How do YOU..... promote drag racing?

Wade Mahaffey · 02-17-2011, 07:07 AM

Do you promote drag racing, and if so how? Do you feel that it's someone elses job, and all you have to do is race? Would you like to see the sportsman classes thrive with ten deep at the fence? How about more payout for all the long hours spent on your race operation? Do you feel any obligation and/or responsibility to introduce/promote/sell your product to the general public? Have you noticed the pros in NASCAR and NHRA using plain white trailers? I have'nt, I guess it's because they feel the need to promote and generate interest. They actively court the fan and that sells shirts, hats, toys and oh yea...tickets! I know they have funding in place for these programs, and we struggle just to get there with our entry. But I feel we all could do a better job of promoting the sport that we love. With the low car counts, talk of folks quiting, enhancments, etc etc, what are you doing to keep it alive. I know, you race and you promote on your car. But you promote to folks that are already there at the track....they already bought a ticket! We need to attract new fans and that means everyone working towards that common goal. I'm not saying form a picket line with support sportsman signs, but you could get involved in some community functions ie. local car shows, grand openings, school and church functions, etc. And you guys that arrive a day or two early for an event could roll the cars out at a local shopping center or busniess. You can't sell interest when you hide your product in a plain white box, and then you pull it out forty miles outside of town. What do you do to promote the sport you love?

danny waters sr · 02-17-2011, 07:29 AM

I remember when you got teched at a mall or shopping center and then went to the track for parking .That was good exposure i think...Would probably help now if it was done like that...

X-TECH MAN · 02-17-2011, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wade Mahaffey

Do you promote drag racing, and if so how? Do you feel that it's someone elses job, and all you have to do is race? Would you like to see the sportsman classes thrive with ten deep at the frence? How about more payout for all the long hours spent on your race operation? Do you feel any obligation and/or responsibility to introduce/promote/sell your product to the general public? Have you noticed the pros in NASCAR and NHRA using plain white trailers? I have'nt, I guess it's because they feel the need to promote and generate interest. They actively court the fan and that sells shirts, hats, toys and oh yea...tickets! I know they have funding in place for these programs, and we struggle just to get there with our entry. But I feel we all could do a better job of promoting the sport that we love. With the low car counts, talk of folks quiting, enhancments, etc etc, what are you doing to keep it alive. I know, you race and you promote on your car. But you promote to folks that are already there at the track....they already bought a ticket! We need to attract new fans and that means everyone working towards that common goal. I'm not saying form a picket line with support sportsman signs, but you could get involved in some community functions ie. local car shows, grand openings, school and church functions, etc. And you guys that arrive a day or two early for an event could roll the cars out at a local shopping center or busniess. You can't sell interest when you hide your product in a plain white box, and then you pull it out forty miles outside of town. What do you do to promote the sport you love?

Great post Wade......

Hemiparts · 02-17-2011, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

Great post Wade......

I agree 10X

Myron Piatek · 02-17-2011, 08:59 AM

I am more than happy to explain what I do to anyone when the opportunity arises, talk about the products I use and look forward to pics and/or articles appearing in magazines and on the internet. Unfortunately, other "obvious" methods, like trailer advertising, selling shirts, products, etc. causes other problems. Sanctionng bodies have rules/fees if you want to sell anything at their races. The best I can do is display banners, have a catalog/brochure rack in the pits and answer any questions. On the road, the "rolling billboards" attract the DOT and their rules, fees, etc. Arriving early and make arrangements to display the car at stores, malls, etc. is great idea too. Under IHRA, Norwalk had their main street closed off for a big display before their national events. Cars, bands, food vendors, etc. But that too is not practical for everybody because of extra time off from work and an extra day at the motel. I do try to attend a local cars show or two.

For the average racer, all of these good efforts to promote drag racing also costs time and money. So it can be difficult to invest more of it, especially these days, when there is barely enough to make it to the races to begin with. It's usually the bigger companies and sponsored cars that have the resources to promote themselves and the sport more obviously. As you pointed out, it's usually the "Pros" with the most elaborate promotion. I do what I can, just can't get too elaborate as things stand. But any good PR work anyone can do can only help. It is important to maintain a good "image" for the public to relate to. As a racer, leave a bad impression on the general public who may not know much about our sport will only reflect badly on you as well as the sport. They may be the first people voting for new noise ordinances around their local track!

