Local track question....
- Thread starter moonflow
- Start date
Some good ideas out there.
My opinion is not to lower the price but offer more value for that ticket. Such as a rewards program (the more you come the more free beer, food, soda, merchandise, etc.). Season passes, front row parking, wait free beer line...Make the top row more expensive and add drink/food vouchers. It's never a good idea to voluntarily reduce cash flow.
Same thing goes for drivers....build a rewards program to encourage loyalty.
Every 4 times a driver comes to the track with his car they get a free pit pass.
Give free passes out at local events, fairs, schools etc. they will spend money at the concessions.
It's really all about giving the fan/driver a reason to come back on a regular basis.
And track every promotion you do to see what works best. If you can't track it and know how much money it's worth then don't do it.
My opinion is not to lower the price but offer more value for that ticket. Such as a rewards program (the more you come the more free beer, food, soda, merchandise, etc.). Season passes, front row parking, wait free beer line...Make the top row more expensive and add drink/food vouchers. It's never a good idea to voluntarily reduce cash flow.
Same thing goes for drivers....build a rewards program to encourage loyalty.
Every 4 times a driver comes to the track with his car they get a free pit pass.
Give free passes out at local events, fairs, schools etc. they will spend money at the concessions.
It's really all about giving the fan/driver a reason to come back on a regular basis.
And track every promotion you do to see what works best. If you can't track it and know how much money it's worth then don't do it.
don hoener
don hoener
havoline28
Active Member
I have always thought a track should lower their front gate for a month and see what happens. Now I do realize it is very risky and may not work and if does not then what. Does the track make enough to survive such a thing for a month if it doesn't work out. I have always thought about giving a car load of 5 in for the price of 4 so, the price of the 5th person could go for gas to get to the track. I think also kids should get in free up to 17 after that they should have to pay full price unless they are going to college and then they should get in for half price. Anyone actively serving in the military should get in for free and anyone that has served this country should get in for half price. They are the reason we get to do this in the first place. The reason I say try it for a month because it's going to take a couple of weeks to get the word out and another two weeks to see if it's going to work.
don hoener
don hoener
All Good ideas but the real need is to reach new fans. The fan to fixed purse ratio is way out of whack right now and is why it is so tough. There are a lot of reasons. Some controllable some not. I like the rewards program idea like many big businesses are doing. but it is costly to implement. Introducing new people is really the biggest thing we can do.
RunninWideOpen28
Member
I would advertise this more. Im at BC nearly every week, have been for a few years now... and I knew about a membership program but didnt know how much it was nor did I know the benefits. I knew they saved $3 off a pitpass but that's all I knew.
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havoline28
Active Member
I can't agree more Don so, now the Million dollar question how do we do that. I have been banging my head on the wall trying to figure that one out and if we can't do that how do we get the racers to understand something needs to be done. If you cut the purse the racers leave. If you raise the price at the front gate even more people leave then already has. We are at a crossroads in this sport and something needs to be done soon or you are going to see more people leave the sport whether it's promoters or owners or racers or even fans.
jax-webguy
Member
We ran a specials only schedule last year with some success. But in doing so, we left out so many local racers. If it rains out your first special of a month, then you happen to not have a certain class scheduled for your next special, a local guy with a lot of money wrapped up in a race car can't race it in front of his friends and family at his home track - sometimes for a month or two. We decided that while it worked out pretty well for us as a track, it was going to have a long-term negative effect on the number of local racers that continue to own race cars instead of boats.
This year we added 10 "weekly" shows (all of which have been rained out so far) to our 10 specials and try to structure those 10 weekly shows so that we could get by only charging $10 and also have room to do some promotions to get new people to the track on a "cheap" night. But the key to that strategy brings up my next point...
The biggest problem racing is facing in the pits and in the grandstand is the cost of a race car. We can blame it on a million other things, but putting $300,000 of Modifieds on a race track to race for a $3,000 purse can only sustain itself for a limited time. That gap can be bridged by more fans or higher ticket prices.... but it also can be bridged by finding a way to create exciting racing in cheaper race cars that cost less to maintain.
We might still have good car count at area tracks... but I bet if you added up the average miles driven to the race track by drivers that number will have increased steadily over the past 20 years. What is gone is every car-related business in a town having an interest in a race car. When fewer race cars are close to a track, there are fewer local fans connected or interested in those cars. We have fewer local cars because they simply cost too damn much to own and race.
Actually, we might have enough cars and drivers locally... it's just that everyone has found their own class since there are 10 to choose from. If all of the drivers could choose one of 3 or 4 classes that didn't cost so much to race, we would have plenty of cars, great competition, full fields of 30 local cars, local fan interest, lower ticket prices, and quicker shows.
I'm off the soapbox now....
