Racing Promotion Monthly

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RPM Daytona 2024

RPM Daytona 2024

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RACING PROMOTION MONTHLY NEWSLETTER; ISSUE 51.9 49TH ANNUAL RPM@DAYTONA WORKSHOPS PREVIEW - JANUARY NEWSLETTER
1074
1/29/2022

1/29/2022

Racing Promotion Monthly


RACING PROMOTION MONTHLY NEWSLETTER; ISSUE 51.9 49TH ANNUAL RPM@DAYTONA WORKSHOPS PREVIEW - JANUARY NEWSLETTER

** ISSUE 52.1 • THE PROMOTERS VOICE & FORM SINCE 1972 WWW.PROMOTERSNEWSLETTER.COM (http://www.racingpromotionsmonthly.com/)

"RPM@DAYTONA Workshops Preview"

  • What is coming up in the "Sunshine State"...

"49th Annual RPM@DAYTONA Final Scheule"

  • The comprehensive session schedule for RPM@Daytona

Chapter 26 - Let Em' All Go

  • More from Chris Economaki's Chapter 26 - "Aggie was a special man..."

Ticketing Tactics...
Several points on increasing ticket sales utilizing online sales as well increasing the exposure of your event...

RPM Nominations Are In
The list and voting instructions for voting, regional, national Auto Racing Promoters of the Year as well as the Outstanding

CRA Bought by Track Enterprises
Former ARPY Bob Sargent makes another acquisition...

RPM@Daytona Information

Get in the Know

  • Motorsports topics across the board.

TraxPix 2021

  • Random photos from our the racing landscape that help tell many stories. A picture is always worth a thousand words...

Legal Update

  • Refresh and focusing on the importance of the Release and Waiver...

COVID-19 Ongoing Pandemic Document Warehouse

Directory of Services

Much of the Nation is functioning in below "normal" temperatures as "Speedweek" approaches with events at the "World Center of Racing, Daytona International Speedway"; the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park and the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway - all a short drive from the Plaza Resort & Spa in Volusia County, Florida that help put the 2022 season in full swing. It's time to "sneak" away and catch the traditional start to the racing season.
A busy day "at the beach". Daytona Beach, Florida is ready to welcome travelers from near and far for the 49th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops. For many, this will be the Winter Break they've been looking for as recent January weather has made a trip South sound more inviting.
When folks arrive at the Plaza Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach, Florida, they should be ready for a beneficial two-days at the 49th annual RPM@Daytona Workshops with a unique schedule of speakers and sessions and perhaps even a surprise or two.

The two-day schedule was built off a variety of input as we continue to tweak our "style" in building the conferences that assist in moving our businesses forward. It brings an interesting blend of modern and traditional topics together.

We face many challenges in building the agenda, engaging people to present, developing a workable schedule, praying lunch service gets everyone back in time. Scheduling and presenting the Workshops isn't much different than any of our events and hopefully, it comes off well, with the attendees leaving filled with ideas and exhibitor's new additions to their contact lists for confirmed and potential sales.

The bottom-line goal of the Workshops, however, is bringing people together to better our industry. It doesn't matter where those people come from, how they arrived or what part of the world they come from, racing or not, if they can help build our business, they belong at and as a part of the RPM Workshops.

In addition, the Workshops in Daytona, there is the award presentations, which will be scattered throughout the show. We are working to spruce up those productions, however, they become a challenge with the allotted time to put the entire presentation together.

In just a couple short weeks, we will all be together at the 49th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops at the Plaza Resort & Spa, which will see several new presentations including Chris Dolack, Kendra Jacobs and the featured presentation of John Formica an "Ex Disney Guy", who brings a unique dynamic to the loaded two-days of the Workshops and sends a video edition in this edition of the newsletter.

There have been several revisions to the schedule with this being the final adjustment as we move toward the show.

If you are looking to make reservations, make them now; the 49th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops take place, Monday, February 14 and Tuesday, February 15th at the Plaza Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach, Florida. Rooms can be booked here; http://bookings.ihotelier.com/bookings.jsp?groupID=3291409&hotelID=96954 (http://bookings.ihotelier.com/bookings.jsp?groupID=3291409&hotelID=96954)

The 49th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops stand as a "can't miss" event for track promoters throughout North America.

We hope you will find a way to join us.

https://youtu.be/aEJydQlZ2Wo

A video message from guest speaker, John Formica, an "Ex-Disney Guy" who will be working with everyone in attendance at the 49th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops to help them improve their overall "Customer Experience" and more...

RPM@DAYTONA WORKSHOP SCHEDULE – Subject to change, additional topics and presenters;

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2022;
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. RPM@Daytona Workshop Credentials - “Convention Center Entrance Area”

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2022;
8:30 a.m. WORKSHOPS GUEST SERVICES DESK OPENS, Convention Area at the Plaza Resort & Spa Advanced and late-entry credentials available.
8:45 a.m. WORKSHOPS TRADE SHOW OPENS, products and services for promoters and short tracks.
9:35 a.m. PROMOTERS’ WELCOME, Main Ballroom – Plaza Resort & Spa - 49^th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops Opening
9:45 a.m. The RPM Workshops Welcome a “Special Guest Speaker”
10:00 a.m. RALPH SHEHEEN, SPEED SPORT NEWS;
10:30 a.m. JOHN FORMICA; “America and Australia’s Customer Experience Coach” brought to you by the PitPay App and PitPay owner, Frank Bolter.
11:40 a.m. RICK RADUCHA, brings you a different perspective of the sport. Raducha, a life long race fan, marketing and public relations person for much of his life.
12:00-1:30 p.m. LUNCH BREAK
1:30 p.m. RAY MARLER / KEN SCHRADER CHAT AND HELP INTRODUCE – REGIONAL AUTO-RACING PROMOTER OF THE YEAR (ARPY) AWARD PRESENTATIONS
1:45 p.m. CHRIS DOLACK, DIRTcar Director of Marketing and Public Relations – Dolack will give “real speak” in regard to publicity.
2:15 p.m. JOHN FORMICA; “Employee Coaching and Training” brought to you by the PitPay App and PitPay owner, Frank Bolter.

2:45 p.m. BREAK OUT ROOM TURN OVER – (WE WILL REMAIN IN PRIMARY ROOM AS ONE BREAKOUT)
2:45-4:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions: Five topics, two rooms.

THE K&K INSURANCE ROOM
2:45-3:30 p.m. DIGITAL MARKETING ADVANCES FROM SPIRE SPORTS, INC.
3:30-4:15 p.m. SFI TRAINING PROGRAM / SAFETY DISCUSSION

THE HOOSIER TIRE ROOM
2:45-3:30 p.m. ANNOUNCING, WHO SHOULD YOU HAVE AND WHAT SHOULD THEY DO?
3:30-4:15 p.m. JOHN FORMICA – “ONE-ON-ONE” – Questions and Answers.

MAIN ROOM
4:15-5:00 AFTERNOON AMBIANCE JOIN 43RD ARPY… Gregg McKarns continues this new RPM tradition with great ideas, adventure and exploration through our promotional world.

5:00 p.m. CLOSING REMARKS, ADJOURNMENT

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2022;
8:15 a.m. WORKSHOPS GUEST SERVICES DESK OPENS, Convention Area at the Eldorado Advanced and late-entry credentials available.
8:30 a.m. WORKSHOPS TRADE SHOW OPENS, Continental breakfast, products and services for promoters and short tracks.
9:30 a.m. WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS, 2022 Date Introduction and to the 50^th RPM RENO WESTERN WORKSHOPS
9:45 a.m. JOE TRIPP; Managing Partner and CEO at Speed Sport News to talk about all things Media – Streaming, Electronic, Print and Publicity.
10:15 a.m. KENDRA JACOBS, The Knoxville Speedway marketing director, brings her brand of expertise center stage as part of the Workshops.
10:45 a.m. RANDY LAJOIE / GREGG MCKARNS “ON TRACK SAFETY” WORKERS, VOLUNTEERS AND THEN SOME;
11:15 a.m. ANNUAL CASE LAW SUMMARY: Paul Tetreault, Agajanian, McFall, Weiss, Tetreault, & Crist, LLP review the year’s case law decisions.
12:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. LUNCH BREAK
1:30 p.m. WORKSHOP RECONVENES, followed by Concurrent Sessions: with influential topics presented in two rooms.

