new ideas not crap.

[andre]

One thing in common drag, drift, Road Race, have?

You race with what you show up with........... Rings a bell??????

Driver intro. Is there anything more ''passive'', lifeless, and more boring than a F?&%*ng driver intro??? Let's rethink this for a second. Have you ever notice how fans loves burn out???? So let's take New Smyrna. Line up the car in the pit area, make them ''appear'' from out of there, one after the other, when you name them. They drive off the pit to the front stretch, and there it's up to them to make the fan react, and to the fan to show their appreciation or displeasure to the driver's performance in his introduction: burn out, spin out, back flip, special dance steps, what ever, make the fan react. And have an entertainer at the mike to orchestrate all that. This would crank the fan for sure.........

[Don Nerone]

One thing in common drag, drift, Road Race, have?

You race with what you show up with........... Rings a bell??????

Driver intro. Is there anything more ''passive'', lifeless, and more boring than a F?&%*ng driver intro??? Let's rethink this for a second. Have you ever notice how fans loves burn out???? So let's take New Smyrna. Line up the car in the pit area, make them ''appear'' from out of there, one after the other, when you name them. They drive off the pit to the front stretch, and there it's up to them to make the fan react, and to the fan to show their appreciation or displeasure to the driver's performance in his introduction: burn out, spin out, back flip, special dance steps, what ever, make the fan react. And have an entertainer at the mike to orchestrate all that. This would crank the fan for sure.........

Now thats what im talking about ..
Great new idea...
The fans will like it and the drivers will have some fun...
2 stars

don62

[flvideo]

You talk about expenses putting cars on the track, when I raced in the late 50's early 60's my parts house was Browns Junk yard and I usually pulled parts for him to pay for them. Is there any class today that can be competitive on junk yard parts?
I can't imagine what it would cost to field a competitive Open wheel, sportsman, or late model today. I made pretty good money when I worked and I could never have afforded the cars today and still raised a family. I have known a lot of guys over the years that quit racing just for that reason, the cost. Cheap rides are the way to get cars on the track and the show they put on will bring the fans. Talk about purses I don't think I ever got paid for a race. I got paid for a few motorcycle races. I raced because I loved it and still do. But to be honest I enjoy taping racing more than I ever did racing. Years ago when Margi Nanny had Desoto I think it was we had several Enduros and they wanted to race those on a regular basis and out of that came the Bomber class if I remember right. There was a bunch of them at one time.

[kendo]

Is there any class today that can be competitive on junk yard parts?
.

Junk yards know what parts roundy round guys are looking for and mark them way up.We used to pay an arm & a leg for Camaro body and suspension parts even though the junk yards were filled with them back in the day

[kendo]

Up until closing in 1981,Danbury Racearena ran asphalt modifieds only,with the racers being members of a closed club.The facility was the place to be on a Saturday nite with a weekly fan count of 6,500-8000 spectators.Drivers got a % of the front gate with a feature win payout of $3000-4000 weekly in the 60's-70's As one can imagine,this created incredible action and atmosphere,the best racing that I ever witnessed.

I know southerners hate to hear "that's how we did it up north",but would love to see someone try it

[Frasson118]

Never made it to Danbury, but it was supposedly THE place to be. Only 55 Memberships were open (and a waiting list to get in the Club). If you missed 3 weeks in a row, you were out. If you ran another track on Saturday night, you were out. You were only allowed to have primer or temporary lettering on the car for 1 week (mainly for post crash damage repairs). Only nicely painted & lettered cars allowed. As a fan, if you weren't an hour and 1/2 early, you might not get in the stands. 40% of all dollars brought in, went straight to the purse, while the track kept 60%.

They had full pits and full stands every single week.

The Fairgrounds that the track was part of, was bought out and demolished to build the Danbury Mall.

[zerofor]

but will the pied piper lead everyone there?

One thing in common drag, drift, Road Race, have?

You race with what you show up with........... Rings a bell??????

