Resurrection
 

With Easter being about resurrection and it being Easter Monday why not discuss the need to re-stock the fan base in non-wing sprint cars. Was reading through the thread on DD's sprint ride and seems that thread was turning into a debate on the lack of young fans at the tracks today, with an emphasis on non-wing fan base. The use of smart phones at tracks was also a topic to discuss. I have some thoughts, jump in add your own, also, not meaning to be negative ,but, we first must define the problems before a solution can be discussed.

I have spent most of my 60 years chasing non-wing cars, have seen midget counts in the 100+ all the way to a night in Colby Kansas with 7 cars. Have seen the grandstands at the Hoosier 100 full along with 5000 plus in the infield, and crowds that did not reach 3000. There were week nights at IRP (ORP) that the stands were completely full, today the Night Before the 500 has turned into a mid-day show with empty stands. Also, have seen Indiana Sprint Week grow to what today is a must see, must be, event with packed stands.

You can finger point, you could say that my years at USAC we grew the sport, or we did not,there was a time when the sprint schedule was 14 races and we added wings to get to that number, there was a time when there were no pavement races, it grew to the point where there was 45-60 sprints or midget on any night on live TV. Went to Bellville with a car count in the low 20's, grew it to the 60's, and then watched it dwindle back to nothing. Been all over the map, seen glory years and seen lean years, read where USAC was at there highest now, not even close, others think they are at their lowest now, not even close! The point is the peaks and valleys come and go, and have never really seen a real reason or person to blame. What we all seem to agree on today is we need to find a way to get younger fans to the track or the fan base is going to continue to dwindle and nothing positive will come from that! Oddly, my other lifetime passion is Horse Racing and that arena is also facing the exact same problem. 20 years ago I sat in a OTB with no empty seats and was the youngest guy in the room on a regular basis, today that room is 30% full and I am still the youngest person in the room!

I really only have one reason, concern, thought, ect.. on the biggest hurdle to why the younger fans are staying away...TECHNOLOGY!!! 9 horse races take almost 4 hours!! If you go to a stand alone Sprint car race with 4 heats, semi,and a feature, that is 20 minutes of green flag time!! Lets say you travel an hour there, spend minimum 3 hours at the track, then an hour home! 300 minutes for 20 minutes of entertainment! Add in the fact that seldom is the weather perfect, it is not free to get in, I am going to get dirty, ect... VS I can watch high definition TV, there will be 4-6 games on at once, there is a race on, numerous other alternatives, all from the climate controlled venue of my choice, action at my finger tips, no down time, and that is all on my phone. I have other options, like a TV as big as (fill in adjective) with technology that brings a better picture than live. The more I think about it, if I could get the smell of the track in a spray can I might never leave the house again!! AND, that is a smidgen of what technology offers, have not even brought in video games. You tell me how you are going to get junior to buy into the world we grew up in vs the world he is growing up in? Like I said, point fingers, blame support classes, any one of a dozen reasons, and to me it all comes back to this generation has way to many options via technology to ever get them to travel to a race track!! I know what they are missing, I know that you can not replace that feeling you get at the track, I also know that today's generation will show you how they feel when using the latest technology, and how that feeling is important to them. My 4 year old granddaughter has an ipad that she does amazing things on, she can watch cartoons, draw, design, create, ect... on, she can get on the internet, she can type, learning to spell! Do I want her to learn to like fishing, racing, outdoors activities, sports, ect....yes, do I want her to put her ipad down and ...hell no.... if she is going to be successful in her world she better be technology savoy or she will get left behind!!

Conclusion: Find a way to incorporate technology into live events so it gets the attention of today's younger generation and you might be able to Resurrect the sport!

Re: Resurrection
 

Well, evidently you can type much faster than I can read, because you were done long before me. How's that for technology?! Bob

The main reason I attend races instead of staying home for entertainment is the people I get to meet and hang out with!!

The Smell of methanol, roar of the engines, dirt in the air and hanging out with friends.

Re: Resurrection
 

Series have to PROMOTE to the TARGET audience. If indeed the younger crowd is their target audience, I suggest.................

