to point fingers...especially to Bob. Bashing tracks and owners is NOT the answer. Talk to management face to face and discuss your issue's... Now here is a portion of the post from PIR!


As race fans we see tracks that are hurting on car counts, tracks hurting on fan count, you name it, it’s probably hurting. This is sad but very true. We struggled all year with our car and fan count.

Throughout the 2015 season social media has been our best friend and our worst enemy. Social media is killing our sport that we all have learned to love. Here in the last few weeks two different dirt tracks have permanently closed due to the constant battle with social media. The harsh words and criticism are doing serious damage for the dirt racing community.

Racing is in our blood, it’s what we live and breathe. Local dirt tracks like ours give fans and drivers a place to call home, a place to bring your family, and a place to spend your night eating dirt sprinkled chili-cheese fries.

For the 2016 season we have to work together. All of us. From the staff, to drivers, to fans, etc. We have to work together to save the sport we love.

We want to make the year 2016 the best race season yet. Exciting things are coming to Paducah International Raceway this year. This is going to be a year of change. We want to give drivers a place that they are honored to call their home track. A place where fans can bring their children and make unforgettable memories.


Everyone please continue to support your local tracks and PLEASE NO MORE BASHING!!! I'm done with all of that.

Thanks,
Darrell

[golddirt]

Well don't give people something to bash

[derricklong38]

its bad that you cant say the bathrooms suck, my fries were cold, and i dont like being at the track until 4 in the morning without being called a "Basher"

[ClampedUp]

Here's something promoters, track owners, and series "need to think about".....

By T.J. Buffenbarger

Recently a track in Michigan was shut down unexpectedly after being sold. One of the reasons the track owner cited selling the facility was criticism on social media outlets were to blame for the lack of success. This is a cry I have heard increasingly over the past several years, I also believe in most cases blame that is misguided.

Recently I have seen a movement of people that feel nothing critical should ever been said about a race track, and that fans and teams (customers) should just be happy they exist. This is a sport where the objective is the win and to do so is to work at getting better as a driver or race team to do so. The same has to be done from the track and series management side. If I were to go out for a hamburger and had a less that satisfactory experience should I just be happy there is a hamburger place to go to when there are 20 other places offering the same thing down the street? That holds true in the entertainment field. There are more entertainment options than ever for families. Having a business that can’t start the program on time, finish at a reasonable hour, and have less than adequate facilities and blaming social media is not getting to the reason things are not working.

When a facility cannot provide clean facilities, start remotely close to on time, or end a program at a reasonable hour on a regular basis and in turn expect paying customers to be stratified just by your existence is not a sustainable business plan. Often times these are the same facilities that don’t update information or results until days after the event. How can you build a fan base if those customers can’t find out what happened the next morning? Can you imagine your favorite sports team taking up this practice? Often times the tracks complaining about social media also are guilty of this practice as well.

For every track I see complaining about social media I see others thriving and embracing it. The ones using this to their advantage can convey their passion and what they think is great about the sport or their facility in creative ways. I’ve seen “track selfies” being encouraged during the race night and often will flood my feeds during race night of people enjoying themselves at the races. If someone is searching for a night out in their area there is a good chance they can stumble across images like this and it might intrigue them to come.

No matter how well a facility is run there will always be customers that are not happy and will use it as an outlet to complain. If the track is well run though they generally will not have a leg to stand on and their complaint will be more of anomaly.

Asking your customers just to exist is not good enough. With entertainment options springing up everywhere the racing community needs to be more creative on how we convey what is great about the sport. There are so many things we do right on the short track level. Fans can get a nights entertainment at a reasonable cost, with reasonable concessions (or bring your own cooler/food at some facilities), and meet the “heroes” at the end of the night. Social media is another way to remind people of these things.

Instead of worrying about what customers are saying about your track, series, or racing on social media they should be focused on how they can make the racing experience at their facility for the customer. If the customer experience can continue to evolve for fan and race team then the later problem with social media is self-correcting.

Instead of convincing fans they should be happy for your existence, show them with creativity and the desire to make things better each and every race night.

[Pops15]

I doubt there's been anyone on this forum that's defended promoters more than I have over the years. The thing is, there's bashing, and there's constructive criticism. Promoters need to learn the difference. Promoters and officials often get defensive when they hear or read criticism, instead of trying to remedy the situation.

You want better car counts?
Do a good job of prepping and maintaining your racing surface.
Be unbiased with your officiating.
Pay the racers fairly.
Do your racers leave the track wishing they could go back next week or are they hoping they never see the place again?

You want more fans?
Get off your asses and PROMOTE! Stop making excuses. PROMOTE! Try something different. If that doesn't work try something else! It's called PROMOTION!
People are always looking for fun things to do!
Maybe they've been to your track and didn't have fun!
Run a fast paced show.
Your announcer has to be informative and entertaining.
You have to have clean rest rooms.
You have to serve good food at reasonable prices.

If your racers and fans aren't having fun at your track why would you expect them to keep coming back?

Is your track under achieving? Stop making excuses. Stop blaming the people you've driven away. Stop doing the same thing every other under achieving promoter is doing. The so called bashers have identified the problems. Fix those problems!

[DarrellGoode]

All I can say is there is a difference between constructive criticism and bashing. And if you have something to say about the track, just go up to the owner or promoter. Making it public online is not the answer. Nothing good comes from that. Like I said, I'm guilty of it. I've apologized to Bob and I think he's good with it.

With the economy not very good and tracks closing for that reason, we don't need them to close for this
reason.

[25 Jay 53]

Is it too much to ask for a decent start/finish time, a couple good late model shows during the season, and fairly raceable track conditions?

