AUTO TIRE & PARTS RACEPARK CLOSED

Saluki Dog

Saluki Dog

Saluki Dog
I just called the promoter's number and spoke to a real nice lady. She informed me that due to the car counts and lack of fans that they have closed the racetrack.
 
WOW!!!! Now this is some news!! Should help car counts a little at some of the other tracks in the region. Shame to see it close if this is true.
 
Talked To Stans Wife Today And She Said It Was True. They Had To Pay $3000.00 Out Of There Own Pocket This Past Weekend. It Was Only A Mater Of Time.
 
You can't just open a business and expect people to show up without any effort to attract people. It is called promoting. It doesn't help the track to hold a major race it couldn't afford in the first place. I do wonder if this may be some form of strategy to avoid paying XDCS. If so, it won't work. The promoter may be paying for that mistake for a while.
 
Under several sets of managemnet that place has never had good attendance from the fans. I don't know if any of them have ever put forth the advertising and effort to promote the track to the local communities, or if that particular area just does not want to support local racing.
 
I called and it's confirmed, the track is closed...... What's funny about that is the promoter's son was at Fredericktown last Friday night talking to drivers about coming down and racing.
 
Not all families communicate as well as they should. With the decision making that promoter showed in the XDCS fiasco it doesn't surprise me that he would make an impulse decision to close the track. I agree with Millsey though that is rather odd.
 
This might sound wierd, but I would love to run it. First thing I would do is change the name of the place, but I've got some ideas that just might work if given a chance and it doesn't involve sprint cars or late models, at least not anywhere at first.
 
The Cape Girardeau and Sikeston area has proven it will support a track in the past, and since the population is growing, I'm confident that it would still support a track that's operated with its customers in mind.

But a racetrack has to be run the same as any other business: Don't open the doors each weekend and automatically expect people to fill up the place.

Another suggestion to the track's next promoter (are you listening Millsey :p?) -- go check out a minor-league sporting event sometime and take notes. Go see a minor-league baseball, football or hockey game and get ideas on how they entertain their fans. Most of those teams do a great job of interacting with their customers, and their tickets are still cheap. A lot of their unconventional and nontraditional ideas would work in short-track racing. It just takes a little creativity and marketing savvy.
 
Millsey I think you'd do a GREAT job. Heck you have promoted everything. Believe me we all here notice what you have done and do for the area tracks and the racers. You and RW could make it work HMMMMMM!!!!!!! ;)
 
When Tri-State Speedway was in its heyday ten years ago the biggest reason for its success was not just the fact that there were UMP late models and winged sprints on the program. Sure, there were ususally 30 LMs, 30 sprints and 40-45 modifieds but each week was a special night. Tommy Helfrich had promoted his track by getting businesses to pay a fee for the right to claim a night as "Tommy's Pizzaria" night or "Tom Hanks Chevrolet\Kia dealer" night. The amount of advertizing could be used to enhance each night's purse and the advertizer would have an opportunity to do something special during intermission or just have advertizements on a regular basis throughout the night. Some sponsors just did their advertizing by having Boy Scouts/ Girl Scouts night by "Orville's Landscaping Service and give a reduced price for the kids and remind everyone ocassionally that the night's program was brought to you by ....., etc. There are thousands of ways of promoting your track including television and radio. People do listen and it does pay for itself. Tommy usually had most every night sold to a sponsor. He also had had "Walmart or Bank of America" night at the track where employees received reduced rates as the company sponsored the night.

You do not become a successful track by sitting at the track waiting for the fans to show up because of word of mouth.

Dirt track racing still lives under the stigma of rough drivers, greasy crews, rowdy fans, poor seating, concessions and bathrooms and dirty conditions. The only way to change those perceptions is positive advertizing and lots of it.

When a driver shuts down for the year and sends engines off for overhaul a real promoter should already be starting advertizement preps for next year.
 
First of all, TTG would be an excellent promoter. I say that with no strings attached. However, wackymac, if TTG does go off somewhere and does his own thing, that will not automatically give you the announcing duties at I-55, which is where I think you are you are headed with this. TTG is just fine where he is at. JMO

Second, Millsey would do an excellent job also. The new RAMS Racepark (which I am assuming the name would be) would definitely be well-run. We all know that Millsey has the bank-roll and there would ALWAYS be enough cash on hand for pay-outs. :)

Third, anyone who has gone to Belle-Claire, Farmington, TCS or I-55 (which are the only ones I can personally attest to going to regularly) can appreciate a decent menu. I'm sure Millsey would not skimp on the menu. Last time I was at AT&P they had two choices: Hamburger flavored meat substance on a bun, or a fried balogna sandwich. I can honestly say that I go to the tracks primarily to see the races, but, I gotta eat, so that is important too. Belle-Claire and Farmington have may favorite (pizza) while TCS has some really good chicken strips. I-55 has pretty good burgers and cheese sticks. Again, JMO

Anyway, Farmington and Fredericktown can't afford to lose Millsey and Belle-Claire and I-55 better never lose TTG. So... WACKYMAC, I guess that leaves you free to go to AT&P! Leave that nice Truck at I-55 though. (By the way, how's your sis?)

One last thing for Millsey and one for wackymac:

wackymac: you can do that stuff when you get older, for now, get that car on the track! You can't let Troy carry the Dodge banner alone (not that he couldn't).

Millsey: still waiting for tickets!
 
Every track can make a go of it whith a little help!!! Corp. sponsor are starting to come back to the grass roots you just got to know how to sell them. The money there, if you pay the right purse and treat you fan in the stands right it will work! Even drivers that get mad come back if the purse is right.Like this idea feature time who every wins the dash has there choice of going to the back of the field to win would win additional $750.00 for latemodels, mods $600.00, sportmans $ 450.00 would that bring the croud aloud.It would bring back the old days of lakehill when fast started in the rear! Larry phillips did it all the time !!!!! Just a thought i believe i could make that track work!!!!! Nothing else with corp sponosors lololololo



If only we keep 28jracer away it would be okay!!!!!!!!!

hey dirt girl & 28jracer lisa goingto the hosp to have that baby may 27 2004 dirtgirl i will let you what she had!!!! st. johns Knew you would ask!!!!!!

28jracer sorry its over. you were to late******** :( :eek:
 
I forgot to add this in my last post...

I don't think AT&P will allow a name change. The company, Auto Tire and Parts, a NAPA jobber with stores all over SEMO, actually owns the track. It wasn't a corpoarate naming rights type of thing. The track is actually owned by the comapny and was leased to the promoters who were trying to put on a show.

I never thought I'd say this (publicly) but I agree with wackymac on his ideas. Give it a try Mike. Hey, better yet, since I-55 has SCHRADER-MARLER PROMOTIONS, AT&P could have WACKYMAC & MILLSEY PROMOTIONS (who would actually be the brains of that team?). Using your real last names makes it sound like a Law Office. JMO

Wackymac: just think of what could have been! :D
 
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