Re: 11 things promoters must do...
 

For the younger crowd (I'm 33, I like to think I'm sort of in that category) the biggest thing a track can do is #4 - move the show along. There are so many entertainment options that many people don't want to spend 6 hours anywhere doing anything. In essence, the tracks in Indiana that Sprint Week visits has many of these points working already. We're pretty spoiled in Indiana.

#10, for all us guys out here who try to get their better half to go to the races with them, you can't imagine how important this point is. Most of the fairer sex don't really look forward to dropping trou in a soggy outhouse.

Re: 11 things promoters must do...
 

Two ambulances

Re: 11 things promoters must do...
 

Originally Posted by Bill Gardner:
9. BIGGIE: Do you have a villain yet? If not, forget the kids. They MUST have a good guy/bad guy, and if you don’t, the kids are gone mentally…Just forget them. That is what makes every Monster Truck Show, cartoon, etc. work: A VILLIAN!

I work with kids, so, yes, I understand where he is coming from on this. But deliberately creating drama that doesn't already exist is just stirring up a hornet's nest. Dumbing down the sport with a "WWE" mentality might get a few more fans. But if it casts doubt on the credibility of the sport, is that what we want?

Growing up in northen Indiana I remember at Fort Wayne just about every driver had a nickname. I remember those names more than cars or numbers.
Don't like villans and gimmicks. Read about how Andy Granitelli packed soldier field.
Yea you young fans the bears stadium filled for stock cars and midgets.

Re: 11 things promoters must do...
 

Several of these are my biggest pet peeves and I am glad to see that someone wrote them down.

The races need to start on time and stop on time. The show needs to move along, and it should be the rare exception that I see a tractor farming your track. No one has ever paid to watch trackers farm a track.

Four classes of cars. (that look different) One of our local tracks now has a A mods, B mods and now E mods. How will a new fan every get excited about these classes when it takes a trained eye to spot the difference. (if you can)

I don't know anyone who wants to go to a Dust track instead of a dirt track. Both of my boys have bad allergies, and if the track is dusty, it will be months before I can talk them into going back with me.

I also agree with a clean facility that you can be proud of. There is a track near my home that is littered with broken down trucks throughout the pits. It's nickname is Stanford and Son Speedway.

I also agree with the villain concept, and if you are paying attention it is easy to create without going WWE. Find two drivers who don't particularly like each other. (pretty easy at a weekly track) Once you have the two drivers that don't like each other simply play them off of each other. A good announcer can make a rivalry between drivers in half a season if he knows what they are doing. All it takes is a couple of good sound bites, or a couple of bad slide jobs, or in modified country a good engine claim and it is on.

Re: 11 things promoters must do...
 

Solid list! As for the flips, Yeah, it makes fans oogle. But I for one, never want to see a car get outta shape and upside down. It costs money, adds work to the crew, puts the driver in a bad spot.. Anyways, Flips arent anything to promote. Everyone knows that usually, on a regular night, you're gonna see one get upside down. I believe this is enough to draw the 'fans' who like to see that kind of thing.

As for Rivalries.. Somebody get on facebook, look up Lancaster Speedway in South Carolina, read and enjoy.. The fans post more than the drivers and the promoters; rooting, cheering, booing, hating, etc. That place has been around a while and has a rivairy in just about every division. Sections in the stands dedicated to "Baker Nation" or "Timbo Nation". Its all stock cars, and latemodels, but still. Drive around the town, and see the decals on the trucks, hear people talking about the races on Tuesday.. Its a good gig for the fans, and Timbo and Baker love it as well. They sell shirts and hear the fans cheer. Awesome.

As for moving the show along, I completely agree. As well as the big shows and their weekly classes. It always confuses me when I listen to a DirtVision show and hear John Gibson hand it off for the Hornet Main event.. If you got big hitters in the pits who hauled, chances are you have folks in the stands who hauled too. Cater to them just like the big teams.

-Justin

I will say it again pack the place with a 2 our 3 day show and with all the campers and hotels sold out in your town and folks are saying what is going on that speedway will say wow they must have something neat going on and that might bring in some new racing fans.

Starting on time is the biggest thing to me. Promoters typically have control starting on time. Starting hot laps on time to me does not mean time to start getting heat in the motors or using race cars to start packing the track. Starting hot laps at the advertised time means pushing cars off and dropping the green flag. If you start late the show is likely to run longer than it should have. Sometimes shows just run long due to on track issues but just start at the advertised time.