I think almost every race track has problems getting fans in and I think it is the promotion end of it. I never heard of these tracks till I got involved in the racing community. I never heard of CASCAR till they went to the first Indy.
Stock Car racing in Canada is the best kept secret. There are tons and tons of race fans that have no idea how much good racing there is in Canada. Maybe more people know about NCATS because of the ads on TSN but that is about it.
I think they need to take out ads in major papers like The Sun, Star and other major papers.
Have promos like buy one adult ticket get a kids ticket free. I have seen this for stage shows. If the kids like it they will ask to go again.
Much cheaper then a hockey game.
Evan I love the idea you just presented.
The kids are the key. If the kids don't want to go, how often are you going to be able to get out on a saturday night?
Also I like what Sunset has done lately. They spent significant time working on making the show quicker. This way the night is over by 1030 - 11. This isn't too late for kids. Because when kids get tired and parents have to leave, they always miss the best races.
So keeping the kids awake and interested is a great start for tracks to get fans
Gritsy makes a great point. I think a 3 hour show is about right , especially on a crappy night. Flamboro use to start at 7. Now they start at 630 and 6 and still run till 11 most nights. And having an intermission while fans are freezing their arses on a cold day isnt making it enjoyable. I like going to Ohsweken but weve left at 11 and heard the races didnt end till 1am because of sprint cars having to be push started and track grooming. Starting on time and ending at a reasonable time helps.
As for advertising. I live in Hamilton and grew up watching dirt at Speedway Park on Stoney Creek hill. I never even knew about Flamboro till I saw a small advertisement in the Hamilton paper they were having a demo. Well that week , 2 buddies and I went to see the demo and 3 weeks later while looking for a car for the next demo, i ended up buying a race car. And since that time in 1979, unfortunately for them lol, I have been there every year. I sometimes wonder where all my money would be and what I would have been doing all those Saturdays, if I hadnt seen that little ad in the paper. lol.
Evan I love the idea you just presented.
The kids are the key. If the kids don't want to go, how often are you going to be able to get out on a saturday night?
Also I like what Sunset has done lately. They spent significant time working on making the show quicker. This way the night is over by 1030 - 11. This isn't too late for kids. Because when kids get tired and parents have to leave, they always miss the best races.
So keeping the kids awake and interested is a great start for tracks to get fans
Delaware last year was letting kids in for free.. maybe jr can comment on the attendence figures due to this?
Delaware last year was letting kids in for free.. maybe jr can comment on the attendence figures due to this?
The kids 12 and under free has been an extremely positive program at Delaware, combined with some of the other kids programs (ie. Hoppy the clown etc). Although without the stat system in front of me I can't comment to the actual numbers, I can safely say that there was a measured sizable increase in the number of children coming through the front gate.
-John