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Post by dennismopar73 on Mar 2, 2015 17:49:49 GMT -6
Ok let's beat the dead horse! Back when this track reopened. Owner fans alike was super happy ! But still racers n fans stayed away even when they stood behind payouts when car counts was lower. They stepped up paid out all in hopes of getting tacers back This went on for the first couple years As we all seen witness car counts was great in basically 2 classes payouts was great But still no butts in the seat even the 99 cent beer didn't work as well as beer for the best light n win. Package I can see where advertising dollars would be a severe drain on allready what has proven to be a waste of good money None of wanta to admit that drag racing has seen its highs and is twending away.
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Post by p518 on Mar 2, 2015 17:58:46 GMT -6
Not 100% correct. Marketing and advertising would help a lot. There is a newer generation that is becoming interested due to the reality shows (love them or hate them). A little bit of radio and TV air time-advertising could go a long way. Word of mouth doesn't get it anymore. Agree that just putting stuff on the website doesn't work. People need to know some more detail about what happens over there. Maybe, bring back 10 cent Miller ponies!
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Post by seeingred on Mar 2, 2015 18:17:37 GMT -6
for starters the ADRL race was not free , it was 20 dollars a car load and their was an ass load of cars in the parking area. The ADRL died due to poor management , I don't know of any business that can live threw that . Is bracket racing enough to draw big crowds , I don't know , but it doesn't help when you have to take out a loan to go to the concession stand . or you have to bring in a cooler for drinks and food and that is a pain in the a$$ , they should take on the grizzleys concession style and charge less sell a lot more pluss the invite in car clubs and what at the ball games it is a lot of fun my wife and i go a lot , but I haven't been to a cards game in years because of cost hell while there at it have some one go around in a golf cart selling food and drink in the pits so you dont have to go up and may be miss the lane call getting a hot dog and a soda I think if she is young and pretty you'll sell more butt what do I know, I'm sure you will disagree .
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Post by drphillips309 on Mar 2, 2015 18:35:44 GMT -6
I like the girl on the golf cart thing. Kinda like what the folks do at the million and I think luke does the same at his door car race! It's worth a try.
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Post by sp7128 on Mar 2, 2015 20:08:44 GMT -6
They have to produce/put on a program that is inviting to racers and spectators before they advertise anything, why advertise something that can't be substantiated. As for the guaranteed money a couple years ago, they put the horse in front of the cart, as racers did show up for the first opening races of new ownership, remember we were lined up two wide on the entire back entrance road, and raced till 2am/3:30am/4am the first couple events. Then mass hysteria set in and they thought they could give us one time run, and then the racers participation slacked, purses got cut, as proved once again, the black cloud appeared over the bracket racing program and it just got more and more difficult for some non locals to travel and or spend money at a place that doesn't portray they want the racer's business. Now they have management that has voiced more than once to do away with buybacks, did away with the bonus race, can't produce details on the timeline, entry fee, payout or points series for the bracket program that starts in a month. The best part is everyone that posts on here will be there opening day (?), and we will all spend money, see friends, have a fun time, get frustrated, hopefully win some $$, and the next time the gates are set to open we will all be back to do it all over again. WHY, because it's what we do !!!
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Post by 396z on Mar 2, 2015 20:13:33 GMT -6
The girl on the cart works at the golf course. I'm sure it would work at the race track.
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Post by 396z on Mar 2, 2015 20:26:27 GMT -6
All I know is there is a racetrack and there are lots of racecars in the Metro area. I think there is money to be made. I-57 has a door car race this year that is so big, the parking lot won't hold it any longer. If you didn't race it last year, you simply can't go this year. All pre-entry. There is no reason Gateway can't have events on a much bigger scale than I-57. There is plenty of opportunity out there. As long as there are people driving cars, there will be people wanting to race them and nobody will ever convince me otherwise.
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Post by drphillips309 on Mar 2, 2015 21:04:16 GMT -6
They have to produce/put on a program that is inviting to racers and spectators before they advertise anything, why advertise something that can't be substantiated. As for the guaranteed money a couple years ago, they put the horse in front of the cart, as racers did show up for the first opening races of new ownership, remember we were lined up two wide on the entire back entrance road, and raced till 2am/3:30am/4am the first couple events. Then mass hysteria set in and they thought they could give us one time run, and then the racers participation slacked, purses got cut, as proved once again, the black cloud appeared over the bracket racing program and it just got more and more difficult for some non locals to travel and or spend money at a place that doesn't portray they want the racer's business. Now they have management that has voiced more than once to do away with buybacks, did away with the bonus race, can't produce details on the timeline, entry fee, payout or points series for the bracket program that starts in a month. The best part is everyone that posts on here will be there opening day (?), and we will all spend money, see friends, have a fun time, get frustrated, hopefully win some $$, and the next time the gates are set to open we will all be back to do it all over again. WHY, because it's what we do !!! Yes you are correct the very first race the new track races I won $800 on Easter morning at 4:37am and they had no checks for the first two races . The payout to time ratio sucked and word traveled fast. They never tried giving a decent guaranteed purse a shot.