1. Make it a SHOW.
2. Make it an EVENT.
3. Bring a USAC traveling hauler with Music, Lights, and Video screens , Give-aways, T-Shirts, Tickets, etc. to the areas of town (Bars,Restaurants ie: Kirkwood in Bloomington) where all of the Target Audience congregates a few days or a week before the event night to drum up excitement.
4. Bring a actual car with this pre-show marketing and fire it up around 10pm and see what happens.
5. Work with local venues, restaurants, bars, brewpubs, etc. for promo partnerships.
5. Gonna actually have to invest some time and effort for a return on investment. Not going to be a Overnight success. Give it some time but get it started soon.
6. USAC got a couple of "younger" fellows in the know right now that should be able to see the value in this marketing direction.
7. Continue this "Razzle Dazzle" Marketing on Race Day at the Track in conjunction with Track Promoters.
8. JMO.
9. Oh yes.........Technology...........this is 2019 if I recall, I would certainly think that with the available technology out there, we could get a CONSISTANTLY functioning mobile timing board and message center and mobile application for your SMART phone users. Please.

Originally Posted by Rpracing1:
Series have to PROMOTE to the TARGET audience.

1. Make it a SHOW.
2. Make it an EVENT.
3. Bring a USAC traveling hauler with Music, Lights, and Video screens , Give-aways, T-Shirts, Tickets, etc. to the areas of town (Bars,Restaurants ie: Kirkwood in Bloomington) where all of the Target Audience congregates a few days or a week before the event night to drum up excitement.
4. Bring a actual car with this pre-show marketing and fire it up around 10pm and see what happens.
5. Work with local venues, restaurants, bars, brewpubs, etc. for promo partnerships.
5. Gonna actually have to invest some time and effort for a return on investment. Not going to be a Overnight success. Give it some time but get it started soon.
6. USAC got a couple of "younger" fellows in the know right now that should be able to see the value in this marketing direction.
7. Continue this "Razzle Dazzle" Marketing on Race Day at the Track in conjunction with Track Promoters.
8. JMO.

Most of those are well and good, but most of them are the promoters job, not USAC’s.
If USAC had to hire the bodies and extra equipment to do all this, there sanction fees would have to go up quite a bit to pay for it all.

Originally Posted by Crankin:
Most of those are well and good, but most of them are the promoters job, not USAC’s.
If USAC had to hire the bodies and extra equipment to do all this, there sanction fees would have to go up quite a bit to pay for it all.

Maybe, maybe not. They may have to play outside the box as a series. Read my number 8.

Re: Resurrection
 

I don't think this is just a USAC problem. I see this as a racing problem. People will tell me that wing racing draws younger fan, but every crowd shot I see are my age or older. NASCAR has the same problem. I have brought some families in their 20's the last couple of years. They have enjoyed it, but finding the money to attend has been a problem. Wish I had the answers.

Make a trip to LPS to one or more of the Kids bike races. They do it 3 or more times a year. Stands are packed with kids. They bring their own bikes and race on the track in distances and age groups. There are boys and girls. Winners get NEW bikes courtesy of the track. Track announcer is on the track with PA to interview the winners. It's a big deal for the Kids. Shows up in attendance. LPS always has a crowd AND a lot of kids. Even some playing flagman behind the starter.

Re: Resurrection
 

Originally Posted by Al Pierce:
Make a trip to LPS to one or more of the Kids bike races. They do it 3 or more times a year. Stands are packed with kids. They bring their own bikes and race on the track in distances and age groups. There are boys and girls. Winners get NEW bikes courtesy of the track. Track announcer is on the track with PA to interview the winners. It's a big deal for the Kids. Shows up in attendance. LPS always has a crowd AND a lot of kids. Even some playing flagman behind the starter.

I was at Fremont a few years ago for the BOSS race and they gave a bike away every week. Lots of people from all ages there that night,and the kid that won the new bike had a big smile on his face when he walked by us pushing the bike. Thought that was a good idea. Surprised more tracks dont do that.

Originally Posted by Rpracing1:
Bring an actual car with this pre-show marketing and fire it up around 10pm and see what happens.

What would likely happen is that an angry City Board Member, accompanied by the police, would show up to shut this festival down by 10:15.

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk:
I don't think this is just a USAC problem. I see this as a racing problem. People will tell me that wing racing draws younger fan, but every crowd shot I see are my age or older. NASCAR has the same problem. I have brought some families in their 20's the last couple of years. They have enjoyed it, but finding the money to attend has been a problem. Wish I had the answers.

