Need Some Help From Osw Drivers/teams

[ancrdave]

We need stuff to give away each week... Hats, T-Shirts, whatever... Anything you can do to enhance our effort to get the fans involved and excited... It's a great way to get your sponsors and extra plug or two as well... Just see me in the pits before the races or drop anything off at the pit office with Miss Jane...
Thanks - The Voice of Orlando Speedworld - (I had to do that for Mark!!)

[Razpewton]

We need stuff to give away each week... Hats, T-Shirts, whatever... Anything you can do to enhance our effort to get the fans involved and excited... It's a great way to get your sponsors and extra plug or two as well... Just see me in the pits before the races or drop anything off at the pit office with Miss Jane...
Thanks - The Voice of Orlando Speedworld - (I had to do that for Mark!!)

Dave,

Occasionally, I interact with a lot of fans as I wander around both North Florida Speedway and Putnam County Speedway, taking pictures to post on their websites. Every now and then, I'll stop by Wal Mart and pick up some 3" miniature bottles and stop by Micheals and get some 1/2" corks to plug the tops. Then when I get to the track, which is usually early, I'll go down in the winner's circle and scoop up some dirt, pour it into the 10 or so jars and cork them up.

Then as I am wandering around, taking pictures of the fans, drivers, crews and their KIDS, I'll occsionally pull out one of the jars, look a young future driver right in the eyes and ask, "ARE YOU A DIRT RACING FAN??" If they're not too shy, they'll manage a feeble, "yes" and I'll hand them one of the vials of dirt. Then I'll tell them it's dirt from the WINNERS CIRCLE and that every aspiring champion racer who ever set foot in the Winners Circle had walked on "his or her dirt." Then I explained to always keep it sealed tightly and it would bring him good luck...forever.

Wal Mart vial = 87¢
Dirt = free
gleam in a childs eye = priceless

It doesn't have to be dirt...it could be a chunk of asphalt or and old used fire glove, or even a junked steering wheel. You give a kid something they can hold, even remotely associated with one of their heroes and you've forged a future champion.

I'll bet a lot of these drivers have TONS of old, worthless odds and ends laying around. Not to mention it only costs a few bucks to get a couple hundred t-shirts made up. Remember that old, sweaty jersey that Mean Joe Green tossed that kid on the Coke commercial? THAT'S what I'M talking about....




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[ovalracer44]

Raz you have hit the nail right on the head.

I had a couple hundred shirts made up in 2004 and had the announcer give them away and even gave a bunch to fans myself. I still to this day see people wearing my shirts, even at other tracks.

[Razpewton]

Raz you have hit the nail right on the head.

I had a couple hundred shirts made up in 2004 and had the announcer give them away and even gave a bunch to fans myself. I still to this day see people wearing my shirts, even at other tracks.

Exactly. When drivers take the time to market themselves, they may find sponsorships a little easier to obtain. When your fan base grows, you're not only promoting yourself by gaining a fan wearing your t-shirt, but you'll also peak the interest of everyone who sees that shirt, when it's owner goes to Wal Mart or Burger King or School or wherever. What we don't sometimes realize is, even though the tshirt was given to ONE person, before it wears out, it will be seen by another 500 to 1000 people.

When I hand out the vials, I'm not marketing anything...just making a child's day a little bit brighter. BUT, who's to say a driver couldn't hand out one of his mass-produced, 2" X 3" autographed pictures of him next to his car? It doesn't have to cost a fortune....and it associates HIM with an act of kindness. That in itself will build a considerable fan~base in one race season or less.....I've seen it happen.

And to top it off...when a driver/team has a "SCHTICK" like a nickname or unusual handle, they're instantly more popular...like "Wild Child", "Sponge Bob", "BoneMan" or "Superman".

Drivers and Crews can hand out ALL KINDS of stuff. Check out

http://www.zazzle.com/

There's all kinds of ideas there. There's all kinds of other places that do the same thin. Wal Mart does that too. You can get GAZILLIONS of promotional items! Send them your picture, then choose what you want. Cheap too!

http://photos.walmart.com/store

When drivers/teams provide stuff like this to ancrdave or their track, it's not only promoting themselves, but it promotes the track as well. It sustains interest in a sometimes fledgling sport, which could use a promotional shot-in-the-arm on occasions....


