How The NHRA Can Save Itself... (3 Viewers)

[Jay]

There are many issues that are causing the NHRA, or drag racing for that matter, some difficulties in really being recognized as a legitimate motorsport with strong marketing value, in the eyes of corporate america.

Case in point -
Brut spent LESS than $2,000,000 on their sponsorship with DSR,(it isn't my place to get into more detail than that) NOT including their TV and print ads...If they can't muster up a solid ROI (return-on-investment), then there are real issues here... Now I don't know their activation program in detail, only based on the same ads that you all saw, but I can tell you, there are some very smart people over there. You don't get to those executive positions by failing to build brands.

In my opinion, the problem starts at the top...With the NHRA...Let me explain...For years and years, this sport was a "club." There were guys making a living match racing...The local tracks promoted the events, and everyone made money...Then Wally Parks (RIP...) came up with the idea to do a series...Cool...Innovative at the time...

Major Television -
Fast forward to the 80's and early 90's[/B]-[/U][/I] TNN agrees to run the TV shows, even though they are a week delayed, I believe...OK, picks up some new fans...And don't forget, Winston built this sport more than anyone did...THAT is a fact...They did the same thing with NASCAR, too...They didn't even have leverage with the TV networks, they just knew how to market...and did it well..

Anyway, not to get off track...All this, Winston and TNN had a lot to do with growing the sport to the next level....Then came Phase III...

ESPN-
ESPN agreed, on a time-buy basis, to produce and air 4-5 hours of coverage for each event, at a price tag of approximately (give or take 10%) $500,000 per event. Now ESPN was a huge upgrade to the NHRA and I wasn't exposed to NHRA much when this happened, but I'm sure that many of you were very excited to hear the ESPN deal...As you probably would be if they announced a 5-year with NBC Sports tomorrow...Again, an upgrade...

Here is the problem with the TV package today...ESPN doesn't really hold much value to the NHRA because if they did, they would be even slightly interested in putting their sales staff on it to sell out the spots and sponsorships during the broadcasts, while paying the NHRA a licensing fee instead of the other way around. The reason for this, although I'm sure that many of you don't want to believe this, is that they can't sell it to advertisers. The reason that you see spots in the broadcasts now is because the NHRA packages them up with spoonsorships to try to add some extra value. But when it isn't an NHRA sponsor advertising, the vast majority of the difference is made up in ESPN promo's for other shows, the 3:00 per hour that the local cable/satellite operators get, and DR (direct-response...like the Roto-Tiller or the Magical Hair Grow for ONLY $14.95..but WAIT! There's more....you get the idea) These DR spots are typically sold for less than 1/2 the cost of a spot that is based on a rating, by the way...So you see what I am getting at, there is NO VALUE to an advertiser, so therefore, no value to ESPN to run the programming without getting paid a fat sum for doing it...Can you blame ESPN...? NO. The blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the NHRA. Let me explain...

Back to basics...to make something sellable, you have to make lots of people think its cool and want to buy it, right? Sounds simple...well, it really IS as long as ou HAVE something cool, and more importantly REACH OUT to people and let them touch it, feel it, play with it...(ok...sorry...get your minds out of the gutter...lol) In my opinion, the NHRA is TERRIBLE at this....From what I can see, they focus all of their marketing on the existing fans...Well, thats great for maintaining a fan base, but you need to grow it, too...Here are some things that I feel the NHRA needs to either address and implement, or do a MUCH better job at...These would help them grow more, and I will use some pretty detailed activations to illustrate my point..Bear with me here...

Recognition-
Right now, if you randomly pick 100 people on the street during lunch hour and ask them the following questions, tabulate what you think the HONEST answers would be...Then do the same by changing NASCAR to NHRA.

1.) Have you watched any part, 15 minutes or longer, of a NASCAR race on TV this year?
2.) Can you tell me the name of the main series in NASCAR?
3.) Can you tell me the name of two of the 3 main series that make up NASCAR?

Superstar Drivers -
1.) Can you name 1 NASCAR Driver for me?
2.) Can you name 3 NASCAR Drivers For Me?
3.) If you have one, can you tell me your favorite NASCAR Driver and one reason that you like him?
4.) If you have one, who is your LEAST favorite NASCAR Driver, & what is his car number?

For NASCAR, I would venture to tell you that in both cases, more than 70 could answer #1, 45 could answer #2, about the same could answer #3, and 33 could answer #4.

