Promotional Ideas for Racing

  I'm a driver and a racefan.  Thank goodness I don't have to make my living in motorsports.  It looks like a tough way to go, especially here in 2009.

  However, I do like to be the arm-chair quarterback, and suggest things to help the sport.  I think about our sport a great deal, and believe that some of the following ideas could actually help to draw fans, make a little money, and add some fun too!

  At this point in life, I just don't have the time to devote to more projects.  Maybe in the future I'll give something a shot....

Rough concept:

  Make this a traveling show that goes from track to track.  The idea is to modernize the local motorsports show, and attempt to connect with new and younger fans.  Make it a flashy, exciting, sexy, and a once-a-year appearance at each track that “can’t be missed” by the local fans.  It would supplement the best, most exciting local show that the tracks can put on that night.  The big idea is to win over new fans to our sport, and if we have to use a little sex appeal to get them in the gate, then no problem.

  The show itself would have to be self-contained: I suggest a professional looking stage built on a flatbed trailer that can be moved in front of the stands, and towed from track to track with minimum disassembly.  Use the components that make this look professional: lasers, smoke, BIG sound, strobes and a young, DJ style host to keep it moving fast.

  Each participating track would receive a visit from the traveling show.  Bill it as “Miss Florida Motorsports night at XYZ Speedway”.  Part one of the show would introduce the girls and hopefully explain their interest or connection to motorsports.  Let them show off their bike, their 4-wheeler or hopefully their racecar.  The idea we are trying to plant in part one is that “pretty girls like racing”.  It is part of the attempt to connect with new and younger fans.

  Then part two of the show is the requisite bikini contest.  Votes are collected from the audience, and the contest moves on to the next track for another round.  The winner is announced after the pageant visits all participating tracks.  “Miss Motorsports” could be the trophy girl at big events for the year and help publicize next years contest.

  Hey, why not have the contestants come out in a tight, good looking firesuit, then unzip it and step out to show off their bikini?  Now that would set this contest apart from others!

  I don’t know much about beauty pageants, but I do know that participants pay to enter.  The girls should pay an entry fee that is large enough to ensure they would not miss an event, but they must have a prize to work for that makes it worthwhile.  $2010 for example. 

  In the interest of showmanship, and depending upon the quality of the entries, we may have to supplement the pageant with a few knockouts from the local strip club.  Anything to make this an event that fans will talk about.

Expenses

Liability insurance and legal

Prize money

Stage construction, transport, set-up

Lease, buy, or rent stage equipment like lighting, sound, lasers and smoke

PR and selling the idea to the tracks

Income

A sanctioning fee would have to be charged to participating tracks.  It would have to be a few thousand dollars and would be the primary income stream.  An expensive race sanction is $10k+, so this should be an opportunity for the track to make a little money too.

Entry fees from the contestants

t-shirt sales?

  Remember, NOPI used this concept, although on a much larger scale, to successfully tour the country for years.  In 2008, they cancelled all their drag, drift and girl events, so the lesson there is to keep it small.

  Someone should take this concept and run with it.  I absolutely cannot do it.  First off, no dad is going to let his daughter enter a bikini contest run by someone named “Boneman”.  Secondly, my wife would kill me.  Two racecars are bad enough. 

Miss Florida Motorsports

"Bikinis and Firesuits"

More to come.....