Survival
 

I for one,
look forward to some different, some new, some old winners around the Midwest tracks,
while others go wing racing.
This will survive by getting back to grass roots. Local owners/drivers get your neighbors to bring the kids out and cheer you on.
Meet n Greets & Autograph sessions are things to give the kids hero's and us those connections to the sport & to get the butts in the seats. And before you say it, (this can be done and should be) while there's still action on the track.
Today's low tolerance for downtime begs for it.
Lets all put the first foot forward in a positive tone, as 2015 is just about to crank up.
So the silver lining is now the local garage teams have a higher % chance of winning
with brains and courage, not $$$.
:22:

I agree. I think before the races, especially at paragon, drivers should partisipate in a parade through town. 20 plus sprintcars idiling through town would be awesome!!

I think it would be beneficial too if tracks mentioned during the night if fans are welcome to visit the pits after the race. When I was a kid visiting the pits after the races was one of the highlights of my night. Do tracks still do this? Do the cars and drivers stick around long enough after the races for fans to see them?

Re: Survival
 

Originally Posted by Slidejob:
I agree. I think before the races, especially at paragon, drivers should partisipate in a parade through town. 20 plus sprintcars idiling through town would be awesome!!

Something like this. Selingsgrove last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKpCS8XcZzo

Re: Survival
 

Originally Posted by Slidejob:
I agree. I think before the races, especially at paragon, drivers should partisipate in a parade through town. 20 plus sprintcars idiling through town would be awesome!!

I would have thought that the Outlaws would do this out in Vegas. I know monster jam does if for their finals.

Originally Posted by davidm:
Something like this. Selingsgrove last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKpCS8XcZzo

Now thats what Im talking about!

Re: Survival
 

Absolutely, yes please. The problem is that most people anymore don't even know that there might be a race track just on the other side of town from them. Also they may not have any interest in the races, but if you present it to the children, they very well may just be able to beg their parents enough to get them to take them to the see the races. Where as if not for the parade through town that said child would never have even known about the races that were going to take place because the parents would not have willingly exposed their child to it.

Re: Survival
 

Originally Posted by cleatziff:
I think it would be beneficial too if tracks mentioned during the night if fans are welcome to visit the pits after the race. When I was a kid visiting the pits after the races was one of the highlights of my night. Do tracks still do this? Do the cars and drivers stick around long enough after the races for fans to see them?

This is harder to pull off these days; with multiple classes running, a lot of the early feature cars are already loading up and heading for home long before the later classes have even staged.

But it didn't used to be that way. Before anyone says things change and get over it, maybe teams need to be asked to wait to pack up.

I know I race now because of going in the pits to see drivers and cars when I was a kid.

Re: Survival
 

Williams Grove does a Kids Day with their Saturday Night Series every year where they open the track early and have all the cars setup in the spectator area of the infield. Race cars and drivers are all setup with things to give the kids and there are a ton of cool door prizes for the kids later in the night. It’s like a carnival with 80 plus cars, with a couple moon bounce and a giant slide, music, bike races and games all for the kids. Plus it’s only $5 for mom and dad with kids free. It’s one of the largest fan turnouts all year for the Saturday Program.

Re: Survival
 

Originally Posted by SP Motorsports:
But it didn't used to be that way. Before anyone says things change and get over it, maybe teams need to be asked to wait to pack up.

I know I race now because of going in the pits to see drivers and cars when I was a kid.

I won't say things change and get over it, but I will say that (hypothetically) when the first feature is sprint cars on a Friday and they have to pull to another show on Saturday you may not get a lot of cooperation, especially someplace where they run 5 or 6 classes and the Hornets don't finish up until the wee hours of the morning...
Maybe a compromise might be to set up some sort of a fan-accessible area along the pit fence where drivers would be required to loiter for a few minutes to sign autographs and take pictures before staging for their main.

Re: Survival
 

I say open the pits up until hot-lap time or ten minutes before, I know there'd be policing issues but the people that need to be in the pits for work would be paying pit price anyway. for a half hour 45 minutes. Even if it was only a couple/three bucks. It'd be worth it to be able to get the interaction of fans and teams.

That or have all cars on the track and a half hour meet and greet before the features. for a family night. (If program is on or ahead of schedule)

The way gas city did it or does it, however you want to look at it. Buy a 50/50 ticket and that gets you into the pits before it starts, when drivers meeting is annouced you must leave the pits, you still gotta sign the waiver for insurance purposes and if you get there early enough, you can still get a good look at whose there and pick up any shirts you wanrt from the drivers

Re: Survival
 

There are some teams that stay till everyone in every class is loading up and leaving. Always liked that the Spencers did this and a few others. Most are either loaded and gone by the time the racing is over.

Another thing Gas City did was the Sprints were in front and to the left so when their feature was over. You could go back to the sprint car area. When the Mods were over, You could go back there. When the SS were done, The whole pit was open. But you could catch em before they leave, But you would miss the other classes.

Re: Survival
 

Originally Posted by jjones752:
This is harder to pull off these days; with multiple classes running, a lot of the early feature cars are already loading up and heading for home long before the later classes have even staged.

It's a good thing to let them be aware about roaming the pits but having been on that other side as race support no one should expect any team to just hang around. Unless it were a multi day event when we were done, we were ready to get it all loaded and head home/carwash or to unload and maybe even start in pulling the heads and/or etc. This is why mall shows, parades or things that are going on during the time frame of the event are best, not things to extend the time of it. I think we all have our hearts in it and want the best for the sport first and foremost.

Give the public everything you can give them, keep the place as clean as you can keep it, keep it friendly.
Walt Disney