Being retired (yes, I am an “old fart”) we have attended the season opening races for WoO sprint cars at Volusia and then the opening races for the USAC sprint cars at Bubba Raceway Park the next week. While I don’t know the exact “why”, Volusia has been absolutely packed the last couple of years, while the races at Bubba, while a decent crowd, aren’t half of what is at Volusia. Over the last two years at Volusia, 3 of the 5 nights that the races were run (the Sunday finale this year was a rainout) have been sell-outs per the announcement.

While there are certainly a lot of older people at Volusia, there are way more families in attendance at Volusia, as compared to at USAC and Bubba. Is it because of Volusia’s proximity to Daytona Beach and people vacation at the beach and come to the races? Is it the tie in to the Daytona 500? Is it because WoO/DirtCar/Volusia does a better job of promoting (there are billboards along I-95 in Florida promoting the DirtCar Nationals) than USAC and Bubba Raceway? As I said above, I don’t know the “why”, but I do know what I have observed. As for costs, tickets for 3 nights of WoO sprints at Volusia for reserved seats run about $10/night more than tickets for 3 nights of USAC sprints at Bubba Raceway. I THINK reserved seats run about $5/night more than General Admission. Food is probably close to even.

Just my observations. We attended 24 races last year, 14 non-wing races and 10 winged races. I know it is borderline sacrilegious to say, but we enjoy both winged and non-winged Sprint cars. I do believe that as a rule, more families can be seen at winged shows than non-wing shows. I stress this is my opinion.

Re: Resurrection
 

Bring your Teen Night. Kid gets in Free and Adult gets a couple dollar discount.

College Night. show you college ID at the gate and get in Free.

Mother - Daughter night. Mom gets a rose at the gate and Daughter gets in free.

Just a couple ideas that could get some new people to the track.

Re: Resurrection
 

What's the point of any sporting event? The real reason. To hang out and socialize with your friends/family.

Take any sport, remove the casual fans who wouldn't be there without a buddy(s) and you will be left with only a few handfuls of people who are really there for the big race/game.

Now since your casuals really only want to hang out, you can do that online in any number of facets, for free and in the comfort of their own home. You are not going to bait a majority of the current 20-30 somethings who really have the least amount of money of any demographic into attending. Especially when that demographic is in debt up to their eyeballs with college degrees, new cars, houses, kids, etc.

Most of the money spent going to a race is spent everywhere except the track. Then what do you do when you get there? You sit in uncomfortable bleachers in the burning sun, freezing cold, blasted with dust, out of date PA systems screaming in your ears (some cases not getting any PA...), all with nothing to do except SIT THERE until your bladder is about to explode where you treat yourself to a trip to a more than often than not dirty bathroom. That all sounds like a fantastic night to me where I just blew a bunch of money and several hours on the road.

The fundamental problem that HAS to be solved is how to overload the senses where sensations of every variety are being thrown at you left and right. Watch any modern movies or video games? There are so many things thrown at you that you don't have time to really think about stuff. It's all GO GO GO as fast as you can from every direction in every variety. This isn't a problem with just racing, but I believe racing is much more susceptible to the problem than your traditional stick and ball sports due to the nature of the program.

You want younger fans to come to your event? STOP WITH THIS "FAMILY FRIENDLY" CRAP! Why are bars/clubs/concerts hot spots? Booze and a more risque atmosphere would do wonders. When you were in your 20's did you really want to hang out for an evening with grandma and grandpa? Of course you didn't. Going to the track anymore feels more like going to Sunday dinner than a "fun filled night."

Cultivate and encourage fun outside of what is happening on that racetrack because frankly, it's the absolute least important factor to your casual fan (I'm not talking about you traditional purists!). There needs to be FUN. Otherwise.. out comes the cellphone... disconnecting from everything they paid to enjoy, all due to boredom.

Originally Posted by Spi-nex:
You want younger fans to come to your event? STOP WITH THIS "FAMILY FRIENDLY" CRAP! Why are bars/clubs/concerts hot spots? Booze and a more risque atmosphere would do wonders. When you were in your 20's did you really want to hang out for an evening with grandma and grandpa? Of course you didn't. Going to the track anymore feels more like going to Sunday dinner than a "fun filled night."

Unless you want to cut off your nose to spite your face, this stuff better be separated into some sort of "Sprint Car Snake Pit", or you risk running off your core demographic.

