Belle Clair in 2011....Lets give ideas on what to change

I live in MO neighborhood 25 miles west of St. Louis, when at get-togethers, I discovered, 95 percent of the people did not know race tracks even existed around here. The only way to give them a clue is to say, do you recall seeing grandstands and track next to I-55 near Pevely? Oh, yes, what do they race there? Now most of the guys get a big woody over the Card’s, fair enough, but someone told me what he spent to see the Rams, I said you could see, more thrills 10 times over (10 nights of racing) for that amount of money. I am always coercing friends to join me for the races, I must admit that Saturday night is easier because of Friday work, kids, school games, etc. But when I take someone, even with the most casual interest, and especially the kids... their eye balls pop out of their heads the first time the late models blast around the track. Sometimes I have to apologize for the dust, but I always warn them, don’t wear good clothes and wear a hat. Now I will admit that I don’t have 100 percent return, and they may not return, but a few times a year. But, now at these parties I will hear them say, wow, I went the races at (fill in track here) that is the wildest thing I’ve ever watched. You should check it out sometime, we can go together.

Bickering about the rules, dice or no dice, $10 bucks to get in... that may help the core fan base but, it is not the golden bullet to bring in NEW fans.

Some ideas outside the box (or, track, as the case may be):

A track I raced at had a local live bands (usually western) play from 5 to 7pm. That got things jumping before the racing started. People would show up early to drink and listen to music. (If you get a band that has a following, new people in the stands.)

Publicity stunt, get permission to parade the race cars (with police escort) down (what ever is the “Main St.”) in Belleville. (Perhaps ending up at the track.) IF, contact with STL TV stations, that race cars are “taking to the streets” could get some air time. Works for Nascar in NY.

The vintage racing car show before the Poweri races was terrific. How about, more car shows, local Chevy club, Hot Rod club, Harleys, etc. After, a lot of these dudes will go to the races. In fact offer an discount ticket for bringing their cool car, bike, etc. as an incentive to stick around for the races.

How about at haft time, local high school marching bands, or battle of the bands. Think of the parents in the stands.

A chili cook off. (But no farting in the stands.)

Local Shriners, Church, Civic club, association etc. BBQ.

Any more ideas?
 
Good Post TheBigWheel. I agree with most of your thoughts. I don't know about the parade of cars down mainstreet or the HS band at halftime, but at least you are thinking outside the box. You should be a Promoter.

I agree the most with the nonsense about the food or the extra $2 for admission. That's not the problem. What is going to save the tracks and our sport is to get the non-race fans to attend. Most of my family and friends had never been to a track until I coaxed them into it. Yet they too don't think twice about going to Cardinal and Rams games (which I attend regularly also). Only a few have become what I would call "regulars", but many come at least 2-3 times a year just based on me getting them there the first time. Just like TheBigWheel said....once there, most (not all) can't believe the entertainment and what family fun going to the races can be.

Everyone needs to promote our sport before we lose it. Spread the word and reach out to those people who don't know what they are missing. All the other details will work themselves out.
 
TheBigWheel, great post. Some of the things I agree with and some I don't. But, ms192 is right about you. Coming up with something different. We can't do do same things and expect different results. You're right about doing what we can to get NEW fans to the track. I especially have lost sight of that. Thank you for opening my eyes to the solution to the problem. We need to make an effort to get new fans and that sometimes means trying something different. I like the idea of of school bands. Maybe not at intermission, but playing the National Anthem and maybe God Bless America before the races would be cool. It may bring in people (parents) that have never been to the races before. As you said, they may or may not come back, but they at least they got to see what we are all about.

Brian #44
 
I don't think you need a meeting... meetings are overrated... Don watches this site and I'll almost guarantee he's writing this all down LOL
 
i might suggest contacting the greenville quarter midget club about doing some promos. maybe have the kids drive the track on selected nights, and have a display out front.
 
When I lived in Colorado Springs they had a car show every year at the biggest mall in town... You were awarded track points for attending... everybody was there.
 
Alton Square used to have car shows till the new management got a tude about them. Sooner or later......i see the mall there will be torn down due to their new people.
 
I have seen to many close calls in the infield. Maybe keep the infield open and make everybody pit outside. Put more lighting up out back, and turn up the volume so us late arrivals can hear out there. Make everybody pay at the turn 2 pit entrance and check wrist bands there. I know the track has to loose some money when people pit on the outside and the crew members stay out there and watch from atop a hauler or something.
 
The trend in the last few years for most promoters has been to 'make it thru the back gate' (the pits) by adding more classes. That was easier for them than doing real promoting and bringing fans into the stands. Basically that turns into 'club racing'--the race driver, car owner and their families.
Don and his henchman have tried hard to do promotion at Allied races this year. Kenny Brown has tried hard to do promotion at POWRi races. Racing does need new fans. That is clear. The best way to get new fans is for an old fan to bring a new one. Kenny Brown did a promotion with the St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club a couple of years ago where one one night he gave FC members a free ticket and a friend they brought with them a free ticket. FC members were encouraged to bring a new fan with them to use that free ticket and most of them did. I think that promotion ended up by converting a fair number of new fans to be permanent POWRi race fans. Maybe Allied could try that once next season.
 
craigmonk67 I posted this on a another thread, few read it. I think what you said, and I have to say, and not to be the grim reaper here. Safety should be priority one, or our beloved sport could be over in a second.

