Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Ok ok A plan on how to get Fans in the Stands.
I have found that the Drag Strip Decision makers always advertise their National events well. So Le me assume that they have a packed House at a National event. Now when those fans leave the Drag Strip personnel will give out Free Tickets to those 100,000 people who have been watching the event. The tickets are going to be printed up by a major sponsor for free also. The cost of printing up the tickets, extra employees working the free tickets event and the small amount of money going to the decision makers can be figured into the cost of the tickets to the sponsor. The tickets will be to some major event or race in the future.
Now let us assume that the meet will get 10% of the 100,000 people who attended the National Event. Wow all of a sudden we have Fans in the Stands, who buy stuff. We all know where they can buy the stuff. Now let us assume those 10,000 fans that showed up for the free meet like racing enough to go to a paying meet later on. Sounds good to me.
A Sponsorship idea
Now the next situation might work also. Along with the free tickets we give out we are going to give to major decisions makers of companies 200 or more free tickets to be in the Suites with free food and drinks. Now Don Kennedy is going to train some personnel to pitch sponsorship proposals to these decision makers of companies. The proposals will come from all classes of race cars and the race track sponsorship event needs . Sound ok so far. Now if any personell gets a sponsor then they get 10% of the amount they get the track gets 10% of that and the racer or track gets the balance of 80% . if a person gets a company to sponsor a event they get a % also . Now so far we have spent very little to have a race with fans in the stands and a potential of having a sponsor for race car teams. So far no one looses. Any way I could go on for ever with this idea but I think most get the idea and am sure we could even improve this idea. .

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Is it the Arizona heat or have you found a new substance called "Idea" ?:confused:

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Don, An east coast racing group called NMCA has several races out west. Bakersfield and Pomona. They are using your idea. At Bakersfield they placed free entry tickets on every parked veh. The ticket allowed you to attend the next race, which was at Pomona. The only restriction on the free entry was you couldn't enter the track before 12 noon. It brought in quite a few folks. Chuck Stubeck

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Some don't believe it should be the racers job to promote drag racing. It should be the track or organizations problem to get people in the stands.

Well they aren't doing it so I would suggest on an off weekend show off that beautiful hotrod at a local car show or cruise night. Also instead of stacking at the track days before the gates open put on your own mini car show at a mall or big box store.

A lot of us haul our cars in enclosed trailers so we aren't showing off our pride and joy to anyone except other racers at the track. Just an idea to get more exposure to the public.

Jeff

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

That is a novel idea. ;)

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

That's what I've been telling you all along Kyle!

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Your's involved the Hooters girls, but I have to stay at least a 1000' away.

Bummer.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

We will never, ever, again get fans. No one new in the crowd understands it.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Another restraining order?

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

They start dropping off after a while.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

"the way it is currently structured"

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

What do you think will bring the spectators? Lets hear your ideas.

Jeff

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

More *its in the pits.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Well, since you asked. It will again take actual racing. In order to have actual racing, it would have to be affordable, and implemented at the local home track level. No one understands racing anymore, except when the pros come up.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Also, the reason nascar got so big, is the fans could relate their hometown weekend warrior, with Dale Earnhardt. Us, they relate it to nothing.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Good point. Putting fans in the stands isn't just a S/SS problem at Nats. and Divisionals it's all of handicap racing too. I think some organizations and tracks have gotten lazy about promoting the "little" guy. Living off their captive audience ( friends and family of the racer ). Lower spectator prices - be more than competitive for their entertainment dollar.

Handicap racing is not that hard to follow. If someone doesn't know the rules to a game or sport they don't understand it. They need to be informed. A print out or video or something. For the computer wizzes out there create a drag racing app.

It won't change over night it's taken years to get to this point but I believe it can change. We need to help promote ourselves.

Jeff

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

I agree Jeff, but we maybe to late for the dance.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Only ONE way to ever have people in the stands......................


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parimutuel_betting

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

I was in Michigan for a wedding this past weekend and noticed on the counter at the Hotel FREE tickets to a ?RDL race. Great idea. I did notice printed on the ticket that parking was $20 though. Still an effort.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

I've just watch from a friend's Video of the Route 66 race, what is happening to NHRA racing? Nobody in the stands!I think that the Giant heads in Glendora are going the wrong way. The first thing I would do if I was NHRA is : lower racers fee(more of them will show) double the sportsman qualifying(if you show up, you will run) Friday,Saturday,Sunday is enough, no more asking the racer to show up on Wed to enter! Have quality rest area's for the racer(pro and sportsman)Give free ticket to our troops and also to high schools, college and trade also. Get car clubs organize again.(I know Ed we're not a car crazy society) and for the sake of survival bring a 10.5 class just for them. On the Pro side all funny Cars have to have close factory tolerances, Pro stock cars have to have the same dimensions as a Production car. And last but not least " Lower the Price of Admission by Half you dumb %&$@

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Wanna put more fans in the stands???

Think like a casual fan and consider all the other places they have to spend their entertainment dollars.