THE K&K INSURANCE ROOM
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. – PRO-BONO HOUR, Tetreault takes an hour to discuss topics individually.
2:30 – 3:00 p.m. – RELEASE AND WAIVER DETAIL, Tetreault
3:00-3:45 p.m. – STREAMING EQUIPMENT, EXAMPLES AND DISCUSSIONS OF THE ‘HOW TO”
3:45-4:30 p.m. – TRACK PREPARATION DISCUSSION WITH THE EXPERTS: VP Racing Fuels experts talk about dirt and asphalt track preparation offering help and advice…

THE HOOSIER TIRE ROOM
1:30 – 2:00 p.m. – WEBSITES & E-COMMERCE: Where are we now? Have we evolved? What’s next?
2:30 – 3:00 p.m. – STEVE BEITLER, LOOKING AT PROMOTING THE SPORT:
3:00-3:45 p.m. – COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT? What does it mean? How does it help?
3:45-4:30 p.m. – RPM WORKSHOPS DISCUSSION What is next? What needs to be discussed? Where do we go from here?

5:00 p.m. ADJOURNMENT: Enjoy, please remain safe, with a safe journey home as well as enjoying some of the great racing action spread throughout Volusia County and the state of Florida.
Kendra Jacobs, an industry veteran and Knoxville (Iowa) Speedway's Director of Marketing will present on Tuesday morning as one of the many featured speakers heading into the 49th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops.
RPM ENDORSEMENT; Sue Deery with Rockford Speedway, who appears above with her Mother, Jody Deery (who is now 97 and one of the originating founders of the Workshops) attended the 49th Annual RPM@RENO Western Workshops - "I'm pretty happy on how Reno went. The Workshops are something my family takes great pride in and we have attended as many as we have been able to since the beginning and I left with 18 pages of notes, that tells a story of how valuable the Workshops are each and every time..."
The Performance Racing Industry Trade Show -
December 8 - 10, 2022 - Indianapolis, Indiana
Economaki interviews the Winner's in Daytona's "old" victory lane after the 24-hours of Daytona.
Chapter 26 in the book "Let Em' All Go! The Story of Auto Racing by the Man that was there - Chris Economaki" is titled; "Promotion: Where did it go?", beginning on page 270 we continue an in-depth look into the chapter.

We continue to page 277 of Chapter 26 where Economaki offers a brief blurb of insight into another promoter;

"Another great promoter who comes to mind was J.C. Agajanian.

Aggie didn't have the flamboyant ideas and so on, but his strong points were his personal appeal and demeanor. Although promoters are often disliked by competitors, nobody disliked Aggie.

He was different that most in that he was very generous with free tickets. He would always have a handful of tickets in his pocket to give-away. Most promoters are repulsed by the idea of free tickets (Editors Note: There are definitely promoters today, who are on both sides of this coin.)

But Aggie was different, and I think he knew something that is often overlooked. Keep your customers happy. Always be pleasant."

There is a theme developing from the direction the 49th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops are heading as it relates to our customers, all of our competitors, enhancing their experience, keeping them happy. All very positive lessons.

J.C. Agajanian, was the second Auto Racing Promoter of the Year, winning the award in 1977. His family, led by his son Cary Agajanian, still promoter the second oldest race in the nation, which is the Turkey Night

Once again, Economaki's Chapter 26 memoirs continue to drive home what RPM has been designed for.

J.C. Agajanian was one of the great promoters of his time, he also had a passion for the sport like no other. From top-to-bottom; An early "Agajanian Special" at Indianapolis; Agajanian with Evel Knievel prior to a jump at Ascot Park; Motorcycle racing at Ascot was very popular based on the size of crowd watching the finish; Agajanian posting in front of the Ascot pace car with a representative from Winston and at Indianapolis with Parnelli Jones and the famed 98 Agajanian Special.
“FIND YOUR EDGE IN THE CHALLENGING BUSINESS OF PROMOTION WITH SIMES GRAHPIC DESIGN"

“WE WILL BURN THE MIDNIGHT OIL TO CREATE YOUR MARKETING MATERIAL SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO!”
For OVER 25 years Simes Graphic Designs has been providing the edge that the auto-racing industry has sought by producing high-quality printed products for track operators, drivers and racing-related businesses. Located in North Dakota, Simes Graphic Designs thrills customers across the United States with easily accessible services.

Understanding that racing is a highly specialized business which needs products that express the excitement and high power action of the sport in a clear, concise message that informs and sells the customer on the next ticket sale.

As a small full-service graphic arts studio and agency, we offer personalized service to our clients and a one-on-one experience with NO-NONSENSE pricing policies that specializes in advertising materials. We make it easy for the race promoter to get ad agency quality work at prices they can afford.

Our experience allows us to create eye-catching concepts for the web or printed piece, creating the excitement of short track racing with powerful graphic images, buzz words and catch phrases that gain the customers attention.

Whether you need a poster, pocket schedules, programs, or event logo and web content, we can create advertising marketing material that absolutely conveys the excitement and the fun of short track racing.

A small studio that treats every client with the utmost importance. We have worked with small and large short tracks from coast-to-coast and almost every track in-between.

With a unique pricing concept, we include all artwork, design, printing and shipping costs in the final price.
Dave Moody, for as long as he's been on SIRIUS XM Radio and the Motor Racing Network, he will always be the voice of "The nation's site of Excitement" to the editor of the RPM Newsletter. Moody was an announcer at Barre, Vermont's famous Thunder Road International Speedbowl for Ken Squier and Tom Curley. One of the best short track announcers in the business. Moody is a friend of short track racing and he's looking to help out your announcers. Look for more information coming in the future and don't forget to tune in to his show "SIRIUS XM Speedway". Hear Dave "The Godfather" Moody keep listeners informed with an unpredictable mix of driver interviews, listener phone calls and insightful commentary. Get in on the action and call 1-866-PIT-LANE (866-748-5263).
TICKETING TACTICS
One of the primary focuses of RPM through the Newsletter and the Workshops is helping to sell more event tickets.

We will be looking at several different tactics to help sell more event tickets.

Ultimately it’s up to you to make your event a success. And that includes driving event ticket sales. While we all think track preparation and how great the lawn is mowed is critical, if nobody knows about the event, they never see that hard work and sadly, it all doesn't pay off.

Exactly 40% of ticketing salespeople and promoters (including marketers selling event tickets) think finding new prospects is the most difficult part of their job. Another 36% of those surveyed said that actually making the sale is even harder. Luckily for you, modern event ticket sales strategies have a lot to teach marketers about how to improve in both of these critical areas.

When to start selling tickets online;

You should begin event ticket sales ASAP. More independent than ever, today’s consumers have become savvy shoppers, seeking out information about a product or event as soon as it becomes available. In fact, 19% of buyers want to connect with an event brand right when they first learn about it. And once they’ve done their own research, checked in with their network, and reviewed your online presence, in a few short hours they’re ready to make their purchase, almost immediately.

This all means that your ticketing has to be up and ready to go when you first announce your event. Even if you’re not done planning the rest of it. Because as soon as your prospects get wind of it, in studies it reflects more than one third of them will be ready to purchase on the spot or, at the very least, won’t require much time to make their decision and would prefer to buy tickets as soon as they decide to.

So if your event is annual, start selling tickets for next year’s iteration the same day this year’s event ends. Or if it’s the first time this event will take place, make sure your ticketing software is up and running before you send out your very first press release. Your prospects will thank you for it.

Last year alone, an estimated 1.8 billion people made purchases online. In the first quarter of 2019, smartphones were ranked #1 as the device most used for digital shopping globally. In fact, the popularity of mobile for making purchases both large and small has been named as one of the most prominent commerce trends you can use to boost your sales this coming year and beyond.

So in addition to having a regular ticketing site or system, make sure you have an event ticket sales presence on mobile through an app or a mobile-friendly website. A mobile sales platform that makes it super easy for potential attendees to register for your event on their mobile devices. Which is why having the right tech stack in place ahead of time can be really helpful.

If you’re just getting started, make sure your ticketing software can accurately register sales made through all of your available channels in real time. That way you’ll prevent unnecessary snags (like selling out on mobile but not on desktop) and ultimately keep your brand looking polished the whole way through the sales process.
Create scarcity.

