Rain forecasted and worried about low attendance/car count?

Scared Fans won't come and pay if we can read it for free?

Get a "Buckley" to broadcast a live feed and charge the general admission price for it. I personally live 5 minutes from Ellis Park (horse racing) but seldom miss a race day on the internet but may only attend in person once or twice during their live meet. There have been many times I skip Haubstadt (20 minutes ) because looks like a rainout or if it's going to be a big crowd I don't want to get stuck seated near smokers I'll just sit at home and read live updates but would pay my normal admission price to watch it live. Just to be honest this is more directed at the local fan base because I personally would rarely if ever pay for a feed from a track that is not my local track unless it's a big race.

Maybe I'm off my rocker but thought id throw it out there anyway.

Re: Promoters dislike updates?
 

My beef is a different w/ track promoters, went to race last yr & after put'n heat in it rained out so we go to get a refund:34:. No cash refunds, you have to mail it in along w/ a receipt:11;. Why bother you got the money right there in your hand, why bother w/ stamps, envelopes & checks??:14: One young man took his pit pass off right in front of them & would not give him a refund cause he didn't have receipt:(. Guess what track I'm not going to anymore:26:

Re: Promoters dislike updates?
 

well at least they refunded your $$ if you mailed your ticket stub in. a couple of years ago I attended an Indiana speed week usac race, and it rained for ten minutes after time trials and rather than work the track in they called the race and refused to give any refunds either in person or even by mail/ then when I voiced my displeasure with that situation, everyone on this site swore up and down that no Indiana track has ever given a refund in the case of a rain out. now, as far as updates go, as a result of the incident I've referr:7:ed to above, I always check the weather reports before I leave and if there's a chance of rain, I don't go, unless the race is in ohio or pa., where promoters do give refunds, or unless the race is close to home in indiana

I've never understood the no updates thing. That's like saying posting the setlist of a concert after each song saves me from having to pay to see it.

Re: Promoters dislike updates?
 

Originally Posted by Bad Dad 54:
My beef is a different w/ track promoters, went to race last yr & after put'n heat in it rained out so we go to get a refund:34:. No cash refunds, you have to mail it in along w/ a receipt:11;. Why bother you got the money right there in your hand, why bother w/ stamps, envelopes & checks??:14: One young man took his pit pass off right in front of them & would not give him a refund cause he didn't have receipt:(. Guess what track I'm not going to anymore:26:

The problem with Cash Refunds is that too few people pay with exact change. If admission is $13 & people pay with even a $10 & a $5, come refund time it doesn't take long to run out of $1 bills.

I'd rather have the option of a Pass for the admission amount to be applied towards the admission on ANY other night or give me an envelope and I'll address it, put my ticket/wristband/whatever in it and mail me the check.

Anyway you look at it, RAINOUTS SUCK FOR EVERYONE!

steiny
:32:

tri state speedway always offers a refund, thats why they are "the class track".
Went to Granite City once for a WoO show that rained out & no refund, NEVER GOING BACK
Nothing wrong with updates, always makes me sad to hear how exciting a race was & NOT there to see it.

Re: Promoters dislike updates?
 

Internet updates wouldn't stop me from going to any race. it is no substitute for being there.

Weather Risk may keep me home on races with long drives but now with mobile updates I may be more likely to make the long drive knowing I may get that text telling me its time to turn around saving me the entire drive to an empty parking lot as in times past before the web and cell phones.

Also didn't know there was tracks out there with poor rainout policies. Most track I frequent usually let you use your ticket stub on another date if less than half the scheduled events ran. I cant remember one where I didn't get a fair shake.

Re: Promoters dislike updates?
 

Updates are OK if you are at Bloomington instead of Gas City, and you are finding out whats going on. If you notice it is always the same people who are not at the track getting updates. Tracks need butts in the seats to survive. Bring a potential sponsor to a track, and the place is half full, and they are not going to waste their money. They will say, why invest here when no one is here.

Re: Promoters dislike updates?
 

