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Topic: How do you sell sprintcar racing to new fans?
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Page 1 of 2 of 28 replies
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January 27, 2013 at
04:01:35 PM
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Bring a kid,get in for half price.
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January 27, 2013 at
04:11:07 PM
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So everyone brings a kid and the promoter loses half his money from ticket sales?
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January 27, 2013 at
04:24:20 PM
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Determine on average how many empty seats you have on a normal race night. Take that number and cut it in half and give away that number of tickets each week to people who ordinarily wouldn't go. Nearly every newcomer I've taken to the races were hooked after their first race.
Member of this message board since 1997
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January 27, 2013 at
04:56:52 PM
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You bring a guest . Hand them a pair of safety glasses so they can actually watch no matter how the track turns out . And let the racing do the rest.
We need more sprint car racing at our home track.
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January 27, 2013 at
05:04:55 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: dirtface on January 27 2013 at 04:56:52 PM
You bring a guest . Hand them a pair of safety glasses so they can actually watch no matter how the track turns out . And let the racing do the rest.
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I agree 100%, especially the safety glasses part. I would only add that you have to educate them throughout the racing program so they understand the way dirt tracking works. You also need to give the back story of the different rivalries and who is a veteran racer, who's the young hotshoe etc etc. That's what always works for me.
Cheers!
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January 27, 2013 at
05:18:42 PM
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Agree with everyone. I'd add not to get to your seats too early. Tailgate, hang out, whatever but a first timer gets bored watching hot laps and time trials. Be sure to make a trip to the pits afterwards and find a driver that will let them sit in the car. Even adults get a huge kick out of this and get a great appriciation of the skill it takes to drive a sprinter.
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January 27, 2013 at
05:23:13 PM
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If you local track "drags out" the program...take them to a neighboring track that runs a timely program. Nothing worse that those 15-20 minutes between two or three heat races...another big break before the "B"...I think you get the point.
I LEARNED ESP FROM MY MOM
"PUT YOUR SWEATER ON: DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW WHEN
YOU'RE COLD?"
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January 27, 2013 at
05:23:34 PM
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I've brought friends with me to Knoxville many times. Usually I pay for their ticket.
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January 27, 2013 at
05:38:23 PM
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Whatever you do, be selective! lol (see my last rant on Danica thread, and yes I've made my point and retired from discussion)
KS
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January 27, 2013 at
11:14:28 PM
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In order to have the best chance to get a "newbie" to have the desire to want to return to an open wheel race after their virgin night is two fold............
One is to take them to the pits on their first night. Once they spend a night standing inches away from the powerplants where they can get their ears filled with the shear power of the engines and feel the ground vibrate beneath their feet, that should get their blood flowing to start.
Second is to have them watch the racing action from the vantage point where the dust DOES NOT blast them. They will forget all the good parts about their visit if they are turned off by getting sand blasted. They need all the positives to sink in before they get dusted in return visits.
Remember: "You dont get a second chance to make a good first impression."
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January 28, 2013 at
10:03:38 AM
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^ all great points^ agreed!
I've had good luck introducing 'dirt virgins' to sprint car racing. I believe I've taken over 20 or so people to their first dirt track race. it helps that I live in a big city & have a pretty big 'network' of people to implore. Anyone I know that appreciates any type of motorsports, I work on 'em. Every year the closest WoO show is right around my birthday, so I ask, in lieu of a birthday party, a bunch of dudes I know go with me. last year 5 of them were first timers. Everyone loved it, asked to be included in 2013. I buy a block of good seats (just past the start/finish line, near an aisle, as high up as possible), & have them pay me cash the day of the race. I also make sure everyone brings safety glasses as well, & I try to have a few extra cheap $3 hardware store shop glasses on hand just in case. I'm going on about this, because doing this is one of the most enjoyable experiences in my life, 1 day of the year, every year. I get to see the look on someone's face, the first time a few drivers throttle a 410 in the first hot lap session. :D
I wish SLS gave me a small break on tickets, buying in bulk & all, way ahead of time!
Follow me on the social medias! ; twitter -
larryitis Facebook - Michael Collins
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January 28, 2013 at
10:09:29 AM
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Take 'em to the Trophy Cup!
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January 28, 2013 at
10:11:00 AM
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Personally don't believe in giving away seats (beyond children), feel like it cheapens the brand and you'll end up with a fan that says, "this is great, but lets just wait for the next givaway".
What others have said: Find a good program to take them too, choose seats that are good - without requiring safety glasses and a hard hat (I know some of the best seats do), and let the racing do the rest. I had watched F1, Indycar, Nascar, Grand-Am, NHRA...plenty of others, before I went to Williams Grove for a sprint car race. I think I was hooked by heat 2. The combination of speed/competition/danger is probably 2nd to none and the cost is extrememly reasonable when you compare it to attending any other racing event. I rarely go to the other events anymore, but hit about 10-20 or so sprint car shows a year now.
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January 28, 2013 at
10:25:21 AM
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actually, I forgot to mention, the only point I don't necessarily agree about people bringing a kid deserving a discount. I'd probably only make a kid pay a nominal charge for 14 through 18. I believe the profit margin is too thin as is.
Follow me on the social medias! ; twitter -
larryitis Facebook - Michael Collins
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January 28, 2013 at
10:37:31 AM
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A tight package with times that mean something. Advertise first heat at 8:00, then actually roll it off at 8:00. Last year I got 10 friends to go to a local show, but only one was left with me when the sprint feature STARTED at 1 a.m.
The fun-per-minute of a show that takes six hours is half as much as a show that takes three hours. The cars and action do the selling, your job is to not let a slow show ruin it. As a lifer I may stay no matter what, but for a first timer the heat races are just as exhilarating as the feature. If there's a forty minute break before the street stock B, leave. Get that new fan outta there on a high rather than numb from too much down time.
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January 28, 2013 at
11:13:38 AM
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How do you just give out free tickets to people who don't normally go? Once word spreads that you are giving out free tickets your normal race goers will want a piece of the pie too. $1 beer night. Bags tourney for big $$$ under the grandstands one night before the races. Keep a family section.
-Austin Rankin
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January 28, 2013 at
12:12:53 PM
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Here is how I have done it, simply show them this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL8V--y5t3E
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January 28, 2013 at
12:53:19 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: Hawker on January 27 2013 at 04:24:20 PM
Determine on average how many empty seats you have on a normal race night. Take that number and cut it in half and give away that number of tickets each week to people who ordinarily wouldn't go. Nearly every newcomer I've taken to the races were hooked after their first race.
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Agreed. I would even give some to some companies around the area that could turn into sponsorships in the future. Many pro/minor league sports teams do this in order to fill up arenas across the nation. The company I work for here in Columbus has received Hockey tix, soccor tix, and baseball tix for the minor league team here. I'm sure Football and Basketball do not do this because they do not need to but with sprint car racing, there is a lot of market share to gain right now. I became a fan because someone took me to the Brad Doty Classic several years ago and I became hooked after that. If you are a promoter/track owner, you simply just go out and hand out tix to people that may not be race fans. You don't make it public that your giving tix away, just do it a few times a year that way you increase attendance, sell a few more hot dogs and cokes, maybe a t-shirt or two, and my have a few more people in the stands for the next regular show.
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January 28, 2013 at
01:15:24 PM
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Almost impossible to sell new fans let alone corporate type people on sprint car racing considering the state of how 99% of tracks are promoted. Over priced tickets, watered down fields (support classes) and multiple extended intermissions.
Tough to get new people to show up when this is enough to turn veteran fans like me a way. I went for hitting over 70 nights a year down to 1 and I wish I would not have gone to even that one.
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January 28, 2013 at
02:15:57 PM
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I am not against giving tickets out but like someone previously said, you always need to be careful with free or greatly discounted tickets to any event as you can give the impression to the general public that the event isn't worth going to and their just having to give the tickets away to get people there. Also the fact that you probably have regulars that are there every week and pay full price and you always have the potential to tick that regular off if they find out that your giving bunches of free tickets away.
It seems like business's teaming up with the track for sponsorship opportunity for a certain night works good, that business gets a bunch of tickets for employees & their famililies and then they can have some fun stuff going on that night at the races for there employees that show up.
http://gph.is/XMLGff
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