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Originally Posted by Jack Matyas
Alan you're correct - you don't need an eight hundred car field to generate a profit - but some other points must be considered - there are big entry fees but the other stuff doesn't exist much anymore - ie-spectator tickets - forget them as we proved here in D1 this year at Englishtown ----------------- PC Richards gave out more than sixty thousand free tickets and the joint was empty and as for food sales they have gone downhill since we started to use motorhomes .T-shirts - maybe .Ice -- more where you're located than here .Some revenue can be made with gamblers but we don't have time at our events much because we do get 500-600 cars so its a catch 22 . I noticed you don't care much for Alcohol cars but in our division at some events that the only thing that brings fans so ............Do you remember when Top Fuel - Funny Car - Pro Stock were run at divisional events ? And they still got it done .........
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If a track owner knows how to promote a divisional event, they can put butts in the seats and dollars in their pockets. Bandimere does so on a regular basis for their divisionals with a marketing partnership with Grease Monkey. I've seen the front gate bring in 10,000 to 15,000 people a number of times. While they do own/operate some of their concessions, the real cash cow for the front gate is, they charge for parking...and people pay it when they're getting free or 2-4-1 tickets. The primary focus of their advertising is the alcohol cars. People will show up to see those cars race if they know they are racing that weekend.
The points race at Norwalk this year was the first time they've ever had to turn people away at the gate - no more room for spectators. On Saturday, the place had more spectators than I've seen at their national events. They did it with a marketing partnership with Summit, booked in a few jets, and advertised the heck out of it. For every $1 pound of ice cream they sold (at a slight loss), they also sold many more hot dogs, burgers, sodas and beers at high profit margins.
I know some would like to see "the leakers" go away completely at the divisional events. Especially some track owners. That is understandable because they haven't figured out a way to cover the purse. Many folks complain about how some events have become more of a "circus" than a race. A little bit of "circus", when properly promoted, will draw spectators. Can that be an inconvenience for the rest of the classes? Sure it can, but it can also help keep a track solvent. In today's economic climate, I think that is of utmost importance.
I love this sport at every level. I certainly don't have all of the answers concerning how to keep it going, or to grow it, but I have been to enough events at every level to have seen what works and what doesn't work.