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Post by rf1 on Mar 2, 2015 21:16:15 GMT -6
All I know is there is a racetrack and there are lots of racecars in the Metro area. I think there is money to be made. I-57 has a door car race this year that is so big, the parking lot won't hold it any longer. If you didn't race it last year, you simply can't go this year. All pre-entry. There is no reason Gateway can't have events on a much bigger scale than I-57. There is plenty of opportunity out there. As long as there are people driving cars, there will be people wanting to race them and nobody will ever convince me otherwise. You are preaching to the choir brother, I feel exactly the same. I along with many others have approached them with several ideas , tried to introduce them to people like Luke, Folks/Cummings , Danny Nelson who are making it happen at other venues only to be down right embarrassed by the lack of interest GMP showed. I have decided to accept the place for what it is and enjoy it while it last
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nutup
Junior Member
Posts: 71
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Post by nutup on Mar 2, 2015 21:28:46 GMT -6
They have to produce/put on a program that is inviting to racers and spectators before they advertise anything, why advertise something that can't be substantiated. As for the guaranteed money a couple years ago, they put the horse in front of the cart, as racers did show up for the first opening races of new ownership, remember we were lined up two wide on the entire back entrance road, and raced till 2am/3:30am/4am the first couple events. Then mass hysteria set in and they thought they could give us one time run, and then the racers participation slacked, purses got cut, as proved once again, the black cloud appeared over the bracket racing program and it just got more and more difficult for some non locals to travel and or spend money at a place that doesn't portray they want the racer's business. Now they have management that has voiced more than once to do away with buybacks, did away with the bonus race, can't produce details on the timeline, entry fee, payout or points series for the bracket program that starts in a month. The best part is everyone that posts on here will be there opening day (?), and we will all spend money, see friends, have a fun time, get frustrated, hopefully win some $$, and the next time the gates are set to open we will all be back to do it all over again. WHY, because it's what we do !!! All of this could not be said any better. It is still frustrating knowing it could be better I guess they don't want to comit to anything by putting out a complete schedule incase they can squeeze in a few more midnight madness events.
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Post by dennismopar73 on Mar 3, 2015 6:42:02 GMT -6
Be interresting to see if this track survives for next year?
These other tracks has the same issues low car counts Spectators vanishing so it's not just here The spring fling and others like it are very much well attented by racers , When talking about weekly points races and car counts spectators. Just not enough excitment to bring out fans It didn't take long for the owner to disappear and management throw out lifeboats to a sinking ship Question reamains Can it be fixed ? Sure Will it ? Not with this ownership
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Post by p518 on Mar 3, 2015 6:45:40 GMT -6
naysayer... glass half-empty
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Post by dennismopar73 on Mar 3, 2015 7:18:10 GMT -6
Seen it before I should refrase this This owner stepped up bought the place spent money like he had it to burn all in hopes to bring back racers set up programs basically with not much outside promotions Us racers being who we are wanted more felt we deserved the moon n stars When that didn't happen the set for failure on both parties was set in motion Complaints of track prep personel payouts lack of racers im most classes non attended events even when advertized at onset
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Post by 338d on Mar 3, 2015 7:50:43 GMT -6
As far as putting people in the stands for a weekly race, yes it can be done and like Jim said you need to be creative and work at it. Not one time since the place reopened have they did anything to promote the weekly program to attempt to put people in the stands. I have people all the time come talk to me about the track that had no idea that they even have a regular weekend program. The track has promoted the Wednesday night program a little by offering cheaper spectator entry and even $1.00 beers, but as soon as Saturday rolls around its back to jacked up spectator costs and $3-4 beers. They built that fantastic pavilion, which I thought was great, but they don't use it. Heck put some kind of entertainment in the damn thing on a Saturday night. You can say all you want that people don't want to come watch bracket racing and that's all fine, but if you promote it and the drivers along with doing other things to get people there they WILL come. They have the facility and it can be done, but there has never since the place reopened been any effort into making it work, they just open the gates, so I don't buy into it Dennis that it can't be successful because they have never tried. NEVER!
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Post by 338d on Mar 3, 2015 7:57:45 GMT -6
And Todd is correct on the fact that even if they don't do anything, we will all still be there and that is mainly because there is not a better option around. People complain about the payout, but its still the best around and since limping thru the first season the place has ran a weekly program as well if not better than any track around. They may not be the greatest at getting the information out in a timely fashion, which makes no sense in the social media world we live in today, but they do run a good program once your there and as good as any track around.
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