[Charles Nungester]

Im convinced the only way to get new people to a event is get some five year old to nag and nag for days they want to go.

Look at the stands for these Monster Trucks and Nights of destruction.
PACKED!

[oldfan49]

Get youth groups involved at the tracks. The track I grew up at used cub and boy scouts to oversee parking for fans. Lucus oil in wheatland used groups like the local HS band members to sell 50-50 tickets and supports the band in return. The local semi pro baseball team often invites local grade school / junior High choirs sing the national anthem and lets them and their parents in that night for free. Sometimes they invite the local youth dance team to perform right before the game as well. Have grudge races on go-karts on the front stretch at intermission for maybe 4 high schools each week and rotate the schools and reps from each. If we still had shop and auto classes in the schools, I would start a high school class of front wheel drives but not sure how that would work these days.

[flagboy55]

Thanks Charles, and DJ you’re 💯 on Richie doing a great job. But who other than us see it? We’re already sold. When watching Flo, USAC does a good job with their commercials for upcoming races. But when I’m watching USAC, I don’t need a commercial for Sprint week, I already know, as I’m sure most of you do also, thanks in part to Richie. I watched the whole event from Eldora and I don’t think I saw a USAC commercial on there. I might be wrong because I was watching multiple TVs. I’m sure there’s plenty of reasons for that, but those are people who might not know what we’re doing, and might be inclined to come if we’re in their neighborhood. I think we need to get folks that are already race fans, not necessarily of our style to give it a try

[767]

Charles is right on how to do the immediate fill. Gimik stuff works 1 time.

The bigger problem with USAC is the ability to promote the drivers. Lets do a couple of comparisons between the DL world and USAC.
#1 identity- Driver needs to be associated with a number. When I show up, I should be able to tell who the top 10 drivers are. Look at DL world. The 2 biggest shake ups this year are Hudson Oneil and Ricky Thorton. Those guys switched teams and still run the same number. Just like Bloomer has driven several different cars this year. Everyone of them had the 0 on them. It makes it easy for the fans that only watch a few races each year. I understand some teams are special, in the DL world you have Rocket 1, that's it. No matter what car the driver is running in the 3 different series, he should carry his number with him. It builds brand loyalty. If it did not sell more shirts, you would not see RTJ climbing into modifieds with his number on them.

#2 accessibility- This has improved a ton over the last 5 years. Drivers going to their merch trailers during the program. Preschedule this. The announcer should let the crowd know whenever drivers are going to be there. This should be encouraged and facilitated. Not all drivers have merch trailers. Encourage drivers to take lesser known drivers with them. Example: Justin Grant bringing the local hot shoe with him to his trailer. Its going to pull more local fans to the merch trailer. 1 thing you have to think about, the USAC features are normally first. By the time the fans get to go to the pit area, most teams are loaded up and the driver is gone. So tracks that have a couple features after, maybe you get the drivers back to the merch trailers. Some drivers do this stuff. Many times the crowd has no idea. I know it extra work, but this is how you make life long fans.

You can have the best advertising in the world, but if the fan does not have a connection to the drivers, your just spinning your wheels. Why are monster trucks so popular, we connect with the fans. Pre event pit parties, multiple interviews throughout the night, fan interaction, post event autographs at merch area.

O ya 1 of the most important things, we know our audience. They have an attention span of about 1.5 hours We get the "monster" portion done in that time. Some things we add to the show might run after the main event. We are structured to make sure the main portion of the event is completed within the 2 hour time slot. We have things built in to speed up or slow the program down. I know tracks have to make money and some fans want 3 to 4 hours. That is not problem. You schedule out your night for the main part of the program. If bomber heats are not done before the Bmain is supposed to start, move them. Keep your main class moving. Nothing frustrates a fan more than leaving before the main feature because their kid will not set any longer. You can run till 2am. Just make sure the main class is done in that 2 hour window.

[Charles Nungester]

It wouldn't be possible at some tracks but pay the top five non transfers a extra hundo to push there cars over to the grandstand or exit area for the feature and say 20 min after. let people see what a sprint car is. talk to a driver or crew member. have kids sit in the car Hero cards. maybe some merch sales

Bloomington across the track to the area where the ambulance sits.
Burg, It's main entry way.
Kokomo, out the pit gate to the main gate.
Tri State same
I don't know Circle Cities layout but still...

One question, Have you been able to pickup for free a USAC printed schedule in years at the Merch Trailer? Yeah, some people still magnet that stuff to the fridge..

[Sandy Lowe]

USAC just had what looked to be a successful "Ice Cream Social" at its office which attracted many kids and drivers. They even got a shout out on WRTV-6:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pHcc9uymWQ

[TQ29m]

We used to say too
many of those will
make your compressor run backwards!

[DirtTrackTherapy16J]

So I start by asking who/which promotion team? USAC or an individual track, Kokomo, The Burg, Haubstadt, T.H. etc.

If your talking USAC, the thing with USAC is take a look around you. They see no problems with what their doing. Every single person on IOW could be upset with USAC and if they think their doing great or aren't worried about what people think, then they aren't going to change anything or do anything any different. Just that simple. Look at the situation about the added weight on the #69 and #19 cars, still no word, still not addressed, likely won't be addressed, they don't care what a fan thinks or wants or a driver for that matter since RB spoke up and nothing happened.

Now on the flip side of that. I am not what you would call a gamer. Likely most people on here are not either. I do not have time in my life to sit around and play video games on an every day basis. However there are people who do and they are what you call gamers. It's what they do and they enjoy it and that's how they enjoy their free time. So WoO has a racing video game. It has 410s, 360s, 305s, LM, Mods, Street Stocks, Midgets. It has a ton of different tracks, real authentic tracks and created tracks. I believe the game came out in 2022. Supposedly their coming out with another one in the Fall of 2024. The graphics and details are unreal on the game. Kokomo Speedway is so detailed it even has the recent West Leg/Conveyor going out to what us locals know as The Corn Pile. It has the Cell Tower right there. It has rail cars on the back stretch. It even has the off colored panel on the North end of the big grain building that John Mapes flipped over both fences and hit back in the late 80s early 90s.

So one of my best friends who knows 0 about racing and has never been to a race bought this video game. Instantly he got hooked and I even got hooked when I went over to his house to play the game. Now he knows who Gravel, Sweet, Haudy, etc are and now he wants to go to a race and he's 42 years old!! Young kids that play video games would possibly get interested if USAC came out with their own game being a Nonwing version with Sprints, Midgets, SC.

As far as an individual track. Same thing. They have to care and have to want more people in the stands. A new younger generation to join the faithful fans of today's world. Look at the guy they call MilkMan who took over Montpelier. That guy is doing and trying everything he can to build the place back up. Bc he wants to. Some promoters seem to do what they can to not make it better. Look at LP...charging an extra $5 for Sprint Week that no other track is charging according to IOW? Sounds like a great idea to pull new fans and more fans in lmfao smh.

You gotta get creative and think outside the box and come up with new exciting ideas. Same old stuff doesn't work with new and younger generation.

Another example, Justin Grant was at the Kokomo Sam's Club last Tuesday or Thursday doing a meet and greet and something else was there too. I'm a huge JG fan, I live in Kokomo, never heard a single word about it until the next day after it was over, on any forms of local advertising or here or USAC website.

Takes alot of work and alot of effort to promote things, but you have to want to promote it and want more fans and want new generations bc you could be told the best ideas in the world by current fans but if you don't want to do it then it's not going to happen.

[flagboy55]

16j, I’m not a gamer either but sounds like something that could help promote it.

[Andrew S. Quinn]

Originally Posted by Ilovedirttrackracing Well thinking outside of the box,i'd invite Hailey Welch to come up for all of sprintweek. As popular as she has become on social media in just a scant few weeks,i'm sure she could help ticket sales across the board. I'd have her doing everything from parking cars to selling admission tickets,and 50/50 tickets,doing driver interviews,and being trophy girl too. I'm sure she would be a welcome addition to the Frolic after the races as well. Get your photo taken with Hailey ! This would surely make 2024 Sprint week a week to remember ! When opportunity knocks,I always say "Answer the door" I'm surprised no one else has thought of it. Enjoy all great things we love,and have plenty of Kodak Moments and be safe....Thanks