"Inc.com" says scarcity is one of the most important tactics you can use to fuel sales. As long as you’re truthful about your claims (like only having 10 VIP tickets left) and use it sparingly, scarcity marketing can boost sales by as much as 226%. The two main categories of scarcity for online ticket sales methods include:

  • Quantity. Whether it’s a limited number of seats, VIP packages, or add-on experiences, keeping availability low will persuade those who are on the fence to buy now instead of waiting. Examples of quantity scarcity for event ticket sales include limited early bird tickets for conferences and first row seating at live shows. To drive this point home with site visitors, add tickers that display how many tickets are left in real time. You can also flip it and show how many tickets have already been purchased if you want to enact a little FOMO ("Fear of Missing Out" - a tactic that is especially effective with Millennials).

  • Time. If your event ticket website visitors have all the time in the world to make up their minds, they’re less likely to convert. Simply by adding a countdown clock to their product page, one online retail company was able to increase their sales by 9%. Display timers or clearly state the sales end time/date on your website to influence prospects.

Start a referral program.

If your ticket sales are lackluster, it might mean you’re like the majority of salespeople or advertising aren’t getting in front of enough prospects.

And while there is no hard and fast rule regarding how many leads it takes on average to make a sale, it is a numbers game. Which is one of the many reasons why referral programs are so great for event ticket sales.

In fact, 92% of survey respondents trusted customer referrals if they were given by people they personally know. And people who received these personal referrals were 4 times more likely to buy after getting the recommendation than if they had organically discovered it elsewhere.

So not only do event ticket sale referral programs get you in front of more prospects, those prospects will also be more likely to purchase.
Use email drip campaigns.

Companies who use email drip campaigns see an increase in sales by approximately 20% on average. Nurturing leads through a series of automated and well timed messages is a great long term strategy because prospects who have interacted with your brand over a consistent period of time are more likely to make larger purchases.

Using email drip campaigns is a great way to sell out faster and more efficiently. Use contacts like attendees from past events, prospects sourced by your sales department, and industry micro influencers to build your event ticket sales email list.
Share on social media seven simple ways

Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Check out our Instagram feed! How often have you seen or heard these exclamatory calls to action (CTAs) in the last couple years? Probably enough to the point where you’ve tuned it out. Setting up a Facebook page and blanket sharing your blog updates is a pointless endeavor if you don’t have an audience. Reposting a tweet to your Instagram profile won’t transfer over well (it’s a visual platform you guys!), and frankly, it’s just plain lazy.

The point is that to win at social media, you have to put in the effort to understand each network’s quirks, and implement a well thought-out strategy to succeed.

For marketing an event, leveraging the power of social media can push your ticket sales to the next level. Events are inherently social, so it only makes sense to dedicate resources into the different channels that have sprouted up in recent years. So here are our best social media tactics to use for marketing your event.

Just like you want to capitalize on cross-promotional opportunities with your sponsors, you must also attempt to access the connections of your speakers or event entertainment. While they are likely to post about your upcoming event on their own, make it easier for them.

You can do this by designing personalized event imagery that they can post to social media. Since you have already created your own event imagery, you may be able to edit it in a manner that features your speaker or entertainer. They will be flattered by the gesture and will be sure to post it to their social sites—automatically increasing awareness of your upcoming event.

You can also create PPC ads on social media to generate new eyes on your social posts about your event.

Posting PPC ads on social is not only cost-effective but also allows you to employ targeted and retargeting methods. This will be far more effective in driving ticket sales. Because the key to success with PPC is to create an enticing headline that makes potential ticket buyers want to learn more. And if they click on your ad and aren’t interested, they still might like, share, or comment on it.
Re-share attendees’ photos on Instagram

Every interaction attendees have with your event’s brand is a golden opportunity.

Re-sharing photos is a great way to capitalize on this. Instagram doesn’t have as much built-in sharing capabilities as other social networks. What it does offer is photo mentioning. Instagrammers can mention their friends in a photo’s comments by typing in their username. The friend will get a notification letting them know of the mention.

By re-sharing attendee photos in your feed, you can unlock some brand exposure through mentioning. People get pumped when a brand mentions them directly. They’ll want to tell their friends about it, and what easier way than by mentioning them in the comments?
Create and run contests

A nice segue from the first tip is holding contests to promote sharing across your social media channels like Instagram.

For this to work, you must make it insanely easy to complete the steps to enter the contest. Also, ensure that your giveaway is relevant to your audience.

Pro-tip: Free tickets are a great giveaway. You can make the assumption that anyone who enters the contest is interested in attending your event.

Incentivize social sharing through promos

Next up on the list, you want to create a strategy to get your event-related posts out there. Aside from paid sponsored posts, you must identify a few local, industry, or niche influencers, whom you can incentivize to share your posts on their social platforms.

You must be strategic about whom you pick, by selecting influencers with a strong audience base in one of your key demographics. Keep in mind, this could even be one of your secondary audience bases because your influencers don’t have to be famous. But, they do need to be a YouTube or social media star of whom every post they make is shared, liked, and commented on.

You can also incentivize your organic attendees to generate even more natural buzz. It is in their best interest to get their friends to buy tickets to your event – events are always more fun when you know someone that’s going.

To encourage social sharing, offer small discounts on ticket prices when attendees share to their networks. You can arm them with a promo code to accomplish this.

Spend a little budget to increase engagement on Twitter

If you don’t have a massive following on Twitter, utilizing their advertising tools can jumpstart your efforts.

Twitter’s advertising platform offers event marketers many options to choose from. For increasing engagement, I suggest utilizing their Tweet Engagements campaign. This campaign makes it super easy for your target audience to share, retweet, and favorite your ad creatives.

Leverage your Competitors / Participants Audience

This is an easy one. Get in touch with your racers pre-event and get them to help promote the events. Even create a schedule of certain drivers you can us for certain events through their own social channels. If someone is doing speaking engagements, they likely have a large network to cross-promote into.

You can also tag the racer in your own social media posts to encourage them to reshare. Additionally, giving them referral codes to use when promoting will allow you to track the ticket sales they’re generating for you.

A few cross-promotional ideas for events include:

  • Writing or posting a press release / guest article or blog on each other’s sites.
  • Posting about each other or social media.
  • Creating cross-promotional signage at the venue.
  • Creating cross-sale promotions.
  • Highlighting one another in our upcoming email newsletter.
  • Sending out a cross-promotional and/or event announcement to both of your email lists.

Share event content in Linkedin Groups

This only works for certain niche events, but worth exploring nonetheless. Browsing through Linkedin Groups, you’ll find marketing groups with some specific to lead generation. Depending on what your event is, these members could fit into your target audience. LinkedIn can be a highly effective platform to promote niche events.

Join the groups, contribute quality content, and post about your event when the timing is right.
Consider sharing event details on your city’s subreddit

A misconception with marketing on Reddit is that the community eviscerates anything you submit. WRONG! The smart event marketer can traverse the Reddit waters by actually contributing meaningful content for a relevant subreddit.

A subreddit is a sub-community focused on a specific topic. If you live in a large enough city, there’s a good chance it’ll have a dedicated subreddit. Many of these have event calendars or weekly posts of stuff to do. Take advantage of this by contacting the subreddit’s moderator to see if your event can get added. You can also submit a link about your event to a subreddit.

Feature video content.

You only have about 8 seconds to grab someone’s attention. Which is why interactive features, like videos, are so effective when added to an event ticket landing page. The Kelsey Group’s research also shows that 21% of landing page visitors who have the option to view a 60 second video were practically guaranteed to make a purchase. Whether it’s a highlights reel from last week or event last year, interviews from brand reps, or a detailed explanation of ticketing packages, featuring video content on your landing page could increase sales anywhere from 20% to 86%.

Share testimonials from last year’s event.

It turns out that 90% of people believe that reading positive testimonials online will influence their buying decision. This stat includes third party review sites as well. So you can imagine the impact it would have on your event ticket sales landing page, of which you have complete creative control! Even big brands like ChowNow have found that adding customer testimonials to their landing pages have increased sales by 20-25%, so there’s no reason why it wouldn’t boost your event ticket sales as well.
Best Online Ticket Sales Tools

In the U.S. these past five years, online ticket sales have steadily grown by 8.3% with the help of better sales strategies and more advanced software.

To sell tickets online, you’ll need a great website, a ticketing platform (if your website doesn’t include one), and other digital sales related programs. Depending on what you choose, you should consider adopting one or more of these online ticket sales tools.

There are lots of ways to attract and convert prospective ticket purchasing customers. Armed with these tips and tricks, you’re ready to increase ticketing website conversions, boost event discoverability, and influence your way to full capacity. Here are the key ideas to keep in mind:

  • Take advantage of many powerful online ticket sales tools available today.
  • Increase ticket sales through consumer trends, limit ticket quantity or purchase time frame, and make use of referrals.
  • Boost ticket sales conversions through videos, featured speakers, and testimonials.

Just remember that your ticket sales tools and strategies should always be regularly monitored and reevaluated to find the perfect, most effective mix of tactics for your audience.

While this is about tactics, it’s important to note that having a strategy in place fuels any social media expirements you test out. Set goals, define your target audience, and hustle your way to a sold out event.

Use the best tech to make the process as easy as possible. Create urgency with early-bird pricing, limited time deals, and marketing copy. Give deals to large groups. Invest in marketing your event to get the word out.
How do you price event tickets?

Do research on pricing for similar events in your area. Do some math to figure out how many attendees you’d need at a few different price points in order to cover costs or turn a profit and use that information to guide your pricing.
Customers in line waiting to purchase tickets. Some of these customers may want to jump the line and may be more likely to purchase tickets in advance for a better event experience. Satisfied and well serviced fans help increase a strong bottom line.
NOMINATIONS SET, VOTING OPENS FOR REGIONAL ARPY AWARDS, THE RPM OUTSTANDING EVENT OF THE YEAR AND THE
46TH ANNUAL AUTO-RACING PROMOTER OF THE YEAR

  • Nominee List Included along with Link for Voting -

The nomination ballot has been set for the 46th Annual Auto Racing Promoter of the Year, regional Auto Racing Promoter’s of the Year and the RPM Outstanding Event of the Year and is released below.

Voting begins today and will run through midnight on Tuesday, February 1st, 2022 to determine all award winners.

Region 1 Nominees: Lyle DeVore, Albany-Saratoga Speedway, NY; Paul Cole, Land of Legends Raceway, NY; Bobby Webber, Star Speedway, NH; Cris Michaud, Thunder Road, VT; Kolten Gouse, BAPS Motor Speedway, PA; Mark Arute, Stafford Speedway, CT; Steve O'Neal, Port Royal Speedway, PA; Bill Hribar, Jennerstown Speedway, PA.

Region 2 Nominees: Tim Bryant, Five Flags Speedway, FL; Scott Childress, Cherokee Speedway, SC; Jack McNelly & Keeley Dubensky, CARS Tour, NC; Bubba Pollard, Senoia Raceway, GA; Casey Moses & Dustin Dunlap, Smokey Mountain Speedway, TN; Camron Ray, Citrus County Speedway, FL; Jay Wells, Southern Raceway, FL.

Region 3 Nominees: Matt Curl, Fairbury American Legion Speedway, IL; Randy Maggio, Painesville Speedway/Lorain County Speedway, OH; Kevin Gundaker, Tri City Speedway, IL; Jeff Streigle, Berlin Raceway, MI; Duane Hancock, Attica Fremont Challenge Series, OH; David Deery, Rockford Speedway, IL; Jerry Gappens, Gas City I-69 Speedway, IN; Larry Boos, Montpelier Motor Speedway & Rumble at Fort Wayne, IN

Region 4 Nominees: Todd Thelen, Slinger Super Speedway, WI; Gregg McKarns, Angell Park Speedway, WI; Jerry Auby/Gerald Auby, Dells Raceway Park, WI; Bob Kaufmann, Cedar Lake Speedway, WI; Johnson/Quiring, Husets Speedway, SD; Terry Tucker, Jefferson Speedway, WI; Steve Sinclair, IRA Sprint Car Series, WI

Region 5 Nominees: Joe Kosiski, I-80 Speedway, NE; Ray Marler, I-55 Speedway, MO; Brad Stevens, 34 Raceway, IA; John McCoy, Knoxville Raceway, IA; Don Marrs, Lakeside Speedway, KS; John Allen, 81 Speedway, KS

Region 6 Nominees: Scott & Kim Russell, Placerville Speedway, CA; Dennis Gage, Silver Dollar Speedway, Marysville Raceway, CA; Steve Beitler, Skagit Speedway, WA; Emmett Hahn, Tulsa Expo Raceway, OK; Chris Stepen, Vado Speedway Park, NM; Ryan Ux, Bullring at Las Vegas, NV; Tim Huddleson, Irwindale Speedway, CA; Peter Murphy, Keller Auto Speedway, CA; Trent & Brenda Francis, Crowley's Ridge Raceway, AR

Outstanding Event Nominees: Malta Madness, Albany-Saratoga Speedway, NY; Knoxville Nationals, Knoxville Raceway, IA; Gerald Hears Memorial, Land of Legends Raceway, NY; USA Nationals, Cedar Lake Speedway, WI; SRX Nashville, Nashville Fairgrounds, TN; CARS Tour Throwback 276, Hickory Motor Speedway, NC; Buckeye Figure 8 Nationals, Painesville Speedway, OH; Pat & Jim Pettit Memorial Shootout, Ocean Speedway, CA; Kokomo Smackdown, Kokomo Speedway, IN; Slocum 50, 34 Raceway, IA; Ironman 55, I-55 Raceway, MO; Oktoberfest, Lacrosse Fairgrounds Speedway, WI; Summer Nationals, Ransomville Speedway, NY; Rumble in Fort Wayne, IN; Sage Fruit Skagit National, Skagit Speedway, WA

The link for balloting is as follows: https://forms.gle/fqZdb6gXsdvvcJvo6 (All regions must be voted for. Ballots may be rejected).

Ray Marler, who promoters I-55 Speedway in Pevely, Missouri, was introduced as the 45th Auto-Racing Promoter of the Year in February of 2021 at the 48th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops presented at the Daytona Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach, Florida, representing Region Five, the Great Plains region of RPM balloting.

The 46th Auto-Racing Promoter of the Year Award will be presented at the 49th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops at the Daytona Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach, Florida, February 13-15, 2022.
TRACK ENTERPRISES PURCHASES CHAMPION RACING ASSOCIATION WITH KEY STAFFERS REMAINING
Plans Underway to Build a National Super Late Model Tour Featuring Top Racetracks and Series Across the Country

Officials from Track Enterprises and Champion Racing Association (CRA) announced a joint agreement today revealing Track Enterprises will purchase CRA.

The Salem, Ind.,-based sanctioning body operates four touring divisions including the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS, the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour presented by Chevrolet Performance, Van Hoy Oil CRA Street Stocks Powered by JEGS and the Vore’s CRA Late Model Sportsman Powered by JEGS

Former co-owner and Series Director Glenn Luckett, Chief Technical Director Eddie Chew and Director of Operations/Chief Scorer Greg Wood will remain on staff.

“Track Enterprises has racetracks and promotional agreements across the Midwest and Southeast encompassing over 80 events a year,” said former Auto-Racing Promoter of the Year, Bob Sargent. “This purchase is a natural extension of the work we already do with CRA, so we’ll be able to achieve some economies of scale with purchasing, staffing, sponsorship sales and promotional efforts.

“Our goal is to bring more to the racers and the series’ race tracks, which will in turn bring more excitement to the fans. We’ve got some big plans for 2023 and beyond. We’ve already started laying the groundwork for a national super late model tour. We view this as a collective win for the tracks, fans, and racers alike. Discussions have already been had with top tracks and series in the nation and there are more discussions to come. Many of our peers and competitors look at what we’re doing and draw comparisons to the American Speed Association (ASA) during its years of short track leadership. We already work with other great series with Tim Bryant and his Southern Super Series and Gregg McKarns and his ARCA Midwest Tour. Our goal is to bring these groups together for a full schedule of events, much like the days of The Stock Car Connection led by Rex Robbins with ASA, Bob Harmon with the NASCAR All-Pro Series and Tom Curley with ACT.”

Track Enterprises is a celebrated motorsports promotional organization, operating from its headquarters in Macon, Ill.

Track Enterprises promotes races featuring some of the nation’s most popular touring series including the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, USAC Racing, SRX, DIRTcar UMP, World Of Outlaws, POWRi Racing, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, ARCA Midwest Tour, CRA and the Southern Super Series.

Additionally, Track Enterprises manages racing promotions at Macon (Ill.) Speedway, Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway, and Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway.

Track Enterprises also promotes events at the Springfield (Ill.) Mile, DuQuoin (Ill.) Mile, The Milwaukee Mile, Elko Speedway, Salem (Ind.) Speedway and Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway.

