Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

If they promote sprint car racing to attract the Monster Truck and Professional Wrestling crowd eventually the sprint car fans will stop going. Here in Pa. many sprint car fans don't attend WOO shows because of the crazy's who show up at them. Then when those people see a different shiny object and move to that and sprint car fans are gone then sprint car racing will be gone. I hope one group or the other knows who keeps sprint car racing alive for the long run instead of just a fad to make a few bucks today. You have to have families going not just bunch of old guys or young groupies. That is where Port Royal is making a mistake in my opinion. Too many special high dollar shows and not enough regular priced Sat. night shows that families can attend together. That is where future fans come from.

You're exactly right. They need more regular Saturday night shows. But they've kinda backed themselves into a corner on that one. They've inflated purses but that hasn't equalled very many new teams and fans aren't going to show up for those races and pay the admission price it takes to pay those purses. 

From the size of the crowd at Williams Grove this year for the second night of the outlaw races..... You are dead wrong. The place was packed each outlaw race I was at for the Grove.   

I also went to a HL race at Lernerville and later that weekend went to the Grove.....both places were busting with huge crowds.  

Don't go jumping to conclusions before any press release from the HL/AllStars. That is a huge problem we as Americans do on a regular basis.

Let's go Sprint Car Racing!

Knoxville - Best Track In the USA!
Eldora - 2nd Best Track in the USA!

Boy, that went way over your head didn't it. I think if you go back over this thread you will see that I posted that I am going to wait until spring and see what happens. 

The "many" PA fans who won't go to WoO races also don't attend local races anymore either. That's the issue. It used to be the local Grove shows would pull a few thousand and many of those people would boycott WoO events because of the "circus" atmosphere and the crowd that brought in. Now many local shows pull way less than before and the big shows carry the year. Now the problem is, the promoters know the fans don't show for "regular" shows so they add a bunch of bigger shows to juice a crowd but you can only do that so much before there are too many of them. 

95% of Sprint Car racing will be almost exactly the same next season.  River Cities will still run NOSA Sprints on Fridays.  Jackson will still have their specials and Knoxville will run every Saturday.  Husets will still be the best Sunday night show.  The IRA will still be racing in Wisconsin most Saturday nights.  Ohio will still do Ohio things and PA fans will still dominate these discussions as if the universe still revolves around them and their dwindling attendance problems.  California and the west coast will continue to hold races and big events.  
 

My local track will still have UMSS winged and non-wing most Saturday nights and my neighbors will step up their game to 360's and hopefully 410's.  The crowd of old people like me will continue to dwindle as our race chasing gives way to walkers and no more night driving.  The recliner looks better every season and no worries PA fans, bars in central Minnesota do not broadcast any racing, it's all stick and hall and none cater to racing.

The Outlaws come within an hour of me twice a year.  The All Stars have never been here and we're too far off the main line to ever get a High Limit race.  Teams that run Knoxville are still going to race at Knoxville for the most part and that will be true of other weekly tracks and series.  The years that there were two competing national series didn't see a ton of weekly teams become travelers.  That will be the case this time as well if it comes down to head to head competition.

Stan Meissner

Nope, that is what I am talking about...to some on here the sky is falling. The fans are more likely to come to a big show than they are to a regular show... I have seen many families at both races I attended at the end of September.  Big shoes make the most money for the tracks.  See the outlaws at the Grove, Knoxville, eldora, to name only a few.  See the HL anywhere they raced.  Thanks Larson and Sweet for giving the drivers and fans an option.

Can't help ports attendance was down this year. If not there biggest crowd this year the 50 was very close again thanks to Larson.

Let's go Sprint Car Racing!

Knoxville - Best Track In the USA!
Eldora - 2nd Best Track in the USA!

You're missing his point. He's talking about weekly racing. What you're saying is true. But try doing that every week Friday night then on 2 tracks on Saturday night then even a lot of Sundays between Susky and Selinsgrove and watch what happens. That can't be done weekly. The typical fan can't afford to shell out that kind of money every weekend. 

"biggest crowd this year the 50 was very close again thanks to Larson."???

Tuscarora 50 is one show I go to almost every year, 4 or 5 hr. drive, & its ALWAYS jam packed. I've never seen Larson there

I agree %100.

Did you ever think of you get some of those fans in to see a race they might be hooked for life?  Longtime is wrong and so are you.  That says don't bring anyone that has never been to the races.  How can the sport grow with out bringing new people to the dirt tracks.  Again see Bell, Larson, Busch just to name a few that have brought new fans to the dirt tracks.  Will it stay.....time will tell....but if you get the extra fans for 5 to 10 years it is better than not having them at all.

Let's go Sprint Car Racing!

Knoxville - Best Track In the USA!
Eldora - 2nd Best Track in the USA!

Isn't it now $20 to get in to most "regular" shows in Central Pa? Seems high for the area. Is that also keeping crowds down?

As someone who went to races way back in the 60's I think that ship sailed years ago.  All the hype today, big PA systems blasting during a four wide salute announcer screaming over the engines.  Half the field seems to be under 18, wicked slide jobs by kids from money, and the list goes on.  I don't watch wrestling but from the little bits of that I see it's the same over the top whip up the crowd hype.  That all came about in the more recent past.  If todays fans went to a 1960's IMCA race they'd probably get bored with the 25 second laps and lack a f hype.

Stan Meissner

Yes, thanks to Larson!  It would not have been as packed if it was not for Larson and that is a fact.  I have talked to a few people and they said the only reason they went is because of Larson.   He puts people in seats...see HL.

Did anyone see Larson's press release from last night?

Let's go Sprint Car Racing!

Knoxville - Best Track In the USA!
Eldora - 2nd Best Track in the USA!

I'm pretty sure Lincoln set the 20 dollar standard when they had the first china virus race when most public places were shut down. I heard the promoters thought it was safer for their workers and the customers to just deal in 20 dollar bills and not handling change that could possibly be contaminated, not sure if that is accurate but probably made some sense at the time.

Fast forward to today. Some tracks want to charge an extra couple of bucks to milk the crowd. It seems like half of the weekly shows are now considered special events and charge 25 dollars for basically a weekly show. Yes. I think it has hurt the crowds.

That race has had a huge crowd for years with or without Larson and you know that.

A lot of these "specials" only seem to be special for the teams and not the fans. All we get to do is pay an extra $5 to watch the same cars who are there weekly time trial and race for a little more money. Port has way oversaturated their schedule with "specials". 

More people than would have been there on a Thursday night.   If Larson doesn't show up.....the crowd would not have been as good....that is a fact.

Let's go Sprint Car Racing!

Knoxville - Best Track In the USA!
Eldora - 2nd Best Track in the USA!

Nobody ever said trying it every week.  Port didn't try it every week either.  Weekly shows do not make near the money the big shoes do.

Let's go Sprint Car Racing!

Knoxville - Best Track In the USA!
Eldora - 2nd Best Track in the USA!

Unfortunately there will be no all stars at least as we know it and it will be High Limit and WOO and there will be no agreement amongst the 2 and it is definitely not going to be good for the sport as a hole!  As of now from the information I have heard there are only 2 who run the WOO who are not  coming back next year but lots can happen in a few months!!