NASCAR is overexposed because so many companies got involved and marketed their drivers as superstars...promoted their sponsorships, got involved with the TV networks, retailers, media, etc...Remember, NASCAAR started with small TV, too...They grew it from there though...A lot of help from Winston, but non-stop push with promotion, getting lots of celebrities involved, biting the big-dollar-bullet for the big network TV in the 80's and early 90's, etc...Then look what happened...They started to fill the seats, get ratings, make superstars out of their drivers, etc...That didn't just happen, you know....There was a lot of effort behind that...Yet, each time the NHRA takes a step forward, they stop...almost as if they think that's enough...

If I was working at NHRA as a VP Of Marketing or in a similar capacity when they signed that ESPN deal, I'd have done it much differently...I would have packaged up (25) :30 second rotators (actual spots...not mentions) to be shown the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday leading into a race weekend promoting the telecast. 1/2 of those would have been on ABC, too...Then, from there, you have to PROMOTE!

When you approach a race weekend, there should be drivers being pushed into radio & TV stations within a 100 mile radius of that race for interviews...There should be school & hospital visits, charity functions, show car appearances, and other "special events" that are well-publicized by these local media outlets...How about making Thursday a free day...No one goes on Thursday anyway, so why not just make it a "fan appreciation" day...There isn't any Pro track activity to give away...In fact, if you do it right, why wouldn't that just bring tens-of-thousands of people into the facility on Thursday that mind you, will buy beer, burgers, souvenirs, etc...Throw a big "free" concert with a local radio station...Wouldn't this be a perfect property to let Budweiser attach themselves to...?

Now, you are bringing in tons and tons of new potential fans that wouldn't have been there to begin with...THIS is how you grow....you let them "touch, feel, and play with" the sport, and now you have just sold a bunch of tickets for Friday-Sunday to people that wouldn't have normally come at all, but now they saw it and liked ait....all because you gave them the chance to do it for free on Thursday, and drew them in with the local media and the concert perhaps...you have more net gate revenue for Friday-Sunday, and probably 10,000-20,000 new fans at each event.

Do that 24 times per year, and also promote it right, and now you have a monster for the media to make a story about...All of a sudden, people in the media start writing about how awsome of a "festival" the NHRA events are on Thursdays...All the media is there watching the kids get their picture taken with drivers, getting interviewed so they can become the superstars that this sport needs, etc...You get celebrities involved...you get more fans by cross marketing this way...

Obviously, this was a long post...Thanks for sticking with me, and now is the fun part...

For those of you who aren't sports marketing professionals....who are just regular, normal, intelligent people...let's see if each of you can think of just 1 idea each, that would cost $5000 or less to implement at one of the events, that would draw 500 people to the series as potential new fans...Be it a creative appearance idea, whatever...I think you will find that in the next 7 days, we will have over 100 new ideas on this thread...

When that happens, we will realize that it doesn't take rocket scientists, or even trained marketing people to come up with ideas that can help grow the fan base of drag racing as a whole...All it takes is some creativity and some effort.

This will create the demand to "pack-the-house" at the events, and make advertisers want to advertise during the races, which will in-turn get us better TV coverage of the events, and then overexpose the sport because the demand is so high for sponsorship, because so many fans are catching on to the sport that companies want to take advantage of their brand-loyalty and sponsor cars, in-turn making drivers into superstars, then allowing us maters to come up here an talk about racing and not how far the NHRA has their heads up ther derrieres.

(whew....ok...catching my breath...lol)

Have fun!

 

[Randy]

Jay:

Back in 1990 I did a proposal to a major fast food chain based in California (not In-N-Out). I got the demographics reports and marketing package including the video presentation available from NHRA. One thing that stuck in my mind back then (and now) was the touted membership number. It was approximately 80,000. Today, 17 years later, it's still approximately 80,000.

RG

 

[hellfirejim]

Excellent post and right on the money. I have two responses.

1. I think what the ADRL did makes sense. They gave away a bunch of free tickets to bring more people into the race track that might not have ever been there. If you keep even a small percentage of these new people it was worth it.

2. I believe that our best hope is the free capitialist market forces at work. If you have an entity that HAS to show a profit and HAS to promote growth then this should/will? drive that company to market and do what is required. One of the issues that has always haunted NHRA for as long as i can remember [sometimes longer. sometimes shorter: )] is the ivory tower approach they have for management. This meant there was no oversight on how they performed. With a FOR profit vehicle it has to perform or changes will be made to make it perform.

