19 replies to this topic

[Dr. Speedy]

Hey fellow racefans and drivers. I am just a crewman and a racefan and I just want to say that the show was great and we had a great time. But there were more people in the pits than in the stands. As we know Dean is in the entertainment buisiness here and ya need to get people in the stands. Paying out is a real problem if you don't get the stands reasonably packed. So tell your friends relatives, gas station attendants, whoever! But he surely can't keep this up.

[compact racer]

Hey fellow racefans and drivers. I am just a crewman and a racefan and I just want to say that the show was great and we had a great time. But there were more people in the pits than in the stands. As we know Dean is in the entertainment buisiness here and ya need to get people in the stands. Paying out is a real problem if you don't get the stands reasonably packed. So tell your friends relatives, gas station attendants, whoever! But he surely can't keep this up.

Yea the crowd was surely down sat but then again we just ran on wed. It's hard for racers and fans to afford racing 3 times in a week period. I know everyone wants the class that they are involved with to be able to run weekly. Getting the right combination of classes seems to make a difference to some extent. I think the two lower classes ie trucks and compacts pay for themselfes. The higher classes need the crowed to support them. I dont want to kick on any one. I know how I feel when someone talks about cuttin our class. On the other hand last week didn't seem to do it.

[Trust Me I Know More]

If you didn't know someone racing on Saturday night why would you go? No offense to the Mini Sprints, Trucks, or Compacts but I don't really enjoy watching you. You all do a great job but your classes aren't fast enough to keep me entertained.

[pcpower81]

"I KNOW MORE" do the math... Dean paid over 30,000 to get the allstars there and drew a whopping 650 (roughly) fans and another 350 in the pits, a normal sprint car night with 3 other classes the payout is somewhere close to 12000 i would say roughly and you may get 400 in the stands, this week the "support classes" were the only ones there with a payout nearly 7000 and id say there were about 200-250 in the stands... So the problem really isnt who is racing... the problem is the fan count in general. id say dean may have had a better chance of making a few dollars this week than nights with the "headliner classes" running?? i challenge anyone to find a track with better racing than they usually have at WRP no matter what class you want to talk about. That place has more last lap passes for the win than any ive ever been to!! granted its not the nicest facilty but unless somehow the word gets out and people start showing up the money will never be there to improve let alone keep the gates open JMO

[compact racer]

"I KNOW MORE" do the math... Dean paid over 30,000 to get the allstars there and drew a whopping 650 (roughly) fans and another 350 in the pits, a normal sprint car night with 3 other classes the payout is somewhere close to 12000 i would say roughly and you may get 400 in the stands, this week the "support classes" were the only ones there with a payout nearly 7000 and id say there were about 200-250 in the stands... So the problem really isnt who is racing... the problem is the fan count in general. id say dean may have had a better chance of making a few dollars this week than nights with the "headliner classes" running??
i challenge anyone to find a track with better racing than they usually have at WRP no matter what class you want to talk about. That place has more last lap passes for the win than any ive ever been to!! granted its not the nicest facilty but unless somehow the word gets out and people start showing up the money will never be there to improve let alone keep the gates open JMO

The crowed count problem is happening everywhere. I was just looking at another board and the same thing at shady bowl and kil kare. I know they're asphalt but same problem along with poor car counts. Personaly I don't see mods as a support class. I KNOW MORE wants all big time classes but how can the track do it. Last yr the gripe was changing the schedual but now it seems thats what some want. I hope the crowed picks up but with the economy the way it is I don't see it.

[OGRE]

Yea M. Dobie, you make the point very clear. So far this season it hasn't mattered what classes has ran the fan counts have been low. I really think what we had for the All Stars is about what you cn expect for a "packed" house at WRP. We don't have the bigger races that some of the premier tracks such as the Big E to draw the larger numbers. Not to mention the Big E has a deep history and let's face it, it's an awesome facilty. If I weren't working at WRP I would be attending The Big E. This topic has come up many many times on how to get more fans to WRP. I know that many things have been attempted also. I think we've had $5 nights and carload nights and it just hasn't seemed to help. I know this season that Dean has advertised on the radio and bought some bilboards. I'm at a lost as to what will increase the fanbase. It really saddens me because I really want WRP to succeed because it's so close to home for me. I hope a "Miracle" happens and all of the sudden people start flocking to the track.

