Makes you wonder

[andre]

I was just reading the post about the last part of USA Lakeland being demolished.

It makes you wonder how come people feel sad because a race track closes when while it was open, the was nobody there anyway. If it would have been successful, it would still be open, no???

Remember Hialeah Speedway, the last event, estimated cowd,: 7,500, estimated car count: 200+... makes you wonder: where were they all the week....or the month before??? Those 200+ race cars were not built during that last week. Those 7500 race fans did not flew in from Mexico.

Just a thought

[Bobby Diehl]

We where there!!!!

Yeah the place was packed. The FASTRUCKs where even pitting on the road behind the speedway. They had to have a guard let the trucks and their Teams go back and forth. There gate had people still lined up out side after every seat in the house was full and still dieing to get in. St. Pete was the same way. Funerals are always packed.:engel016:

[carolwicks]

andre...

I agree 1000%... they had the best races at Lakeland.. the pits were always full to capacity... best racers in the state... great show.
. hardly ever had full stands. I never understood that... P~R~O~M~O~T~I~O~N...! or lack of... ;-( best safety crews, GREAT food, immaculate restrooms and staff worked very hard. the ONLY thing missing was FANS.. now everyone cries and its too late.

carolwicks

[UREZ2PASS]

Times are changing and people are changing with the times. I blame the empty grandstand seats on the economy and technology. The people in the housing industry are suffering from the economy and technology has given people a new way of life. Many people are comfortable sitting at home in front of their new flat screens watching movies, playing video games, or surfing the Internet. Case in point is people crying about race results being posted on the Internet. If they were at the races, they would know the results.

The Redeye is this evening at New Smyrna Speedway, will any of you be there, or sitting in front of your flat screen with your smart phone waiting on somebody to tell you about the races.

[carolwicks]

the economy...

the economy is not good. thats for sure... but people are spending and hard core race fans will come if prices are fair and the entertainment is good. racers are working hard spending money on their cars. the main problem is promotion and promotion is expensive so its sort of a catch 22... just my opinion. not necessarily right.

[andre]

One week away from the Chili Bowl, and already 261 cars registered, and you can bet the place, as usual, will be packed, same North America, same economy.

I do not have, and don't prentend to have the answer(s). But there is a button somewhere, and when and if, a promoter pushes on it, weekly stock car racing will be successful again.

One thing I know, because I've heard it over and over again, is the fun is not there anymore, and that is one big hurdle on the sport.

Why, in general, dirt racing has more success than pavement? It's more fun to drive those cars or watch the event(s). The adrenalin peak is way higher in 25 laps of WoO Sprint Car or 40 laps of Dirt Super Late Model than 400 laps of whatever on pavement.

[luke81]

Promotion of race tracks in Florida is TERRIBLE. The average fan who may come a few nights a year doesn't even know the tracks exist. If people don't know they certainly can't show. I'm originally from PA and up there even people who don't know anything about racing know there are race tracks.
I'm in Clearwater and I've talked to lots of people who don't even realize that East Bay exists, and it's 30 minutes away. Yes advertising costs money, but it's got to be done for any business.

[carolwicks]

I agree...

you are so right. I have had many many people tell me they didnt know Punta Gorda Speedway existed. They do now because it is being promoted. Could be a little better but it IS working.
yes... promotion does cost money but there are ways of promoting that dont cost. you have to be creative with the media. ;-)
treat them special and they usually respond.
Carol;

[Frasson118]

I too loved USA Speedway.... at first. They got greedy with the ticket prices versus the show you got for the money. $30 - $40 a ticket is waaaaay out of line. I remember the times of $20 tickets to see nearly 60 Hooters Cup teams compete in a 300 lapper. I recall the USAC Silver Crown cars on a WEDNESDAY night of all days, and the grandstands were PACKED. In it's day, USA was a hot ticket and a fantastic time.

Towards the end, it was nothing more than a glorified regular show that you could see at New Smyrna every week. Sorry, but 12 car fields of Mods, Trucks and Sportsman on a 3/4 mile track is NOT worth $30. The quality of the shows dropped out the bottom, not the track itself.

It seems to me that some stupid decisions were made from the Operations end. When the small crowd paying $20 didn't cover the expenses, they raised the ticket prices, and even LESS people showed up. Maybe lowering the prices, or set up a 'Family Package' ticket special might have helped. The only thing I saw going on was 'charge more, charge more'.

That thinking ran me off, and I supported almost nothing they did the final 2 years or so.

On the flip side, there were some things that were out of control of the Promoters that hurt them also.... the death of Hooters CEO, Bob Brooks ended the funding that he put into that series that made it a great (and growing) series. The ASA National series was crumbling with each consecutive race. Steve Lewis, who is THE man behind the PRI Trade show, for whatever reasons never brought the Silver Crown event back.... 1 and done. The Sportsman and Mod series were under new direction which divided racing in those divisions. Speedfest was torn apart internally by 'management' that had to many chiefs and not enough Indians.... that event went to a different facility.

In USA's case, there was blame to be had on both sides of the fence. But for me, the greed at the ticket window was the nail in the coffin.

[UREZ2PASS]

To complicate matters even more, there is no single recipe for an answer. What works in one area don't seem to work everywhere.

How for will an average fan drive for a weekly show ?

Do we have too many racetracks in Florida considering the amount of weekly racers and weekly fans ?

One thing for sure, tracks and teams don't do enough to promote themselves. I had a co-worker come watch us race and he said something I will never forget. "I enjoyed the races more when I knew a driver". He comes back often now.

Promotion is a key element. Driver familiarization is necessary. Racetracks need to promote their drivers because they are a big part of drawing a fan base.

[carolwicks]

Very good EZ...

it IS a good idea for drivers to mingle with fans during other races. Billy and Kim Bigley have done this for yrs. and he has many many fans because of it. Most of the drivers who mingle, no matter what class they are in have the most loyal fans.
.
A friend of mine brings about 10 people who have downs syndrome with her weekly. One of the females fell madly in love with Randy Kyle a truck racer at PGS... he has big horns on top of his car (eye catching) Kyle made it a point to come to the stands and visit with her. when he won he would wait for them to come on the track and have their pictures taken. and not to be forgotten are our kids. ..Derrick Horton makes it a point to visit and do pics with alot of the kids... KUDOS to the drivers who care about their fans!!! you cant keep them away now. they LOVE racing.

Carol

[ancrdave]

One thing about the Lakeland track was it was only promoted in the Lakeland area itself... I'm sure Frass will agree with me that if you lived east of the place (Orlando in particular), you would not have any idea that a major racing facility was less than an hour away... I never saw it promoted outside of Lakeland... Not sure about the Tampa area, but I doubt much promotion there either... At least they had Haywood Henson!!

[dd38]

Another problem is the cultures in Florida now. All they care about are their Rice Burners. Turbo's, Nitrous and illegal racing on the streets/highways. We have a track here in Orlando that caters to this. 1/8th mile drags, drifting. You should see the junk that races there. Some of it's not safe on the street. Apparently there is not much safety there. I've seen one kid that drag raced there and in order to get the skinny front tires that drag cars run, he was using the donut spares used for passenger cars and drove it on the street too!!!! He would blow about 1 every 2 weeks.

[fascar27]

Another problem is the cultures in Florida now. All they care about are their Rice Burners. Turbo's, Nitrous and illegal racing on the streets/highways. We have a place here in Orlando that caters to this. 1/8th mile drags, drifting. You should see the junk that races there. Some of it's not safe on the street. Apparently there is not much safety there. I've seen one kid that drag raced there and in ordet to get the skinny front tires that drag cars run, he was using the donut spares used for passenger cars and drove it on the street too!!!! He would blow about 1 every 2 weeks.

Did you say drag strip or on the street, I`m from Tampa, and I overheard that someone doing it here too, somewhere on Gandy Blvd. or Causeway Bridge. I did 80 with no problem,when i go to the beach or so. Nice girls bikini, wish you all here in Clearwater Beach. Anyway, time to time there`s radar popup from no where, gotta watch your a$$.

[ocalasp76]

Yesterday I fired the new motor on the MOD and was running it in when someone drove up in my driveway. He lives a few blocks away and heard the noise. Being an avid race fan,former driver, and now a snow bird he wanted to come see. As we talked he ask when racing would start down here. When I told him about the Red Eye 100 from last weekend, he said he never knew about it. He goes racing up north in Mass. all summer and would have gone to the Red Eye, had he known about it. He has been to NSS for races before so I told him about the web site......PROMOTION......or empty grandstands. The choice is the tracks. The economy does not keep fans away...lack of promotion does.
-JIM-