A subject for discussion on a winter's day.

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Lenny5160

Not everyone is into sports but, if you are, think about why you watch sports on TV or attend games whether they are professional, youth, whatever. Personally, there are two things that will drive my interest:

1. I care about the outcome. Either it is my local team playing, or my child or someone I know is involved.

2. I am watching something happen at a very high level.

Most of the people at a racetrack likely belong to group #1. They are family, crew, or friends of a racer.

#2 is where our sport loses it. There are a ton of extremely talented people spinning wrenches and/or behind the wheel, but there is no way for a spectator to know that. 90+% of the passes look exactly the same. Wheelies are cool, but how many times is that exciting while the car disappears into the distance. The magic is at the finish line, but there are no grandstands there, you usually can't read the scoreboards, and Joe Carguy doesn't understand what is going on there anyway. We on this board love it because we understand it and can see the skill.

I know people will say Joe Carguy just needs to be educated on what he is missing, but if you need to convince people why it is so great, you've lost their attention already.

#3 people liked to be entertained.

#4 people like to talk with and be around other people with whom they have common interests.

If "Joe Carguy" is a carguy, he doesn't need to be educated. He needs to be informed as to where and when he can look at and talk about cars.

[Rich Biebel]

One big problem we have is we got to complicated....

Drag Racing was supposed to be 2 cars line up and race to the end.
Winner crosses the finish line first.

Todays racing is anything but....

[Rick Schilling]

Originally Posted by Rich Biebel

One big problem we have is we got to complicated....

Drag Racing was supposed to be 2 cars line up and race to the end.
Winner crosses the finish line first.

Todays racing is anything but....

Boy, is that ever a true statement!

It wears me out trying to explain to someone everything that is happening at a drag race and why it is happening.

With all the different classes and rules, even people who are otherwise car savvy, have a really hard time grasping the whole concept.

[Lenny5160]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

#3 people liked to be entertained.

#4 people like to talk with and be around other people with whom they have common interests.

#4 is a valid point to add to the list.

You can do better than #3. We're talking about what would drive a person to THIS form of entertainment rather than some other form of entertainment.

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Lenny5160

#4 is a valid point to add to the list.

You can do better than #3. We're talking about what would drive a person to THIS form of entertainment rather than some other form of entertainment.

Hey, apply #4 to #3. People who like flowers go to flower shows. People who like boats.........

[Mark Yacavone]

When we did our nostalgia races, I always had a S/SS combo. Yes, a few were late model , GT type cars. But whenever I was out and about, promoting the next event, people would always ask if we were having the Super stock or A/FX cars again. They knew that they were the best performing cars on the property.
I would usually start the show with them, right after the intermission, speeches, special awards , etc. Sometimes , maybe a fast Gasser match race pair.
The point is, people who go to the races, maybe once or twice a year, want to be entertained.

I go out to a Summit race once in a while, and the first thing that happens is they start out with Big Wheel races, then Juniors, then maybe Sportsman bracket, including the duallys and tow vehicles. God bless them all , and everybody has a place to race, which is fine ...but it is just plain boring to a casual race fan who wants to go out to the races on a Saturday night. Most of the spectators are the families involved.

I guess it's no big secret why spectators come out for the "street car" and no prep , 10.5 etc events . They want to see that stuff that covers about a half mile of track, within a quarter. LOL

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Yes, they are missing out on the "best-kept secret in entertainment" if they are into Car Shows! IMHO, probably one of the best darned Car Shows you could pay to see.

Yup!

[MikeMoller]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Every weekend, thousands and thousands of people from old Racers to Carguys to admirers of different forms of art to Grandma and Grandpa with the Grandkids go out to hundreds and hundreds of local Car Shows and Cruises to look at cars just standing still. Any of these groups of people could easily be entertained at a Divisional Event! Why don't they come? Usually because they don't know that they exist.
Yes, they are missing out on the "best-kept secret in entertainment" if they are into Car Shows! IMHO, probably one of the best darned Car Shows you could pay to see. And the cars owners are using them for the reason that they were built! Not to mention they can tell you every nut and bolt in it.

Oh, I've got some pretty cool stuff and I don't like pissing away my money.
Yac, are you pissing away your money again?

At the last LODRS in Charlotte a few years ago, there were no adds for the race on radio or TV, not even the Charlotte track website. I called the track for ticket and schedule info, I was told the event was a 'track rental' and they had no info. How do you get people in the stands that way????

[1320racer]

Why is people in the stands important to you?

[jmcarter]

Originally Posted by 1320racer

Why is people in the stands important to you?

If the tracks can’t make money then there’s going to be more closing to become insurance lots, condominiums, you name it.