Greg Hill · 02-17-2011, 09:15 AM

Some of the best promotion in the past was hauling our cars around on open trailers. i wouldn't want to go back to an open trailer but it did let people see what you had.

Myron Piatek · 02-17-2011, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg Hill

Some of the best promotion in the past was hauling our cars around on open trailers. i wouldn't want to go back to an open trailer but it did let people see what you had.

I agree 100%. I got a lot more attention at gas stations and such when traveling with an open trailer. But I also wouldn't like to go back because of convenience, keeping it out of the weather and security.
I always thought it unusual that big trailers with "billboards" attract more attention from the DOT as "commercial", but you don't hear much about race cars on open trailers with a lot of advertising. Michael Beard is a good example of lots of good advertising on an open trailer.

....off to Baton Rouge!

chris3racing · 02-17-2011, 10:43 AM

This is going to be long, but Wade you just hit this one out of the park. First off the white, enclosed trailers, I think, are because of so many highway laws concerning what is a private operation and what is commercial and proving to DMV that you are a private individual out to have some fun.

Promotion of drag racing. Back in "the good old days of match racing" cars and drivers were brought into a track and was advertised on the radio. That old familiar "Sunday, Sunday." The cars and drivers got into town and the track would have something set up with a local car dealership and everyone could go see the cars before the race that night. At national events everyone stayed in motels or the motel parking lot and spectators would come and look at the cars in the parking lots. The cars were polished and shining. How many wash and wax your car, black the tires, polish the chrome? My old friend Ronnie Sox had someone ready the minute the car came off the track to begin wiping and polishing his cars. Right Dean? Most everyone did, whether you were the famous race car driver or the local guy brought in by the track to get beat up on by the big guy. If you, the local guy, didn't put on the show you would not get paid to come back again.

We have our car on display at carshows, Saturday night cruise-ins and other special events. Part of our agreement with our sponsors is to make the car available for special events that they want to show off the car they sponsor. You will be amazed at how many people you get to talk to when you have the car on display and at different event. I just finished my second tour of being invited to display our car for the International Auto Expo at the State Fair Grounds in Raleigh. The car was part of the classic car display. We had it polished and shining. There is no telling how many thousands of people walked by and looked at that car over two days. My wife and I stood at that display spot from 8:30 am to 9:00 pm on Saturday with people constantly looking and asking questions. With camera telephones, now everyone has a ready camera. My wife made a comment, if we could charge 25 cents for each picture taken at the show we could possibly pay most of our racing expenses. Yes guys my wife, for 40 years, still works on the car and goes to the races. Everyone of our family working the show display had Mopar Team shirts and represent the people who help us to race in a professional manner. Sure it takes a little extra time and money, but when you enjoy this sport as much as I have for almost 50 years it is a lot of fun, especially if you like to meet new people and talk about drag racing. There are dozens of charity shows that you can participate in and be welcomed. Crank the car up, burn a little racing fuel, make some noise and see the reaction you get from all ages, from, the little ones all the way to the old timers who remember how it was. Take photos of your car, fire up the computer and print little small calling card size photos and hand them out to the kids at these types of events. I haul my car on an open trailer, as I have done for years, and when people stop to look at the car at a gas station, resturant, or motel, I have the photo cards in the truck and will give them to the children. Look at their face when you give them that simple little photo of your drag race car.

As I have posted on this site and others, I continually have people who do not know that there are still drag strips operating in North Carolina and that they have races almost every week-end. The track owners need to fix this. As I told most people I talked to on Saturday, from the point at which we were standing, in one hour and a half you could be at five good dragstrips and see some good racing if you extended the time to 2 1/2 hours there are over a dozen. For people not to know that the drag strips still operate is a real problem. Danny, I had two guys on Sunday wanting to talk about the special Gas and Modified Production ( C/MP, E/MP,etc) race they use to have at Kinston Drag Strip. Those guy just got all jack up, talked almost an hour, as I named off some of the cars and drivers that would be there on Sunday for those races. Do you remember that?