“Glenn and R. J. (Scott) have done a great job with CRA for the last 25 years,” continued Sargent. “I’ve known those guys for years and have always enjoyed working with them. We started conversations about taking CRA and Track Enterprises to the next level to create a real buzz for pavement late-model racing. I’m glad we were able to make this purchase happen and I’m grateful to continue leaning on their experience going forward.”

CRA has been a proving ground for some of the most celebrated stock-car racers from across the country. NASCAR Cup Series’ Champions Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Ken Schrader, Kenny Wallace, Ryan Blaney and Ryan Newman are a just a small sample of some of the most recognizable names in American motorsports to have made laps under the CRA banner.

With an excess of 50 races scheduled across all four series, the 2022 season will take the green flag January 28-29 at Crisp Motorsports Park in Cordele, Ga. While Scott and Luckett are transitioning from the ownership roles, both are confident in the future and direction of the series.

“This has been our baby for the last quarter century,” offered Scott. “We’ve got a lot of blood sweat and tears in CRA. We are proud of what we built with the help of so many great officials, racers, fans, racetracks, promoters and sponsors. It has been hard work in a tough industry, and we are proud that we stood the test of time, but we also knew that if our company was going to take the next step, it was going to take help and leadership from an outside party. Bob Sargent and his team at Track Enterprises are exactly the right people to lead CRA into the future. Personally, I will be stepping away from the day-to-day operations, but will assist Bob with the transition and tackle some special projects for CRA and Track Enterprises.”

For Luckett, not much will change.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Luckett added. “I’ll still serve as series director and in all the same roles I have in the past. I enjoy what I do, and I want to continue to lead this series at the track and be a part of the new, exciting prospects. I’ve worked alongside Bob for years so I’m looking forward to helping him realize his vision for CRA and other projects.”

“For the immediate future, the 2022 CRA season will look very similar to years past, as we get our footing with this new venture and continue to build our plans for 2023 and beyond,” Sargent said. “I hope the racers, fans and our partners are as excited about the future as we are.”

About Track Enterprises …

Track Enterprises is a racing promotion company that oversees popular events that feature top touring series like the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, USAC Racing, SRX, DIRTcar UMP, World Of Outlaws, POWRi Racing, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, ARCA Midwest Tour. CRA, Southern Super Series, and more. The company also oversees all racing promotions at Macon Speedway, Lincoln Speedway, and Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

For more information on the upcoming racing schedule, visit www.trackenterprises.com (http://www.trackenterprises.com/) , like the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TrackEnterprises, or call the office at 217-764-3200.

Photo Below: Former Auto Racing Promoter of the Year, Bob Sargent is always working, the CRA purchase is just another example of his passion for this business.
RPM ENDORSEMENT; Kami Arnold and Scott Russell who promote Placerville Speedway, the Sprint Car Challenge Tour and the "Hangtown 100" offered the following; "10-out-of-10. This is our 5th Conference and each we learn something new and informative. We also build new relationships and cultivate old ones. We are thankful for RPM giving us the opportunity to grow, improve and develop as Promoters."
Make Your Plans Now to Join us In Daytona Beach; the 49th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops will once again take place on the World's Most Famous Beach returning the to Plaza Spa & Resort on Monday, February 14 and Tuesday, February 15, 2022. Please be advised that the SuperBowl will take place on Sunday, February 13, 2022, the evening before the Workshops open. This occurred last year, but as the National Football League has extended their season by one game, it forces their marquee event to take place one week before the Daytona 500 once again. Room rates will be as follows; Studios/Suites $169.00; Ocean View (Coastal/Ocean Front) $139.00; Standard Room $129.00. The hotel link/code for reservation is as follows; http://bookings.ihotelier.com/bookings.jsp?groupID=3291409&hotelID=96954 (http://bookings.ihotelier.com/bookings.jsp?groupID=3291409&hotelID=96954) - www.plazaresortandspa.com.

49th ANNUAL RPM@DAYTONA WORKSHOPS SET TO GO FEBRUARY 14 & 15 AT THE PLAZA RESORT AND SPA IN DAYTONA - RPM@DAYTONA WORKSHOPS “ATTENDEE” REGISTRATION CONTINUES

  • Discounted Rooms Available at the Plaza Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach -

Daytona Beach, Florida (December 29, 2021) – The 49th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops will return to the Plaza Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach, Florida, February 13th, 14th and 15th.

Registration for the 49^th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops are now open. Registration online can be completed here; 2022 Speedweek Workshops @ Daytona - Formstack (https://firethornmarketing.formstack.com/forms/2022_speedweek_workshops) or the form located here may be filled out and returned to RPM via fax (716.685.0923) or e-mail: info@racingpromomonthly.com (info@racingpromomonthly.com) . This and more information can be found at www.promotersnewsletter.com.

The Plaza Resort & Spa, is becoming a familiar destination for RPM attendees and exhibitors will once again place a gracious host to the compelling sessions that will assemble the 49^th Annual Workshop sessions.
A packed agenda stands in front of attendees of the 49th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops at the Plaza Resort & Spa, which will see several new presentations including Chris Dolack, Kendra Jacobs and the featured presentation of John Formica an "Ex Disney Guy", who brings a unique dynamic to the loaded two-days of the Workshops.

If you are looking to make reservations, make them now; the 49th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops take place, Monday, February 14 and Tuesday, February 15th at the Plaza Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach, Florida. Rooms can be booked here; http://bookings.ihotelier.com/bookings.jsp?groupID=3291409&hotelID=96954 (http://bookings.ihotelier.com/bookings.jsp?groupID=3291409&hotelID=96954)

The 49th Annual RPM Workshops in Reno or Daytona stand as a "can't miss" event for track promoters nationwide.

Daytona Workshop Home: Recently it was announced that the new ownership and management team would be investing $45 million in makeover at the Plaza, home to the RPM@Daytona Workshops, which will now be the home of the RPM@Daytona Workshops for the next three years, beginning with 2023, the 50th Anniversary of the RPM Workshops, along with 2024 and 2025.
MyRacePass is proud to be a part of the RPM Workshops. The RPM Workshops are a great opportunity for promoters to get together, gather insight and learn new items that may help their racing program. MyRacePass would also like to offer discounts to current and potential MyRacePass customers for attending the upcoming RPM Workshops, held on February 14th and 15th, 2022, at the Plaza Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The MyRacePass offer for RPM@Daytona:

Any current track or series that uses MyRacePass will be offered a $100 credit to their Race Management for the following billing cycle. Any track or series promoters who sign up within 1 week following the RPM Workshops will receive a $100 credit to their MyRacePass account. Other website discounts will be available as a “RPM Show Only” discount. As a promoter, this is an event you do not want to miss. You must stop at the booth and talk to Kris or Josh to get signed up for the discount.
RPM ENDORSEMENT; Thank you for an exciting show. It was a great help to me and my team. We managed to make a lot of great partners, make a lot of new friends and reconnect with old friends that will help us into the future... Sean Jackson, Salmon Valley Speedway, Salmon Idaho
Steve Sinclair working the K/&K Insurance booth during the 48th annual RPM@Daytona Workshops in 2021

K & K Insurance, based in Fort Wayne, Indiana has been a long-time supporter of the Workshops and will remain one for years to come. More details in regard to this will come shortly. An industry leader providing coverage for the sports, leisure, recreation, entertainment and motorsports industries since 1952. K & K has been a constant of RPM for many years and a believer in the development of the Workshops. K & K has a “hands on” approach with their customers and is “always there” to assist customers with their needs. If not at the RPM Workshops K & K Insurance may be visited at www.kankinsurance.com (https://racingpromotionmonthly.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=70db8dfc535520a74268819cc&id=c78cf67048&e=e8e0424fff)
Photo above; Lenny Sammons, who owns Area Auto Racing News, one of the last remaining weekly trade publications in North America in regard to short track racing, promotes a successful pre-season Motorsports Show and has built the ultra-successful Indoor Racing Series along with his two sons, Danny and Davey.

Typically, the RPM Newsletter does not report "Breaking" News, but in this instance for readers, this situation applies. As a "Nor'Easter" stirred in the Atlantic raging toward the East Coast, ready to affect many cities and regions, including Atlantic City, New Jersey, where Sammons was hosting his Indoor Racing Series in the historic state-owned "Boardwalk Hall" set along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean.

Sammons schedule brought competitors in on Thursday, January 27, with a racing program on Friday, January 28 and the finale on Saturday, January 29.

"We have the competitors here, so our plan is to go ahead," stated Sammons returning an early morning call in regard to the Blizzard situation.

