VIP Suites??
 

Last week I was at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minnesota. Deer Creek is a 3/8th of mile dirt track located roughly 20 miles south of Rochester, MN. The promoters (Queensland Family) at Deer Creek Speedway won the 2010 National Promoter of the year award by RPM. Their hospitality during our week at the track went way beyond what any of us expected and there were many things I saw that made it clear why they won the award.

One of the many things that caught my attention about the facility was the VIP Suites they have. They have 24 fully customized air conditioned enclosed VIP suites and 36 open air deck suites. Each VIP Suite had closed circuit television, wireless internet access, instant access to race lineups and results. It was definately one of the nicer things I've ever seen at a race track.

The VIP Suites at Deer Creek are finsihed out with bare necessities, and then each suite owner is able to customize it however they want at their own cost not the tracks. I saw one suite with granite countertops, fridge, sink, very comfortable chairs and plenty of alcohol. I believe they required a 6 year lease agreement in order to customize each suite and if you don't renew your lease, the track keeps the suite as it is.

During a conversation I had with the promoter at Deer Creek Speedway, I was told that the track doesn't make any money from the racing program itself. If it wasn't for food sales, sponsors, and VIP Suites... the track would have a hard time operating on a weekly basis. He said, racing is their product, the entertainment is the business. From what I saw... their business is good for racing.

My question here is why doesn't some Indiana tracks build these VIP Suites? I'm sure a questionable demand for such a suite along with the upfront costs associated with the construction is one reason. I would think long term this could only benefit local tracks and let's be honest, a financially secure race track is good for all of us.

If your local track built VIP Suites would you be interested in purchasing one... and just so you won't say how much... let's just say $3,000/year? I'm guessing there could be several business owners who would be.

Re: VIP Suites??
 

Originally Posted by bill gardner:
last week i was at deer creek speedway in spring valley, minnesota. Deer creek is a 3/8th of mile dirt track located roughly 20 miles south of rochester, mn. The promoters (queensland family) at deer creek speedway won the 2010 national promoter of the year award by rpm. Their hospitality during our week at the track went way beyond what any of us expected and there were many things i saw that made it clear why they won the award.

One of the many things that caught my attention about the facility was the vip suites they have. They have 24 fully customized air conditioned enclosed vip suites and 36 open air deck suites. Each vip suite had closed circuit television, wireless internet access, instant access to race lineups and results. It was definately one of the nicer things i've ever seen at a race track.

The vip suites at deer creek are finsihed out with bare necessities, and then each suite owner is able to customize it however they want at their own cost not the tracks. I saw one suite with granite countertops, fridge, sink, very comfortable chairs and plenty of alcohol. I believe they required a 6 year lease agreement in order to customize each suite and if you don't renew your lease, the track keeps the suite as it is.

During a conversation i had with the promoter at deer creek speedway, i was told that the track doesn't make any money from the racing program itself. If it wasn't for food sales, sponsors, and vip suites... The track would have a hard time operating on a weekly basis. He said, racing is their product, the entertainment is the business. From what i saw... Their business is good for racing.

My question here is why doesn't some indiana tracks build these vip suites? I'm sure a questionable demand for such a suite along with the upfront costs associated with the construction is one reason. I would think long term this could only benefit local tracks and let's be honest, a financially secure race track is good for all of us.

If your local track built vip suites would you be interested in purchasing one... And just so you won't say how much... Let's just say $3,000/year? I'm guessing there could be several business owners who would be.

heard marlin burns already gave spiker the glass to build some this was eariler in the yr but after the news this week makes u wonder:5:;)

Re: VIP Suites??
 

Lloyd, What news would that be? Did I miss something.

Re: VIP Suites??
 

Originally Posted by bill gardner:
lloyd, what news would that be? Did i miss something.

somebody told marlin joe was gonna clean house and marlin was at the top of his list...just what we have heard

Re: VIP Suites??
 

Oh... I wasn't aware of any of that. Well, they sure seemed to be pretty friendly a couple weeks ago. You know rumors fly around all the time. Most of the time it's someone just wanting to stir the pot. I'm just glad my pot is empty.;):3:

Re: VIP Suites??
 

Royal Purple Raceway (former Houston Raceway Park) has VIP suites, but they only race about once a month or less. They are available for upcoming events.

http://www.royalpurpleraceway.com/ho...o-watch-a-race

Re: VIP Suites??
 

Originally Posted by cmakin:
Royal Purple Raceway (former Houston Raceway Park) has VIP suites, but they only race about once a month or less. They are available for upcoming events.

http://www.royalpurpleraceway.com/ho...o-watch-a-race

That's very odd how little they race, glad track owners in our area aren't like that. I wonder how they survive?

Re: VIP Suites??
 

LaSalle Speedway has those atop their grandstand, too. Although they're not quite as nice as the ones you've shown from Deer Creek.

Jerry

Re: VIP Suites??
 

Thanks for sharing Carey. It looks like Drag racing is there primary event. It looks like they're alot like IRP/ORP/LORP only with a dirt oval.

