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

What's the first thing you do? Better bleachers, some nice Georgia clay or?

I'd start with improving the facilities...bleachers and restrooms especially. The track itself is good for now.

Grandstands and restrooms are a must. Stands are dangerout and restrooms just nasty. Track could use some clay and professional grooming.

Bulldoze the entire place and start from scratch.

1. Get a Speedweek date

2. Bleachers

3. Clay / grooming

4. Restrooms

5. Concessions

Best repy ever!!!

It's funny because the same things can be said about Path Valley. Stands are a mess, ligting is bad, bathrooms are beyond disgusting (where there are bathrooms and the port a potties are worse).  But Path has an awesome racing surface and fans go to the Fred Rahmer promotions and and don't ever say anything about poor stands or bathrooms or lighting.  So you would have to think that the racing surface needs addressed first because that's what people go to path for or the fans are so blind by the fact that Fred Rahmer is promoting an event that they do not care about anything else.

Hey thanks , I want to see all tracks improve fan experience.  First year improvements ,new clay ( first) , bleachers (2nd) level old grandstand ,  I understand Scott has seats or bleachers coming from elsewhere ,modest restroom improvement first year 3rd) ,improvements to follow later improve concession food and reopen other concession stand near fourth turn, bring in Rock It Pizza owner to open a French fry stand , I understand he wanted to be involved for years at Susky. Gradual improvements as income allows , hopefully fans and drivers will support Scott Gobrecht at all remaining events , lets pack the place . Oh, yes I have ideas  to improve fan experience but not stating what they are unless hired or asked by a promoter to help .

I would like to meet the person who would pay Mr Altman for his ideas. I own a bridge in New York I would like to sell him.

No , I don't necessarily want to be paid , I just want to help but differently then whats being done . Some of whats being done is antique and not up to par in my mind . Since you Mr. Ford are one of my top critics but amusingly , they are not grand but  are worth trying , some of my ideas have been used by some  tracks and promoters .Why should I divulge them if the track promoters don't want to do anything different then what they are doing . Do you think the Outlaws have any good ideas other then there racing or doing anything  different for fans ? I see and hear the same boring things over and over again . You know what there going to do before it happens , too repetitive I think .

At least my ideas would be different then whats being done for fans , and far as the drivers no one seems to want to reduce costs for the owners . What would you do to reduce costs and try to create new owners to have fun and maybe make money or break even , Mr. Oswald ? Not into arguing just want to see something constructive happen , don't you .

Boy if this isn't the pot calling the kettle black I don't know what is....... Perfect description of your countless posts you make on this board claiming to have ideas that can make sprint car racing better yet you still have never gone into any specifics about what you'd do. Just constant, repetitive blanket statements such as "I want to see more done" yet you refuse to state any details whatsoever about what you'd do better. There's nothing wrong with being critical of something or questioning things. The human race would probably be extinct by now of no one ever did those things but if you choose to do so, you should also state what your opinion is concerning a better alternative, which you NEVER do. Where I come from, that's called being full of shit.

How about working on things for people with disabilities and for the women folk? There are tracks that we are cutting off our list due to the disgusting restrooms. We have left some tracks to find a decent restroom where one has handicapped stalls. I honestly don't know how many are able to get around the ADA.

It is very difficult to make changes to save owners money. They all have the motors etc now. So changing motor rules will cost existing owners more money to replace or change what they have. By the time the effect of the changes starts saving teams money some low dollar teams will have closed up shop.

Bottom line is any rule that is supposed to save teams money costs teams more money. You can not save teams money by having them all buy a new lower compression motor like you want. That would help new owners but existing teams would suddenly find themselves with nothing but illegal motors and having to buy all new ones if they want to race.

Any rule that outlaws parts that teams already have and have been using will cost teams more money to replace those parts with the newly mandated parts.

Even starting a new class with rules designed to keep expenses lower does not work as there are now $20000 race saver motors.

As far as the fan experience, I am very happy with that at Knoxville and do not think any changes are needed. I see great racing every week and that is what I pay to see. When I take friends to their first race they talk about the racing on the way home, not the music played between heats or any of the other stuff you post about. If the racing isn't good, all that other "fan experience " crap you talk about is meaningless.

