22 replies to this topic

[turningleft]

Get ready for Western PA promoters to say "fans just won't support big shows" after several of them lose piles of money on September 27th.  As if promoters are blocked from seeing one another's websites, they have scheduled huge purse races on top of one another, forcing the dwindling number of cars and fans to choose just one, when in fact several fans would be likely to buy a ticket to EACH race, if they weren't in direct conflict.

All on the SAME Saturday:

Big Kahuna at Roaring Knob (LM)

Biggest race of the year at Dog Hollow (LM)
Huge purse race at Eriez (LM)
Biggest purse of the year at Motordrome (Asphalt)

Renegade Sprints at PPMS

all while the Little Guy Nationals and a regular show at Sharon and Fremont go on.

 

Quality dirt Late Models will be split three ways. I don't get it. 

 

Just prepare for promoters to point to several factors... while not blaming themselves for failing to do some research on their direct competitors for "market share."  At this time of year with school sports (not JUST football - soccer, etc.) gobbling up family time with practices/games, and temperatures being less than comfortable, ONLY DIE HARD RACE FANS will be patronizing these shows.  John Q. Public won't brave the cold and pay "special event ticket prices" with pennant race baseball on TV and a Sunday full of NFL telecasts the next day.  The folks looking forward to these types of races would probably travel to, and buy a ticket to each event, if the promoter's had avoided stepping on each other's toes.

[speedster101]

Chilli 100 at clinton county on the 27th also

[TEAM29]

Well I guess the only "good" from this is that there only can be one winner on the same night so it makes for a better odd of winning a big check...just got to pick the right track where you think the competion will or will not be at...

[D1RT]

Kasey Kahne Classic at Lincoln Speedway paying sprint cars $20,000 on the 27th too.......

[longtimeracefan101]

Get ready for Western PA promoters to say "fans just won't support big shows" after several of them lose piles of money on September 27th.  As if promoters are blocked from seeing one another's websites, they have scheduled huge purse races on top of one another, forcing the dwindling number of cars and fans to choose just one, when in fact several fans would be likely to buy a ticket to EACH race, if they weren't in direct conflict.
All on the SAME Saturday:
Big Kahuna at Roaring Knob (LM)
Biggest race of the year at Dog Hollow (LM)
Huge purse race at Eriez (LM)
Biggest purse of the year at Motordrome (Asphalt)
Renegade Sprints at PPMS
all while the Little Guy Nationals and a regular show at Sharon and Fremont go on.
 
Quality dirt Late Models will be split three ways. I don't get it. 
 
Just prepare for promoters to point to several factors... while not blaming themselves for failing to do some research on their direct competitors for "market share."  At this time of year with school sports (not JUST football - soccer, etc.) gobbling up family time with practices/games, and temperatures being less than comfortable, ONLY DIE HARD RACE FANS will be patronizing these shows.  John Q. Public won't brave the cold and pay "special event ticket prices" with pennant race baseball on TV and a Sunday full of NFL telecasts the next day.  The folks looking forward to these types of races would probably travel to, and buy a ticket to each event, if the promoter's had avoided stepping on each other's toes.

i hope next year mercer runs against the Apple Fest.

[racer67x]

i hope next year mercer runs against the Apple Fest.

I hope next year The Applefest is at Tri City where it belongs.

[Won11Virus]

Did the Applefest go somewhere?

[RocketChassis#1]

This problem has existed for years. There are only so many weekends in the fall to schedule a big race, so no matter when you schedule, your running against someone in the region. For the most part this goes on all season from April on. Somewhere in the region schedules a better paying race, (for whatever class), and someone has one somewhere else on top of it.

[The Legend]

What people forget is that Don Martin didnt make
His millions running a race track ... So he was a successful businessman who already knew how to run a business. Most of the clowns promoting race tracks were never that successful in the private sector in any business that requires similar customer interaction . Take a guy like
Mark Cuban ... Guaranteed he knows nothing about racing but I guarantee he would
Figure it out and pack the stands quickly ...

[Benny K]

Is it just me or is October pretty open for the Late Model specials locally. Used to have Challenger & then Hesston. You would think someone would jump on that second weekend of October to have decent paying event in the region.

[Won11Virus]

I agree. Most track owners forget they aren't running racetracks so much as they are managing people that are running a racetrack. And those people are primarily kids or folks that can't find or keep full time employment else where except for a few. If you arent able to manage people or find someone that can do it for you the track will ultimately fail. Happy, courteous employees lead to happy customers in my experience. Who, especially a spectator, is going to return to return to a track where they've been treated poorly? Too many other options these days to take the don't like it, then leave" approach or think "they should just be glad we're still open."

[Won11Virus]

McKean County is running Oct. 9,10, and 11.

[The Legend]

I can tell everyone first hand there is no place like eldora , and I know the retort will be that it's backed by mega dollars .... The bottom line is that it's free to not be a jack off to your customers !!!

[Walt Wimer]

No press releases have come in here on McKean County's October plans.  Given all that has gone on with John Kennedy folding the NDRL and such, one has to wonder if these October races will be run.  Right now I would have to say they are a big question mark!!. However, I haven't checked their website for several weeks!!

 

Walt 

[Won11Virus]

They still say it's a go, however the website is down which will no doubt do little to reduce the size of your question mark. All PR is on Facebook of Twitter. There are also reports of legal proceedings due to a large sum of money being owed to the fair board.

[Benny K]

I wish Lernerville or Roaring Knob would hold a high paying Late Model show with a couple support classes that weekend.

[thewick2w]

Biggest problem is how do you work this big specials we had one at hummingbird luck it rained out the first night cause dog hollow reshechled for the same night every where has. 8 specials at the end of the year Louie refused to go past last weekend luck helped us get the show in but it's nothing but special after special it takes away the point of running specials when you continually run them it should be run one or two be done or bring in something totally different each special run one class each special create something different so it would narrow down the target cars to come to your track

[D1RT]

Back when Challenger was running Fall Fest it was very successful with excellent car and fan counts. No local tracks dared to run against Fall Fest. When Challenger closed every track come out of the woodwork to try and capitalize on the Fall specials and all they have done is thin out an already thin fan and car base and just put on over priced regular shows.

The only track that has been able to successfully pull off the late season special locally is Lernerville. 

[KPotter]

It looks like I will get a chance to hit the Delaware State Championships on Oct. 17-18.  Everything you could ever want on the track except Sprints (sigh).

 

Benny K.,  If you are going to be there drop me a message.

[Benny K]

I will be there weather permitting. I am hoping they ge the surface figured out. Some dirvers earlier in the season complained that it was to dry, so they put a new surface down a week before the Outlaw race and it has been awful. One lane on the bottom, and no top side. The WoO race Satterlee won had him not even being able to get around lapped cars. I guess it has been some better, but I have been heading to Bridgeport more often to see thier stout Mod field. Late Model car counts down here has been miserable, and I can't see more than 20 showing for the State Championships, hope I am wrong. Grandview running on that Saturday will also hurt the Big Block count for Saturday, but Friday's Small Block portion should be ok. The car counts have been dropping since they moved the race up on the calendar.