Orlando fix stupid

[kendo]

.....GO DIRT...

[Don Nerone]

Dons coherency isn't the problem as much as his inability to tell an accurate story.

The restrooms there are the same ones that have been there for 30 years.
"Best web-site" actually means it was piggybacked off of the Fascar web-site, using the exact same format at New Smyrnas.
Had a full time person answering phones.... can't think of a single time in all these years that someone actually answered a call, other than late Friday afternoons.
"New nights" - Other than a FAST Series race a few years ago, and the recent rainout for the Sprint cars, the track has always run on Fridays. The exception being when Rusty Marcus was running an additional show on Saturdays for the smaller & entry level classes (Legends, Bandos, Scramblers, etc.).

Not sure where Don comes up with this stuff, but he obviously didn't have the answers when he was in charge.

Don't take advice on how to do it right, from someone who already got it wrong.

The womens restrooms in the grandstands were built new in 2003. every thing new.
The ones in the pits were done in 1998 ask butch pierce he did them
And Jerry i just read on here ware Barb was answering the phones.
When i ran OSW it had great car counts(150 or better) and fair but not great fan count(600).
I did fail at Golden Gate and Lakecity. All the rest were a least good and some great.
Olrando was one of the places that car counts was alwase good.
Maybe u will wake up someday..
Dont take advice from Jerry he never got it at all

Don62

[rdv69]

Wow all this and the track has just changed hands. I hope as a racer the track helps itself with the issues brought up, but on the other hand they always had a pretty good show at least the ones i attended as a racer and fan. Just wish the place could bring in the fans in grandstands. Was there 2 weeks ago and untill the rain came look to have a crowd building up for the night. If no one gives these people a chance we will be short another track and the last thing we need is another dirt track

[Don Nerone]

Wow all this and the track has just changed hands. I hope as a racer the track helps itself with the issues brought up, but on the other hand they always had a pretty good show at least the ones i attended as a racer and fan. Just wish the place could bring in the fans in grandstands. Was there 2 weeks ago and untill the rain came look to have a crowd building up for the night. If no one gives these people a chance we will be short another track and the last thing we need is another dirt track

It would make a great dirt track.
The car counts at the dirt track is down also.
They are better than the ashfalt tracks but most of them 1/2 of what they had 10 years ago.
All of short tracks in florida and most of the south are in a slump now. 30 night season
are hard for the racer and fan. Ad 6 to 12 more speedweeks shows per year.
I hope that OSW can servive also.
They have to go for it or give up...

Don62

[rdv69]

You maybe right it might make a good dirt track but the state doesnt need another one. We need tracks willing to promote the product and that would help some but is not the whole issue. 30 schedule races a year is crazy in this day is to much .

[Frasson118]

The overall costs to run dirt are less than they are on asphalt. Its easier to keep cars coming back week after week.

I grew up on asphalt racing, and when I see a great show, it is very exciting. But it IS a dying breed. The costs to do it can't be afforded forever. Tire costs alone are a major problem.

OSW needs (in my repetitive opinion) to go dirt. There are a bunch of reasons why, but the first on the list is that the track needs something entirely different than what has been on a decline for years.

Shake it up.... Roll the dice. It's time to think outside of the same old thinking.

[Winger]

Just make it a slick track like the Lil 500 kart track. Then you can drive it like dirt, don't have to prep it, and the dust won't bother the spectators.

[UREZ2PASS]

Weekly racing there is dead. Face it people.

If I was the man in charge,

1. I would shut the weekly program down. It's all over but the crying.
2. Continue Crash-A-Rama twice a year with Enduros
3. Have a few special event races on SATURDAY night with FUPS touring series and include higher car count local classes. Include TABARA a few times a year.
4. Tell the NASCAR sanction goodbye.
5. Bring in the tour mods, TABARA, and Florida modifieds during speed week.

[katlizy]

Weekly racing there is dead. Face it people.

If I was the man in charge,

1. I would shut the weekly program down. It's all over but the crying.
2. Continue Crash-A-Rama twice a year with Enduros
3. Have a few special event races on SATURDAY night with FUPS touring series and include higher car count local classes. Include TABARA a few times a year.
4. Tell the NASCAR sanction goodbye.
5. Bring in the tour mods, TABARA, and Florida modifieds during speed week.

Glad you are not in charge... I like the weekly races

[UREZ2PASS]

Glad you are not in charge... I like the weekly races

I agree, I'm glad I'm not in charge too. So how would you make the track successful and profitable for the owner if you were in charge ?

