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

Hemiparts · 02-17-2011, 11:45 PM

if we don't start doing more to bring the next generation in to the sport,Drag Racing as a whole will start to fade away. Alot of people still think racers are greasy characters that meet up outside of town and make a lot of noise. If we show the people the value and excitement that is still drag racing I think we can open it up to a whole new group of fans. As pops posted earlier our car is somewhere every weekend, if we're not @ the track we're doing a vendor display of one of our sponsor or doing a display @ a local charity car show just for folks to see the cars. I am a second generation racer and I hope the sport survives so the next 2 members of Chris3 racing have a chance to enjoy this sport we love,but if we don't all do our best to promote the sport, it will only exisit in stories @ racer reunions. IMO

Chris

Chad Rhodes · 02-17-2011, 11:51 PM

I think it is everyone's responsibility to promote our sport. Obviously it can't be left to NHRA/IHRA, or even track owners in most cases.

Greg Hill · 02-18-2011, 09:24 AM

It's a sad fact of life but most track operators live on entry fees and do not do what it takes to put people in the stands. There are some exceptions to this like Dallas and Clay Jones in BG, Pat at No Problem, and Bill Bader at Norwalk. The biggest difference I see is the owners are there every day and are hands on. Hired help does not have the motivation these owners have. Yes there are things we as racers can do but getting people to attend races is generally up to the track operators. When we had our furniture business in Memphis, I
spent around $250,000 a year on advertising, just to keep people walking through the door.
If we didn't promote we didn't do business.

When I see the crowds at the Sports National race in Belle Rose and then look at the empty stands in Columbus at the same event it tells you the difference in track operators. Columbus probably is 10 times the market area of Belle Rose , yet Pat's crowds are probably 10 times the size of Columbus. The same thing with the Norwalk points race and the one at Indy. Until track operators look at these events as opportunities to increase revenue and spend some money promoting things won't change.

02-17-2011, 11:45 PM	#1
Hemiparts Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Raleigh, N.C Posts: 212 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How do YOU..... promote drag racing? if we don't start doing more to bring the next generation in to the sport,Drag Racing as a whole will start to fade away. Alot of people still think racers are greasy characters that meet up outside of town and make a lot of noise. If we show the people the value and excitement that is still drag racing I think we can open it up to a whole new group of fans. As pops posted earlier our car is somewhere every weekend, if we're not @ the track we're doing a vendor display of one of our sponsor or doing a display @ a local charity car show just for folks to see the cars. I am a second generation racer and I hope the sport survives so the next 2 members of Chris3 racing have a chance to enjoy this sport we love,but if we don't all do our best to promote the sport, it will only exisit in stories @ racer reunions. IMO Chris

02-17-2011, 11:51 PM	#2
Chad Rhodes VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Where the Green Grass Grows, AL Posts: 2,375 Likes: 0 Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: How do YOU..... promote drag racing? I think it is everyone's responsibility to promote our sport. Obviously it can't be left to NHRA/IHRA, or even track owners in most cases. __________________ Chad Rhodes 2113 I/SA

02-18-2011, 09:24 AM	#3
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? It's a sad fact of life but most track operators live on entry fees and do not do what it takes to put people in the stands. There are some exceptions to this like Dallas and Clay Jones in BG, Pat at No Problem, and Bill Bader at Norwalk. The biggest difference I see is the owners are there every day and are hands on. Hired help does not have the motivation these owners have. Yes there are things we as racers can do but getting people to attend races is generally up to the track operators. When we had our furniture business in Memphis, I spent around $250,000 a year on advertising, just to keep people walking through the door. If we didn't promote we didn't do business. When I see the crowds at the Sports National race in Belle Rose and then look at the empty stands in Columbus at the same event it tells you the difference in track operators. Columbus probably is 10 times the market area of Belle Rose , yet Pat's crowds are probably 10 times the size of Columbus. The same thing with the Norwalk points race and the one at Indy. Until track operators look at these events as opportunities to increase revenue and spend some money promoting things won't change. __________________ Greg Hill 4171 STK