Sure it takes a little bit of time. But I came up in drag racing when there was a match race show and we raced almost every night. Remember the days of Super Stock match racing and a couple of nitro funny cars match racing on a week-night at the same show.

Eric Merryfield · 02-17-2011, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg Hill

Some of the best promotion in the past was hauling our cars around on open trailers. i wouldn't want to go back to an open trailer but it did let people see what you had.

My dragpak spent the majority of the summer touring the east on its open trailer. From Bristol to MA, from MA to NY, two weekends in a row, to NH and back to MD then on to Indy, from Indy to Columbus and back from Indy to Reading, then back to MA, then from MA to NH and back.

I think it was close to 4,000 miles from June to October. All of those stickered up, just about every gas stop drew questions, and comments....It does slow the gas stop down a bit, but car fans deserve your cars tale and orgin. Along with the unique stickers on the side that make it what it is.....For mine its MR2 Mike Roth built, a A&A RickAllison Tranny, a ATI converter, Motor by Jeff Taylor, a AME controller, Hoosier tire, Bogart rims, Mark Williams brakes, Comp Cams cam, manley springs, and of course Mopar everything else......Along with all the other sponsors who pay the winners and runner ups the Jegs, Summits, prestones, etc.

I can tell you I look at each and every race car on a open trailer or rollback. Its nice to see them out on road. I also notice every one of the Nascar trailers on their way up to Loudon each time they come here to the North. I remember getting a thrill out of seeing race cars on the road when I was a little kid in Tennessee not far from Bristol back in the 70's.

At the races, the paying customers troll the pits, and will engage you in conversations, questions, want to take pictures, crawl under the car, I let little kids get in the drivers seat too..Open the doors up and the trunk to show them the craftmanship, etc parts....My poor suffering spouse had to wait while I talked to a drag racing fan about this and that, and yes that made us later to dinner, etc.

One thing that just came to me, was some of the conversations I had with people who USED to be involved, extremely informed, racers and crew members from the 60, 70's and 80's who can clearly remember the way things used to be.

Eric

Wade Mahaffey · 02-17-2011, 09:16 AM

Danny, that is a good idea. I did that a time or two myself at Columbus and Maple Grove. But what happened is the tech officials went up into the trailer, and the cars never came out into the publics eye. Everyone was in a hurry to get to the track (myself included). I'm with Danny but I would have them get the cars out and line them up. Make arrangements with the mall or whoever/whereever. I would involve the track operators and/or NHRA/IHRA. A racer could sign up to be availible for a remote promotion the day before the event starts (those retired, have a sugar daddy, or just are rich and don't need to work)! LOL There should be no problem gathering a dozen racers to participate. And when you do there's a dozen prime parking spots saved at the track with your name for your efforts. Do you get it? It's not hard to understand or do, you just have to put in a little effort. And for you problem childs, don't bitch about them getting the prime spots. They would have been there first anyway and got the spots. Plus they are promoting so you'll have a place to play again next week.

Why have 30 to 50 rigs waiting in line at the track to get in tomorrow. You could have 4 or 5 shows off track at a remote location for thousands to see....think about it! Hold the prime pit spots for those who give the extra effort!!! They would have gotten them anyway!!!

For the folks that must work, that's OK you get a pass. We're working, promoting for you just get here when you can....we'll keep the light on for ya!

Hey, good luck to those racing this weekend and thanks for keeping it alive!