I honestly feel sorry for you cause it seams you can not go to a race without finding something wrong. A real sprint car fan will say "i went to track x and the bleachers were run down, rest rooms were filthy, food was bad and overpriced but my God, what great racing i saw! I'm going back there again" But you just post about all the bad stuff that needs fixed. So sad.Go watch some IMCA stock cars, mods and 4 cylinders race and then maybe you will appreciate what we have in sprint car racing today.

Couldn't have said it any better than that. Well stated.

If it were me, the primary goal would be to fix up the bleachers. At very least, replace to old boards with some new ones until a more permanent fixture could be put in place. The next thing would be to acquire some additional track prep equipment. I don't know for 100% certain but I'm pretty sure they don't have a grader. I do know they have a water truck with a huge hole in the side and only 3 or 4 track packing vehicles at best. I don't care if you have Fred Putney doing track prep, its not going to be very good if he doesn't have the proper equipment to get it done. The next thing would be the restrooms. I'm not too hung up on that personally but I totally understand how some people are. Their restrooms are the worst I've ever seen at a race track. After that, I'd try to install some more modern lighting because what they have in place isn't very good. The next order of business would be to tear down the hodge podge fencing that they have in place. I don't know how solid it actually is, but I'm not sure I trust it to keep a sprint car on the track. I think that definitely needs to be improved for fan safety. Just about everything at the place needs some work but those are the big ones I see that need to be addressed as soon as time and money will allow. Susky is a diamond in the rough. The racing there is among the best in all of Central Pa and the track is perfect sized with some nice high banking. I'm excited to see what Scott Gobrecht has in store for the future. I think he's going to do a great job in helping Susky realize it's full potential.

Thank you my critics at large , I will try to be more specific about solutions or problems that I see. I defined what I thought about Susky and Scott Gobrecht will take care of the problems there over time . But right now he needs fan and car support starting with the Oct. 18 show , which I hope fans turn out for over the Path Valley show. Fred and Deb Rahmer are great people who are doing a great job on there shows . I just sincerely hope that more cars and fans turn out closer to home by supporting the Susky show.
    As far as the fan experience , I know racing is the number one item when you attend a race but what about the down times or rewarding fans for the support of the speedways . I would and do what I can to reward fans by giveaways , winning prizes and money . And while  I realize the drivers have to be rewarded with the purses , HOW ABOUT SEEKING SPONSORS TO FUND MONETARIAL REWARDS FOR FANS , and  I plan on doing that .Unfortunately tracks in my mind aren't creative enough in showing fans they appreciate there support , just verbally by the announcers or drivers.

I'd probably wake up with buyer's remorse and be thinking "wtf was I thinking buying a dirt track that needs big ticket improvements on the restrooms and grandstand and lacked track prep equipment?"  I'd hope that the contract had one of those three day provisions to change my mind.  Based on the promoters I know personally and the thin profit margin this sounds like it would take years to get back into the black after all of those improvements. 

Stan Meissner

In my mind these are the top 3

1.  Track prep.  That might include clay and equipment 

2.  Seating situation. Get something safe in place. While most adults can navigate the current seats with little to no issue it is a concern to me as far as little kids go. Not safe for them.  Shouldn't be able to slip through gaps etc. 

3.  Restrooms/concessions.  Long story short its not just as simple as throwing up a new building. You have to consider the current septic situation. If the current septic system isn't up to snuff that is a huge investment to make prior to laying a single brick that would never be seen.  Porta potties and fair trailer vendors would look very appealing, but cuts into your bottom line. The direction I would go in would be largely dictated by the condition of the current system. 

In my experience here in the upper Midwest big specials cost more for sanctioning, advertising, etc., but generally do pretty well at the gate save for unexpected weather issues which can kill a potential money maker.  Weekly racing, at least in this part of the country, is pretty much a break even deal so it would take a lot of weekly shows to cover all of those improvements.  If those are the kinds of issues this track has, and I have never been there so just going by what's posted, there are other tracks on the market that might be in better condition aka "turnkey".

Stan Meissner