When is enough enough

[3 wide]

Well duck river run there crowd of last year when they wanted to race till 2oclock in the morning so they can't draw a crowd now people don't want to sit at a race track 8 hours if you put on a show you can still draw a crowd but racing till 2 o'clock is not a show so now we have not run a race in 3 weeks and we are going to run a 3500 to win super race with 125 dollar entry fee a 1000 to win 2 barrel race with a 100 dollar entry fee 1200 to win crate race with a 100 dollar entry fee then we are going to raise the pit gate to 40 dollars . Good luck

[old fan]

Sounds like mangement problems

[oldfart50]

Racing is dead. Tracks cant get sponsors because there is no one in the stands to advertise to. Racing has to be self funded by the racers if they want to race. There is no front gate money anymore. You could let people in for free and they wont come. Racing is now like Poker, if you want a bigger purse then you have to pay a bigger buy in. But I do not understand why as a fan you care what a race pays.

[W2Racing09]

Racing is dead. Tracks cant get sponsors because there is no one in the stands to advertise to. Racing has to be self funded by the racers if they want to race. There is no front gate money anymore. You could let people in for free and they wont come. Racing is now like Poker, if you want a bigger purse then you have to pay a bigger buy in. But I do not understand why as a fan you care what a race pays.

Race fans care because they know the more it pays the more cars, and the more big name drivers will be there.

[zyoung25]

You could let people in for free and they wouldnt come.

This will be put to the test soon. McCown at atomic is doing a free admission race. So we will see how true this is very soon.

[zeroracing]

West plains did it last year, you had to go to one of thier sponsors and you would get a free ticket. Place was standing room only.

[Krooser]

Free admission.... $50 to leave...

I actually did a free admission night when I was the PR/advertising guru at a paved joint in Wisconsin years ago. Free admission with a WISM bumper sticker... Gave em away at a local food store chain. Pumped the crap outta it on the radio station that we worked with. Had 9000 people... Only water and popcorn left after the show. Increased our weekly attendance by 300 each week after... Made a $25,000 profit after every bill was paid.

[jog49]

The exception to all of this chatter will still be Bowman-Gray in Winston Salem, NC. It recently was something like $10 to get in and they fill the place up almost every race! Accommodate a large crowd, feed them good, and have some exciting races = lots of generated money. No gouging in this N.C. city.

[Bob Hubbard]

Does anyone have an ideal what it would cost to build a nice 3/8 track with all the amenities to make it somewhat like eldora ? Think about what you would have to charge to make a profit after you laid out all the money .... Than consider the short racing season .... Figure in a 20 or 30 year loan ...

[racecar1127]

I take my kids a little after pits open when most of the haulers are in there already. Let them watch them unload and get a picture by the car with the driver most of the time. We walk around and say hi. I have them out of there and in the stands by the time the cars start rolling for hot laps. It's one of the major factors if they want to go or not. In the pits. Yes. Not in the pits no. They are wide eyed and in awe of the cars. I find that by the time the races are over the kids are tired, and the drivers are already loading up and crabby as heck and wanting to get out there ( i don't blame them) Plus after the races its dark and they don't find the cars as cool a s during the day. ( most pits don't have the best of lighting) Agreed that most kids under 14 should not be in the pits after the drivers meeting. If you want more fans it starts by building the youth interest. It's great that they do autograph sessions but the kids don't identify with the drivers they see the cars from the seats not the driver. Let the kids in the pits for $5 dollars for a 2 hour time frame so the can gets pictures by the cars. Have them out of there by the time the drivers meeting starts. I would think this would go over great at the big races or for woo or Lucas shows. I would think more families would go knowing they could see the cars up close with there kids. Just a thought.

[BerckFan]

Free admission.... $50 to leave...

I actually did a free admission night when I was the PR/advertising guru at a paved joint in Wisconsin years ago. Free admission with a WISM bumper sticker... Gave em away at a local food store chain. Pumped the crap outta it on the radio station that we worked with. Had 9000 people... Only water and popcorn left after the show. Increased our weekly attendance by 300 each week after... Made a $25,000 profit after every bill was paid.

I-80 Speedway does a free night, in fact was just last week. Guessing around 6k fans and a long line for beverages.

[3 wide]

I was reading on the mid south racing all of the discussion on this subject I agree with the guy that said they would be better of running a regular show and I know plenty of race tracks that make money that don't charge a 100 dollar entry fee on a 1000 dollar to win race and if you have got to do this to make money you got a real problem what you should have done is run the super race then come back next week with a big crate or 2 barrel race and not try to do everything in one night but what the heck you know what your doing.