Racing Without Fans

[brownstownfanPU]

What is the point?
What’s the point of racing if it’s not to put on a show for the fans in exchange for support (a healthy racing community)... multiple tracks are joining the movement that proves every track promoter and driver who says “we couldn’t do it without the fans.” is wrong.

What fans are seeing is the industry effect... where the industry is now funding racing within itself when and where it can. If not careful, I could see this speeding along the demise of your local dirt track.

How long before dirt track racing becomes an industry that is so internal that it loses grip of what matters to the true fan or just doesn’t care. ...OR... Has it already lost touch?

My thoughts/concerns... what are yours?

[fryefan]

Have a little patience. Things will be fine when we get a vaccine for the covid-19 virus. For now the ppv/limited fans is better than nothing.

[B_K]

We were well on that path before any of this happened. The product has gotten a bit stale IMO. Regional/local guys have gotten priced and teched out of business. Everybody wants to yell and scream about formats and qualifying etc, but cars have gotten so good and so equal that what’s in the seat doesn’t matter as much as it used to. Sure you’ll see some exceptions here and there, but rallying from mid pack to win, but it’s really rare.

Get everybody off the right front. Get bodies back under control. Get the wheel back to being the absolute most important thing.

[Big Daddy 37]

These races being ran without fans, are about all us fans have, for now... We all need entertainment, and luckily, many sponsors, track operators, Dirt on Dirt, etc. Have all stepped up their game, to help us starving fans out.

However, this support won't and can't last forever.

The three legged stool is missing a leg right now... Eventually this will be repaired, or the stool will tip over. Tracks, fans, and race teams are all needed for any successful track.

[krohny14]

One question about the racing at East Bay this week.I thought Florida was open, and has been open for several weeks now? I know up here in Wisconsin, we were at Cedar Lake Speedway for the last 2 weeks, fans in the stands, it was great!What's up with Florida? Is Lucas locking it down? Are the local County/City officials locking it down? Trying to figure out why the stands at races in Tennessee and Georgia had fans, but not Florida. Thanks!

[John Boy]

I guess I'm luckier than most DLR fans. I've seen racing action at I55, Boyd's, and this weekend I'm going to Mississippi Thunder Speedway and Cedar Lake Speedway in Wisconsin. Next weekend, is Dixie Speedway in Georgia. This whole Covid crisis has made me have to look for my racing. If my home track (Florence Speedway) was open, I wouldn't venture to other tracks. Thanks, Covid!!!

[NeedforLMspeed]

One question about the racing at East Bay this week.I thought Florida was open, and has been open for several weeks now? I know up here in Wisconsin, we were at Cedar Lake Speedway for the last 2 weeks, fans in the stands, it was great!What's up with Florida? Is Lucas locking it down? Are the local County/City officials locking it down? Trying to figure out why the stands at races in Tennessee and Georgia had fans, but not Florida. Thanks!

GIS didn't have fans for Lucas. It's Lucas decision. It's also slightly the county EB is in. It tends to lean more left. But more on Lucas own decision.

[Big Daddy 37]

GIS didn't have fans for Lucas. It's Lucas decision. It's also slightly the county EB is in. It tends to lean more left. But more on Lucas own decision.

Wow... Why would you think Lucas made this decision?

Fans were not allowed.

Gotta love the internet.

[Jking24]

Wow... Why would you think Lucas made this decision?Fans were not allowed.Gotta love the internet.

Because Lucas said that in their press release witch did come out on the internet

[fastford]

BK , i agree with all you said , the only problem with your solution to me is , your basically talking about a more stringent limited class , and thats fine , but to me , even though i cant afford to keep up at the moment , supers need the least amount of rules as possible , thats what makes them supers , now I,m all for a limited class , and there are plenty of them out there now , i guess what I,m saying is the pandora,s box theory , once its open , you really cant go back......

[NeedforLMspeed]

They even said on the broadcast each night the county wasn't going to allow fans whether or not Lucas wanted to

[Big Daddy 37]

Because Lucas said that in their press release witch did come out on the internet

Interesting.. I am looking at the May 1st DoD Dirtwire that says the races will be contested without spectators allowed... Nothing that I see, says Lucas doesn't want the fans.

My internet must be broken.

[Drop Shock]

Most of these guys race for a living, they don’t put on a show for fans for a living that’s just a byproduct

[ImCryn2]

I'm not sure how they make it work financially with no fans, but it sure does discredit everyone who has told us they need fans in the stands to pay the bills.

[over4T]

Part of the way the financials work is with most of the races on pay per view. Have no idea how the split between the track and the broadcaster works but that brings in some bucks.
Another factor, and maybe the biggest, is that the pits are in the $40-50 range for the most part out here and grandstands are in the $12-18 range. If they allow the teams to have, say, 10 people per car you can bet that about 6 or 7 of them in the pits are normally in the grandstands. If say 1/3 of the normal stands group opt to pay 2 or 3 times their regular tab that pretty much covers things.
Several of the western tracks have tippy toed with cutting the regular purses in half, knowing that us idiot racers will spend whatever it takes to race. To their surprise every race has had very generous sponsors and fans donate to keep the racing going. For example one of our haunts normally pays $1,500 to the 360 Sprints, $3-400 to the Sport Mods and an almost embarrassing $125 to the Hobbies. A recent no fans show, with the sponsored bucks paid $2,200, $1,200 and $1,000 respectively to the above classes. Darned good for a regular Saturday night show.
While concessions that normally bring in a good chunk of change they're usually closed at the no fans shows. Much of this loss is covered by several fewer workers needed for the food/drink thing, front gate workers, security, cleanup crews, etc.
All of these things combined add up to make it a feasible deal for the track. We will run our first no spectators show of the season with a LLM this Saturday and our Pro Stock Tour the following Saturday and much as we want to get back to racing I'm really going to miss the fans. A good enthusiastic crowd always gets us pumped up as we try our best to be entertaining and their applause when we do good is more of a reward than the plastic trophy.

[Buford.Justice]

Most dirt tracks can't race without fans, only a select few can get the backing to do this.

The tracks and nation should be opened back up except for isolated areas of infection.

[NeedforLMspeed]

I don't notice anything different here where I live. It went to pre plandemic 3 weeks ago.

Texas governor just announced outdoor stadiums can have 25% capacity now

[#FALSuperman]

I can tell you that even a successful track like FALS is not prepared to open financially without fans allowed.

[kazual]

It brings a few things to mind for me. (1) The back gate is almighty at a lot of tracks (2) Fans may not be that important overall (3) given that concessions aren’t generally available even if fans are allowed it takes away a major part of the profit so again, fans become less important (4) Sanctioning bodies, including NASCAR, may be throwing a bone to sponsors or to keep them on the hook, some contracts may require a minimum number of events or views.

[Waldo]

Tracks can race and make money without fans. This has been proven thru this virus. The only question is how much money do you want to make. That is a whole nother story. Go-kart tracks have raced and made money without fans since the beginning of time. Payout is key.