We're talking about growing the sport, but I also see a growing trend, particularly on social media, of a vocal minority of race fans trashing traditional "ball" sports.

It usually comes when we have an event that's over the top in terms of popularity, like the Super Bowl, or perhaps the Final Four. Here comes all the Julie Andrew's "This is me not caring" social media memes. And others like it.

Look, if you engage in this unsolicited,
passive aggressive baiting, maybe you have what you feel are legit reasons for hating mainstream sports. Perhaps you were bullied or harassed by your high school's running back 30 years ago. Perhaps it's the NFL anthem protest. Or perhaps something else.

But at the end of the day, when you attack mainstream sports on social media, you essentially attack the way of life for MILLIONS of sports crazed people. And, more ominously for our spirt, you potentially turn folks who were previously merely ambivalent about car culture and racing into actual hostile enemies of it.

And things get even worse when someone like Clint Boyer goes on the record saying "T ball is stupid.", like he did recently on a Dale Earnhardt Jr podcast. I wonder how many youth sports coaches, some of whom don't get car culture and racing, shared that on each other's social media walls? You think the whole sport doesn't just look like a bunch of Neanderthal Philistines in that light?

In short, boys and girls, like the new Kenny Chesney song says, can't we all just get along?

[quote}
And things get even worse when someone like Clint Boyer goes on the record saying "T ball is stupid.", like he did recently on a Dale Earnhardt Jr podcast. I wonder how many youth sports coaches, some of whom don't get car culture and racing, shared that on each other's social media walls? You think the whole sport doesn't just look like a bunch of Neanderthal Philistines in that light?

[/QUOTE]

Clint also said on that podcast “if it don’t use gas it SUCK’S !!

What’s wrong with telling the truth???

Originally Posted by racer-x:
[quote}
And things get even worse when someone like Clint Boyer goes on the record saying "T ball is stupid.", like he did recently on a Dale Earnhardt Jr podcast. I wonder how many youth sports coaches, some of whom don't get car culture and racing, shared that on each other's social media walls? You think the whole sport doesn't just look like a bunch of Neanderthal Philistines in that light?

Clint also said on that podcast “if it don’t use gas it SUCK’S !!

What’s wrong with telling the truth???[/QUOTE]

My fear is that, with the rise of socialism on the political front, we may in the relatively near future see racing leaders subpoenaed before Congress, forced to defend why we're still burning fossil fuels. It could be an ugly day for the sport if this video gets played.

Re: Resurrection
 

Originally Posted by illiNOISE:
Clint also said on that podcast “if it don’t use gas it SUCK’S !!

What’s wrong with telling the truth???

My fear is that, with the rise of socialism on the political front, we may in the relatively near future see racing leaders subpoenaed before Congress, forced to defend why we're still burning fossil fuels. It could be an ugly day for the sport if this video gets played.[/QUOTE]

Now you're getting carried away. The Left has more important things to worry about, like health care
Leave the ******** alone & i will too :23:

Re: Resurrection
 

Proud to say I'm 23 years young and a proud race fan lol. One big area that I think hurts dirt racing that is starting to get better, is the lack of TV exposure it once had in the 1990's. But that is all starting to change with the great PPV options available now like Speedshift, Dirtvision, Flo etc.... But to keep with what has been said there are a lot of owner drivers know who are younger, whether or not they stick around once they themselves hang up the helmet is yet to be seen.

Re: Resurrection
 

Real race cars don't run on fossil fuels. They use methonal.

Re: Resurrection
 

LPS must be doing something right then. Did you see the crowd for the IOW Fest. The place was packed, sprint week size crowd or larger, where I bet 50% were families with small kids.

The only thing my boys don't like about going to the racetrack is when there is too much down time between races, when the show is moved along they enjoy themselves, if it turns into a tractor show and takes forever in between races, they start to loose interest. I think this is because their is nothing going on during this time. We go to hockey games all winter long and they have no issue with the 20 min intermission. I believe this is because there is usually some sort of entertainment being provided, whether it be on ice entertainment, DJ playing upbeat dance music, Mascots doing mascot things. most tracks just turn on the county music station and then might talk over it, telling stories about some of the drivers. While most adults and race enthusiast might like this, most kids don't. I would love to see a local track get a mascot to engage the crowd during down times and see what that does to bring in more kids.