[rhinoracing11]

Car counts for dirt are healthy only to say they All race on sat Night. Ocala and VSP are about 50 per Putnam 35 to 40....WWWAY better than NSS and ORL combined. Think of this,, Super Late Model pratice after pratice after pratice I never understood why these tracks run these guys for 4hrs before the event starts.I heard David Rogers say for the G.Cup race he will loose money due to tires..Super Stock cars sell for 5000 to 9000 They were bombers in the day running around 2000grand!!These two tracks have derailed somewhere.

[Matt Albee]

I can't speak to the new owner of Orlando, but I sure know the problem with all of the other new track owners in Florida. Money. Why these people think a race track can go from loosing money for the previous owner, to a bonanza for them without having the money to bankroll it correctly for a year or two i'll never know.
You can't take over a track that's been neglected badly( as most short tracks on the market have been ) without money in your pocket to pay for upgrades, advertising, purses, salaries, etc. for a couple of years out at least. Instead, theses guys come in with the best intentions and little else. A race track isn't a small corner coffee shop you can get into for nothing and run it yourself on a shoestring until it takes off. These new owners always come in, spend some money, don't see an immediate return, find out they really need to spend big money to make it work, don't have big money, and the tracks keep going under. It doesn't take long before the fans and the racers just stop trying to go there.

[Matt Albee]

So we see every one on here telling the owners whats missing at the tracks.
here is some of the things that havent seemed to work so far

OSW
Clean and new restrooms
OSW built new ones in the grandstands for the women.$20,000 worth
The purse was doubbled
Had the best web site
Had a full time person on the phone

Now a new promoter
new officals
new nights
different adv

All of these things are good ideas but still nothing has changed.
There has to be a reason to go spend ur hard earned money and just another race wont do it in these hard times.
The race fan can get a lot more for there time and money on there couch at home!
As a old racer told me one time
If there isent enything hapning them make something happen.
The fan that you nead is a new young group of people that dont know that this board is here.
If the track has to make it with only these fans it over already
Come on take a big swing andvuse a big bat.
It time to Rockem Sockem Stock car race..
try som thing new.
Good luck

don62

It doesn't really take something new, it really only takes common sense everyday business practices. The phones need to be answered during normal business hour, and by a real person. Those hours by the way are 8-5 Monday through Saturday. If you can't do it, hire someone for minimum wage who can.
Track owners need to sit in the stands and look around. Are the grandstands painted, splinter free, boards actually connected to the frame at both ends? Do the speakers all work and are there enough of them? Are the restrooms clean and odor free? Are there enough restrooms? Are the lines at the food stands too long? Is the wait for food too long? Are the track facilities including signs and billboards freshly painted and lettered? Are the front or back gate lines too long? Is the wait to get in the front or back gate too long?
Is grass mowed, weeds removed? Is the catch fencing, or any fencing faded, falling down? Are the pits really laid out correctly? Are they ready for additional cars during special events or are they just going to be crammed into every available piece of ground because it's always been done that way?
Look around your track and then take a close look at photos of Martinsville.
Then take a look at EVERY other entertainment venue in your area. You'll see what brings people to an event. And you'll see why people don't bother coming to your events.

[UREZ2PASS]

I can't speak to the new owner of Orlando, but I sure know the problem with all of the other new track owners in Florida. Money. Why these people think a race track can go from loosing money for the previous owner, to a bonanza for them without having the money to bankroll it correctly for a year or two i'll never know.
You can't take over a track that's been neglected badly( as most short tracks on the market have been ) without money in your pocket to pay for upgrades, advertising, purses, salaries, etc. for a couple of years out at least. Instead, theses guys come in with the best intentions and little else. A race track isn't a small corner coffee shop you can get into for nothing and run it yourself on a shoestring until it takes off. These new owners always come in, spend some money, don't see an immediate return, find out they really need to spend big money to make it work, don't have big money, and the tracks keep going under. It doesn't take long before the fans and the racers just stop trying to go there.

EXACTLY ! That's why I say cancel weekly racing and have only special events that are profitable. When the economy improves substantially and fans are accustom to quality racing, then a strong weekly program can return. It's in a death spiral now and it's time to pull the parachute and recover.

[Matt Albee]

Making Orlando a dirt track might work there, in fact it probably would. But we're just about dirt tracked out in Florida. There's only just so much demand for dirt track racing, and central/north Florida is pretty much saturated at the moment.