with your reasoning, mosport should be turning people away

but then have more trouble  packing the place than the tracks that have "side shows"

No using my logic Kawartha should be full. They are pulling in the largest number of fans around these parts.

Sideshow Peterborough should be dead, and it is...

Mosport has 4 regular ThunderCars, unfortunatly that says it all. Thats not the kinda racing I'm talking about to pack a place. Fortunatly they have not resorted to sideshows. Too much history and class about that track..

[And that wasn't a side show relative to the rest of the CASCAR season? Nobody's saying at all that the racing doesn't sell, just that there's more than racing alone to get people in the doors.

How about the track is a great place to score crack? Will get every druggie in the door... Tracks don't have to be desparte to get fans, and sideshow are..

If Kenseth vs. Thomson, in a great battle for the lead for the win is a side show, I have no idea what racing is.

dad ran a demo derby at Barrie in 78' the year before his rookie year. He won...we have some pics of that car and dad beside it. he looks so young. He was only 18.

I particularly like the demo derbies and of course the ever so popular hell drivers. They would drive around the track on two wheels. was great to watch.

Ok who knew I'm older than your dad?  1978 would be the year after my rookie year :):):)

[And that wasn't a side show relative to the rest of the CASCAR season? Nobody's saying at all that the racing doesn't sell, just that there's more than racing alone to get people in the doors.

How about the track is a great place to score crack? Will get every druggie in the door... Tracks don't have to be desparte to get fans, and sideshow are..

If Kenseth vs. Thomson, in a great battle for the lead for the win is a side show, I have no idea what racing is.

Give me a break. Sideshows aren't a desperate last-ditch ploy to get fans but (if done right) are just a part of a promoter's bag of tricks to draw people out and part of the motorsports tradition (as opposed to just racing). There's no doubt the regular classes should be the focus of the track and to where virtually all of the track's efforts should go towards, but if you can get people in the door by doing stuff like that (and get more people watching you) then why not? The fact of the matter is that things like that, while they might piss you and the other racing-centric purists off, are working to draw casual fans in across pavement and dirt tracks alike and turn some of them into regular fans when they're done correctly.

As far as the Canada Day Shootout, how many people would've shown up if it was just the CASCAR regulars only? Maybe we've got differing ideas of what sideshows are, but to some people tossing Cup drivers out there might constitute a desperate attempt to get fans in the seats...

Statsman, thanks for the info!  Glad to hear I wasn't dreaming it all up!

but to some people tossing Cup drivers out there might constitute a desperate attempt to get fans in the seats...

Could definitely be viewed that way Mobil1...

rossevans, to reach the masses, you have to offer some variety.  Your ideas are all very interesting and seem well thought out.  I fear that there are not enough 'die hard' fans to propel this sport into the future.  These extras add to the overall show, but should not become the show IMO.