[hoosier race fan]

Don't feel like you guys are alone. I know it is a competing track but Montpelier has the same problem. They have tried the same things OGRE just mentioned, including $5 fan appreciation night last Saturday. Even with nice weather for once, the crowd wasn't very much bigger than usual. And usual is the right word to use because there is a group of usual or regular fans that are there every week. Add in a few dozen people that come once in a while and a few that have never been there before and you don't end up with a huge crowd. Both places are great race tracks with fantastic racing, but little fan support.

Edited by hoosier race fan, 29 June 2010 - 04:25 PM.

[skip]

I know for a fact that the first double header WoO show at eldora this yr they lost their butt , so what does that tell you the fiqure would blow your mind. Last sat night y had bike races at the fairgrounds, fremont last allstar show and eldora tractor pulls. The economy is down that is a factor. . As for this sat i think you will have a good crowd. Things are tuff right now for every one Racers fans and people running the tracks. Some say Dean is not advertising, why should he if people dont know that the track has been around for what about 6yrs? Dean has 2 signs one on 117 and the other on 309. Plus there is a web site telling y what race is coming up. Plus gerry does all he can to let people know. These are tuff times right now for everyone, if you dont have the money to go you stay home. But the person running the track is the one who is really taking the hit right now by trying to have some where for y to race. Put yourself in his shoes he is the one who is feeling the heat and a lighter billfold.

Edited by skip, 29 June 2010 - 05:15 PM.

[intimidator 1]

sponsers paid the allstar purse

[mod13]

I dont sit in the stands much, but looking over from the pits the thing i always say is "those people are crazy". It was hot and sunny and humid and not a strip of shade in the grandstands. If the wind picks up there isnt a place to get out of the wind (unless everyone crowds in front of the press box). Your not going to get your average fan to sit out in the open sun and bake for 3 hours until the sun goes down. Im not saying this is the reason for the problems the track has, but it has to be a factor.

[skip]

Thats why i post pictures on here i tend to take the same people over and over but it is free advertising for the track. All it costs me is a couple of aa batteries and the time to sit and do it. I would like to get around and do more people and cars but im sorta restricted to where im at. They may not be the best pictures but at least it does show what kind of cars we do have at the track and maybe a first time viewer might say,i think i might check this place out. Any little thing helps to get the people to come. Deam gave out all kinds of free passes to P&G for 2 weeks and all he got was 10 people to show up now what else can he do. Out of all those free tickets and a total of 10 showed up in 2 weeks. Being P&G you would at least think if their clothes got dirty they proably get big discounts on laundry products to wash them.

Edited by skip, 29 June 2010 - 07:25 PM.

[pcpower81]

lol intimidator...if dean had a sponsor for the entire allstar purse he'd be smiling from ear to ear!!! the title sponsor was nowhere close to $33,500

[Trust Me I Know More]

All I said was that I wouldn't go to that race if I didn't know anyone racing. I was at the track but wouldn't have went if I didn't know someone racing there. I'm not stupid, I understand that if you don't make more money than you spend that you lose money. I know that All Stars and other big classes are expensive. All that I'm saying is if there is only 1 class out of 4 that is some what fast I would not be interested in going. I have been going to races for 25 years and I know what I enjoy watching, no ones going to change that. I would love to see Waynesfield Motorsports Park prosper, I like going there, but I wouldn't go to a race like last Saturday just for something to do. That's just how I feel. I'm sure that someone on here will tell me that I'm wrong about what I like and don't like. I was just giving my thoughts of why there may have not been that many people in the stands.

Edited by Trust Me I Know More, 30 June 2010 - 01:46 AM.

