169 replies to this topic

[Paul55]

They gotta try and do something. That was pathetic.

[blaneyfan10]

I like ppms  but I don't understand them 15 to get in is crazy for what there running I think they should bring back the emods they would probably get a lot from the southern ohio area and some cars from roaring knob since I think there only running them 5 times this year. Its also nice that they run the hobby stocks and the young gun class but them 2 classes haven't really taken off so its to the point where there just basically wasting time.

[bhhracing]

Lernerville is $14 and you get to see the top 3 classes, I suggest people go there.

[GEARHEAD]

Danny how can it be fixed? It's not like they can magically make cars start showing up? Fans come to see racing, only seeing a race with 10 cars is far from most peoples idea of exciting! The stuff like the light bulbs and stands should be or you would think easy things they can do to make people see hey they have some pride in the place. Even then, you still need to draw more cars. The easiest way to do that would be to increase the purses. But if they do that their track record shows they will jack up the admission and pit costs so people will still complain.

 

1. Apologize to all of the teams they have pissed off over the years and told to go somewhere else and beg for their mercy.  But again, the egos won't allow them to do that.  How about standing at the gate and thanking people for coming?  Or going through the grandstands and asking people what would improve their experience?  They can't do that from a golf cart though so that won't happen.  They way they treated the Eichelberger team last year at the Pittsburgher is a prime example why people won't support the place.  Sometimes just being a decent human being goes a long, long way.

 

2. Get off their behinds and do some marketing work with the large companies in the area to fund new lights and paint for the walls.  And maybe pay somebody to install those new boards.

 

3. Bring back the modifieds weekly.  Make crate motors in the mods a feasible option that can compete with the open motor mods.  Back when PPMS first started running e-mods they got 20 of them weekly when they were still considered a low-cost class.  Muskingum used to pay $1,000 to win weekly and got 25-30 of them.  Those teams funded their own purse.  Raising the purse for the Supers will not get any more cars than they get now.  There just aren't that many Supers out there.  There are a ton of modifieds out there though, you just have to pay them something.

 

4. Care.  Care about how the facility looks.  Care that people need a 4 wheel drive to get up the road to the grandstands;.  Care that the weeds in the pits are 3 feet tall.  Care that people are falling through the grandstands.  Care that the wall is falling down and hasn't been painted in years.  When they leased the track they always said "we can't make improvements to a track we don't own."  Several years later they still don't have a new excuse.  I wouldn't mind the $15 admission if they were putting up Musco lights and improving the fan experience.  But they're not doing anything.  For the casual fan the condition of facilities will dictate if they come back or not.  They don't really know good racing from bad, nor do most of them care.  They're just looking for a night out on a nice day.  If they could drive to the parking lot without trashing their vehicle, walk on pavement to the grandstands, not have to fear for their lives in the grandstands, and keep the kids happy the stands will be filled.

 

5. Quit selling beer.  They lost hundreds of fans when they kept admission the same price and made people buy beer at the track to milk more money from the them.

 

6.  Be an ambasssador for racing in the Pittsburgh area.  Get more people involved either as fans or racers.  They don't even promote the track though, they simply host events and hope for the best.  In his one event at PPMS Kennedy did more promoting than the Mileys ever did with things like his event at Quaker Steak and Lube and posting flyers all over Pittsburgh.  Look how that paid off, that was his only successful event.

 

7. If they don't want to do 1-6, sell it.  Ed Ferree would care about the place.  Their greed won't let this happen though, along with the fact that their egos won't allow anybody else to have the chance to show them up and turn the track into a success. 

[The Legend]

To fix the place they first need to sell that liquor license and allow BYOB again. Then fire the clown who floods the track with water every week. Here's the problem having engine rebuilds done at elite engine builders cost 9-14k if nothing is broke. If they make it a 17 second track like the water truck guy gets off on you better have an elite engine builder or you going to have lots of failures. The specs and 525's are honestly an affordable option because a spec will go twice as long between rebuilds and cost less than half as much to freshen . Plus less power is easier on tires. Here's the problem no one is putting spec motors in when the water truck guy gets off on 17 second laps. Years ago in the feature late models were 20.50-21.00 and they had plenty of cars and the spec motors ran up front. So would you rather watch 20 cars run 20.50 or 1 car run 17.20 and the rest of the field a second off because they have to pay their own bills and don't want to junk their shit . The racing is way better when everyone isn't wide open and it's way cheaper. I can't even put into words how bad that flooding the bottom shit pisses me off. It's obnoxious and it
Makes it hard for me to justify the amount of work required to race every week knowing I have to deal with that stupidity . They don't do that at eldora !!! Paying the cars more isn't the problem the pay is fine they need to keep the track slick so it's easy on motors . So keep it slick , let everyone know they are going to keep it slick , stop selling beer and call everyone who used to race there that doesn't and ask
Why and if the answer is them then apologize and fix what's wrong . And enforce the rules evenly for everyone .

[starboyshady]

I agree 150% with Gearhead & LEGEND..... Matt needs to read this topic and address some issues QUICKLY....... This is not a joke and yesterday should be a wake-up call to the Miley family..... It mad me sad yesterday when I arrived at the track and saw hardly any cars and that nothing was done to the facility over the winter . I guess that yesterday was a wake-up for me too , the track that I have loved since I was a kid , and then had the opportunity to race on , was possibly going to become just a memory very soon ...... And I'm not saying this to stir the pot , It made me feel sad to even see what it has become .

[Paul55]

I agree 150% with Gearhead & LEGEND..... Matt needs to read this topic and address some issues QUICKLY....... This is not a joke and yesterday should be a wake-up call to the Miley family..... It mad me sad yesterday when I arrived at the track and saw hardly any cars and that nothing was done to the facility over the winter . I guess that yesterday was a wake-up for me too , the track that I have loved since I was a kid , and then had the opportunity to race on , was possibly going to become just a memory very soon ...... And I'm not saying this to stir the pot , It made me feel sad to even see what it has become .

Yup we said if this all that's gonna show up we probably going elsewhere. We don't only go to race but we enjoy watching racing in other division also. 30 bucks to get in and watch 2 half filled divisions and 2, 4 car divisions is just crazy. I'm with Chuck been there since I was a kid and it is sad to see it.

Edited by Paul55, 19 April 2015 - 06:49 PM.

[Chrome Horn]

everyone brings up excellent points here and the key theme throughout is everyone wants the track to survive. Nobody is wishing the Mileys out of business. But they are on a dangerous downward slope and they need to pull up the plane before it crashes and burns. I think the part that really makes no sense is how they can justify charging 30 dollars for the pits and 15 for the stands when they dropped the headliner division. When you think about you can go to Lernerville for 14 bucks and see all full fields for the most part it makes it seem even worse.

[bhhracing]

That is why lernerville get good crowds.

[old man d]

Really enjoyed reading all the comments. You all nailed it big time. Now the big question, will Matt read this and address the problems and try to make PPMS the place to be on Saturday Nights. My guess it will be same old same old.

[starboyshady]

Maybe they just do not know "what" to do ? First thing that needs to happen is promotion. First and foremost you gotta get ass*s in the seats . They need to lower the prices or do a "buy 2 , get 1 type deal ...... I know it seems backwards , but if you get them to come to the track , this needs to be put first priority , then figure out how to get them to spend $ while they are there . Consessions , souvenirs , V.i.p treatment......

[The Legend]

First priority is getting cars !!! You can pack the stands with free admission and free blow jobs from Paige Van sant but those pack stands won't return when they have to pay 15 , there's no free blow jobs from Paige van Sant and there's only 30 cars and 2 money paying divisions .

[no alky added]

$30.00 in truck to get back and fourth, $100.00 in race fuel, $120.00 to get the 4 of us in,$28.00 for food. $278.00 total priceless!!!!!! and that didn't ever count for the beer and ice. Boy do I wished I lived closer to Lernerville!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Street Stocker]

The only way this track will ever make any kind of comeback is for completely new ownership.    How long has this terrible management been in place there and it just keeps getting worse and worse.   They are not capable of running a successful race track.  Their bad reputation and ways of doing things will never allow that track do become what it could be.   The bad thing about this is that they overpaid for the property, completely devalued it with their mismanagement and probably wouldn't sell it for what it is actually worth now.

[starboyshady]

Agree with needing more cars also ..... But you need fans in the stands to pay the cars & the people won't pay to see a few cars race

[starboyshady]

Money needs to be generated , plain and simple . What happened to that girl that was doing the P.R. For the track????? Haven't heard a peep for about a year on ANY social media

[Walt Wimer]

Marcie quit last year!!!  Will be doing Tri-City this year.   She was doing FASTRAK releases last year, but they are dead in western PA now.

 

Walt

[racer67x]

Money needs to be generated , plain and simple . What happened to that girl that was doing the P.R. For the track????? Haven't heard a peep for about a year on ANY social media

maybe she has been busy updating the website..oh thats right,the press release page hasn't been updated since 2009.

I was thinking about this last night,Huck says that they water the track too much but in my opinion the decline started in the 90's when Ben was pushing the spec motor and the place was like the Sahara desert every week..when its dry new tires and a 5000.00 shock package are the fast way around,when the track is wet you need a big motor.
its a catch 22 for which I have no real answer other than motorsports as a whole is declining and Mileys have just accelerated the process with their greed and laziness..
like the rest of you though,I grew up loving the track and hope someone does something even if its wrong.

[starboyshady]

If she quit ..... Get a new person to do it , ASAP . It is a very important job that needs done!!!

[Walt Wimer]

I got results from Saturday, so someone is doing it!!   But NO results from Roaring Knob since 2013 after Dixie Phillips quit last year. She took over the job after Dave Kittey quit and now they are both gone!!!   And as of this morning, no results on the website either!!  Click on results and you get Sept. 27, 2014!!

 

Walt