low car and fan counts,,why?

[jog49]

I've watched the decline for years and find that the young people nowadays are not the car nuts growing up like we (the older crowd) were and have entirely different interests. I watched hundreds of younger people show up at a local track on Saturdays and never watch the first race or be able to tell you who won a race. They're at that track to socialize. Racing is a minor inconvenience to them because of the difficulty in hearing. As for the car counts, most of the people I see racing must have money trees in their backyards because I'm surprised they can afford to put something on the track.
One driver I know who won many championships in SLMs had to move all the way down to crates to keep racing when a dependable sponsor died. It's all money-driven, you know. Seldom can the little guy even compete.

[RW57]

Midwest promoters are more in tune to the fans always offering something extra it don't happen in GA at all or at least where I race.411 speedway in tenn offered everything free a little while back for racers and fans.I read the place was packed .I sure there were people who had never been and will never go back but if you picked up 50 new fans that tell 50 friends what a blast it was and on and on. Sure the track took a bath that nite but look at big picture. Too many promoters are greedy and lazy they want to rely on here's my product it's great but don't try to entice any body to come. Too much competition for the entertainment dollars.Its hot and dirty you don't start on time bad concessions on and on people would rather go to a nice clean cool movie theater etc it's tough out there.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

The economy actually is fine. The reason why your Mickey D's order is so much is because fast food employees want a $15/hour minimum wage. Ok, jack up the prices a bit and no one takes your order anymore it's now been replaced by a kiosk.

The one thing that will NEVER change, as a business owner, no matter what the economy is doing you need to get people in to produce, everyone say it with me now... revenue. Just like the earlier post says, giveaways, autographs, something for kids to do while they're there like a sandbox or mini playground. It may sound stupid but that's how you get people to come. When the kids are there playing around they get used to being there and eventually notice that the racing is great and want to come back as they get older.

Racing is a business. If you don't think it is then you won't be in business for very long. You have to basically run it just like any other business to succeed. A lot of tracks that close down do not realize this. The tracks that are doing well, do.

Lol, that $15 deal, if it happened, was only in Cali I believe. Where the cost of living is crazy. Not in Ohio or any other Midwestern state. That’s more than most of these sh!tty warehouses pay in Columbus. And I say good for them.

$15 across the board, yeah right.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Personally, it’s the time involved. I enjoyed Sharon this year and Eldora, but a whole afternoon and evening is shot with the races. With two kids, sports, wife, house to maintain, work, etc, just don’t have the time nor do I wanna set aside the time to go.

I do, but there’s nothing worse than going and it being locked down after qualifying.

I like to relax at home. Have a few Jack n Pepsi’s, Netflix n chill.

[Mason87]

I dont go anymore because my work schedule, I barely see my family and taking them to a track that i live 15 minutes from to see 7 classes with hardly any passing for 6+ hrs isn't gonna happen. I'd rather spend time with my kids at the lake or doing something else.

[RW57]

Good point I have 2 grandsons now one will be 3 in 10 days the other is little over 10 months don't cost me a thing to play with them they live 1/2 mile away race car is 20 miles away what do you think I do.Lol

[MadDad Racing]

Good point I have 2 grandsons now one will be 3 in 10 days the other is little over 10 months don't cost me a thing to play with them they live 1/2 mile away race car is 20 miles away what do you think I do.Lol

Quit eating MickeyD's.. Race while you can and get the g'kids in kart racing.

[dirtcrazy4u]

I used to go to the races and 20 bucks got me in the gate. I'd get to my seat then go grab some food, 2 fish or hot sausage sandwiches, fries and a drink. After finishing my food, I got my 50/50 tickets, my area auto racing news or speed sport, sometimes both. Go sit and look thru the paper, eating peanuts, and if I needed another drink that 20 dollar bill would cover it.

The funny thing is the purses 20 years ago are the same as today.

So what's the problem in today's racing ? Promotors that are greedy. I still go to select races, but that 20 has been replaced by a 50 to 100.00 dollar bill.

[backspace]

There is no promotion in our area,,,,open gates,,,collect $$,,go home..It sucks to say the least. No colorful bill boards,,no kids carrying checkered flags,,,no souveneirs,,,no programs,,,half of the announcers never tell you anything about the drivers ETC,,car makes,engine used,,sponsors,,their names It is terrible. No rules,,no tech,,all they want is your $30 and you can race what you brought

[Hoosier]

I went to a show Sun. afternoon - advertised for 2:00. By 5:00, we had seen endless qualifying laps, but only one bomber race. And then they announced that there would be a 45 min. (actually over 60) intermission. Various types of BS followed, with Super LMs on the track at 8:00.

In the record heat, the popsicle guy was the only winner.

[play4kps]

It seems that the tracks that invest in a strong weekly program with a few special events still do well. The 4 tracks that come to mind are Gas city, Knoxville, Attica and Williams Grove. Those 4 tracks have a strong weekly turnout, a large group of locals, feeder classes to ensure future development of the bigger classes.

[play4kps]

Another example, Eldora probably has 30 plus modifieds that would race there weekly if the track open in the summer at all. Earl Baltes once said, I make enough off the world 100 to pay all the bills and purses for the entire year.

[kidrock]

Many reasons for low car count and no easy answer to fix it. I'm not saying it can't be turned around but, it's not going to be easy that's for sure. Need to get back to 3 or 4 max classes and promoters like Earl. We don't care who you are. Your going to follow our rules or your going to hit the road kind of promoters. In Rules that might mean car rules or racing formats. Not sure the answer to rein in the cars I will leave that to the experts who know's what it would take to cut cost if that's even possible.

I helped out at a track for a couple of years and watch the promoter try different things to get fans back in the stands to no avail. The track was well prepared on a weekly basis and the show was over in a timely fashion so, that wasn't the problem. UMP ruin the street stocks and the drivers ruin the 4 cylinder class with so much cheating and car counts started to dwindle in both classes. They went from having 20 to 25 street stocks 12 to 16 and 30 to 40 4 cylinder down to 20, then 10. The A mods went from 35 to 12 to 15 and when you loose the car counts you loose the fans. I'm not saying this happened at all track but, it has at the majority of them in this area.

[gator 49]

Some tracks are updated and put on a good show with decent food, fan admission, drivers pay, and GOOD TRACK PREP. (FALS).This kind of tracks will survive and prosper, the others will stay open but struggle and eventually close. A lot of local LM drivers can't afford the cost of racing against top finance drivers for the same purse money 15 yrs. ago. Tracks have to make money to survive but to many prompters are greedy and don't care about putting on a good show for the fans. Look at Nascar its going down big time, and its all about the money. Dirt track racing is still an exciting sport, its losing its fan base because it was suppose to be down home racing. Down home boys can't afford it anymore.

[play4kps]

Gator your dead on, We all might think WOO and Lucas oil series has been great for the sport. It has done just the opposite, it has taken away most of the parity in racing, it caused local teams to spend money they could never recover to compete with the touring guys, leaving the 9 to 5 ers asking themselves why are we investing this kind of money with no real chance of a return on the investment. When does the madness, how high will motors go, whats the next shock package? It has gotten insane. People seem to forget the more drivers racing, the more fans in the stands, All these guys that quit racing probably had 10 to 15 family and friends watching them, when the drivers are gone, the family and friends soon followed.