So the short of it is, when the $$$$ count with performance accountability, I am hoping that this will drive better marketing of our sport.

Or they will just flip it to Bruton and he does it.... LOL

jim

 

[Toejam]

I agree the ADRL goes all to promote itself, but you can't give out 5,000+ free tickets to every race because then no one will want to pay! Sooner or later you have to make $$$!

 

[Draw 3D]

Drag racing to me is the original "extreem" sport so its fan base has been narrow.

I've been a 1320 junkie since the early 60's and have taken my fair share of potential new fans to their first drag race. The ones who get addicted get it right-away, and you can see it in their faces.

The ones who didn't get addicted usually state that the sport is too intense, too loud, too smelly, too whatever, it is just not for them.

NASCAR was numbed-down to attract the vast fan base. They placed more and more restrictions on the heart of the sport, the cars and its innovations, and placed almost all its emphasizes on the drivers, something the "soccer-mom & pop" could relate to.

I don't know about anyone else, but, drag racing to me is the innovation, the technological lust, the unadultared need for power and speed, and the sheer beauty of painted, polished and chrome chariots. I don't want to see that numbed down any more than it has been.

To me NHRA's real problem has been that it is trying to be something it is not.

 

[Rajunz]

Excellent post. My idea was to give tickets to radio stations within 200 miles of each National Event with a list of trivia questions. Listeners would then be encouraged to go to the internet and look up the answers to NHRA trivia questions in order to win these tickets. Face it, everyone loves winning free stuff from the radio.

 

[none]

I like the idea for new people to enjoy the sport as much as we do.

1. Get the youth involved. We need to get the JR Dragster crowd to come to a National event. Fact: Parents will spend money on their kids faster than themselves. Some type of kid action would be great for the future of drivers, crew chiefs and team personel.

2. NHRA must understand that they are NOT the only game in town. Go to the people. Tell them why they need to spend this weekend going to the races.

3. Work with local clubs, (ELKS, Boys Club, YMCA, etc you get the idea) to bring these kids to meet the drivers and teams.

4. Adjust the prices. Have a deal if you buy SAT & SUN then you get Friday free or If you buy the whole weekend package then you get a Reserved seat for Friday or a free hamburger and drink. Something that if you go for the whole deal you get something back.

Just a couple of ideas.... We can make this better..

 

[mick]

taking your 'free thursday' idea one step further, excellent idea i think.....
(and this has been talked about previously here)
nhra should cross-promote with national franchise or brand of some sort.
buy "x" amount of franchise's/brand product and receive free ticket/s to
LODRS event within reasonable radius of racetrack.

also like the idea for radio promotions.
the 'power loon' in brainerd does a fantastic job each year talking
up the race, giving away tickets and providing driver interiviews.

 

[You!]

I've never understood these types of threads. Why do you as fans, want NHRA style drag racing to grow? Do you really want even longer lines while entering and exiting the track? Longer lines at concession stands for your beloved beer? You want to be 8 deep at the fence instead of 6 like you are now?

And if you believe that prices will come down if attendence grows, you're really going to be surprised! If the interest in the sport were to grow so would the opportunity for all involved to make more money and keep it for themselves. You really believe purses will go up? They haven't in the last 10 years or so and supposedly the sport is as strong as it's ever been according to Glendora.

Drag racing does not translate to television. No different than comparing the space shuttle take offs in person versus watching it on tv. You have to be there to get it. It's not the production staff's inability to shoot it properly; it just doesn't work.

The masses know about drag racing. Ask your child's teacher if they've ever heard of Force or Bernstein. I'll bet you they have, but they flat out just don't care! And why do we want them to? To get more sponsors? Please. I'm sure the Pro Rodeo folks want us all to come watch them too, but you couldn't pay me to go to their events, or watch it on tv.

Drag racing is as big as it needs to be, IMO. Am I the only one that sees this?

 

[Jay]

You guys are coming up with some very good ideas here so far....Keep in mind, that if you give away 5000 free tickets to a race, as long as you target groups that wouldn't have come anyway, then there wouldn't be a backlash of people not wanting to pay at all...These free tickets wouldn't be available to them anyway...For example, you might donate them to an inner city school district to use to reward excellent students, or maybe students in their auto shop classes...How about kids with cancer, etc....This is a great way to bring a little sunshine into their lives and at the same time, create a touching and heartfelt story for the media to give you some ink for...