Plan your work......and work you plan
Wade Mahaffey

02-17-2011, 07:07 AM	#1
Wade Mahaffey Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 581 Likes: 0 Liked 17 Times in 7 Posts	How do YOU..... promote drag racing? Do you promote drag racing, and if so how? Do you feel that it's someone elses job, and all you have to do is race? Would you like to see the sportsman classes thrive with ten deep at the fence? How about more payout for all the long hours spent on your race operation? Do you feel any obligation and/or responsibility to introduce/promote/sell your product to the general public? Have you noticed the pros in NASCAR and NHRA using plain white trailers? I have'nt, I guess it's because they feel the need to promote and generate interest. They actively court the fan and that sells shirts, hats, toys and oh yea...tickets! I know they have funding in place for these programs, and we struggle just to get there with our entry. But I feel we all could do a better job of promoting the sport that we love. With the low car counts, talk of folks quiting, enhancments, etc etc, what are you doing to keep it alive. I know, you race and you promote on your car. But you promote to folks that are already there at the track....they already bought a ticket! We need to attract new fans and that means everyone working towards that common goal. I'm not saying form a picket line with support sportsman signs, but you could get involved in some community functions ie. local car shows, grand openings, school and church functions, etc. And you guys that arrive a day or two early for an event could roll the cars out at a local shopping center or busniess. You can't sell interest when you hide your product in a plain white box, and then you pull it out forty miles outside of town. What do you do to promote the sport you love? Last edited by Wade Mahaffey; 10-19-2011 at 10:14 AM.

02-17-2011, 07:29 AM	#2
danny waters sr VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: lagrange,nc Posts: 2,224 Likes: 1 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How do YOU..... promote drag racing? I remember when you got teched at a mall or shopping center and then went to the track for parking .That was good exposure i think...Would probably help now if it was done like that... __________________ Danny Waters, Sr / 73 Duster "340"

02-17-2011, 08:59 AM	#5
Myron Piatek VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Florida Posts: 1,542 Likes: 34 Liked 138 Times in 51 Posts	Re: How do YOU..... promote drag racing? I am more than happy to explain what I do to anyone when the opportunity arises, talk about the products I use and look forward to pics and/or articles appearing in magazines and on the internet. Unfortunately, other "obvious" methods, like trailer advertising, selling shirts, products, etc. causes other problems. Sanctionng bodies have rules/fees if you want to sell anything at their races. The best I can do is display banners, have a catalog/brochure rack in the pits and answer any questions. On the road, the "rolling billboards" attract the DOT and their rules, fees, etc. Arriving early and make arrangements to display the car at stores, malls, etc. is great idea too. Under IHRA, Norwalk had their main street closed off for a big display before their national events. Cars, bands, food vendors, etc. But that too is not practical for everybody because of extra time off from work and an extra day at the motel. I do try to attend a local cars show or two. For the average racer, all of these good efforts to promote drag racing also costs time and money. So it can be difficult to invest more of it, especially these days, when there is barely enough to make it to the races to begin with. It's usually the bigger companies and sponsored cars that have the resources to promote themselves and the sport more obviously. As you pointed out, it's usually the "Pros" with the most elaborate promotion. I do what I can, just can't get too elaborate as things stand. But any good PR work anyone can do can only help. It is important to maintain a good "image" for the public to relate to. As a racer, leave a bad impression on the general public who may not know much about our sport will only reflect badly on you as well as the sport. They may be the first people voting for new noise ordinances around their local track! Last edited by Myron Piatek; 02-17-2011 at 09:03 AM.

02-17-2011, 09:15 AM	#6
Greg Hill VIP Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Louisville , KY Posts: 1,995 Likes: 68 Liked 279 Times in 68 Posts	Re: How do YOU..... promote drag racing? Some of the best promotion in the past was hauling our cars around on open trailers. i wouldn't want to go back to an open trailer but it did let people see what you had. __________________ Greg Hill 4171 STK