Deer Creek reminded me alot like our local tracks here in Indiana... just without the suites. The promoters have been there for 10 years. It obviously took a large commitment by the Queensland family to do what they've done. I believe it's paying off because they just had one of the highest paying modified races ever.

I also forgot to mention that all of there suites are sold and they have a lengthy waiting list. Pretty impressive commitment by everyone.

Re: VIP Suites??
 

Williams Grove has them. Maybe a dozen?

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Belle-Clair has some small suites outside turn three. Nothing fancy.

Re: VIP Suites??
 

There is more than one person who was impressed.

Re: VIP Suites??
 

Maybe not suites,but why could some tracks like I69, Putnamville or The 'Burg sell season top row seats? With that you would get an attendant to bring or sell you drinks and food.

The side advantage to this, is it would get rid of the people who have season ticket blankets, whether they show up or not and add a few bucks to the track.

Re: VIP Suites??
 

Anderson Speedway has about 6-7 suites. They rent them on a race by race basis I believe. Nice for corporations to entertain employees, customers, vendors, etc............

Re: VIP Suites??
 

Lawrenceburg has suites, air conditioned and available for rental.

Same for Eldora.

Re: VIP Suites??
 

Originally Posted by Sickfan:
That's very odd how little they race, glad track owners in our area aren't like that. I wonder how they survive?

They have a drag strip. One NHRA show each year, several other nationally sanctions shows and weekly local drag racing. They were boycotted by local racers a couple of years ago and decided that running a weekly show wasn't worth the trouble. Now local racers have one less place to race. Two, if you count the closing of 105 Speedway in Cleveland, Texas.

For their ASCS Gulf South shows, Royal Purple draws 6-8,000 fans. The WoO show gets about 5,000 folks in the seats. The USMTS shows bring in a lot of cars (80-100 in the past few years), but not so many fans.

Re: VIP Suites??
 

They had them at my home track in Maine,Oxford Plains Speedway.That was when Bob Bahre owned the track,and I think he had them put in around 1985 or so. I cant remember now how many suites there are there in all,but OPS has a long grandstand (seating for 14,000) and the go from end to end. Obviously "Papa" Bahre as we used to call him,was looking ahead, way down the road, way before most short track promoters were/are looking at corporate suites.

Some of the tracks out here would benefit from having Bob Bahre come out here to teach them how to run a well organized show.

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Haubstadt has a large suite also. I think its for rent by event.

Re: VIP Suites??
 

Originally Posted by Danny Burton:
Lawrenceburg has suites, air conditioned and available for rental.

Same for Eldora.

Sold Out for the season, sorry

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Maybe I'm in the minority, but a big part of the enjoyment I get from being at the track is the atmosphere. No, not the occasional drunk who sloshes his/her beer on me, although that goes with the territory. But the smells and the sounds and the feelings. I love smelling the wet clay and hot rubber, hearing the roar of the engines as they race by and the excitement of the fans as they watch driver X pull a bonzai move. And probably more than anything, I love feeling that rumble right in the center of my chest each time the cars pass. That stuff never gets old, man. At least not to me. I think the suites are great for people who are maybe going the corporate route, but for me personally, I know I'd miss those things if I was in a suite.

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I'm with you Diggsy,but you left out the most important smell,METHANOL!! USA in Tucson has a VIP suite,but I've never used it or even been in it. Frank Daigh(dirtnonwingfan)has,and he says it's very nice.But,I refuse to watch a race from behind glass!

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What always baffled me is you have enclosed and open suites. But non combined? Even the suites at the ball park have a couple rows of seating for those who want to come out. Inside is for before and after the game/Race

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Originally Posted by I Miss Manzy:
I'm with you Diggsy,but you left out the most important smell,METHANOL!! USA in Tucson has a VIP suite,but I've never used it or even been in it. Frank Daigh(dirtnonwingfan)has,and he says it's very nice.But,I refuse to watch a race from behind glass!

I did...shame on me! :11; I think the suites are fine for some people, and I guess if it gets them to the track and turns them into fans, then all the better. But if I'm going to watch a race from behind glass, I may as well stay home and watch on TV. Besides, as soon as I get to my seat, I say "sweet!" and that's good enough for me.

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There really seems to be two types of tracks. the ones with nice stands that can support luxory seats, and the ones that have stands that are 25 years old. I went to Kokomo for the first time this year and was really surprised about the shape of the stands. There is no reason to put luxory seats on top of those stands. However, Lawrenceburg has outstanding stands which having a luxory seat on top of makes sense. I guess my questions is not why are there not more luxory seats, but why do so many tracks have poor stands to begin with.

Re: VIP Suites??
 

Originally Posted by Jonr:
There really seems to be two types of tracks. the ones with nice stands that can support luxory seats, and the ones that have stands that are 25 years old. I went to Kokomo for the first time this year and was really surprised about the shape of the stands. There is no reason to put luxory seats on top of those stands. However, Lawrenceburg has outstanding stands which having a luxory seat on top of makes sense. I guess my questions is not why are there not more luxory seats, but why do so many tracks have poor stands to begin with.

I believe it is called money. Mostly, lack thereof.:deadhorse: