Forum: SCRAFAN.COM Forum (go)
Moderators: ljennings

I have been going to sprint car races for over 30 years now and over those 30 years see alot of the same people just quite a bit older. Just look in the stands and see the color of the peoples hair and you might notice more gray than any other color including my own. I am sure that most of us don't mind a little music, but I don't think there are as many people that want to hear Motley Crew or Judis Priest and Metallica than something a little tamer. I personally don't mind it, but when you can see the people sitting next to you cringe when a heavy metal song comes on, I get it. And it is so loud you can't even talk to the person next to you. I personally believe that if it is too loud you're too old, but there is a time and a place. And after qualifying, I am sure that I am not the only one that keeps stats, I would much rather hear the heat race line ups than music and then try to hear them given out as they are pushing of the cars for there heats. Back at Ascot, all the heats were given as soon as they were determined, no music, just racin. Just Saying!

you know your old when Lawrence Welk is tooooo damn loud !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ROB

We need more sprint car racing at our home track.

I guess the music isn't as much of the issue for me as it might be for some. Just please give the line ups for those of os that keep stats before you deside to crank up the tunes. It is frustrating for some that want to write everything down and it is hard to do it as they are pushing off cars. I have old timers disease and sometimes have to refer back to my program to remember what happened. Thanks

And I certainly do not think the choice of music is what is going to keep people, young or old coming back to the races. It is what CRA has provided for many, many years. And that is great racing! Do you think anyone is going to say, man I went to the races last night and the played Fuel by Metallica. Hell no! There going to say, I went to the races last night and saw an awesome race. Back in the 80's at Ascot you know what we listened to between races? Evelyn Pratt yelling to push off the next race. That was all the entertainment we needed. Just sayin

I can put up with the music. What I don't care for is turning a 2 1/2 hour Saturday night of racing program into a 4 1/2 hour Endurance test.

Well...I'm over 40 now, so I believe I have the right to chime in on this one...

First of all, Traditional 410 Sprint Car Racing is on the endangered species list in Southern California....and except for Indy, pretty much in every other state for that matter. We've all discussed the various reasons why and I don't need to go into all that here. However, several of us on here agree that we need to continue to cater to the younger crowd. We need to get fans interested in our sport early, before they get their drivers license and bring their own families.

With that said, take a look at events like X-Games, motocross, and monster trucks. I'm not trying to compare our sport with those sports, but hands-down they kick our tails when it comes to promotion. They know what puts butts in the stands...and their ticket sales prove it. They give the crowd what "they" want...which is "younger generation" music, giveaways (shirts, hats, etc.), cool merch, and autograph sessions with the entertainers.

Many of these events have live bands...and they're not playing Elvis Costello's hits, or Loretta Lynn's classics. Instead, they're playing loud, obnoxious punk rock and hip hop. Why? Because that is what the "kids" are playing on their iPods. They turn an event into a party atmosphere...and it works.

Now, I am "old school", just like many of you. I come to the races to see sprint car drivers do amazing things with amazing machines. Period. However, I look around in the stands a lot (kinda have to when announcing) and the majority of the people are not scoring during down time. On the contrary, they're usually rockin' out, dancing to the music blasting over the PA.

Sorry, but I don't believe promoters should only be catering to those of us that have come for decades and want to keep track of the scoring. That is important to a lot of us, but not to the newbies. They need to be entertained while they're figuring out what our sport is all about. Once they "grow into" our culture, they'll become addicted just like us and will someday become "hard core" fans that keep stats and have the inside knowledge that we live for. First, we must lure them in with things that appeal to them.

Now, I feel I also need to defend the announcers when it comes to reading off line ups. With the ecomomy the way it is now, promoters need to have multiple classes come through the back gate to help finance the purse. Due to the added amount of cars, heats, etc., the job of the scorers is much more demanding. Announcers are not getting the line-ups until moments before the start of each race. Therefore, we cannot announce them early as was done "back in the day" when there was a lot more down time between each race. This is just the nature of the beast today.

After trying this whole announcing gig over the last 2 years, I have so much more respect for the veterans like Daloisio. Its sometimes tough up there. We can only give you what we're given and when we get it.

Kudos to all the promoters that are trying to keep Traditional 410 Sprint Car Racing alive in SoCal and to the "voices" of the speedways for keeping us entertained!

See ya at the races...

Doug Bushey

Passionate Fan / Announcer / Media & Public Relations 
Agent 

Might it be the volume was turned up so we could here the best race caller in the business over the noise on the track. I've heard some people pine for the old days when mufflers were not requierd at Ascot. When it comes to R&R, too loud is never enough.

I will always remember the "dulcet tones" emanating from Evelyn as she organized "her boys" in turn 4 -- and I was always seated in turn one!

As for the noise, I suggest wearing a pair of headphones -- not ear plugs, but headphones. I use a scanner at NASCAR races and and use headphones with that. I have been known to use the headphones by themselves, especially before the races when the blow dryers passed below me. Shooters' headphones might also be a decent alternative.

It only takes a couple of minutes to give line ups. After qualifying there is sometimes 10 to 15 minutes before opening ceremonies. I believe that most of the time they have the line ups by then. If not, give them all before they push off the first heat. And I don't think music of any kind is what brings fans back. It is entertainment and value. Younger fans aren't going to pay $35.00 to enter the gates, $6.00 per beer and whatever food costs. Hell, you can't even bring in your own water to drink. Value, that is what will bring any age group back, always. And like I said earlier, it isn't the music as much as it is the volume and the timing. I think there is plenty of time to squeeze in line ups for us die hards. You want to keep us coming back also, right?

in regards to the music all of it is okay . Now you want to get the young people to show up i have said this before YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE DRIFTING SO GIVE THEM DRIFTING ON DIRT AT A HUNDRED MILES PER HOUR WITH NOT JUST 2 CARS BUT 8 TO 20 YOU JUST HAVE TO TELL THEM BUT NO ONE HAS ADVERTISED AS SUCH . IHAVE CUSTOMERS WHO WENT TO DRIFTING THEN THE SPRINT CAR RACES WERE THEY IMPRESSEDAND THEY CAME BACK AGAIN FOR THE NATIONALS WOW WHAT A SHOW THEY SAID .

I was 22 when I saw my first sprint car race. I was hooked from the drop of the green. And it was only one thing that kept me coming back, great back it in racing . The first race I ever saw at Ascot I got nailed right between the legs during hot laps, damn that hurt We sat in turn one with our plexiglass shields for hot laps. know sometimes we get tired of hearing about the good ole days, but man they were great.We have so many photos and memories from the last almost 30 years. We have photos of my best friends daughters growing up at Ascot standing next to Evelyn and Bill Pratt, they were always our favs. Picts. with all the drivers, Deano, Bub, Eddie Wirth, Brad Noffsinger, Mike Sweeney and many more. That is what kept me coming back. I used to get fired every October because I went to the Western in Phoenix and then the Pacific coast Championship at Ascot and would have to come home and beg for my job back until next October. Making great friends like Don and AJ Gilchrest. We are still great friends with people that we met at races over 25 years ago. That is what keeps me coming back.

I have sat in the turn 4 bleachers where backitin was sitting for many years and I have to say that the speakers were extreamley loud at the Ovals. A couple races ago the speakers in turn 4 weren't working at all during the early part of the show than the last two races the speakers were so loud that it was almost unbearable. Like backitin, I appreciate it when the announcer gives the drivers and car numbers so I can keep track of who I am watching. We have been blessed with a lot of new drivers and cars the last few years and unlike back in the ASCOT days when we were at the races almost every week we now only get to see our beloved Sprint Cars only one time a month so for an old timer like me its hard to remember who is in what car. Just before a restart i'm saying to myself "WHY DOESN'T THE ANNOUNCER GIVE US A RUNDOWN OF THE TOP 10 IN THE LINE UP" For me it makes the races more interesting when I know who is in what car on the track, i'm sure it would make it more interesting for all the new fans to know who is in the yellow 7 car or the black 3 car so they can associate the car with a drivers name. I have always enjoyed the music that the PAS entertains us with but someone needs to walk down to turn 4 and check out the speaker volume, I think they will see that it is a little loud!