A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO
THE PROFIT MARGIN

8/8/05

nce upon a time, making money as a drag strip operator was pretty much a stroll in the park. Throw some kind of a show together, print up the tickets, do a little "in kind" advertising with the local rock-n-roll radio station, and get ready to count the money. Plenty of race cars, plenty of cash carrying drag fans—it was all good!

It was so good, in fact, that many tracks put on separate feature shows on Friday and Saturday nights, another one on Sunday afternoon, and if any one of those shows hit the proverbial home run, the promoter would go into full scramble mode and assemble a Wednesday night special to boot! Funny car shows, Top Fuel match races, Super Stock showdowns, Junior Fuel eliminators (remember them)? -- all that and more could be seen at local drag strips, and by and large tracks made the honest dollar in the process.

But times change, and with them the Art of War, or drag race promotion anyway. Looking around, I see a lot of tracks putting on feature grade drag racing shows, with widely varying results. Consider the Short fields, crowds that are well below expectations, and racers dissatisfied with payouts (wait, that part's not new), and today's local/regional drag scene has a decidedly different appearance than the halcyon days of the 1960s and 1970s, or anytime else in the recent to middling past. What, if anything, can be done to improve the odds of success for those drag strip promoters bold enough to attempt putting on shows that will attract paying customers?

I have a few thoughts (imagine that)!

DO PRE-RACE PRESS

Once you decide to put a feature schedule together, let the public know what you have planned. If you think the track website will carry the day for you in that regard, you are delusional, at best. Advertise the race, advertise the web address, advertise everything ya got, and do it well in advance of the start of the season. Drag strips long ago lost the battle for the weekly paying fan to the circle tracks, and wishful thinking won't make them flock to your track again.

The good news is media may be willing and able to help you, where they wouldn't before. In my own town (Kansas City), the local cable TV provider has aired a number of drag racing features over the past several years. It can happen where you live, too! But media won't come to you, you have to go to them. If that means you need to hire a public relations person, do so. The old saying "You have to spend money to make money" is a true one.

HAVE A REAL ADVERTISING BUDGET

Now I don't have a marketing degree, but I do have a lot of practical experience in promotion. The BIG undeniable truth I know about promotion is simply this. You must advertise, is some manner, if you expect to have any success at the front gate. Yes, you will probably have to part with some cash, but there are alternatives to cash. Radio stations are often up for the good old trade out, tickets and access for air time deal. It's an oldie, but a goodie, and surprisingly, not everyone knows of this approach. When trading out, consider this. The "cost" of comp tickets cost you nothing. The people who get the comps ideally are providing a service that will draw paying customers, and far offset the "cost" of the comps. It seems easy to understand, but I know of many promoters who would dispute the theory, even at gunpoint.

Air time is good, but don't be afraid to get out in the street too. Racers do displays, tracks can too. Many businesses are looking for something to draw attention to their venue, and can be successfully approached for promotional projects. This kind of action, done right, won't even cost you money. Here's a scenario I know has worked for some racers and the business they displayed at. Come in for free, being allowed to sell/pitch / inform whatever you have. The business runs an ad in the local paper, letting THEIR customers know you will be there. The business works up a short list of products they want to promote, using your race display as the focal point.