02-17-2011, 10:43 AM	#8
chris3racing Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 528 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How do YOU..... promote drag racing? This is going to be long, but Wade you just hit this one out of the park. First off the white, enclosed trailers, I think, are because of so many highway laws concerning what is a private operation and what is commercial and proving to DMV that you are a private individual out to have some fun. Promotion of drag racing. Back in "the good old days of match racing" cars and drivers were brought into a track and was advertised on the radio. That old familiar "Sunday, Sunday." The cars and drivers got into town and the track would have something set up with a local car dealership and everyone could go see the cars before the race that night. At national events everyone stayed in motels or the motel parking lot and spectators would come and look at the cars in the parking lots. The cars were polished and shining. How many wash and wax your car, black the tires, polish the chrome? My old friend Ronnie Sox had someone ready the minute the car came off the track to begin wiping and polishing his cars. Right Dean? Most everyone did, whether you were the famous race car driver or the local guy brought in by the track to get beat up on by the big guy. If you, the local guy, didn't put on the show you would not get paid to come back again. We have our car on display at carshows, Saturday night cruise-ins and other special events. Part of our agreement with our sponsors is to make the car available for special events that they want to show off the car they sponsor. You will be amazed at how many people you get to talk to when you have the car on display and at different event. I just finished my second tour of being invited to display our car for the International Auto Expo at the State Fair Grounds in Raleigh. The car was part of the classic car display. We had it polished and shining. There is no telling how many thousands of people walked by and looked at that car over two days. My wife and I stood at that display spot from 8:30 am to 9:00 pm on Saturday with people constantly looking and asking questions. With camera telephones, now everyone has a ready camera. My wife made a comment, if we could charge 25 cents for each picture taken at the show we could possibly pay most of our racing expenses. Yes guys my wife, for 40 years, still works on the car and goes to the races. Everyone of our family working the show display had Mopar Team shirts and represent the people who help us to race in a professional manner. Sure it takes a little extra time and money, but when you enjoy this sport as much as I have for almost 50 years it is a lot of fun, especially if you like to meet new people and talk about drag racing. There are dozens of charity shows that you can participate in and be welcomed. Crank the car up, burn a little racing fuel, make some noise and see the reaction you get from all ages, from, the little ones all the way to the old timers who remember how it was. Take photos of your car, fire up the computer and print little small calling card size photos and hand them out to the kids at these types of events. I haul my car on an open trailer, as I have done for years, and when people stop to look at the car at a gas station, resturant, or motel, I have the photo cards in the truck and will give them to the children. Look at their face when you give them that simple little photo of your drag race car. As I have posted on this site and others, I continually have people who do not know that there are still drag strips operating in North Carolina and that they have races almost every week-end. The track owners need to fix this. As I told most people I talked to on Saturday, from the point at which we were standing, in one hour and a half you could be at five good dragstrips and see some good racing if you extended the time to 2 1/2 hours there are over a dozen. For people not to know that the drag strips still operate is a real problem. Danny, I had two guys on Sunday wanting to talk about the special Gas and Modified Production ( C/MP, E/MP,etc) race they use to have at Kinston Drag Strip. Those guy just got all jack up, talked almost an hour, as I named off some of the cars and drivers that would be there on Sunday for those races. Do you remember that? Sure it takes a little bit of time. But I came up in drag racing when there was a match race show and we raced almost every night. Remember the days of Super Stock match racing and a couple of nitro funny cars match racing on a week-night at the same show.

02-17-2011, 09:16 AM	#10
Wade Mahaffey Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 581 Likes: 0 Liked 17 Times in 7 Posts	Re: How do YOU..... promote drag racing? Danny, that is a good idea. I did that a time or two myself at Columbus and Maple Grove. But what happened is the tech officials went up into the trailer, and the cars never came out into the publics eye. Everyone was in a hurry to get to the track (myself included). I'm with Danny but I would have them get the cars out and line them up. Make arrangements with the mall or whoever/whereever. I would involve the track operators and/or NHRA/IHRA. A racer could sign up to be availible for a remote promotion the day before the event starts (those retired, have a sugar daddy, or just are rich and don't need to work)! LOL There should be no problem gathering a dozen racers to participate. And when you do there's a dozen prime parking spots saved at the track with your name for your efforts. Do you get it? It's not hard to understand or do, you just have to put in a little effort. And for you problem childs, don't bitch about them getting the prime spots. They would have been there first anyway and got the spots. Plus they are promoting so you'll have a place to play again next week. Why have 30 to 50 rigs waiting in line at the track to get in tomorrow. You could have 4 or 5 shows off track at a remote location for thousands to see....think about it! Hold the prime pit spots for those who give the extra effort!!! They would have gotten them anyway!!! For the folks that must work, that's OK you get a pass. We're working, promoting for you just get here when you can....we'll keep the light on for ya! Hey, good luck to those racing this weekend and thanks for keeping it alive! Plan your work......and work you plan Wade Mahaffey Last edited by Wade Mahaffey; 02-17-2011 at 09:32 AM.