How Would You pull visitors in to your track to see some racing??

[Jane]

Ok, it is all up to you now. We have plenty of out-of-state visitors in the good ole Sunshine state of Florida. Some love racing and race back home. How would you promote your track to get their attention and make them want to come and see your local racing?? What positive things would you tell them to come?? Would you offer to sit with them and answer any questions they might have on the racing and racers?? Would you buy them a beer and become friends where they would come back to your track?? How would you pull new out-of-state visitors to your track and how would you give them something great to tell their friends back home so when they visit, they will look for your track???

You are now the promoters of your own local tracks. Now, how would you pull a complete stranger to your events for the night?? What would you post that is so positive that they could not wait until the gates open for racing??

[andre]

I think you should try to convince them before they hit Fla, through different message boards and racing related media channels. They have to know before they get there who you are, where you are, what you race, when and so on. Once they are there, they will do so many different things in so many different ways, it would be hard to reach them. Some of them are on the beaches, others fishing, other in the Keys, Harley riding, bar cruising, etc., etc., etc. No ''one media'' could reach them all at once. Try to get to the best racing message board, one per state and one per province and send them press releases, and you can also write topics too, get involved, then hit the biggest racing web sites, the ones everybody reach for when they want the latest news, and go from there.

Also, you can try airports, all the car rental outfit at different airports, give them free tickets, or 2 for one, discounts, whatever attracks attention. Sea port, when cruise ships comes back, thousands of people walk out of there, nice distribution point. Shopping malls, air plane banners at popular beaches. Buses that goes from beach hotel to race track and back.

Time consuming, yes, but hey!!! If it was easy, everybody would do it....

[BJ Cavin]

Two words: Name recognition.

Ever since Mike Peters got the wild idea to cover Ocala Speedway with clay, I began to put the Ocala Speedway name anywhere and everywhere that I could in the media and on the internet. There have been profiles on MySpace and on Facebook, plus articles, photography, and results, get posted on nationally known message boards and websites. Some might say that it was a waste of time, but Ocala Speedway is now recognized nationally where it never was before. And the net result of that has been a steady stream of visitors who exit I-75 to check out the track. I have spoken with people from all over the place who were there simply because they heard about the track, knew that they were close, and decided to check it out. And in addition to that, Mike and Angie have done their own version of what I have done, by getting interviews with national publications. The July 2009 article in Car and Driver magazine titled, "So You Want To Own A Racetrack" brought in all sorts of interest nationally, and is still attracting people who are passing by on I-75.

Volusia Speedway Park gets quite a few "race tourists" as it already has the name recognition that we attempting to build for Ocala Speedway. People who are vacationing in Daytona and nearby beaches come to Volusia all the time just to check it out, and I have met folks there from Wisconsin, Maryland, New York, and Canada. Some even come back year after year and make it part of their yearly vacations!

If people don't know about it, then they don't care. You can promote your facility through free passes targeted at tourists all day long, and if the tourists are clueless then they won't come. Knowing the name generates curiosity, and that curiosity fills seats, both with the locals and with those from outside of Florida. They've heard about it or seen the name, and now they want to see what all of the fuss is about!

[Rick Williamson]

That's good, but tracks like Auburndale and Orlando don't have an interstate highway "right next door". But getting the tracks name out there is a big part of it. But Jane your question has been ask for years. Remember that radio show Jerry and I were on with Don at the Orlando track years ago. And this was the topic that night also. There's no easy fix. I think in the end. Times are a changing and your local track is being left behind by more and more people. Both fans and drivers.

[Winger]

What would you post that is so positive that they could not wait until the gates open for racing??

THE TRUTH. In some cases it's best not to say anything. It's worse to mislead people and lose them as fans forever. That nearly happened to me when I first came to Florida and started reading this board. First provide a quality product and then promote it with the truth. Don't mislead people with lies and an inferior product.

[Jane]

Yes Rick, I remember that night and I was there with you guys and this is an old question but one that still needs work. We have 7 dirt tracks and 8 asphalt tracks in this state. Each one does have it's problems but if you were the promoter/media person, how would you get the new fans if all you have for promotion is message boards. What would you write to get new people to want to come to your track if they asked about it??

Remember, you only have message boards for promotion so what would you say to get a new fan to want to come and see your show no matter what kindof car count you may have.