Chapter 1: What Would You Do If You Were the Track Promoter

[backspace]

They are hiring engineers at dirt racing levels,,,wow

[GrocMax]

(Forum posting tools broken) "Oh and the track prep is historically bad, deep hole over the tunnel, etc." Looks like I was dead wrong on the track prep, vid sez they did a good job considering the laps run- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc7Pcct7EG0 Good for them.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

There are tracks here that can get a five class night done from hot laps to final checkered flag in just over three hours. Six hours is crazy for a weekly race.

Six hours is I won’t be back. Barring an electrical outage, fence torn down, rain shower, no excuse

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Running a business is what's killing dirt racing, $$$$$$$ is all people think about, racing foe a HOBBY is what grew dirt racing and made it what it is today. The business side is what's killing it..

But the track has to be ran as a business. It isn’t some charity. Run a fast, efficient, cost effective show, and take baby steps to have bigger events. And do special things for the fans, young and old. Think outside the box. You don’t run a track as a business, you won’t have it long.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

They are hiring engineers at dirt racing levels,,,wow

Most definitely.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

My two cents. I agree with starting the show on time. To me 7 oclock is reasonable time to start hotlaps. The show should have a steady pace. But i dont dont understand why people want the show to only last a couple of hours, especially when people are complaining about not getting there moneys worth. Going to races is a hobby and it usually takes place on Saturdays which means there is no work that day or the next day for most people, there is no hussle and bustel of the world, so I dont understand why people get bent out of shape for being there more than 3 hours because we go to race to enjoy ourselves and get away from the real world for a while so I am not any big hurry to return to the real world especially when I am having fun. I really dont want to stay all night either so I think 12 to 12:30 is a resonable time to end a show. I am also a driver and when a track is rushing through the line up it makes it really hard to get the car ready between each runs, most weekly drivers dont have a bunch of people helping turn wrenchs and if a problem occurs through out the night it makes it hard to make repairs when the track is rushing.

Because we also have home lives and families. Not getting home from a track till 1-2:00 or later in the morning, and trying to have a productive Sunday, plus be ready for work Monday isn’t ideal for most of us. Sitting on bleachers for five hours plus is zero enjoyment. Weekly show, 3-4 hours and classes. Pay them well, and don’t have three types of the same car. Why they don’t get good car counts some places.

I understand your point too. My brother races. If they stagger them correctly, you should be fine.

Somewhere that has made great strides in their program the last two years is Sharon Speedway. No joke, car count, everything. Especially the track.

[3 wide]

I have been going to dirt track races for 50 years now every race track close to me wants to run 8,9 & even 10 classes my health want allow me to sit there for 6,7 or 8 hours.

[GrocMax]

https://www.race-monitor.com/Results/Session/6826186 As predicted, Texas Motor Speedway (dirt track) first main didn't roll out till after midnight. Mains not finished til after 3AM. 7PM-3AM. Glad I wasn't there, but sorry I missed a local event. Prime example of what not to do.

[DIRTisREALracin]

Everyone obviously wants to have a "fast" show. Let me ask this:

How do you handle the drivers/crews and have them be lined up and ready to go? How do you curtail the antics/refusal to line up correctly under caution? Many guys will be willing to help, but there will always be guys that think that since they have the $xxx,000 toy, they can do whatever they want and they don't owe you a drop of effort.

Fines/penalties won't fly in the long run. If you tick off the drivers and crews, they will find another place to run. You will probably get blasted on social media, so you will be viewed negatively throughout the dirt world.

I hate to say it, but promoters have it rough in the modern dirt scene. There is almost no way they can win without angering either the drivers or fans. To strike a balance, you appease both groups and just kinda go half way with everything and that has been shown to be a financial loser.

It's not a simple answer...

[backspace]

Check out USRA for drivers not wanting to line up,,,,,they give you one lap to correct yourself or else

[play4kps]

Dirtisreal you nailed it. For some reason the track have somewhat created this mess by catering to the drivers more than the fans. A lot of tracks take a lot of pride in having big name drivers show up and then cater to them, kind of throwing the regulars under the bus at times. I was at Oakshade about 15 to 20 years ago, and if anybody had any idea how pi@@ poor the the flagman was. This actually happened, it was a 10,000 to win race, the birthday race before the summernationals came there. 50 lap race, 48 laps completed, running order Matt Miller, Shane Yoder and Donnie Moran 3rd, spin on the track, flagman gives Miller and Yoder the yellow, car that spun gets off track, never game Moran the yellow, Miller and Yoder never had a chance. Moran flew on by them to take the white, then the checkered flag for the win.
If you have a track, grow the track, do what you can to keep your drivers happy.
Forget the extremely top heavy purses to lure some big names it, pay better thru the field, your car count will grow.
Ive seen tracks give provisionals to big name drivers when they didnt make the feature.
As much as he has been a major part in hurting the sport, Scott Bloomquist was right when he told Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman that was chicken sh@t taking provisionals at the Knoxville nationals several years ago, he made the comment, shame on those 2 taking spots away from guys that deserved it.

[play4kps]

Look at the state of Michigan, Dirt late model racing is actually growing up there, Those drivers rarely ever venture out of the state, plenty of 4000, 5000, and 10,000 dollar shows. And they are drawing usually 20+ cars for most shows, and when and if Lucas or WOO show up, they really have their hands full with the locals. In fact I think locals have won 2 Woo shows at Berlin.

[dirtcrazy4u]

Go to Screven for there winter series woo show. 10:15 PM and the first late model heat wasn't on track yet. Time means absolutely nothing at that place. They'll tell you how good there food is and make dang sure they sell as much as possible. It's a shame because the place has a great surface and can put on a really good show. Fans traveling south have learned GIS packs them in and the track is not nearly as racey as screven.