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[Frasson118]

Danny (The Hammer) Martin, Sprint car racer from Sarasota, hands out a bunch of blow-up hammers to the kids with his name and number on them. Try to imagine a beach ball shaped like a hammer.... they can't cost a fortune, but you sure see a bunch of kids swinging the big hammers when Danny is out there.

When you hook a kid on racing, there's a good chance you'll hook their parents too.

Ther best promotion you can do, as a driver, costs absolutely zero dollars. Letting a kid sit behind the wheel of a freshly raced racecar is worth more than you can imagine for the future of this sport. Let a 4-year old kid saw on the wheel, jiggle the shift knob a little, and make some "sounds", and see if him and the parents start coming around a lot more often. And you never know if this kids Dad could be an influential buiness man with a new-found hobby. Every fan and every SPONSOR started out somewhere... and being a hero to their son sure isn't going to hurt your chances at finding some funding.

Also, make sure to watch your temper and your language. Potential sponsors will drop you in a heartbeat if you're a poor sport, a trash mouthed talker, or a potential embarrasment to his business.

Handouts and T-shirt's are always a big hit with people... but there's a lot of other things that can "promote" without spending a dime to do it.

[ovalracer44]

I said it in a previous thread, kids dont know the difference between Elliott Sadler and The guy that runs at the back of the purestock race. Too many drivers could care less of there is anyone in the stands or not. I personally enjoy knowing that the people up in the stands either hate me or love me. Because at that point they are watching me. Why do you think I have bright yellow cars, and a bright yellow suit. It makes me easy to spot and stand out from the crowd. Kids also love bright colors. I hate black race cars because of this. Lay a box of crayons and a piece of white paper on the floor and see what colors kids go for first. Its always reds blues and other bright colors.

[ovalracer44]

poor sport, a trash mouthed talker, or a potential embarrasment to his business.

me, rex and mccreary are screwed.

[racnphotos68]

Dave, I know last week you were collecting $$ for one of the classes. Are you doing it again this week and if so what were the details? Thanks, a long time fan of yours (hint #68 mini).

[Frasson118]

Thanks 44.... I needed a good laugh, and I got it right there!

[Boneman]

Ovalracer, you got the names right, just in the wrong order!

[Speedweeks junkie]

To Raz, Frasson, Backrow, Haudfan, Flvideobob, wildgirl24, and any other dirt fan.

I have a secret plan. lets get thousands of the little Vials Raz was talking about, and fill them with clay and sneak them into Orlando Speedworld. We pour them little by little on the track and WALA! Bam a dirt track!


(just kidding Rusty)

[Frasson118]

I like the way you think!

[Old Sunshine Fan]

Little Vials Raz was talking about -

Hey - could you fill a couple of those little vials you guys are talking bout with some good scotch and fling them my way.. promise I will come back to whatever track (to git some more of em').

Heck,, I'll even re-fill them with dirt and give em' to the kids on my way out when I'm done wid them.


OSF

[ancrdave]

Tonight will be a little different guys... We are going to be collecting for victims of the fires in Brevard County... I'll turn the money over to Rusty and it will probably go to the Brevard County Chapter of the American Red Cross... That way it will also go to help other victims should this dry season continue... Maybe Mark can do something similar at NSS Saturday and it can go as one check from the FASCAR tracks/drivers/fans... We did the same thing back during the fires of '98 and the hurricanes... I have a personal friend who has been with the Red Cross for many years and they do an awesome job... Any teams wishing to contribute can see either me or Jane both tonite and Saturday... What I'm really hoping for is plenty of stuff to give to the fans who donate... Many of our drivers and fans live in those areas affected... There's even a big fire in Bithlo right now...

[ovalracer44]

I'll turn the money over to Rusty

Are you crazy? Thats like giving Michael Jackson the keys to a daycare.

On the real. Its a shame seeing the fires down there. The key to stopping the fires is take a photo of Rosie O'Donnell naked, blow it up to life size, make 100,000 copies and place them around the fire. Even the devil wont go near those photos.

If no photos of rosie are available a probable alternative would be photos of Tenney.