Driver intro. Is there anything more ''passive'', lifeless, and more boring than a F?&%*ng driver intro??? Let's rethink this for a second. Have you ever notice how fans loves burn out???? So let's take New Smyrna. Line up the car in the pit area, make them ''appear'' from out of there, one after the other, when you name them. They drive off the pit to the front stretch, and there it's up to them to make the fan react, and to the fan to show their appreciation or displeasure to the driver's performance in his introduction: burn out, spin out, back flip, special dance steps, what ever, make the fan react. And have an entertainer at the mike to orchestrate all that. This would crank the fan for sure.........

Okay I could be partway on board with that,(even though I don't know who wants to abuse their stuff BEFORE they race)but I know the younger fans would love it.But how do you get the people there to see it in the first place,and how does that put any more cars on the track or help out the guys who are struggling right now to stay in the game?

[andre]

Abuse their stuff BEFORE they race
Up to them as to what they will do to to put the race fans on their side. Sometime the simplest thing can generate a lot.

How do you get the people there to see it in the first place,
You do it first in a good fan draw event, where there are a lot of people to start with.
Then film the thing and plastered it on every damn web site possibles, from Youtube to Daily Planet.

How it will help the struggling racer?
When your local track is packed with ambiance, hype & race fans every week, it is with $$$$ too, and this is the draw that will lead to: everybody coming back, new fans, racers and SPONSORS.

New stuff will be needed in order to survive in this business, or we can all just sit back and watch the sport dissapears.

[palmbayer]

Here's a thought.....RACE IN A CLASS YOU CAN AFFORD !!!! Most of us,if not all of us on this board, race for the fun of it. I know for me, the opportunity to see a checkered flag in a lower class is more fun than seeing the "move over" flag in the high $$ class. Your ego needs to match your wallet.

In the mean time, Myself,Jeff Gross,Chris Smyth, Sean Wright and about 15 others will drag our $700 4 CYL bombers to Melbourne Speedway April 6th and have a blast.

I was wrong. The "Old School" is NOT closed. looks like the power just needed to be turned back on.

[Boneman]

it's up to them to make the fan react, and to the fan to show their appreciation or displeasure to the driver's performance in his introduction

Sorry, but that sounds stressful. Driving is relaxing and fun, but the thought of making fans react during an introduction does not appeal to all drivers.

There has been a few times where we did on-track intros, and I was worried all night about throwing my damn Frisbee over the fence.

[Groundpounder]

Hey Nerone, you WERE a promoter...
Why don't you lease one of these defunct tracks and like Nike says "Just Do It"?
You've tried it all and your results? Just because you sit around and dream up all of the theorectical ideas folks should listen?
Get you a track and...

Or as they say in the world of Rock...Defunked!

[Boneman]

Mr. Pounder, I like Don's thread about new ideas. Do you have any?

[Groundpounder]

Mr. Pounder, I like Don's thread about new ideas. Do you have any?

Mr. Boneman, glad we are so formal!

Nope! The situations are more related to economics, demographics competition from other sports and TV...

Not too many guys have the ability or desire to race cheap anymore...everybody has to have that $100 pair of sports shoes...

Nerone has lost touch with today's world. Gimmicks usually don't work.

[tccaz]

[QUOTE=palmbayer;123827]Here's a thought.....RACE IN A CLASS YOU CAN AFFORD !!!! Most of us,if not all of us on this board, race for the fun of it. I know for me, the opportunity to see a checkered flag in a lower class is more fun than seeing the "move over" flag in the high $$ class. Your ego needs to match your wallet.

I have been saying this for years I never could understand why anyone would not want to race in a class they could afford and maybe even win. Never figured out why you would want to just make laps and NOT be competitive and then bitch about the cost.

[UREZ2PASS]

These racing gimmicks are ok for adding to the show for the fans but they can not and will not take the place of competitive racing.

The recipe for a successful track can be found at Bowman Gray.

It's simple. Get the following right and your track will be successful in due time.

Decent payouts (drivers will chase the money)
Solid tech (drivers will leave or quit when the perception of cheating exist)
Promote the drivers to the community ! (They are the show and like recognition)
Use the racing drama on and off track to capture the fans. (Drama sells)
Good inexpensive food, clean restrooms and cheap beer.