Jim

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

To actually put fans in the stands, you have to create fans first, and locally, NHRA, and IHRA have done a miserable job. No one cares. They let the mystique get away from them, and never seen it leave.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

A losing battle, people today have way too much to take their time. Phones eat up most of the time along with various forms of social media. Most kids now cant afford to have a neat car/truck. A points meet is like a ghost town. Free admission is a start, at least food could be sold to spectators. I am from the Va., Carolina area of the U.S. Down here people like Pro Mod and Pro Stock. Points meets need a Quick 8 to help bring fans in. Rickie Smith and Todd Tutterow are living legends down South. I miss the IHRA that had crowded stands. My two cents, just my opinion. If I had my way we`d all race stick shift Modified Corvettes....to each his own.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Hard to get people 15-21 interested in cars when Most cars only change the labels to look different. Mustang personality, Camaro, Corvette, Charger could be another starting point and in some ways are working again but must be "used" by the NHRA etc to get the fans. No one can work on their own cars anymore to have a little innovation in the game without adding NOS or a turbo. Those dont fit the classes to race. Only grudge racing or Brackets.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Personally, I think it's basically over. Stick a fork in us, we're done. There is no coming back. We can't turn back time.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Well NHRA just had a National meet at Joliet this past weekend ---NOTHING IN THE 3 LARGEST NEWS PAPERS IN ILLINOIS---NOTHING ON THE TV OR RADIO STATIONS --- Tony Schumacher and TJ ZIZZO live not more than 2-3 miles from me see both of them all the time--- I'm at Zizzos shop at least twice a week, its less than a mile from my home---- Schumacher has been World champ how many times??? you would think that somebody would at least do an interview for TV or an article in the paper on him !!!!!--problem in the Chicago area is this is a stick & ball town---- MOTORSPORTS gets no coverage unless its NASCAR and then its buried in a 2 paragraph article in an obscure place in the paper---NHRA needs to PROMOTE by maybe buying some air time or newspaper ads or inviting the TV crews out to the track---I dunno what the answer is but if nobody knows the races are going on how does any body expect them to just show up???

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

I was impressed when we went down to Numidia last year for the Combo in Hills race. Once the stock/ super stock combo and .90's nats were done....yes done!!!! the stands started filling, the daily driver street cars started coming in and everyone was generally in a great mood. They have a weekly bracket street car auto bracket race, street car stick bracket and an open comp bracket race for cars with open headers and slicks. The stands were full. i think they chage a couple bucks a head and don't allow coolers. From what i remeber the stands were packed more than i have ever seen to watch a bracket race! I enetered my stocker in the bracket race and raced against an outlaw 55 chevy, a top dragster, a crap load of supe pro cars, made it to the finals! and hade a blast. Funny thing though, the stands were empty the rest of the weekend.

Don, you were there!

Ian

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

open comp is a bracket race with no breakouts at most tracks. you run time trials and then the track takes a tenth off your fastest run and that is your dial. Most tracks if you go faster than a tenth under in eliminations, you do not lose the race, you only loose another tenth, 1st to the finish line wins.

Problem with any type of dial in race where you are not allowed to breakout is fans do not want to be bothered trying to figure out why the 1st car to the finish line lost, that is why all of the popularity of the heads up outlaw classes, 1st to the finish line wins.

Want to get fans in stands, make less classes and run off all classes heads up then use indexes in later rounds and base index on fastest run in each class up to that point. The problem with this type of racing, as it was in early seventies, most money usually wins in heads up races, racers stop showing up and look for another place to race, usually bracket racing which no one wants to watch and it is full circle to where it is today, stock and super stock is bracket racing that no one wants to watch.

Do not believe me about heads up racing, Maryland international dragway gets over 10,000 fans to their race in early november, which is all heads up racing.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

We ran lbs. per cube in Bethany Mo. since late 60's, early seventies, and were always 1,000 to 1,500 spectators every night. No break-out. What crippled it were the people who could afford used comp engines versus the ones with 23 degree stuff. So we went to the brodix spec stuff, and last two years we ran, the finals of cars ranging from 4lbs. per cube, to cars at 11.5lbs. per cube, were decided by a total of .0003 in two finals, with .01 handicap for every 1\2 lbs. per cube. Why did it die, you ask? I closed it because of the bull**** we took over owning it, and racing there.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Not to be a smart @#ss, but 3 simple steps:

1. go to Walmart & buy a notebook & pen
2. go to Norwalk and take notes
3. implement

Why re-invent the wheel?

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Right on Randall:D

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Not to be a bigger smartass, and you don't even need a pen, just a visual. Go to Eddyville in the summer of 79, count the entries, and spectators, go there now. Go to Knoxville Ia. and count the spectators on a normal weekend. What do Eddyville in 79, and Knoxville today have in common? No shoe polish.

Re: Ideas to put fans in the Stands
 

Well, someone called me up and said: "Google Bill Bader Jr" and scroll to his 5/15/12 interview with Drag Racing Online (DRO)

There 'ya go

By, the way, we attended 2 LODRS events there and it was amazing, from food providers to clean grounds, friendliness,and more...so we are on the mailing list. Once a year I get a brochure that is unlike those I get from Brainerd, Topeka and Denver in style and tone....each unique event up to their Halloween deal makes you want to be there