"It's not really different than rain," Sammons continued. "Other than our track won't be affected because it's indoors. It definitely deters people because we were on track to sellout our reserved seats prior to the forecast changing."

Sammons has done an incredible job promoting the three race indoor racing series over the past decade. It has become something that the Northeast region racers truly look forward to, with his car counts exceeding expectations on many occasions.

After not being able to race for nearly 2 years due to the pandemic, Sammons and company had a great return in Allentown just three weeks prior. COVID infections had been a concern of Sammons, however, Sammons has been able to forge forward working within whatever restrictions the communities have placed upon him.

"It's obviously been challenging, we work within whatever the authorities present us," Sammons explains, which even the impending blizzard has placed challenges in front of Sammons and his crew. There could be any amount of restrictions placed on Sammons due to the storm, including a travel ban.

"We have the competitors here, so we would probably just race, if that occurred," continued Sammons. "It's an expensive building, so it would definitely be challenging with no fans. We will remain in constant contact with the authorities and do what we need to do."

Sammons went on, "We encountered a similar weather situation in 2005 and we've already contacted the hotels to extend the rates we have established. The path of the storm leads through New York and New England where many of competitors are from and travel through to attend the event, so we didn't want people who are stuck to have pay more because of their situation or the fact that the event was here, which put them in a position."

Sammons is great resource in promotion as he is always thinking, adjusting and in contact with some of the sports best through his media outlet, along with the fact that he has decades of experience in the sport.
Close quarters, full contact racing defines the brand of competition that the Indoor Racing Series delivers with the TQ Midgets during it's Winter events, giving fans an indoor option when the outdoor scene sits idle in the Northeast.
A Midwest invite to a "Speedweeks" Festival for the "Midwest is Best Pary", a return to a traditional "Speedweeks" party; Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at Dimitrie's Bar, Deck & Grill @ 6:30pm..

For the past few years and throughout the pandemic, FloSports, one of the leading sports streaming services, through its FloRacing brand has built quite an inventory of racing properties, which now includes NASCAR's Weekly and Regional programming (NASCAR Roots).

NASCAR made its debut on Flo with the running of the Chilly Willy at Tuscon (Arizona) Speedway last weekend, which was just the prelude to several Winter events, including World Series of Asphalt Racing at New Smyrna (Florida) Speedway; The IceBreaker at Florence (South Carolina) Motor Speedway the ARCA Menards season opener.

The FloSports announcement was a multi-year agreement for partnership that will make FloRacing the home of NASCAR Roots properties including: the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Pinty’s Series, and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.

In addition to NASCAR FloRacing streams many other sanctions and tracks and probably holds the most inventory in the industry at this point. Their comprehensive offering includes USAC, All Star Circuit of Champions, Eldora Speedway, IRA Outlaw Sprints, Short Track Super Series, Chili Bowl, Gateway Dirt Nationals, Stafford Motor Speedway, Thunder Road and many more. Over 280 NASCAR Roots races annually will stream live and on-demand under the TrackPass banner on FloRacing, transforming the popular platform into the leading destination for grassroots motorsports.

Their inventory includes USAC, Thunder Road, Short Track Super Series, All Star Circuit of Champions and many others.

Uniquely after discussing with several industry insiders, we have discovered that Flo, much like NBC Track Pass before them has subcontracted the production of some of the events to other "telecasters" in the "live streaming" business. This practice has become commonplace, leading us to many questions in regard to the value of the "stream", exceeding the expectations of many due to the additional resources a subcontracting situation requires.

This is an interesting topic for many promoters, beyond the simplicity of placing an event "live" on the internet. It identifies the potential, the viewership and how compelling a product that promoter's deliver on a weekly basis throughout North America and the World. People will pay to watch.

As important as selling the next ticket is, so is creating the proper streaming situation. After talking to Lenny Sammons today, who works with Mike Mallet's very capable DirtTrackDigest.TV staff, he has an additional revenue source incase the predicted blizzard forces him to run without fans. It is a situation many of us have become comfortable with and often we prefer, watching from the comfort of our own homes without missing any of the action, nationwide.

While sometimes it may seem as RPM is beating a topic-to-death, it is also something we take seriously as it not only helps our own promotional businesses, it helps RPM stay in touch far and wide.

The job that Flo has done has been nothing short of amazing.

Fans can subscribe at FloRacing, gaining access to nearly 2,000 races annually for $150 a year, a value equaling less than $0.10 per race. The subscription also unlocks premium FloRacing content including exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes access with drivers, news, analysis as well as archived races and highlights that fans have come to expect from the FloRacing platform. Subscribers also receive complete access to the entire network of FloSports verticals ranging from hockey, wrestling, football, baseball, softball, grappling and more. Watch the races across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.

As promoters it is interesting to note the $150 yearly subscription fee. Does it hurt our gates in regard to the price of a ticket for one night? We certainly hope the "in-person" experience will never lose value or be desensitized, so much that the ultimate choice on a perfect Summer night becomes to watch from home. We have a job to maintain, enhance the thrill we can give competitors with that in person experience.

About FloSports

Founded in 2006, FloSports is a subscription video streaming service dedicated to sports, offering live and on-demand access to hundreds of thousands of competition events across 25+ vertical sport categories in the US and abroad. FloSports’ vision is to give underserved sports the love they deserve. With a growing library of more than 300,000 hours of premium content including news, expert commentary, films, documentaries and more, FloSports has established itself as an innovator and leader in sports streaming. Finally, your sport has a home. For more information, please visit: flosports.tv

The quarter-mile track in Wentworth, N.H., known as Legion or Rumtown Speedway has once again changed hands and is under new ownership.

Ron Giroux, current Sprint Cars of New England Series Director, and Bill Dawley have taken over control of the speedway under the newly formed R&B Motorsports. Giroux will assume the role of promoter and general manager.

With the ownership change, the speedway will once again be known as Legion Speedway.

"I have raced at the speedway several times under the SCoNE sanction and saw some great potential for the facility. After conversations and negotiations with Dan Browne, the previous owner, we came to an agreement to move forward and acquire the track."

Plans for the 2022 season are still coming together.
The North East Mini Stock Tour ready to race at Legion Speedway.
Trail-Way Speedway sold, expected to cease operations.

The famed dirt track has been sold.

In 1971, a race track was born from a cornfield in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Armin Hostetter’s project opened at a horse track and later made the transition to auto racing. The facility is now home to a 1/3-mile dirt track.

However, that’s soon to change as the facility has been sold.

To date, the track has remained in the family that built it. It was turned over to Hostetter’s sons in 2015.

The property includes a 2,400 square foot, 2 story office, double farmhouse which has been converted to three apartments. Another farmhouse and a shed were included.

The track was set to celebrate it’s 50th year of operation. Now, only the previously scheduled winter events will take place. And that’s where the racing likely ends.

There were attempts to sell the facility to someone that would keep the track going. However, that doesn’t look like that will happen as track equipment is set to go up for sale as well.

The track has been sold to a farming company, Circle Oak Farm LP. The company is owned by John Repasky. Official plans from the new owner has not been announced.
Trail-Way Speedway Statement;

“We want to thank all of our loyal race teams, fans, employees and sponsors who have supported Trail-Way Speedway for the last 49 years and hope you will support our decision,” the track statement opened.

“You have been a big part of our lives and have helped make many memories that we will continue to cherish and share for years to come.”

“At this time, we would like to announce that the Trail-Way Speedway has been sold including all of the surrounding farmland to Circle Oak Farm LP, 5000 Hanover Road, Hanover, PA.”

“All four of our winter shows, including Motorama Races and Show held in Harrisburg, PA every February, have NOT been sold and will continue to be run under Motorama Productions Inc.”

“List of items that will be sold will be announced in the near future on our website and on social media.”
Two Sprint Cars blast around the turns at Trail-Way Raceway.

PERFORMANCE RACING INDUSTRY (PRI) MEMBERSHIP HEADQUARTERS

Performance Racing Industry (PRI) has purchased a 42,500-square-foot building in Speedway, Indiana to serve as PRI Membership Headquarters and offer programs and services to assist the motorsports community.

“Indianapolis is the epicenter of motorsports in America and the world, and we are excited to work alongside our Indianapolis neighbors and racing industry icons, and be at the forefront of the racing community,” said PRI President Dr. Jamie Meyer. “PRI Membership is a groundbreaking program that unites the industry and creates a collective voice for the motorsports community to address any challenges and needs.”

