How to win fans and influence consumers?

[Marbles]

I recall the early days of CART in Toronto. A great buzz was created as the event neared. There were massive pull-out sections in the dailies with driver profiles and details of the finer points of racing. Everything from apexes to hairpins were defined. Same for the evening news sportscast. Having a full-time local boy like Goodyear in older equipment added to it. Now it's a mid-winter visit by a couple of drivers. A cameo by a local hero. The only other buzz created is when they announce the Lakeshore track preparations causing slow downs weeks ahead of the race.

So what can the IRL do different for not just this event but all the events that would attract people? I'd like see some contests promoted on the radio or in the papers.

-Pick a driver and if he wins your name could be drawn to win some... I dunno... cash would be good. How about an all expense paid trip to next years Indy 500? How about a Honda Civic?

-How about hot laps in a Ferrari (Does Honda still make the NSX?) or a two-seater with a driver of your choosing? I know this sort of thing takes place now but it's pretty much restricted to the corporate level.

-Perhaps a contest to get your name or companies name prominently displayed on one of the more sponsor challenged cars in the series?

I'm open to ideas. I'd prefer not to hear, "Where are they going to get the money for that!" You have to spend money to make money and none of my suggestions are exorbitant.

If you build it, they will come. If you tear it down, they will go away.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Your ideas are good but for one thing. It's not the IRL's responsibility to do the promotion for one event (the series, yes). It is the event promoter's job to do all that. Seems like the Toronto folks are trying to do it on the cheap. You would think that they would want to do a good job. The more folks who buy a ticket, the more money they make.

You also have to remember that in the early days it was Molson who was the promoter. First, they were experienced promoters of other events, I'm not sure about the current group. Second, they were not only promoting the race, they were promoting their beer. So, if they broke even or lost some money on the event it was an advertising expense.

Starter...doing it on the cheap was last year...this year will be more like doing it REALLY cheap.

The IRL I think though should be working with the local promotors and explaining to them the facts of life. All of those are great ideas, but I suspect it isn't just the promoters here that don't seem to grasp it....

[Easy Drifter]

Not only doing it on the cheap they alienated the volunteer workers and many fans.
Taking those lessons to heart they are proceeding to redouble their efforts to alienate the fans.

[bzcam]

So what can the IRL do different for not just this event but all the events that would attract people? I'd like see some contests promoted on the radio or in the papers.

My vote would be to hold more street courses in large cities. Now, I am not a big fan of street courses, but, more than any other venue, they draw non-racing fans to the event. The streets of St. Pete is a prime example of a race that is largely supported and viewed by ordinary people who see something extraordinary going on in their beloved city. If the IRL were to really push large cities like Houston, Cleveland, Las Vegas, etc. to setup and run true Monaco style events on the same streets where people work and live I believe that that fan base would grow.

I don't like street courses a whole lot but I see them as something that would bring in new fans and (mostly) satisfy existing ones.

Just my $0.02.

BZ

[ICWS]

My vote would be to hold more street courses in large cities. Now, I am not a big fan of street courses, but, more than any other venue, they draw non-racing fans to the event. The streets of St. Pete is a prime example of a race that is largely supported and viewed by ordinary people who see something extraordinary going on in their beloved city. If the IRL were to really push large cities like Houston, Cleveland, Las Vegas, etc. to setup and run true Monaco style events on the same streets where people work and live I believe that that fan base would grow.

I don't like street courses a whole lot but I see them as something that would bring in new fans and (mostly) satisfy existing ones.

Just my $0.02.

BZ

Unfortunately you're right with what you said. I say unfortunately because I too prefer actual race courses over temporary circuits. It seems the main way to attract people to IndyCar's races is to "bring the racing to the people" (street courses), rather than having to ask people come to the races (road courses/oval tracks). It seems the main type of people who come to street races are mainly there not for the racing itself, but for the atmosphere and side-shows that come along with it. If the series somehow make their non-street course races have the festival atmosphere of street course races (multiple support racing series, concerts, dirt bike exhibitions, etc.) then I think they could bring more people. IndyCar would also need to fix their problems and improve the quality of their racing with the new car and prove they are to be taken seriously and that they are a major league racing series on par with, or even greater than, NASCAR. But until then, more street courses seems the way to go for now.