Changing gears for a second, one thing that I forgot in my original post, wqas that the NHRA is certainly more of a promoter than a sanctioning body...I agree with what a few of you have said in that regard on here...But, to a point, NASCAR is similar, but they do it much better.....

I wish I had their exact breakdown handy, but it goes something like this:

The track promoters put up X number of dollars for the sanctioning fee, some of the purse, etc..NASCAR kicks a certain percentage (I don't know why 24% is sticking in my brain here...that might actually be the number...) of the TV revenue in towards the purse, etc...

Now, the sanctioning fee covers NASCAR'S costs to run the series, and of course, they sell their series sponsorships to Nextel, Nationwide, Craftsman, and then all the "official" sponsors...The NHRA could do the same thing, with the same model....I mean NASCAR also ownes a bunch of tracks, too...But the model is consistent, so that their corporation that owns the tracks is seperate, and pays the same sanctioning fees, etc...

Here is the point to all of this...When you seperate it this way, you open things up to competition...World class facilities are built...Each track owner has a huge incentive to market the crap out of the event, because the onus is on him to sell enough tickets so that he can make money after paying the sanction fee, etc...Now, with the TV being what it is (a time-buy), maybe this formula would work:

1.) NHRA Figures out that they need maybe $200,000 per event for their own costs. (example)

2.) Add the purses for the Pro Series ($600,000-$700,000 or so, right...?) and the sportsman series ($100,000 maybe...?)

3.) So here would be the track owners deal...$1,000,000 base cost for the show + 30% of the gross ticket sales over $2,000,000 (this allows the track $1,000,000 in expenses, mortgage payments, etc...) with the other 70% going to the track owner, and the other 30% split-out with 18% added to the purse for Pro Racer bonus money, and 12% to the NHRA. This could be pretty healthy. If you figure that there are 30,000 people per day, for three days (which is what the NHRA says happens right now) then you have $900,000 in rev. for Friday, $1,400,000 for Saturday, and $1,600,000 for Sunday for a total of $3,900,000, which would mean the racer/NHRA bonus money would be $570,000 to split...Think about that...

The show would be promoted much better because all these track owners have great skills in that, and the more the sport grows, so does the purse, etc...

 

[turbo ken]

I've never understood these types of threads. Why do you as fans, want NHRA style drag racing to grow? Do you really want even longer lines while entering and exiting the track? Longer lines at concession stands for your beloved beer? You want to be 8 deep at the fence instead of 6 like you are now?

And if you believe that prices will come down if attendence grows, you're really going to be surprised! If the interest in the sport were to grow so would the opportunity for all involved to make more money and keep it for themselves. You really believe purses will go up? They haven't in the last 10 years or so and supposedly the sport is as strong as it's ever been according to Glendora.

Drag racing does not translate to television. No different than comparing the space shuttle take offs in person versus watching it on tv. You have to be there to get it. It's not the production staff's inability to shoot it properly; it just doesn't work.

The masses know about drag racing. Ask your child's teacher if they've ever heard of Force or Bernstein. I'll bet you they have, but they flat out just don't care! And why do we want them to? To get more sponsors? Please. I'm sure the Pro Rodeo folks want us all to come watch them too, but you couldn't pay me to go to their events, or watch it on tv.

Drag racing is as big as it needs to be, IMO. Am I the only one that sees this?

Your not the only one that see's this, if big time dragracing were to become big as nascar you wouldn't be able to get into the pits and see everthing up close unlike the nascar fans who have to watch their favorite drives in a seat behind a fence, and hope to catch a glimps of their favorite driver, where as we can still get to interact with our favorite driver. You couldn't get your picture taken with you favorite driver like Kelly does with Ron Capps, try that with a nascar driver.

 

[nick name]

While others may scream that NHRA should never attempt to do the same things NASCAR has done, I'm not one of them. As I see it, the largest problem is that Glendora has done a spectactularly bad job of selecting the areas to mimic.

A few years ago, I had a long conversation with one of the most respected drivers in NASCAR. That was one of the most important and valuable conversations I've ever had because the insights he gave me into racing business were priceless.

Want to know why you will almost never hear a driver say even a peep that might be unflatterering to the sanctioning body? It's because all of them have made an agreement.

According to my source, when a driver gets accepted for competition in the big leagues, there's a meeting that occurs that might be official or just a chat in the garages. But the content of what's said is critically important.

In a nutshell, the driver is reminded that NASCAR has come a long way and makes millions of dollars. In so many words, the driver is welcomed into the family and into a generous share of those millions.

