I'll also add one more tidbit where I think EVERY track promoter is missing the boat. There is a limited pool of MX racers, and everybody is competing for the same people, while nobody makes any serious effort or investment to bring new people into that limited pool. There are thousands of bike and quad trail riders out there who don't hang out on MX racing forums, and see MX riding as something you need thousands of dollars just to try out for a day. Who is to say how many of these people might regularly support a local practice or even get into racing if they were lured out on the track to give it a try in some low cost promotion, whether it be a very low cost practice day, or a "join the CRA and get your first race free" day, or something else aimed at getting new riders to simply try it out. And as I said before, these people don't hang out on MX forums, so they will never get the word unless word reaches them, whether it be in the Craigslist motorcycle section, the local newspaper, ATV and trail riding clubs, or passing out fyers at Off Road Rallies like Rumble on the Ridge.
I have personally brought dozens of people into the sport for the first time, and the two greatest obstacles is the initial cost of getting into the first race to try it, and the lack of opportunities to learn to ride on an MX track besides a few laps before your race or weekday evenings. Everybody knows we are racing 3 Wheelers, but the same applies. The other problem we fixed was by completing and circulating our entire year's schedule in January, instead of making calls and web postings on Tuesday night that we are racing or practicing Saturday, and we get the word our everywhere 3 Wheeler riders might find it well in advance. Of the 60 or 70 trike racers that have passed through OTC Racing, about 80% or them started at Smith Road Raceway.
Last year we managed to rustlle up 8 trike racers on short notice, long after our schedule was published to support OIR. Our racers were unanimous about including a couple of OIR dates in this year's schedule. I contacted OIR while making our schedule but it was not yet determined. I still tried to keep a date open to include them in our Battle Between the States Series in hopes of a repeat of last years opening date, right before Memorial Day so we could link it to the Smith Road Event. In May we finally get the news of NO quad races. I know it would only have been maybe a dozen or so racers, but the point is, for 2013 we won't be trying to hold days open, or squeezing venues into our heavy race schedule later on in the year because somebody "might have a quad race". My advice to any track is to get your full year's game plan in order, and get it out starting at the winter indoor races, and commit to it, and stick to it come hell or high water, and not make weekly adjusments based on turnout at the previous event. And, because you have it out in advance, you can promote the hell out of it every place you can post a flyer, or place an ad.