What can promoters do to improve the fan experience?

[superstock79]

No one will EVER get the promoters to stop with the 6 classes a night bullsh!t. Figure at my local track, we have atleast 25 Hornets on a given night, each car usually has atleast the driver and a couple buddies, so 25 x3 = 75 people. 75 x $30(pit pass) is $2250 just for people with the cars, not counting more than just the 2 per car or anyone they bring to the stands. The class races for $125 to WIN.... drivers get screwed, promoter gets rich.... do that time's 6 classes and your making a good wage..

[coolfool_2]

Great thread. I hope some promotors actually read these replies. I think the #1 point is to run a timely show. Get the fans and drivers home by 11 at least. Nothing worse than sitting around waiting for your feature to run and you see people that finished up their night racing at a track 30 minutes away and they are able to catch your feature. Yeah, that happens often. Keep the kids entertained. Have bicycle races or power wheels races on the concourse during downtime. Have a social media presence! Show pictures of track work during the week, give away a pair of tickets to fans that share posts Be interactive, social media presence is huge in todays digital world. Post pictures of drivers thru the week, sharing facts or racing resumes. Its not all about the Saturday night race, its about driving people to your page, getting people interested and excited about the races the next weekend.

[kidrock]

I know of a promoter that had some of us that raced or even did work at the track go around the neighborhoods and pass out free tickets and most of the people were so pissed off because of the noise coming from the race track and they were not interested in the free tickets. They even told us don't you ever come back here again. A friend of mine told one guy "Why don't come over and see what was making all that noise" and I thought the guy was going to punch him in the nose lol. We would have been better off to go to a different town to try and give away free tickets lol.

Same promoter had specials for each class at some point in the year that paid more money but, did not draw more fans or cars for that matter. That's when I learned throwing more money at it does not mean the cars are going to come.

Same promoter had raffled off a 4 cylinder race car at the banquet hoping to get more cars and he did gain a couple of cars but, not as much as we thought it would.

So in my opinion there are no easy answers to get more fans or cars to the track but, all things people have said on here can only help.

[Zonks32x]

1) Scout Night
Has to be 100 Boy Scout/Girl Scout troops within 40 miles of many tracks
Free admission for scouts...gonna make it back in food sales
2) Little League Night
Same idea as above...
3) Town Night
Everybody from (insert town here) gets in for 1/2 price or free
Could do two towns/week if the track wanted
That's 24-30 communities in a race season
4) kid's Ticket + Concession pkg
Throw in a hot dog & soda with that ticket
5) Meet Drivers during Intermission
Make a couple drivers available to meet kids behind the main grandstand for pics/autographs during track prep, etc.
Could be different drivers each week. Male drivers, Female drivers, late model, 4-banger, kids don't care, they'd love it.
5b) Have a Racecar behind the grandstand kids could take a picture by, or heaven forbid sit in. All these vintage racecar clubs out there...let them be a part of it.
6) If room allows...
Rock wall for kids during intermission
Probably could get it for free if you allow them to hand out coupons to their business
7) Local High School pep band to perform National Anthem
You want young fans, you better get them to the track
8) BBQ Cookoff night
Let your local best compete for bragging rights and instead of spending $ on another hot dog or stale nachos, your fans spend a few bucks to enjoy some good Q
9) 1/2 price admission to anyone from out of state
Not ideal for a track close to a state line, but could work at a lot of tracks
People travel for work, vacations, etc. give them an incentive to check you out

Lots of great ideas on this thread

[jhanson]

schedule a seminar with the Kaufman brothers of Cedar Lake Speedway

[WisWildManFan]

Inverts always seem to be better for the fans

[fastford]

How's having a minimum age to enter. Getting ppl to the track? Have to pay babysitter so can go watch a race.
Just adds to the cost
My six month old was with me. When I raced all the time
He 28 now. Always talking about getting to go with me.
Some of his best memories.

so does he remember those races at 6 months old , that was your choice , neither of mine went till they were 5 or 6 and wanted to go , which they got in free then so probably did not help the "track" much , but either way , you did it your way and i did it mine , i still dont think its right to bring a 6 month old to the track , but maybe your right , its the parents decision and not the tracks..........

