In some cases you can strike a balance with them (ie. fairs, festivals and the like) but you have to compete with your shopping malls, your movie theatres, your bars, your concerts and stuff like that for the casual fans...
Mobil, you’ve hit the nail on the head with this one.
Delaware is a very unique track in Ontario, and I’m not talking about its configuration or the racing that takes place there. I’m talking about it’s location: a population base of 300,000 within 20 minutes driving distance. Talk about potential!
A racetrack’s true competition today has nothing to do with what is running at the other tracks - - it has to do with the society we’re living in. Shopping malls, movie theatres, and home entertainment systems – it’s tough to get out of that pattern and break that mould.
But as we all know (since we’re posting on a racing message board), all speedway’s have one element that overrides and trumps even the best big screen television, or multimillion dollar blockbuster hit…
This stuff is real, happening right in front of you, in your face, and you won’t see it on TV! It’s the whole experience of being there.
But you and I already know that! We’re posting on a racing message board. Now how do you get that message out to those 300,000 people?
Earlier in this thread there was a question of “where are all the promoters today in motor sports”? The answer is staring back in the mirror at you every morning.
That’s right! YOU! You, me, everyone involved in the track. Everyone has a part to play. Invite someone new out to the track, arrange a night at the races where you work, always have a stack of schedules in the car with you. Be creative!
In 2007, we’re all promoters in this business.
That's right! YOU! You, me, everyone involved in the track. Everyone has a part to play. Invite someone new out to the track, arrange a night at the races where you work, always have a stack of schedules in the car with you. Be creative!
In 2007, we're all promoters in this business.
Getting your sponsors involved, hands on always works great. Having them down in the pits is a great way to get them more involved each week.
The sponsor day we have every year help tremendously when approaching people for the next year. Maybe at some level the track could try this model and see if it works for the tracks division sponsors etc.. It's amazing how many people want to get involved when they've had the chance to go out on the track.
I wonder what it costs to have a few big names ( I mean really big names) come out and run with the regulars on a friday night. You and I would love to see Neil Fair or Kelly Williams come out a play a bit in a street stock or truck but the 300,000 or so would identify with a Kenny Shcrader or a Waltrip or the like. Maybe some of the existing sponsors of either the track or the teams has access to these people???
I still like the idea of the 24 hours of Lemons. A 2 day event with a huge amount of crowd involvement would be great. Every 2 hours vote a car off the track (and maybe to the crusher) and one car back to the lead lap. That sort of stuff.
Celebrity races always bring out a new crowd. Talk to CTV and maybe film some Corner Gas down here. Hank decides to run an enduro and the rest of the cast is the pit crew. Except of course Oscar...your all jackasses
Maybe we need to come up with something for the rice rocket crowd. Some drifting of something. Obstacles etc. to slow them down. They are usually young kids with big nads that are sure to get in over their heads. It can always be fun. it's what tv's funniest home video is made of. It will definitely bring in some different faces to the stands. And it helps the community to boot, keeps them off the streets. That'll get some press. A good tag line.
Hank decides to run an enduro and the rest of the cast is the pit crew. Except of course Oscar...your all jackasses
Actually, Oscar should drive. Or maybe Emma.
She'd be nasty.
I know this will irk the circle track crowd but.....
What if we set up a drag strip on about 2/3 s of the front straight. Have the local street racers come in and race each other.
Have a test and tune on thursday night where every one dials in a time for the friday night.
On friday bring back the top 20 or so cars and have a bracket race in front of the crowd between the heats and features.
Call it the Street Race Irrationals or the like (Shadow).
Heck, if it runs quick enough, you could have the king of the hill at the end of the night.
Hey, back off, just throwing it out there.
I like it, but I'd go one further and actually give it a gimmick.
Make it once around the track one way, then around a pylon or barrel and then once around the other way. Or once around the big track and once around the Jr track. Something that involves cornering.
After all, half the fun of watching pimped-out rice burners race is watching pimped-out rice burners crashing into each other. 😛
Couple it with some kind of concert and a show-and-shine/trade show and you might have something.
BTW, I read that 24 Hours Of Lemons site. That sounds like a hoot.
http://www.24hoursoflemons.com/