[pcpower81]

Was in no way trying to tell you what you like or dislike... just that when the money is spent that should bring big fan counts it dont happen... from a money standpoint it almost looks better without spending the big money?? as far as fast goes, the mini-sprints are usually the fastest class there (going by lap times)except when the winged sprints are there LOL Either way if everyone keeps spreading the word about the quality of racing maybe some day it will grow into one of the areas big tracks? I remember going to Eldora as a little kid and it wasnt much different than WRP is now...

[OGRE]

I remember racing at WRP when Jerry Lear was the promoter for Greg. They rans 6 classes of cars (I think) Non-Wing Sprint, Mods, Stocks, Mini Sprints, Compacts and Trucks every week. They had car counts around 120 (120 / 6 classes = avg. 20 cars per class) The pits were always full but they still didn't have too much of a crowd on the spectator side. Jerry said that they were still able to make about a $2000 deposit after everything was piad each week. This is just what was said to me at one point so I can't verify the validity of the story. However if it was true then that would make a nice pfofit for the rest of the year. Several facters that were different then versus now: 1. Economy was much better. 2. There were very few big money shows. 3. I think the purses were smaller. 4. We simply had more cars racing at that time. 5. The one thing that kinda stunk was we had some very late nights. I really think that right now if you are going to run WRP you need to be able to ride the tide until the economy straightens up. I sure hope Dean is able to do that because he is one hell of a nice guy and he and Jane have great intentions for WRP. We MUST do our part as racers to promote this place. The old days of just showing up and racing and letting the promoter get the fans is out the door. If e really want a place to go then we need to put our family members and friends and their friends in the seats. I sure hope we can pull it out. I never want to see WRP end up like New Breman or Ada.

[compact racer]

I remember racing at WRP when Jerry Lear was the promoter for Greg. They rans 6 classes of cars (I think) Non-Wing Sprint, Mods, Stocks, Mini Sprints, Compacts and Trucks every week. They had car counts around 120 (120 / 6 classes = avg. 20 cars per class) The pits were always full but they still didn't have too much of a crowd on the spectator side. Jerry said that they were still able to make about a $2000 deposit after everything was piad each week.

This is just what was said to me at one point so I can't verify the validity of the story. However if it was true then that would make a nice pfofit for the rest of the year.

Several facters that were different then versus now:
1. Economy was much better.
2. There were very few big money shows.
3. I think the purses were smaller.
4. We simply had more cars racing at that time.
5. The one thing that kinda stunk was we had some very late nights.

I really think that right now if you are going to run WRP you need to be able to ride the tide until the economy straightens up. I sure hope Dean is able to do that because he is one hell of a nice guy and he and Jane have great intentions for WRP. We MUST do our part as racers to promote this place. The old days of just showing up and racing and letting the promoter get the fans is out the door. If e really want a place to go then we need to put our family members and friends and their friends in the seats. I sure hope we can pull it out. I never want to see WRP end up like New Breman or Ada.

Good points Ogre. Adding another class each night might help if the class was one that paid for itself. I don't know what it would be though. I sure would like to see some sort of bomber class. A lot of tracks are doing that. Look at the bowl they run 6 classes almost every week. Several are low buck with small payouts but they bring in more then they pay out. Belive me thats whats keeping them going. Big shows are a big risk at this time. A regular show might not get you anywhere but a big show can break you. If time is the big concern with adding a class have a class or two with the smallest car count draw and run a main only. Not only would that cut time but also cut cost for the racer. I know some of my thoughts may seem strange but we definitly want WRP to keep going and providing us a great place to race.

[Need for Speed]

Please don't drag the infamous Shady Bowl into this!! The Bowl is dying a slow death....

I've heard way too many stories about people not getting paid, the power company not turning on the electric until the bill was paid-from the year before-, guys winning class championships and all they got a jacket, point funds not being paid until the next season, etc, etc, etc. Just what I've heard from guys who it has happend to, or seen it first hand.