By establishing its PRI Membership Headquarters on Main Street in Speedway, Ind., PRI has solidified its commitment to Indianapolis, site of the organization’s annual PRI Trade Show. The building, which will be a key tool in helping expand PRI Membership, will include office space for dedicated staff, have a Content Factory where garage space will be transformed into a content generation machine, offer live and virtual educational opportunities, host motorsports gatherings and membership meetings, and more.

The new PRI Membership Headquarters will also support other PRI initiatives. PRI launched the PRI Road Tour in 2020 where staff embarked on a nationwide trek visiting motorsports companies and tracks, sharing their stories and increasing awareness to billions of enthusiasts. PRI Membership followed in early 2021, giving businesses and individuals the opportunity to unite and advocate for the protection and growth of the racing industry. The recent PRI Show in December 2021 included 50,000 attendees and marked the motorsports industry’s largest trade gathering since the pandemic began in March 2020.

“PRI is at the forefront of building, promoting, and protecting the racing community,” said Meyer. “The new PRI Membership Headquarters in Indianapolis will allow us to expand on the PRI Membership promise to unite the industry and remain a strong voice for the racing community.”

PRI Membership Headquarters is scheduled to open in May 2022, just in time for the running of the Indianapolis 500.

The PRI Show was created in 1988 and found its home in Indianapolis, where 16 of the 33 Shows have been held. The Show encompasses all forms of racing and attracts attendees from all 50 states and across the globe, including professional race teams, retail shops, warehouse distributors, engine builders, fabricators, dealers, installers, jobbers, and media.

Photo above: Tennessee National Raceway is beautiful dirt track facility.

Tennessee National Raceway in Hohenwald, Tennessee - 3/8-mile dirt oval For Sale;

As reported first by "Outside Groove" and Mike Adaskaveg, the word recently got out that Tennessee National Raceway was on the market.

The sales pitch gave no indication that the situation was due to other sad circumstances.

“We lost Brad Pinkerton, my husband, who was crucial to the success of the track,” said Sarah Dubrava, who kept the books and ran the office while Pinkerton filled the role of promoter. “It has been really hard to continue.

Pinkerton passed away on June 15, 2020, at the young age of 44. He was both a racer and a promoter who loved the business of the sport. He worked in the family concrete business and died on the job from a massive stroke. Dubrava’s father, William Hibbits, owns the track.

“Brad kept everything running — the push trucks, the graders, and the scales,” Dubrava said. “Brad was amazing. He had the unique ability to understand the driver’s side of the business and explain the administrative side of the business to the drivers.”

The track had just started running the Crate Racin’ USA (CRUSA) late model sportsman (602) and modified sportsman classes.

“We tried to make it in 2021, but it just didn’t’ happen,” Dubrava said. “We couldn’t find someone with the same values that Brad had. Someone who would treat the drivers well and run the track well. Someone who was on the same page we were on.”

The real estate ad is here; (316 Racetrack Rd Hohenwald TN - MLS #2314808 (nashvillesmls.com (https://www.nashvillesmls.com/listing/2314808-316-racetrack-rd-hohenwald-tn-38462/) - www.nashvillesmls.com/listing/2314808-316-racetrack-rd-hohenwald-tn-38462/) - The asking price for Tennessee National Raceway is $495,000. The MLS Number is #2314808.

“The track is beautiful,” said Dubrava. “We made improvements. There is a 2,000-seat aluminum grandstand. The concessions are clean, the office building is modern and we had just installed a transponder loop linked to an electronic scoring system. It’s priced so someone could make a go of it as a racetrack.”
Sprint Car Fire Supression System;

By the first event of 2023, fire suppression systems will be required for all World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series competitors. Sprint Car Safety Council members are in the process of working with SFI and manufacturers to develop a set of specifications which is anticipated to be completed by May 2022. It is anticipated that the specifications will include required number of nozzle(s) and their location, minimum 5lb system, bottle construction, type of mounting hardware, etc. It is recommended that anyone considering a sprint car fire suppression system should wait until the SFI specifications are released before making a purchase. If you intend to install a system before the SFI specification is completed, be aware you may be required to update it when the SFI specification is mandatory in 2023.

Sheheen named President of the West Coast Stock / Motorsports Hall of Fame
Ralph Sheheen, co-owner of Speed Sport and a nationally recognized motorsports broadcaster, has been named President of the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame.

West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Chairman/CEO Ken Clapp also announced addition of two members to the Hall’s Board of Directors. They are Jill Gregory, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Sonoma Raceway and Harold Osmer, an award-winning author and motorsports historian. Their election brings the Board’s membership to 26.

“The West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame has taken a major step forward in 2022 with the acceptance of Ralph Sheheen to serve as our president and the addition of Jill Gregory and Harold Osmer as Board of Directors members,” said Ken Clapp, Chairman and CEO of the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame.

“Ralph has been the face of our organization as the longtime master of ceremonies of the Hall’s annual Induction gala. His stature as a prominent journalist and broadcaster, along with his business success, makes him the logical person to serve as the Hall’s second in command.

“Jill Gregory took leadership of Sonoma Raceway at a difficult time but despite the challenges of the ongoing Pandemic, she and her staff are quickly moving Northern California racing forward. She offered the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame the use of its new VIP/Hospitality complex outside Turn 11 for our June 9 Induction Gala, presented by World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. We served together on the Board of Directors of Iowa Speedway during Jill’s NASCAR tenure and I can attest to her vision within the industry.

“Harold Osmer falls into the “one of a kind” category as one who is a walking and breathing encyclopedia of racing in Southern California since the advent of the race car. He is a talented journalist whose inquisitive mind has uncovered nuggets many of us ‘long timers’ had missed. Having Osmer on the board is a no-brainer as we make certain all of the sport’s early stars can be recognized.”

Sheheen has been a member of the Hall’s Board of Directors for nearly a decade, serving as Master of Ceremonies of its annual Induction Gala. The native of Sacramento, Calif. has been broadcasting motorsports on national television for more than 30 years covering everything from Swamp Buggies to Formula One and from Supercross to Moto G-P.

During his lengthy career he has held microphones for major television networks including CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN among others. Sheheen also has worked on the biggest racing radio networks in the country including PRN, MRN and the Indy Radio Network. He has spent many hours broadcasting races over the public address systems at many of the world’s most famous race tracks including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Daytona International Speedway.

Sheheen is co-owner President of SPEED SPORT, the oldest, most trusted brand name in American motorsports journalism. SPEED SPORT, which is over 85 years old, is a full-fledged media company covering every form of racing and includes two monthly publications, SPEED SPORT Magazine and Sprint Car and Midget. The SPEEDSPORT.TV Network is home to over 75 affiliates and broadcasts over 1,500 live streamed motorsports events annually

About the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame:

The West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame was conceived in 2001 as a means of recognizing significant contributors and contributions to the sport of stock car/motorsports competition. The mission of the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame is to preserve history and heritage of the key role west coast stock car and motorsports figures have played in the sport’s development and continuation and to recognize, through annual enshrinement, of outstanding individuals and groups within the sport such as, but not limited to, designers, engineers, mechanics, drivers, race track owners, promoters, publicists and members of the motorsports media.

The Hall is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, dedicated to supporting a variety of organizations and groups from coast to coast. During its tenure, the Hall has raised more than $600,000 in the past five of its 20 years for youth, health and safety, hospitals, animal rescue, military and other charitable causes.

For more information on the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame visit: www.WestCoastStockCarHallofFame.com (http://www.westcoaststockcarhalloffame.com/)

Daytona 500 sells out for 64th running of The Great American Race
Reserved tickets for the 64th annual Daytona 500, the tradition-rich, prestigious season-opening event for the NASCAR Cup Series, are sold out, The race had five consecutive sellouts before last year’s reduced-capacity crowd due to the pandemic and will continue its strong attendance run next month.

This year’s running of The Great American Race marks the points-race debut of the new, hotly anticipated Next Gen car.

“The fans have definitely spoken,” Daytona track president Frank Kelleher said. “We’re going to have a packed house for the 64th annual Daytona 500, but we are happy to showcase a multitude of other opportunities for fans to be a part of The Great American Race, in addition to all of the other racing action that makes up Speedweeks presented by AdventHealth.”

While reserved frontstretch seating and RV camping have sold out, there are still plenty of ways to experience the pageantry of NASCAR’s annual season opener in addition to all other events throughout Speedweeks.

