track closings

[AllenK]

Amen to that. I spent the mid-nineties through the mid 2000s going to the races pretty much every Saturday night,and taking many,many,many trips out of state to do so. Going to Eldora for the Dream was my big vacation for many years.

I've been once since 2010. I still love to follow it,but the higher gas prices and crapshoots as to what kind of race you would get to see led me to step it way back. Older age also. My family that raced stepped back also. I enjoyed the trips more than the racing many times. I love to travel and just look at stuff,and we always tried to pick out a good place to eat wherever we went.

It sure is easier and cheaper to watch highlights on DOD,YT,FB or wherever these days. I sure hope more people don't become like me.

[mcarter815]

Theres also some "I wanna pay next to nothing to get in but I want you to show me the race of the year every week and pay huge purses so all the drivers come" that goes on. That and most people won't offer to lend a hand or try to help out in any way. Something as small as people who just leave their trash laying wherever they sat...people have no respect outside of themselves for the most part and it shows in participation

Part of the trash issue is that tracks around here don’t have nearly enough trash cans.

[TUTY]

Is a tough deal at most tracks SW Minnesota, NW Iowa, SE South Dakota area. When 3 or 4 tracks are running the same classes basically on the same nights within 60-75 miles of each other it doesn't work. The smaller tracks are making $1000 one week and losing $500 the next week which isn't very appealing to anyone. Husets Speedway (Badlands) in Brandon SD has been closed for two years and Chucky Cheese wants over $9 million for it. Jackson Motorplex has had millions put into it and it's tough to make any money there. It's just a tough deal for all.

[obamaracing#1]

Anyone else feel car counts have been down as well?

[Clayton_Wetter]

Because of too many promoters creating/offering too many classes, the car counts in late models and other classes have dropped really bad in a lot of places. So the effort of trying to create a lot of pit income is winding up backfiring in a lot of places.

Purses and rising expenses of course aren't helping either and with poor track prep and long drug out programs at tracks with so many classes.

[Clayton_Wetter]

Amen to that. I spent the mid-nineties through the mid 2000s going to the races pretty much every Saturday night,and taking many,many,many trips out of state to do so. Going to Eldora for the Dream was my big vacation for many years.

I've been once since 2010. I still love to follow it,but the higher gas prices and crapshoots as to what kind of race you would get to see led me to step it way back. Older age also. My family that raced stepped back also. I enjoyed the trips more than the racing many times. I love to travel and just look at stuff,and we always tried to pick out a good place to eat wherever we went.

It sure is easier and cheaper to watch highlights on DOD,YT,FB or wherever these days. I sure hope more people don't become like me.

Sorry but I'm there also. I still want to go but 35 years of getting burnt by some poor racing works at your enthusiasm. I don't like to drive 250 miles to see a dry slick train race.

[fastford]

No one is promoting....that's the simple answer.

No advertising, no billboards, no posters at every local business, no fan friendly events....

This past Friday I got inducted into the Hall if Fame at one of the tracks I ran years ago.

Great racing but the joint was empty. Decent car count because two other tracks rained out.

The promoter made some enemies with his payoffs and pit fees and lost a bunch of drivers.

His only advertising is FB....that won't work.

congrats on your induction krooser , thats a big honor , i was telling some one at TST sat night exactly what your talking about , hardly no promotion , and i also believe you have to give the folks in the stands something extra ever now and then , use to , the tracks would get out and hustle up merchandise from local businesses and have drawings through out the night and give it away , i dont think we even do a 50/50 anymore , IDK what the answer is but sometimes some lessons from the past can help........

[SLIDING SIDEWAYS]

I believe friendship wont be closed for to long. Dont know the out come but think someone will reopen it

[backspace]

No one is promoting....that's the simple answer.

No advertising, no billboards, no posters at every local business, no fan friendly events....

This past Friday I got inducted into the Hall if Fame at one of the tracks I ran years ago.

Great racing but the joint was empty. Decent car count because two other tracks rained out.

The promoter made some enemies with his payoffs and pit fees and lost a bunch of drivers.

His only advertising is FB....that won't work.

You are so correct,,,where I am from you never know when or who is going to race what night...

[backspace]

Local track charges $12 to get in gate and only has 48 cars total for 5 classes,,,,most people will go to another track to spend $12 and see a show where more cars and late models are also there,,,If it wasn't for Facebook,,you wouldn't know anything...poor promotions are everywhere

[Barbecueboy]

Not trying to be a smart ass for once, but what are you doing to promote local racing? ......and I say that for all of us.

I talk about racing to a lot of people that don't realize dirt track racing exists reasonably close by.... Every time there is a special for one of the classes or a series that may come pretty close by I try and tell people about it or invite them to go with us and watch a race.

We the fans,drivers, sponsors etc bare some of the burden to promote ourselves and our sport to some degree......even if it's just a mention, an invite or pause for a minute to explain what heat races are to a newcomer

True enough about the poor promoters , but that shoe doesn't fit on all feet.........the good and great ones exist and we all know who most of them are.

[Clayton_Wetter]

How do you promote extreme dust, train racing, and racing all night? And be honest!!! hahahahaaha

[SLIDING SIDEWAYS]

How do you promote extreme dust, train racing, and racing all night? And be honest!!! hahahahaaha

Good point BED WETTER!

[Clayton_Wetter]

Good point BED WETTER!

No problem POOPING SIDEWAYS!!!!

[AllenK]

Sorry but I'm there also. I still want to go but 35 years of getting burnt by some poor racing works at your enthusiasm. I don't like to drive 250 miles to see a dry slick train race.

Absolutely not. I got tired of tracks that were supposed to be a sure thing for good racing producing train races almost every time. Enthusiasm wanes over time when you get burned over and over.