It's made very clear that NASCAR will do everything in their power to make the relationship very profitable for BOTH parties. They've got a great track record of doing exactly that. They're often known to refer sponsors who contact them wanting to get in on the game (wow, a big difference, yes?) to a team who needs to step up and would be a good fit.

There's an element of trust and loyalty built which has served the organization very well.

So my suggestion is that NHRA also become a two-way street instead of the toll road it presently is.

I'd love to see the NASCAR model adopted and every VP in Glendora become wealthy beyond their dreams - but doing it this way, the racers providing the show will thrive, prosper, and grow also.

 

[Jay]

I've never understood these types of threads. Why do you as fans, want NHRA style drag racing to grow? Do you really want even longer lines while entering and exiting the track? Longer lines at concession stands for your beloved beer? You want to be 8 deep at the fence instead of 6 like you are now?

And if you believe that prices will come down if attendence grows, you're really going to be surprised! If the interest in the sport were to grow so would the opportunity for all involved to make more money and keep it for themselves. You really believe purses will go up? They haven't in the last 10 years or so and supposedly the sport is as strong as it's ever been according to Glendora.

Drag racing does not translate to television. No different than comparing the space shuttle take offs in person versus watching it on tv. You have to be there to get it. It's not the production staff's inability to shoot it properly; it just doesn't work.

The masses know about drag racing. Ask your child's teacher if they've ever heard of Force or Bernstein. I'll bet you they have, but they flat out just don't care! And why do we want them to? To get more sponsors? Please. I'm sure the Pro Rodeo folks want us all to come watch them too, but you couldn't pay me to go to their events, or watch it on tv.

Drag racing is as big as it needs to be, IMO. Am I the only one that sees this?

All I can say is that I think you have a very closed minded thought there, and I frankly am not sure why as a fan of the sport, you WOULDN'T want it to grow...I guess it just doesn't make sense to me Bill...

 

[Jay]

Jay:

Back in 1990 I did a proposal to a major fast food chain based in California (not In-N-Out). I got the demographics reports and marketing package including the video presentation available from NHRA. One thing that stuck in my mind back then (and now) was the touted membership number. It was approximately 80,000. Today, 17 years later, it's still approximately 80,000.

RG

Rigt on...It should be several times that by now....If we had an organization like NHRA that had 300,000-400,000 or more, wouldn't you think that sponsors would see incredible value to market to them? This sport would be extremely healthy...There would be corporate sponsorship money everywhere....!

 

[You!]

No Jay, I don't have a closed mind. I'm just realistic. Been around this too long to gulp down the Kool-Aid.

Hey, there's a potential sponsor for ya! Oh, wait...that probably wouldn't be allowed by Powerade!

 

[Jay]

While others may scream that NHRA should never attempt to do the same things NASCAR has done, I'm not one of them. As I see it, the largest problem is that Glendora has done a spectactularly bad job of selecting the areas to mimic.

A few years ago, I had a long conversation with one of the most respected drivers in NASCAR. That was one of the most important and valuable conversations I've ever had because the insights he gave me into racing business were priceless.

Want to know why you will almost never hear a driver say even a peep that might be unflatterering to the sanctioning body? It's because all of them have made an agreement.

According to my source, when a driver gets accepted for competition in the big leagues, there's a meeting that occurs that might be official or just a chat in the garages. But the content of what's said is critically important.

In a nutshell, the driver is reminded that NASCAR has come a long way and makes millions of dollars. In so many words, the driver is welcomed into the family and into a generous share of those millions.

It's made very clear that NASCAR will do everything in their power to make the relationship very profitable for BOTH parties. They've got a great track record of doing exactly that. They're often known to refer sponsors who contact them wanting to get in on the game (wow, a big difference, yes?) to a team who needs to step up and would be a good fit.

There's an element of trust and loyalty built which has served the organization very well.

So my suggestion is that NHRA also become a two-way street instead of the toll road it presently is.

I'd love to see the NASCAR model adopted and every VP in Glendora become wealthy beyond their dreams - but doing it this way, the racers providing the show will thrive, prosper, and grow also.

PHENOMENAL post...!

 

[Jay]

No Jay, I don't have a closed mind. I'm just realistic. Been around this too long to gulp down the Kool-Aid.

Hey, there's a potential sponsor for ya! Oh, wait...that probably wouldn't be allowed by Powerade!