[Dante Toledo, OH]

Like with any other business, social media is only a negative if your business is run poorly. I am pretty sure the folks that run fairbury or Knoxville, Oakshade, Eldora, Lernerville etc have no issue with social media at all. I don't buy into the "fans bashing" is ruining my track argument at all. I have probably been to 20 tracks away from home in my lifetime because of good things said on social media. People don't get on social media and continue to run down people doing it right. If the racing and racing surface are good, the payout and points fun are good. If the facility is in decent shape with good food and the prices are good. You will have fans and drivers. And do stuff for kids. Let them in free, give stuff away at intermission etc. kids that like racing bring adults to the races. Kids that like racing grow up to be adults that like racing.

[pickersparadise]

Man!!! I remember my first late model race!!!!!! The cars were soooooo fast! It was so exciting, non stop action!! Richmond Ky, I was so entertained that I would return hundreds of times to many different tracks, bathrooms at most dirt tracks have always been pretty bad on the mens side, but that was ok, food usually not very good especially if you sprinkle in some dirt, and that was ok too, I always hate the long delays between races, but that was ok too, i guess im saying for a good late model race, i will eat before i come, take a nap if i have too, and pee behind a tree!!! Bring on the racing!!!!!!!

[dirtMAN007]

If the truth is being broadcast over social media (wether it be pos or neg ) track owners should learn from it and adress any issues immediately and let it be known the next week what was done and show that they are willing work and resolve issues !!!!! It can be a win win for an honest and willing track owner !!!!!!!!!!

[kidrock]

If the truth is being broadcast over social media (wether it be pos or neg ) track owners should learn from it and adress any issues immediately and let it be known the next week what was done and show that they are willing work and resolve issues !!!!! It can be a win win for an honest and willing track owner !!!!!!!!!!

Very good post and so true.

The same as if someone gets on social media and says things about a track that is not true. The owner promoter or their PR guy or gal needs to get on social media and tell what really happened. I don't think they need to go back and forth and keep arguing with the people but, they need to at least have some say in what actually really happened.

[dirtMAN007]

Pops15 , hagerstown speedway breaks just about all of your criteria for getting fans and drivers to come there !!! It is sad for a place that was once the capital af dirt track racing !!!!!!!

[STRONGERTHANDIRT]

If the reason your track is struggling is because of social media, you probably deserve those struggles. Like stated above, learn from the criticism and make changes that will result in better cars count and better fan counts. For the occasional fan, one bad experience and they will not return.

[huskerdirt]

I remember when Mr Moyer made some comments about the track last year. You all acted like he didn't have a right to say it. Too funny.

[Highside Hustler25]

i guess im saying for a good late model race, i will eat before i come, take a nap if i have too, and pee behind a tree!!! Bring on the racing!!!!!!!

Amen brother ! I'm with you.

[fastford]

like it or not, social media is here to stay, you cant snap your finger and make it go away. track operators have to deal with it. I have always been a firm believer in dealing with problems face to face, but with the advent of social media its becoming a thing of the past. people will say things ,whether right or wrong sitting behind the key board they would probably never say in person. I personally blame the economy for the down turn in racing , at least for me personally . I think social media is only a small part of the problem the race community is facing..JMO..

[turnleftandgasit]

All you need to do is compare Fairbury and Farmer City. FALS can do no wrong, and Farmer City does nothing to even try to compete with them. I live 15 miles from each of them, and very seldom go to FC. Between the hit or miss track conditions, TERRIBLE conditions of the bathrooms, food sold out by the heat races, no score board, and hit or miss sound system.

[Cardirt0]

All you need to do is compare Fairbury and Farmer City. FALS can do no wrong, and Farmer City does nothing to even try to compete with them. I live 15 miles from each of them, and very seldom go to FC. Between the hit or miss track conditions, TERRIBLE conditions of the bathrooms, food sold out by the heat races, no score board, and hit or miss sound system.

Thats a Lie FarmerCity They have Made Tons of Improvements over the last 3 years.. I live 28 miles from there.. First Score boards arnt Cheap..They Have add FM too the sound and lots of new speakers and amps..I have never heard more Praise for track conditions then last year ..They done a lot of work on the Bath rooms and add lots of Port pottys...I only heard of one race they run out of food and they Came out and said they F..K up...And how would you know you said you dont go no more ...

[Barbecueboy]

All I can say is there is a difference between constructive criticism and bashing. And if you have something to say about the track, just go up to the owner or promoter. Making it public online is not the answer. Nothing good comes from that. Like I said, I'm guilty of it. I've apologized to Bob and I think he's good with it.

With the economy not very good and tracks closing for that reason, we don't need them to close for this
reason.

25 years ago I would have agreed with you.......but the owners and promoters make themselves pretty scarce when it comes to wanting to hear constructive critisism face to face.....

Plus, most promoters have relegated themselves to using social media as their primary source of getting their message out..........they really can't have it both ways.

And besides, if things are going great and the promoter is doing his job well, social media has just as large of an effect on propagating that message too.


Blaming failure on social media is nothing more than a fail itself.....sorry.

[Barbecueboy]

Like with any other business, social media is only a negative if your business is run poorly. I am pretty sure the folks that run fairbury or Knoxville, Oakshade, Eldora, Lernerville etc have no issue with social media at all. I don't buy into the "fans bashing" is ruining my track argument at all. I have probably been to 20 tracks away from home in my lifetime because of good things said on social media. People don't get on social media and continue to run down people doing it right. If the racing and racing surface are good, the payout and points fun are good. If the facility is in decent shape with good food and the prices are good. You will have fans and drivers. And do stuff for kids. Let them in free, give stuff away at intermission etc. kids that like racing bring adults to the races. Kids that like racing grow up to be adults that like racing.

Excellent Dante.........well said.