I see both sides of it. I live an hour away from the closest race track. If the weather is real hit and miss, I will reley on updates to decide weather I am going or not. Because of working 2 jobs, I do not chance it on rainy nights because normally I can not make the rain date. Now on refunds, I have never had a problem with a track using rain outs toward another event. The last time I was rained out at Gas City for a usac race, they let me use my band at a regular night show. Ya I lost a little money on the deal but I could not make it back to the reschedule date. I was thankful they worked with me. Now to those of you complaining about not getting a refund at the gate. Most of the series you show up to watch are getting paid regaurdless. I can not name for you a track raking in money just hand over fist. So where do you think that sanctioning fee is coming from. It is hard to shell out 10 to 30 thousand while you are watching rain drops fall.

Originally Posted by Bad Dad 54:
My beef is a different w/ track promoters, went to race last yr & after put'n heat in it rained out so we go to get a refund:34:. No cash refunds, you have to mail it in along w/ a receipt:11;. Why bother you got the money right there in your hand, why bother w/ stamps, envelopes & checks??:14: One young man took his pit pass off right in front of them & would not give him a refund cause he didn't have receipt:(. Guess what track I'm not going to anymore:26:

What track prints receipts? Unless maybe using $$card of some sort..

Re: Promoters dislike updates?
 

I can personally attest to the fact that edora and lernerville have refunded $$$ on the spot after a rainout (so its not like tracks don't) and rainchecks to be used for admission to future events are fine if you live near by, but in the case of bigger races i:15:. e. usac, kiss, mscs, et al, which draw people from far away, then $$$ needs to be refunded (either with cash at the gate, or by mail) otherwise people will simply stop going to tracks that don't if there's the slightest chance of rain predicted. so wise up promoters if you want butts on your bleachers, and cars in your pits, treat your fans and race teams fairly!

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk:
Updates are OK if you are at Bloomington instead of Gas City, and you are finding out whats going on. If you notice it is always the same people who are not at the track getting updates. Tracks need butts in the seats to survive. Bring a potential sponsor to a track, and the place is half full, and they are not going to waste their money. They will say, why invest here when no one is here.

I'm referring to butts that weren't going to be in the seats to begin with like mine. If there were no live updates I still wouldn't have been there. I doubt anybody would stay home just because they can get a live feed.

I used to be a die hard go to every race have to know everything goin on but now "casual race fan" is more my description. My post was to simply saying hey, there may be some revenue to be generated from fans like me that simply don't care about going to every race anymore but still enjoy the sport.

As far as rainouts I personally don't care, yea it's nice to get a refund but everybody involved is losing money in a rainout scenario especially the promoter, it's a gamble for all parties involved. I'm not going to stay home because I'm worried about a refund, I'm staying home because I've turned into a cupcake and I don't want the inconvenience if it does rainout. I don't mean to offend anybody here but if losing 15, 20, or 30 bucks here and there on rainouts upsets you then racing is probably not the best hobby or sport for you. If it's simply just a matter of principle for you then go on with your badselves.

Re: Promoters dislike updates?
 

what you are saying, whether you wish to admit to it or not, is that you are no longer a race fan. I doubt i'll ever subscribe to live feeds, they sputter and stop and go all the time/ and you can't see the whole track all the time like you can being there, so you are missing a lot, you're just seeing what the stingy camera allows you to see, no frig'n way!:7: / and as far as promoters losing $$$ in the case of rainouts, yes they do if it rains out before anyone arrives, but in the case of a speed weeks race, with a pit full of cars and the bleachers are packed, the time trials have been ran but no races have been run when it rains and no refunds are made/ then I'd estimate the promoter is sitting on about $120,000.00 in proceeds from the front gate and back gate and nothing has been paid out of it to race teams, so ka-ching. sure some of the fans and competitors might be able to come back for a rain check date, but many will not be able to, so that's alotsa moola in you know who's pocket amigo's!

Re: Promoters dislike updates?
 

The sky is always brightest on the horizon of I-84.:10::deadhorse: