Okay guys, i’m going to slow this way down for you, just like your teachers always had to.
We’re not comparing ticket sales.
We’re not comparing popularity.
We’re not really comparing stadiums.
We’re not comparing tv audience or the lack of.
Okay, you guys following this so far?
What this entire thread is about… is track owners letting their facilities crumble, payouts that haven’t increased in 15 years, racers finally getting frustrated enough to leave racing completely, fans no longer having a show to watch and leaving completely, and tracks closing up.
Now stop and count to 10. Remember to breath.
Still with me? Good!
All that was needed over the years was for track owners to stop putting on their races almost exclusively on the backs of the racers. Stopping making fans and racers pay the bills when it was obvious from NASCAR that sponsors could be the secret to growing short track racing. Track owners have done little to nothing over the years to bring in sponsors. They just dream up new classes to increase the back gate money. They run 10 classes of cars per night, 5 cars per class because they don’t have anything else to work with. They always have the same excuse," it takes money to run a race track " And the only place they ever seem to think of for more money is gouging the racers.
We’re almost finished.
The excuse has always been that the sponsors just aren’t out there, so they have to settle for a local car dealer and a race tire company and a race gas company…and that’s about it.
And now a brand new soccer team has proven that there are many untapped potential sponsors out there for a game that’s brand new to Orlando, and one that’s not even as popular as auto racing in America. Tracks can’t ask for the same sponsor money as a pro soccer team, but those very same companies sponsor many other smaller events for less than a pro soccer team get. So why haven’t the tracks singed them up?
Okay, nap time.
Matt,
Very respectfully…we have beat this horse, ground him, barbequed the burger, and consumed it throughout the winter…
The Promoters are gonna do what they are gonna do, man.
But ya know, soccer does only have one class…
[QUOTE=OldSchool+;157080]Matt,
Very respectfully…we have beat this horse, ground him, barbequed the burger, and consumed it throughout the winter…
The Promoters are gonna do what they are gonna do, man.
But ya know, soccer does only have one class…[/QUOTE]
You are correct, and i’m outa here on this one.
Maybe short tracks should follow soccer and also only have one class, roll em all into one class and call em stock cars.
I think it is fair to assume that the majority of track owners/race promoters in Florida run race tracks because of their love for short track racing along with good intentions,not because they are brilliant business people.
Kendo–agreed, with a little entreprenurial desire to make money for themselves as well.
“Maybe short tracks should follow soccer and also only have one class, roll em all into one class and call em stock cars.”–MA
I shared a “no rules” class idea for late models recently. It would work for any cars that look and run close in speed.
And don’t let them touch the ball, er, wheel, with their hands!
As far as OSW,it is obvious that the owner is putting all his efforts towards his passion for drag racing,at the same time having found a scape goat to maintain and upkeep the oval track with minimal effort on his part,actually a brilliant plan on his part 
They get plenty of free ink here.
But, by and large, there is no $$ here either.
A big reason for soccer having more fans than NASCAR/short-track racing, other than being the most popular sport in the world, is that just about every kid at one point or another has played soccer. All it took was access to a soccer ball, playing with friends at home/school/gym/park. Unfortunately most of our youth do not get the same opportunity to discover racing the same way. It takes parents with a lot of money and know-how to get their kids successfully started in racing.
Ultimately, these are the fans. All of the people who at some point played the game and respect it. That’s why the majority of people consider NASCAR/short-track racing “driving around in circles”, because they have never experienced it so they don’t understand it/respect it.
Generalities…
Up to the 1940’s or so we were a largly agrarian society and things were largely mechanical. Working on things like tractors and pumps and whatnot was a necessity.
But those days are gone, and largely left with the advent of the baby boom generation–ie…US.
Meanwhile, mechanical things (including cars) became electronic and by and large cannot be tinkered with by an interested 13 year old.
Meanwhile, Mom trundled them off to the soccer games to bounce balls off their haids. Dad? Well, we are not sure where he is, Mom got rid of him (another almost unheard of deal through most of the 60s).
And here we are.
[QUOTE=Matt Albee;157079]Okay guys, i’m going to slow this way down for you, just like your teachers always had to.
We’re not comparing ticket sales.
We’re not comparing popularity.
We’re not really comparing stadiums.
We’re not comparing tv audience or the lack of.
Okay, you guys following this so far?
What this entire thread is about… is track owners letting their facilities crumble, payouts that haven’t increased in 15 years, racers finally getting frustrated enough to leave racing completely, fans no longer having a show to watch and leaving completely, and tracks closing up.
Now stop and count to 10. Remember to breath.
Still with me? Good!
All that was needed over the years was for track owners to stop putting on their races almost exclusively on the backs of the racers. Stopping making fans and racers pay the bills when it was obvious from NASCAR that sponsors could be the secret to growing short track racing. Track owners have done little to nothing over the years to bring in sponsors. They just dream up new classes to increase the back gate money. They run 10 classes of cars per night, 5 cars per class because they don’t have anything else to work with. They always have the same excuse," it takes money to run a race track " And the only place they ever seem to think of for more money is gouging the racers.
We’re almost finished.
The excuse has always been that the sponsors just aren’t out there, so they have to settle for a local car dealer and a race tire company and a race gas company…and that’s about it.
And now a brand new soccer team has proven that there are many untapped potential sponsors out there for a game that’s brand new to Orlando, and one that’s not even as popular as auto racing in America. Tracks can’t ask for the same sponsor money as a pro soccer team, but those very same companies sponsor many other smaller events for less than a pro soccer team get. So why haven’t the tracks singed them up?
Okay, nap time.[/QUOTE]
What is it like living in your own little world? I mean do you honestly proof read the shit you type before you post it?
Just like with the tire and fuel thread, you just don’t get it. Let me ask you this; Why would T-Mobile (A billion dollar corporation, and the 3rd or 4th largest cellular company) want to waste their sponsorship dollars to advertise to 500 people a night, with no TV exposure when they can do it on a professional scale? If you’ve ever wondered why sponsorships come from Tire, fuel or automotive shops, it’s because generally they’re the only ones who get in to racing.
You really do peg me as the type who doesn’t seem to understand the concept of economics, and exactly how times have changed with the cost of everything going up, and people still making the same. Racing will never get back to where it used to for that reason right there. It has nothing to do with track promoters, sponsors, mandatory fuel and tires or any of the other bullshit you want to pull out of your ass to try and blame it on.
You come on here and bitch about everything under the sun, but yet you’ve not made one progressive step forward. The only thing productive you’ve done for the racing community is to make all of us feel better about ourselves that we aren’t as blatantly retarded as you are.
Somebody could get a good deal on sponsoring a turn two light bulb.
"Annnnnnnd the field is coming out of two heading for the green flag, passing under that great ‘Light up your night, Bithlo’ lightbulb by Bob’s Sunoco. Now, back to the racing action!"
JC–I believe Matt Albee is left-leaning regarding social issues (correct me if I am wrong, Matt).
These folks tend to deal in the world of “how great it would be, if…”. As in, “how great it would be to take care of the poor of other countries” and “how great it would be if the govt took care of our healthcare”.
Reality is what they make it and not what the cold facts indicate, although they will suggest that the facts support their positions.
That is not to slam Matt. He is entitled to look at life any way he chooses. In years past, folks like that were called “dreamers”.
I’ve kind of picked up on that from him, OldSchool.
I would go out on a limb and guess he’s the type that does no wrong and everyone else gets the blame when he screws up. Just like it’s everyone else’s fault on why racing should be better than it is. If he spent half as much effort into doing all the things he says would make racing better, as he does bitching and moaning on here, then I’d respect his opinion a little more.
Hell, Katlizy and me have had it out on here over the Butler/Augilar fued, but I can honestly say, I respect the attempt she has made to get the word out about OSW. Now THAT is a true and dedicated fan.
Agreed, Kat is my favorite feline, and has gone the extra 4 quarter miles…
[QUOTE=OldSchool+;157099]Up to the 1940’s or so we were a largly agrarian society and things were largely mechanical. Working on things like tractors and pumps and whatnot was a necessity.
But those days are gone, and largely left with the advent of the baby boom generation–ie…US.
Meanwhile, mechanical things (including cars) became electronic and by and large cannot be tinkered with by an interested 13 year old.
Meanwhile, Mom trundled them off to the soccer games to bounce balls off their haids. Dad? Well, we are not sure where he is, Mom got rid of him (another almost unheard of deal through most of the 60s).
And here we are.[/QUOTE]
Saw my 1st modified race in 1968,fearless war vets barrel rolling down the front stretch and some flipping out of the park.6-8000 fans in the stands weekly to watching their heros.By 1979 they were all about done racing,and the high dollar Troyer cars started showing up at the tracks,That is when short track racing changed forever.
Kendo,
Indeed. Down south it was 32 chevvies and so forth with transverse leafs in front that eventually move up from 6 cylinders to V8s–and then they were promptly replaced by sprint cars with bobbed tails and coil-overs labelled “modifieds”. Until, of course, they priced themselves right out of existance for decades until the IMSA-type stock clip modifieds came along (and thank goodness for them!).
Most recently, I would suggest the changing inside wheelbase has again “changed (dirt) short track racing forever”–and, as usual, not for the better.
[QUOTE=Matt Albee;157079]Okay guys, i’m going to slow this way down for you, just like your teachers always had to.
We’re not comparing ticket sales.
We’re not comparing popularity.
We’re not really comparing stadiums.
We’re not comparing tv audience or the lack of.
Okay, you guys following this so far?
What this entire thread is about… is track owners letting their facilities crumble, payouts that haven’t increased in 15 years, racers finally getting frustrated enough to leave racing completely, fans no longer having a show to watch and leaving completely, and tracks closing up.
Now stop and count to 10. Remember to breath.
Still with me? Good!
All that was needed over the years was for track owners to stop putting on their races almost exclusively on the backs of the racers. Stopping making fans and racers pay the bills when it was obvious from NASCAR that sponsors could be the secret to growing short track racing. Track owners have done little to nothing over the years to bring in sponsors. They just dream up new classes to increase the back gate money. They run 10 classes of cars per night, 5 cars per class because they don’t have anything else to work with. They always have the same excuse," it takes money to run a race track " And the only place they ever seem to think of for more money is gouging the racers.
We’re almost finished.
The excuse has always been that the sponsors just aren’t out there, so they have to settle for a local car dealer and a race tire company and a race gas company…and that’s about it.
And now a brand new soccer team has proven that there are many untapped potential sponsors out there for a game that’s brand new to Orlando, and one that’s not even as popular as auto racing in America. Tracks can’t ask for the same sponsor money as a pro soccer team, but those very same companies sponsor many other smaller events for less than a pro soccer team get. So why haven’t the tracks singed them up?
Okay, nap time.[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure, but I’m beginning to think you troll for the sake of trolling. You clearly know less than my cat about race cars, marketing, or anything of the sort. In some of your posts everything NASCAR does is wrong, yet now in this post they’re the ones people should learn from?
I own a business so I have a fairly solid grasp of marketing, and I also own a race car so I understand how to waste marketing dollars on racing too.
Except for tax purposes…lol
I’m with JC26. Matt, rather than picking up the keyboard, pick up the phone and call a track owner. Commenting on a message board that everyone (most importantly you) knows a track owner will not respond on is just plain chicken shit. Let us know if you find an owner that won’t give you their time. If your that smart they may even give you a job!
[QUOTE=OldSchool+;157101]Somebody could get a good deal on sponsoring a turn two light bulb.
"Annnnnnnd the field is coming out of two heading for the green flag, passing under that great ‘Light up your night, Bithlo’ lightbulb by Bob’s Sunoco. Now, back to the racing action!"
JC–I believe Matt Albee is left-leaning regarding social issues (correct me if I am wrong, Matt).
These folks tend to deal in the world of “how great it would be, if…”. As in, “how great it would be to take care of the poor of other countries” and “how great it would be if the govt took care of our healthcare”.
Reality is what they make it and not what the cold facts indicate, although they will suggest that the facts support their positions.
That is not to slam Matt. He is entitled to look at life any way he chooses. In years past, folks like that were called “dreamers”.[/QUOTE]
I have to agree with you, there’s nothing more annoying than people who think the world can be better.
I’ve voted for members of both major parties, so i’m not going to fit into your mold i’m afraid. Interesting exercise though, splitting race fans into their respective political parties. It would be interesting to find out if the majority of race fans are " dreamers " , or " bitter old white guys ".
Matt,
Just an observation, not a condemnation. Nor meant to be divisive.
Certainly not meant to be offensive. While I am thinking about it, if anyone ever feels slighted send me a pm, nothing is worth feeling bad about.
Remember, it takes a village to run a racetrack.
That and a guy with deeeeeeeep pockets!