A new Daytona 500 ticket package is being offered for $145 per person that gives fans admission to the UNOH Fanzone plus pre-race access to the Luke Combs concert and driver introductions. In the UNOH Fanzone, families can peer into the garage of their favorite driver plus witness special driver and VIP appearances.

Fans can also take their Daytona experience to the next level with many fan hospitality options. There are still a variety of hospitality packages left in the Rolex 24 Lounge Suites and the all-new Harley J’s Experience (High Banks Suite with a view atop the frontstretch seating).
RPM Market Place;

Our friends at RacingJunk.com have agreed to help us with our RPM Market Place project. Visit the included link to identify with some track materials;
Miscellaneous/Other, Tracks/Real Estate for sale on RacingJunk (https://www.racingjunk.com/category/1371/tracks-real-estate.html?page=2) - www.racingjunk.com/category/1371/tracks-real-estate.html?page=2

We will continue our quest as in past issues, that we are willing to help people find what they are looking for or place classified ads for equipment or real estate that anyone may want to sell. Please feel free to contact us in regard to publishing; info@racingpromomonthly.com

Our TraxPix section starts off with Scenes from the Chili Bowl, where Tanner Thorson avoided this flip and went on to win his first Chili Bowl. IMCA Modifieds in close competition at Cocopah during the recent Winternationals. Devin Moran kicked off the Lucas Oil Late Model Series with a big win at Golden Isle Speedway. Confetti has become a big part of victory lane celebrations in recent years.

A "throwback session. (Clockwise beginning at top left); Ron Esau of Lakeland, California, who won the 1986 NASCAR Southwest Series Late Model championship, passed away at the age of 67 recently. In this photo he races Donnie Allision at Marion Collins, Mesa Marin Raceway near Bakersfield, California. Ramp Trucks were some of the best advertising stock car racing ever had. Here is an excellent example with ARTGO decals. Bobby Allision in a unique photo, that would never take place in today's "don't touch the car" world of "Big Time Stock Car" racing on the back of one of the DiGard Racing machines, one of the teams that forever changed the sport. Rick Raducha, an RPM presenter recently shared this photo with Bentley Warren (who drove the 29 and Russ Wood (who drove the 26) ISMA Super Modifieds, stating it was easier to get sponsorship when you were representing Bentley Warren.
Slip and Falls, a never changing dilemna...

With the weather taking a turn lately, it may be a good time to once again look at your facility and make sure everything is in proper order;

Preparing can take away the nasty word "negligence". Often times slip or fall accidents occur due to the negligence of another and more often negligence is sought as a solution to a bad situation. With the constantly moving the goal posts, we are pressed to be more prepared than ever.

If you do an internet search of "slip and fall" it is amazing the amount of legal assistance there is for plaintiffs in regard to trying to achieve a beneficial settlement in regard to . This has become an individual segment of legal business where attorney's can focus on making a living.

As we continue to move forward into whatever becomes our "new normal" based on the continued changing direction of the pandemic, we have to remain prepared, unfortunately in our circumstances, many times for the worst situation possible.

As facilities evolve into multi-purpose facilities due to current economic climate conditions, this rings true much more. Different traffic or pedestrian patterns forces us to look at our facilities differently.

As different and edited regulations for attendees and workers or employees continue evolve we must keep up and maintain the pace. At every corner lately, it seems that we are in a constant state of flux.

Unfortunately, if we know this and choose not to do anything about it, it puts us in a position where that nasty word "negligence" comes into play. It is our responsibility to make sure we do as much possible to prevent ourselves from being placed in a bad situation.

The prevention is in the details, no matter what they may be, whether that's making sure a walkway is cleaned and unobstructed or that you have an extra package of medical gloves at a cleansing station, just in case - it always becomes our responsibility.

We advise that you check with your insurance company and your local authorities in regard to policies, regulations and expectations. You may even find a conversation with either will help you to achieve a better solution than originally anticipated.

Review your policies. If you have counsel on retainer, check in with them, see if they know or have examples that can help you prepare.

Thiis has been a common them for all of us and with the Newsletter and the Workshops in communicating this message. With the weather the Winter has provided, we thought this was an appropriate message. Unfortunately, we all become complacent and complacency often times leads us down paths that do not create positive results.

Stay tuned for more details as we continue to learn ourselves.
REFERENCE POINTS, DOCUMENT WAREHOUSE / DATABASE AND INFORMATION "CATCH ALL"

  • These links and notes will be here as long as this remains a relevant topic providing folks with an easy location for reference -

There was a press to create the proper “toolbox” of documents to give tracks the opportunity to return to racing safely. Several individuals and organizations worked diligently to create the right “playbook” and all were successful in creating programs that could lead a track in the proper direction to follow all set requirements and provide the opportunity to reopen.

We have included links and documents to provide our readers access to as many as we could find, however, this is a constantly evolving process so new information and updated “better” documents could be edited and issued in lieu of what we have to offer, however we will do our best to keep you up to speed with the most relevant information we can. We intend to keep these documents available for as long as they will be required throughout the duration of the pandemic.

Directly from the CDC; https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/Mass-Gatherings-Document_FINAL.pdf

DIRTcar has issued a COVID-19 Resource Center (https://dirtcar.com/covid-19-resources/) which provides a 10-step Return to Racing Process. Along with the 10-step process, DIRTcar offers an Executive Summary (https://worldofoutlaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/GENERIC_EXEC_SUMMARY_4.23.20.pdf) ; Participant Only Operations (https://worldofoutlaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Participant_Operational_Procedure_4.27.20.pdf); Spectator Operations (https://worldofoutlaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Spectators_Operational_Procedure4.27.20.pdf); and Participant Exhibit/Template (https://worldofoutlaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Exhibits_GENERIC_4.23.20_wLINK.pdf) which is an easy to follow event template.

In addition DIRTcar issued Participant (https://worldofoutlaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Participant_Guidelines_4.23.20-1.pdf) and Spectator (https://worldofoutlaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Spectator_Guidelines_4.23.20-1.pdf) Guidelines.

DIRTcar officials have encouraged weekly tracks to utilize and customize the templates to meet the track managements local needs. In addition you can e-mail DIRTcar officials with questions in regard to the information they provided, which also opens a great channel for valuable dialogue that could create additional help for all.

Performance Racing Industry (PRI) offers an incredible resource center from the business perspective of the sport (https://performanceracing.com/corona-updates/) that covers Federal Business aid. Worldwide updates from sanctioning bodies and series as well state-by-state information from SEMA in regard to how each state defines “essential business” for the auto industry. In addition PRI took time to link each of the Governments agencies that carry pertinent information in regard to the pandemic. PRI also provides the following; http://pages.message.performanceracing.com/racetrack-info-state-list/?utm_source=ET&utm_medium=email&utm_content=451629&utm_campaign=PRI+June+3+Newsletter+V4N22 (http://pages.message.performanceracing.com/racetrack-info-state-list/?utm_source=ET&utm_medium=email&utm_content=451629&utm_campaign=PRI+June+3+Newsletter+V4N22)

Through PRI's parent company SEMA there has been a Coronavirus resources page created referencing Federal Aid for Small Business, Show Status, State-by-State breakdowns, of many different items. You can find that here; https://pages.message.sema.org/corona-virus-updates-state-list/

AMA Racing has released the Safe to Race program; https://mxs.iscdn.net/2020/05/1134_safetorace_finaltookit.pdf; https://mxs.iscdn.net/2020/05/1148_sample_preeventmessaging.pdf; https://mxs.iscdn.net/2020/05/1146_safetoracesignage.pdf and https://www.dropbox.com/sh/l452zd20ppjmm47/AABFD9_yoLT4ewJtG0Ge8fhea?dl=0 - all information is geared toward motocross and ATV type racing, but also helps to maintain a consistent message throughout the motorsports industry.

The Wynn in Las Vegas, Nevada has published their public health plan for reopening, which we thought would be an interesting document for reference; https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/23/a3/e1a1ed3e446f876aeb7707742423/wynn-health-plan.pdf

The United States Motorsports Association has offered their own version of the "toolkit" as well including a guideline for members of the media; https://www.unitedstatesmotorsports.com/toolkit-resorces-page

Additional Links that may provide helpful information and resources;
https://www.uschamber.com/article/state-by-state-business-reopening-guidance
https://www.nga.org/coronavirus-reopening-plans/
https://web.csg.org/covid19/state-reopen-plans/?location=fl
https://web.csg.org/covid19/executive-orders/
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-at-higher-risk.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html

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