But Bill, if the sport doesn't grow, and sponsors continue to leave, and there are short fields because there aren't enough Connie Kalittas, Even Knolls, Forrest Lucases and Don Scumachers of the world that are willing to write personal checks to entertain us, THEN what are you going to do? If the sports doesn't grow, then it will decline...If there are 8 car Funny Car & T/F fields as a result, please explain to me how that is good for drag racing...

 

[Draw 3D]

Bill and Kenneth, I'm with you guys.

Jay, why do you want NHRA to grow and how big do you want it?

Big enough so that fuel teams budget would be $12m per car?

Big enough so that fans can't go into the pits any more?

Big enough so that ticket prices double?

Big enough so that every car is a "spec" car, as if they're not now?

Personally, I don't need +100k fans at a race to substantiate my love for the sport.

Grow NHRA to the size of NASCAR, fan & corporate wise, and a lot more sportsmen racers, like me, will be forced to go elsewhere like nostalgia and outlaw associations.

 

[Joker]

I understand everyone loves the way it was in the old days and the way it is now (re: up close personal experiences in the pits, not long lines, etc) however Jay's right. If NHRA cant grow, then what are we going to do when Evan, Connie, Ken Black, Don Shoe, etc decide they dont want to spend there millions on drag racing anymore. I know people say "They will always be someone to do it." Well you dont know that. Sure maybe 5 or 6 of them but not enough to have a full field.

And whats the matter with growing if the drivers, owners, and crews and all associated can actually make good money off this sport. I'm not saying it has to come at the cost of the fans, but I believe NHRA has to do something and thats why I guess I'm one of the few who's actually excited to see what HD Partners does for US.

I'm a big proponet of Live Saturday NIGHT qualifying. There is no replacement for a nitro car blazing down the track at night with 5 ft header flames. I know there are some things that need to happen for this to work, but its doable. Its an amazing sight that will hook anyone who see's it in person.

The ADRL PACKS the stands. If they did give tickets away, they would make plenty in just corndogs, hamburgers, drinks, beer, etc. We pay to go to sporting events and it dont stop us from buying $7 beers then would you complain if NHRA gave you tickets to there races and charged you $8 for a beer or $6 for a hamburger. I would glady pay a few dollars more per item than paying to get in and then getting raped.

I think the radio station giveaway tickets are a great idea too. Here in Houston about a week before the race you will hear it advertised on radio but thats it. And if you follow the sport you know you can look on NHRA.com and see appearances but you shouldnt have to do that. We do have a block party in La Porte yearly that brings alot of people in which is nice and I hope they continue it. DSR normally shows up down there.

I also dont see where the "countdown" is helping us. Some like it, but most dont. I really dont see anyone watching the shows unless they are hardcore fans anyways and I thought that was the whole point of the countdown. NHRA needs to find a way to get NEW fans and we suck at that right now.

I cant wait for 2008 to get here so we can put behind 2007 for good. To help move on from losing Eric, John's bad crash, losing Wally, etc and welcome in the new mgmt somewhat and see where it goes.

 

[Don Kennedy]

PHENOMENAL post...!

A thought for a Divisional event to increase the fans attentance :


Ok ok A plan on how to get Fans in the Stands.
I have found that the Drag Strip Decision makers always advertise their National events well. So Le me assume that they have a packed House at a National event. Now when those fans leave the Drag Strip personnel will give out Free Tickets to those 100,000 people who have been watching the event. The tickets are going to be printed up by a major sponsor for free also. The tickets will be to some major event or race in the future.
Now let us assume that the meet will get 10% of the 100,000 people who attended the National Event. Wow all of a sudden we have Fans in the Stands, who buy stuff. We all know where they can buy the stuff. Now let us assume those 10,000 fans that showed up for the free meet like racing enough to go to a paying meet later on. Sounds good to me.

Now for the Divisonal race suites that are empty.
Now the next situation might work also. Along with the free tickets we give out we are going to give to major decisions makers of companies 200 or more free tickets to be in the Suites with free food and drinks. Now Don Kennedy is going to train some personnel to pitch sponsorship proposals to these decision makers of companies. The proposals will come from all classes of race cars. Sound ok so far. Now if any personell gets a sponsor then they get 10% of the amount they get the track gets 10% of that and the racer gets the balance of 80% . Now so far we have spent very little to have a race with fans in the stands and a potential of having a sponsor for race car teams. So far no one looses. Any way I could go on for ever with this idea but I think most get the idea and am sure we could even improve this idea. .