[BadlandsBandit12]

Get all races done before 10pm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nobody wants to get home after midnight, that is just not cool.

[TBSprintFan]

I did them in about 2000 at Sharon. Lost to a kid in his Moms Blazer. Had a 91? silver two door Cavalier. Poor car.

Tried not telling my Dad, picture was in the program, lol.

Love to race, just not going to dedicate the time or money.

Was your dad more mad that you raced or that you lost? Lol

[GEAR_HEAD]

Tyler County had the best policy ever when BDS was running it. They guaranteed that the Late Model feature would be on the track by 9:30. No matter where they were in the program, they would bring out the Supers at 9:30. It was the best policy ever and I used to go there a lot more back then than I do now. Every track needs a policy like this, especially when they run every division under the sun.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Was your dad more mad that you raced or that you lost? Lol

Lol. Neither. Big things like that, didn’t push his buttons. But when you smash a styrofoam cooler when you’re like 6, that he specifically said don’t, it was butt whoopin time.

Can’t say I’m much different, the key is, if I tell you do not do something, and you do it, then yeah, I’m ticked.

[zyoung25]

We used to have spectator drags (2 cars from a dead start for a green white checkered race with the winner going on and the loser done, normally would have from 6 to 10 cars or trucks) at our track when it was open, but that is over 25 years ago, insurance probably would not allow something like that anymore.

There are a few pavement tracks I know of that still do the spectator drags. Rockford in Illinois is one. They done them during the time they had the place covered in dirt for a few. New Smyrna does them as well. Here is a video of gt350r getting junked during one.

https://youtu.be/warjHif8aM8

I would definetly travel some place to go watch one if the cars were worth going to go watch.

[kazual]

Zonks32x

You throw out some great ideas to involve community groups such as Boy Scouts, etc. I have to agree. But if their experience is bad restrooms, drunks in the stands, lousy concessions, chaos on the track, and too long of a program we’ve just confirmed what they may have already heard that is negative about their local track. Point is they’ve got to have a positive experience once you get them in the gate. We long time ardent fans will put up with it, casual fans won’t.

[flagone]

This is a very good post. I like and appreciate getting thoughts and ideas from fans. I have put a few of these in my phone to use.

I also believe in a timely show. Any time I am involved in making a schedule I always put time limits on support classes. But I also want tracks and fans to be fair. Those guys deserve the respect and to be treated fairly too. So don't expect their time limits to be ridiculously short.

Not making any excuses for any tracks but I do want to offer my perspective on a couple of things. Unfortunately 15 minutes worth of track prep won't work in some areas of the country just because of the make up of the surface. At most places around the southeast reworking a track will take well more than 15 minutes.

I am not a big fan of intermissions at all. I know that sometimes they are necessary for several different reasons. But they can kill the flow and momentum - and sometimes even the excitement / anticipation - of a show.

I also believe that the headliner shouldn't be the last feature. But I will say if the track has done its part and got the big guns out in a timely manner, do yourself a favor and stick around. Some of the best racing you will see happens in those support classes. And who knows you may have witness to a future star of the sport as they cut their teeth.

I am a huge fan of finding ways to involve kids and the community. I look at Fairbury and how that entire town is involved with the track. They have done a good job keeping everyone involved.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

There are a few pavement tracks I know of that still do the spectator drags. Rockford in Illinois is one. They done them during the time they had the place covered in dirt for a few. New Smyrna does them as well. Here is a video of gt350r getting junked during one.

https://youtu.be/warjHif8aM8

I would definetly travel some place to go watch one if the cars were worth going to go watch.

Beautiful car, nice color. But it is a Mustang driver, so there’s that. I swear, I’m sure I’ll catch flack for it, but crotch rockets, and Mustangs, insert key, or put key fob in pocket, it stores your brains in there. Total idiots.

Really a shame, that Mustang is tough. Like I’d almost go against my rule of absolutely no Mustang because of how most people who own one drive.