Time to Upgrade Facilities -- Farmer City/Fairbury/Etc....

[CMatich]

Obviously every race track in America, just like any other business, has a wish list of what they want to improve. Some will accomplish them and some won't. Some will thrive without the improvements, some will fail. Some will thrive with improvements, some will fail.
Farmer City is doing what ever it can to bring itself back to where it was. Will that be overnight, a few years? Nobody knows. We all should be just glad they are trying.
Fairbury is another story. Very successful and they are making improvements. New bleachers, scoreboard, ticketing website, etc. Those improvements need to get paid off before taking on more of a debt load.
I am sure both facilities are crunching numbers to see what they can do in the future.
Both of these facilities are ran by volunteers. These volunteers must put their money where their mouth is when they sign promissory notes/loans. Pretty big stuff when a person signs for something that could come back and bite them personally.
Also I take exception to the comment by xfactor "I am not referring to a sponsor that pays $200 for a billboard for a race season". Excuse me? The company I work for pays far more than that at both tracks for our billboards. Get the facts straight before spouting generalizations. Also for a person who "ran a successful business" (congrats to you!) you seem to have no comprehension of money since " spend a few thousands and put some decent toilets in a newer cheap building" A few thousands isn't going to get you anything. I agree Peoria did a great job on the bathrooms as you said. If you can do that for a few thousands drop off a proposal at both tracks please.
Trust me when I say there is only so much money in the pot to be divided up amongst business' willing to sponsor, especially in small town USA. You fail to realize the number of potential big sponsors who are talked with and they say no without even setting foot on the property. But on the other foot, well run facilities do get big sponsorships without them even setting foot on the property.
There are a ton of great points in this thread made by xfactor and yes improvements need to get made. It's just not that easy and if it was every track in America would do it.
Great topic. Keep it going constructively........

[WisWildManFan]

Xfactor you make some valid points, I know of a couple prominent drivers that won't go to certain tracks because,of the bathroom and it's not because of the drivers but, because of their wives refusing to go. The wives say there is no way I'm going to go or have my daughter go there because,of the bathrooms are so nasty.They don't have to be state of the art but, they do need to be clean and kept by stocked throughout the night women and kids don't like to use the ports potty and I know some are going to say don't come then and that's exactly what the xfactor is trying to say here.make it so they want to come

sounds like those drivers need to ditch their b!tches lol

[Cardirt0]

FarmerCity If you seen it 3 years a go, you go O my God.. I have seen the things they have done ITS a lot.. All the people that run the track DO not get paid.. I have seen Lance out there all day mowing the Grass. Then hes out there the next day working on the sound then hes out there the next day working on something else.. Why HE LOVEs the place...Say If a 100 people gave just 1 day mouth.. and go out there and help him.. Think of all the things that he could fix... Its time the people that say they love there track too prove IT.....My dad said one sat you want to go too the church with me I need too help fix the doors..I jumped too go just so i could do something with my dad....Them were the days...Grab your kid and go help.. its a great way too be with your KID....HELPING some one

[thexfactor0210]

First off, thanks for your input! This is a discussion not an argument. When I say a few thousand for a bathroom, I was referring to getting help from sponsors to each help pitch in for something such as a new bathroom, scoreboard, camping hookups, etc. Once again, I am not speaking for myself but others and how to attract new fans in this day and age. I just want these places to continue into the future and I know it is getting harder and harder to bring in new fans. If we can pull some women or younger crowds I think that could help a lot.

I know the people that work these tracks love it and bust their butt. I wish they could get rewarded a little more than they do. I think they could be with more fans is my point.

