THOUGHTS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR
By: Kevin Ramsell
Even though it is the early part of 2008, it shouldn’t be a surprise when I say the racing season is just around the corner. I would like to suggest that we call 2008, “The Year of the Local Track.”
The 2008 season can be a great opportunity to get the local tracks to flourish. But, it cannot be accomplished by having the owners and promoters do all of the work. Everyone needs to participate to make this work.
First, we need to quit with the negative attitudes that somehow keep surfacing at the local tracks. The complaining and whining should turn into positive suggestions and compromises, in other words, make every effort to work together to be successful. We all have our thoughts of what the rules should be, what the race procedure calls should be, and what the tracks should do. But complaining, whining, and being negative is not going to help the track progress. All it will do is either cause a stalemate or go in a backward direction. Instead, we should be a positive voice for the track and help promote it. And also learn to find a compromise to adverse situations to where there is satisfaction in the end. Yes, each side will have to make some concessions, but it will be for the positive progress of the local track.
Second, we need to make sure the media knows that we are there. Let me talk to the owners and promoters first. If you haven’t sat down to work on your advertising packages for 2008 or in the progress of doing that, let me make a strong suggestion.
No matter if you are working with print, television, or radio you need to think about your return on your investment. One thing I would strongly suggest in your negotiations is that you are guaranteed space. This means if you are working on print advertising with a newspaper, get a guarantee that your race story and results will appear, in a good location, in their sports section.
If you are working with television, tell them that you at least want your results and highlights to be shown on their sports report. Heck, I would even go so far to ask them to make sure you get a preview the day before your weekly race event. And tell them you want them to come and videotape some footage. Doesn’t matter if it’s a heat race or what, you want the coverage.
And if you are in radio, there is no reason to ask for your results to be mentioned in the Monday morning sports report.
Hey, they want your advertising dollars, make sure you do what you can to make sure you get every cent you put into it.
Fans…you need to be a part of this as well. When I have chatted with sport anchors and directors, they always give me the same excuse, they don’t think that their audience wants to see local racing as part of their report. Well, prove them wrong. E-mail, call, write and tell them that as an avid watcher of their local news, you expect them to give local tracks the same coverage that they give to national sports, minor league sports, college sports, etc. Ernest Hemingway once said, "Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games."
Finally, I am always reminded of who I call the First Lady of Short Track Racing, Jody Deery, always tells us at the beginning of the race season. We, in the racing community, are ambassadors of this sport. Let’s go out and do what we can to let people know that the track is there, the action is exciting, and its family fun.
Racing can be looked at in the same perspective as baseball. It’s a sport that is easily passed on from one generation to another. But, we see it more in the pits and in the stands.
(This column is also available at www.kevinramsell.com. Check out his site for other stories in racing as well as website exclusives.)