BTW, Friday night at Jacksonville Speedway is the Shawn Marquard Memorial featuring MOWA 410 winged sprints, Modifieds, Street Stocks, Hornets and Micros. Gates open at 5:00, Racing at 7:00. Adult admission is $18 with children 12 and under FREE.
This year we added 10 "weekly" shows (all of which have been rained out so far) to our 10 specials and try to structure those 10 weekly shows so that we could get by only charging $10 and also have room to do some promotions to get new people to the track on a "cheap" night. But the key to that strategy brings up my next point...
The biggest problem racing is facing in the pits and in the grandstand is the cost of a race car. We can blame it on a million other things, but putting $300,000 of Modifieds on a race track to race for a $3,000 purse can only sustain itself for a limited time. That gap can be bridged by more fans or higher ticket prices.... but it also can be bridged by finding a way to create exciting racing in cheaper race cars that cost less to maintain.
We might still have good car count at area tracks... but I bet if you added up the average miles driven to the race track by drivers that number will have increased steadily over the past 20 years. What is gone is every car-related business in a town having an interest in a race car. When fewer race cars are close to a track, there are fewer local fans connected or interested in those cars. We have fewer local cars because they simply cost too damn much to own and race.
Actually, we might have enough cars and drivers locally... it's just that everyone has found their own class since there are 10 to choose from. If all of the drivers could choose one of 3 or 4 classes that didn't cost so much to race, we would have plenty of cars, great competition, full fields of 30 local cars, local fan interest, lower ticket prices, and quicker shows.
I'm off the soapbox now....
BTW, Friday night at Jacksonville Speedway is the Shawn Marquard Memorial featuring MOWA 410 winged sprints, Modifieds, Street Stocks, Hornets and Micros. Gates open at 5:00, Racing at 7:00. Adult admission is $18 with children 12 and under FREE.
RunninWideOpen28......
The St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club is different from the Allied Auto Racing Association. AARA offers its members $3 off a pit pass. The SLARFC only deals with general admission ticket discounts. These discounts are individually worked out with each track/group and can vary in value from one event to another.
Joining both AARA and the SLARFC is a great way to help support your local racing.
The St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club is different from the Allied Auto Racing Association. AARA offers its members $3 off a pit pass. The SLARFC only deals with general admission ticket discounts. These discounts are individually worked out with each track/group and can vary in value from one event to another.
Joining both AARA and the SLARFC is a great way to help support your local racing.
modfan
Member
modfan
Member
This what I believe would really help. Advertise to the people that don't normally go to the races or used to go and stopped for whatever reason. Work on the neighbors around the track not a hundred miles away. Don't overspend on advertising to people who are already aware of the track, unless it's a special event. Advertise on non-traditional websites( don't take this the wrong way Jimmy). Spend the money on advertising on theater, cardinals, rams, and other high profile non-motor sports websites. Advertise in the local theater before the movie. Run specials for people bringing ticket stubs from other non- racing events.
Ok, I'm done rambling
Ok, I'm done rambling
Lee Racing
New Member
Don't they also have to pay out regardless of the car count or weather if it is rained out that is a lot of money out
The big difference is, ads on this website are a few hundred dollars a year (and posting there stuff in the forums is free), ads there are a few thousand dollars...
modfan
Member
Your right about the price, but does it really matter about the price? I was talking about the amount of people who don't go to the races or haven't been to a race in so long they don't remember the value. I suspect, because I don't have any valid data. That the cost of advertising per person to people who fit the above criteria is as good or better on other alternative media.
I also want make sure that I state for special events or significant changes in the weekly show this website is a great value
Raise the purse money in each class. More money, More cars, MORE people in the pits and stands. Last week proved it, Good car count, Good crowd,Good race track. GREAT JOB. Don has been getting good sponsors to advertise and adding it to the purse which helps the racers, and fans.
20rocks
Well-Known Member
Belleville could drop their beer prices to 2.00 it had had the highest price for beer for a long time there are bars with cheaper beer prices,they would sell more and make more money.the food vendor could do like highland sloppy joes,bbq pork chili dogs etc. These are easy to make and are profitable like most people when I see 5.00 for a hamburger I will get one from mcdonalds or rallys.last years food wad good but too expensive for the crowd that goes to belleville.Don does a good job running the track but if a track has good food at reasonable prices it helps because people would eat at the track instead of eating elsewhere and running late and possibly saying screw it.
biker6403
dirt tracks 4 ever
Alcohol has a huge mark-up,it is bought in large quantities so they get a price break...The tracks that recieve some or all of the profits from alcohol sales tend to survive better than those that don't,which helps to cover expenses in case of poor attendance,bad weather,low car counts,etc. I just wish you could bring in a small cooler at our local tracks,but I don't see it happening...
This makes a lot of sense.
Give out free passes locally at un race related places. Theyll get used and track will benefit from money spent by patrons. Some will return and some won't but that's networking at its best and will be good for the track. Jmo