Obviously every race track in America, just like any other business, has a wish list of what they want to improve. Some will accomplish them and some won't. Some will thrive without the improvements, some will fail. Some will thrive with improvements, some will fail.
Farmer City is doing what ever it can to bring itself back to where it was. Will that be overnight, a few years? Nobody knows. We all should be just glad they are trying.
Fairbury is another story. Very successful and they are making improvements. New bleachers, scoreboard, ticketing website, etc. Those improvements need to get paid off before taking on more of a debt load.
I am sure both facilities are crunching numbers to see what they can do in the future.
Both of these facilities are ran by volunteers. These volunteers must put their money where their mouth is when they sign promissory notes/loans. Pretty big stuff when a person signs for something that could come back and bite them personally.
Also I take exception to the comment by xfactor "I am not referring to a sponsor that pays $200 for a billboard for a race season". Excuse me? The company I work for pays far more than that at both tracks for our billboards. Get the facts straight before spouting generalizations. Also for a person who "ran a successful business" (congrats to you!) you seem to have no comprehension of money since " spend a few thousands and put some decent toilets in a newer cheap building" A few thousands isn't going to get you anything. I agree Peoria did a great job on the bathrooms as you said. If you can do that for a few thousands drop off a proposal at both tracks please.
Trust me when I say there is only so much money in the pot to be divided up amongst business' willing to sponsor, especially in small town USA. You fail to realize the number of potential big sponsors who are talked with and they say no without even setting foot on the property. But on the other foot, well run facilities do get big sponsorships without them even setting foot on the property.
There are a ton of great points in this thread made by xfactor and yes improvements need to get made. It's just not that easy and if it was every track in America would do it.
Great topic. Keep it going constructively........

[kidrock]

I think some people took this personally and I'm sure xfactor did not mean for it to come out that way. We have to admit he made some valid points. Some tracks have and do keep making improvements and these 2 tracks are included in that. Like I have said the profit margin for these promoters or tracks and in some cases razor thin. Some tracks operate on a month to month basis if not week to week.
Hence the reason to maybe and try and attract bigger sponsors. I realize easier said then done but, you have to keep trying because you never know when that big sponsor just might sign on the dotted line. Like I said clean and stocked bathrooms throughout the night is a must. I don't think anyone is expecting the ritz carlton but, something the wife and kids can to and not be grossed out from. Plus a place for handicapped people to be able to access and watch the races from. With that comes to mind handicap bathroom stalls if a track does not have one already. I'm sure most do.

[huskerdirt]

My wife and daughter won't go to ANY races due to the bathrooms (and that's at Knoxville which if are as decent as the men's room are light years ahead of every other dirt track I've been to and better than Daytona and Indianapolis too).

Wow.......

[vande07]

Wow.......

They used to go from time to time, but the bar has been raised by competing entertainment venues on what is acceptable. Having HOT water to wash your hands is #1 on their wish list. I don't think that is asking a lot. Men's room doesn't have hot water either.

[Clayton_Wetter]

Have you seen the sponsor signs at FALS lately? I really do not think additional/remodeled bathrooms are going bring on additional sponsorship.

You are at a dirt race track, not a Ritz. IIRC, they bring in a plethora of porta-johns for the big shows.

I will agree it would be 'nice' to have upgraded/updated facilities for restrooms on both sides of the track, but pushing the point by trying to suggest it will bring in additional sponsors may not be accurate.

Maybe Donald Trump can open up a chain of Ritz-Carlton Speedways and ID illegal aliens while he's at it. lol

[Highside Hustler25]

While I will not disagree that either track could use some restroom improvements, I've been all across the USofA hitting dirt tracks over the years and I will say this. Farmer City and Fairbury are above average compared to a lot that I have seen. Hope nobody takes this personally, but I've seen some real schit holes out East. They were very old tracks that looked like they have not had any kind of upgrade since they were built.

FC and FALS are the Taj Mahal's of dirt tracks compared to some.

[huskerdirt]

if you want go to a fancy place go to lucas oil this weekend if you want to see good racing go to fairbury etc

They don't have hot water...... So I guess it's not good enough.

[huskerdirt]

While I will not disagree that either track could use some restroom improvements, I've been all across the USofA hitting dirt tracks over the years and I will say this. Farmer City and Fairbury are above average compared to a lot that I have seen. Hope nobody takes this personally, but I've seen some real schit holes out East. They were very old tracks that looked like they have not had any kind of upgrade since they were built.

FC and FALS are the Taj Mahal's of dirt tracks compared to some.

Well said.... We could sit here all day and pick apart every track. There are tracks I don't support. Not because it's a schithole, but rather on how the show is run and things of that nature.