On a serious note on keeping small race tracks alive. Now, once again the evil eye is on motor racing because of the horror in the desert with the off road racing crash. Belle-Clare must do something about the safety in the infield before we have a tragedy. At least a fence above the wall like I-55. People standing next to the wall with race cars in the pits behind them leaves them no place to run. At Stardust Raceway (road course) in Las Vegas I watched a friend in his Lola T70 (rear engine Chevy powered sports racing car, British) slide off the track into a barrier much like that of B-C and crush people behind the barrier and cars parked behind. No one was killed but many severely inured. My friend carried with him a long time the sadness of hurting those people. Drivers, now would you feel if you inured someone you knew? Last time at B-C, I watched two women sitting in deck chairs, backs to the track, not paying any attention to the racing. If a car climbed the wall they would not know what hit them. A distance from the wall must be established. A few feet back will not make any difference in viewing the racing. I am not saying all this just to be a curmudgeon. Just saying because if something happened like the tragedy in the desert, B-C would be toast. In fact all the tracks around here could be shut down.
 
All of these have seemed like some pretty good ideas so far. Getting more fans in the stands will be the key for 2011. I like how some have mentioned that alot of people dont even know we are there on fridays or if they know something is going on they may not know exactly what it is.

What about come close to the 2011 season they try to have a car show down at the fairgrounds out in the parking lot near the main road so the cars can be seen easily from the road. This may attract people to stop in and see the cars up close and maybe learn more about what takes place every friday at the track. If some are driving by with there kids in the car and they see the race cars most of the time kids will want to go see these cars and what not. Which in return may get the parent interested enough to come out and attend one night. Maybe at the show had out something like one free admission with a paid adult that is valid for say the first 2 or 3 weeks? That would probably get people in the stands as well. How many i dont know but what does it hurt? You gotta try something these days. As people have stated the kids are the future of this sport.
 
This was something we did at MCS and it worked amazingly well but it took the help of the drivers. For 5 to 6 weeks before fan appreciation night, the RAMS series gave away vouchers for bikes to the kids that cam in through the gate, not just junior fan club kids. 1 catch though, the kid had to be there for fan appreciation night to receive their bike. this resulted in several things, 1 all the kids had a chance to win a bike, 2 it brought a packed stands in that night, people that were a 1 time visiter became hooked because their kid won a bike. the key thing we did though was we took the kids age, name, favorite color, and then the driver that donated that voucher purchased a bike to fit the kid and decorated it up like their car. fan appreciation night we displayed all the bikes on the infield and during intermission brought the kids down to the infield, met the drivers, had their picture taken with the driver, bike and car. i know of 30 plus families that from that day on were regulars to the track and i see them on occasions at other tracks. i believe more fan driver interaction will draw more people in with maybe prices at the gate being 10 bucks. just a thought to throw out there.
I do remember that fan appreciation night being the most packed Mel had ever had. he ran out of beer in the concessions stands before intermission and had to go get more. it was literally standing room only. that night we also showed up early and had our cars on display in the parking lot walking up to the general admission. there was also a group of us at the end of the night where when a kid came up and wanted an autograph, we would give them an autograph and then have them sign the deck lid of our cars. those kids thought that was the most amazing thing. the following week, those kids could relate to your car and would make them feel like a part of something on the track.
 
I definitely, as a fan, would like to see the dashes back. Talk to fans and nobody knows where their favorite driver will start in the Feature. If time is a factor, is there room to line up cars outside so that when pulling onto the track cars would go directly to starting position.
Or talk to the mayor for a 15 min. dispensation each Friday. The key is consistancy, people get into the habit of going to races on Friday night, and the fans will show each week. I think less fans are there after a rain out, they found something else to do. An early Sunday start following a Fri. rain out, could be tried. NOTHING WILL SATISFY EVERYBODY, so you try different things, the entire season. You start next year and cut short again, you've lost your entire base.
Changing engine size to accomodate Highland Sportsmen drivers? They can come to Belleville and run in the Late Model class can't they?
 
Ask the Fans next Friday if they want the dashes back next year.What do you think the answer would be?It should be about the fans right?
 
papa jig said:
I definitely, as a fan, would like to see the dashes back. Talk to fans and nobody knows where their favorite driver will start in the Feature. If time is a factor, is there room to line up cars outside so that when pulling onto the track cars would go directly to starting position.
Or talk to the mayor for a 15 min. dispensation each Friday. The key is consistancy, people get into the habit of going to races on Friday night, and the fans will show each week. I think less fans are there after a rain out, they found something else to do. An early Sunday start following a Fri. rain out, could be tried. NOTHING WILL SATISFY EVERYBODY, so you try different things, the entire season. You start next year and cut short again, you've lost your entire base.
Changing engine size to accomodate Highland Sportsmen drivers? They can come to Belleville and run in the Late Model class can't they?
Click to expand...

You are so right.......you wont be able to please everyone. Best thing to do is hit the majority. My thoughts........all about the fans. Give kids free things occasionally......like flags when they get in. Have an honorary young flagman..or flaggirl like every other week. Help start the races. During intermission......do some interactive things to make it interesting. Like.......a lottery. Where driver's will get picked randomly to do things like........sell 50/50 tickets..lol. Just food for thought. I know as a racer.......we get busy. but........its pretty cool when a driver takes the time out every once in awhile and meet some of the fans and kids.
 
i remember buying getting those flags when i was a kid.and having the drivers sign it.just like the programs.thats a good idea
 
You must log in or register to reply here.




Back
Top