Yep agree with hershey, split race days don't work. Been there, done that at many tracks. Makes for a super long day for a lot of folks.
People defend this and say how nice it is to go to a GP race, do your race and go home. Sure, it is and I agree with that. But, GP's aren't exactly drawing huge numbers of racers.....why is that?
You need to make the motocross races AN EVENT, not just a race. This is accomplished by having standards that are practiced througout the organization which many of have already been posted.
Why did I go to Area 51 Can/Am race and do open practice, 3 race classes Saturday evening, and 3 race classes on Sunday? -- Because it was a great EVENT.
Living in NE Ohio, I can go pretty much any direction within 2-3 hours and race some motocross races. So, what are you, as a track or organization, going to do to create events that I feel like I need to attend?
Things I like:
-Coolness factor. Banners, signs, nice facilty, good announcing, etc. Things like that make me feel like I'm at an event.
-track prep. I don't like racing in blinding dust, and would rather stay home and work on bikes in my garage. Make an effort. Sure, it is always going to get dusty in the summer heat. But there is a difference and we can tell.
-organization. Keep it moving along. I don't mind getting home late unless I feel like the track was just jacking around half the day.
-Saturday practice. I think having Saturday practice, Sunday racing is awesome. Track can make some more money, and we can enjoy a weekend event if we are so inclined.
Things I don't like
-Dis-organization. Nothing worse than being at a motocross race, seeing nobody racing on the track, and wondering what the heck is going on.
-no effort - see above on track prep
-broken equipment. Sure things break. Be prepared for it. If your water truck breaks and you don't have a backup, who's fault is that? If you want to run a big event, you are always going to have issues. Prepare for them and have backup plans so these issues are transparent to the customer.
I've raced in Ohio twice this year (motocross). Mid Ohio Vintage Days, and the BC Battle. Why? Because I like going to EVENTS, not just going around the corner and getting a gate drop.