NOW for what I have seen first hand: The fence posts down the 'front stretch' are nothing more than stop sign posts, the fence itself is OLD field fence that probably couldn't hold back a bicycle, the ever present water leaking through the track out of turn 2, and the infamous piss around piss around taking all damn night to run a 20-30 lap race. Some nights the last race isn't over before 3AM on Sunday...and that's with running no heat races, jus going straight into the features at or around 7PM on Saturday night... When somebody spins out, it's 10 minutes before they have a line up and another 5 minutes or more of screwing around on the front stretch getting the cars in order, before the green flag waves again....which makes no sense. For the most part in the Late Models and Modifieds, they finish damn near where they started--it's a parade! Nobody will get on the outside, they just ride around the bottom playing bumper tag YAWN Somebody leaks oil, and it's 20 minutes or more before it's time to race again...it just sucks.

At least one of the clases constantly has less than 5 cars, and at least once this year they had 2 cars....yeeehaaa, what a thrilling 15 lap feature that must have been!!

The Bowl is getting no fans, because they have no cars, and because they screw around all night. The only time that place has anyone in the stands, is when they run the 'Bus Race' of all things!

[compact racer]

Please don't drag the infamous Shady Bowl into this!! The Bowl is dying a slow death....

I've heard way too many stories about people not getting paid, the power company not turning on the electric until the bill was paid-from the year before-, guys winning class championships and all they got a jacket, point funds not being paid until the next season, etc, etc, etc. Just what I've heard from guys who it has happend to, or seen it first hand.

NOW for what I have seen first hand: The fence posts down the 'front stretch' are nothing more than stop sign posts, the fence itself is OLD field fence that probably couldn't hold back a bicycle, the ever present water leaking through the track out of turn 2, and the infamous piss around piss around taking all damn night to run a 20-30 lap race. Some nights the last race isn't over before 3AM on Sunday...and that's with running no heat races, jus going straight into the features at or around 7PM on Saturday night... When somebody spins out, it's 10 minutes before they have a line up and another 5 minutes or more of screwing around on the front stretch getting the cars in order, before the green flag waves again....which makes no sense. For the most part in the Late Models and Modifieds, they finish damn near where they started--it's a parade! Nobody will get on the outside, they just ride around the bottom playing bumper tag YAWN Somebody leaks oil, and it's 20 minutes or more before it's time to race again...it just sucks.

At least one of the clases constantly has less than 5 cars, and at least once this year they had 2 cars....yeeehaaa, what a thrilling 15 lap feature that must have been!!

The Bowl is getting no fans, because they have no cars, and because they screw around all night. The only time that place has anyone in the stands, is when they run the 'Bus Race' of all things!

Need for speed your exactly right on all counts and that why we're at WRP. My point was thats how they're surviving. More racers helping to pay for the show. Not what you would want but thats how they're surviving.

[Trust Me I Know More]

Need for Speed it sounds like at one point you have wasted time off your life going to that S*** Hole they call Shady Bowl. Everytime I go there I swear I will never go back. I hope Waynesfield never turns into that place but I do worry sometimes that they are on that same path.

[Need for Speed]

compact racer: The Bowl survives because there are too many people willing to 'race' for nothing! Late Models and Mods get a measly $450 to win and by the time you get to 8th place it's $100! The 'support classes' get a whopping $185 to win and once you get to 8th place it pays $65.

With their mandated $100ea. tires, and $30 pit passes, If a guy comes by himself, buys 4 new tires, doesn't get tore up at all, and wins the LM feature.....he still lost money on the night, by the time he pays for fuel in the car, and the truck that towed it to the track. But for some reason, people want to race there.

Need for Speed it sounds like at one point you have wasted time off your life going to that S*** Hole they call Shady Bowl. Everytime I go there I swear I will never go back. I hope Waynesfield never turns into that place but I do worry sometimes that they are on that same path.

Yeah, unfortunately I spent a couple of summers there, before Waynesfield opened.

My only hope is that WRP doesn't turn out like Shady Bowl, with 6 classes/night and a total of 30 cars between all of the classes.

Enough about the Bowl, it's time for WRP to move forward