HARRISBURG, N.C. — Winter is almost in the rearview mirror and soon hundreds of short tracks across the nation will emerge from hibernation and kick off yet another racing season.
Hopefully, those who manage and promote America’s short tracks spent a portion of the offseason evaluating their operations and came up with ideas that will make their racing programs more efficient and entertaining.
For those who are running a bit behind as the green flag nears, we offer a few areas to ponder that could greatly impact a promoter’s bottom line over the course of the season.
Punctuality: If your racing program is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., begin opening ceremonies at 7:30 – not 7:35 or 7:40. Race fans paid to attend your program so don’t waste a minute of their time.
The Announcer: NSSN’s Chris Economaki used to say that an announcer’s job was to convince the fans they saw a better race than they actually saw. Today, an announcer’s job goes much further as he or she must also entertain the fans between races. An announcer who simply reads advertisements and starting lineups is detrimental to the show.
Concessions: The price and quality of concession items are extremely important as short-track racing continues to be a blue-collar sport. If a family of four has to spend more to have dinner at your concession stand than they would at a local restaurant, changes are needed.
Restrooms: A promoter should keep an eye on the condition of his or her restrooms during each night of racing. If needed, make changes to ensure cleanliness is maintained through the event. Dirty restrooms will drive away new or occasional fans.
Efficiency: Conduct an efficient racing program that fits into a two-and-a-half-hour window with absolutely no downtime. Make sure to leave plenty of time at the end of the night for fans to visit the pit area. That’s an extremely important element of short-track racing that’s often overlooked.
Communication: Good promoters don’t hide in the control tower. A majority of them actually spend a portion of each event interacting with fans and competitors, gathering input — both positive and negative.
That’s more than enough to think about, as it’s finally time to go short-track racing.
– Digging through the National Speed Sport News archives, we recently discovered Arlene Hiss generated quite the uproar on March 14, 1976, when the 35-year-old schoolteacher and Showroom Stock racer from Tustin, Calif., became the first woman to compete in an Indy car race.
She started 21st in the 22-car field and drove the Copper State Racing Eagle to a 14th-place finish in the Jimmy Bryan 150 at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway.
But Hiss’ performance was met with an outpouring of protest after she finished 22 laps behind winner Bobby Unser and was called into the pits once for going too slow.
“This is a man’s business, and she has to be measured by a man’s standards if she is going to compete. By those standards, she didn’t measure up,” said Gary Bettenhausen, who didn’t make the race due to mechanical trouble prior to qualifying.
Other drivers reported after the race that they had complained to USAC officials about Hiss going too slow.
“I just wanted to be smooth, to say out of trouble,” Hiss said. “It went pretty much like we planned. I’m not even tired.”
Chris Economaki was at the Phoenix race and wrote the following for his March 17 column: “Arlene’s appearance generated much bitterness among young drivers who have been supporting USAC for several seasons hoping for an Indy ride; and among those who faced her on the track — particularly the top finishers in the race. It was not erratic driving to which they objected —she was smooth and steady — but rather her slow speed.”
Despite making history, the Phoenix race ended up being Hiss’ only Indy car start.
– Don’t forget the American Flat Track Series will invade The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the first time since 2017 on Saturday night, April 4. Visit americanflattrack.com for event and ticket details.