BriarcliffMx
PR Founding Father
Don't believe the hype, best track is in Buchanan Michigan, but we are the best in eastern licking county!That's because I hear you have the best track on the planet.
Don't believe the hype, best track is in Buchanan Michigan, but we are the best in eastern licking county!That's because I hear you have the best track on the planet.
I chalk this up to one of the big negatives of the internet. I've been around the sport my whole life, I've seen tracks come and go, happens all the time. Now that everyone is connected, we get overwhelmed with all this negative news of tracks closing. Then we immediately think the sport is declining.
Well, I'm looking at real numbers based off actual results files from every AMA promoter in the country, those numbers show a positive trend upward in participation... at least at the one thousand Motocross events we sanction a year. I was talking with a representative of a OEM, bike sales are increasing. Now these numbers aren't where they were in the mid-90's, but no industry/economy is what is was in the 90's (for the except of electronic/handheld devices).
Keep in mind, building and running a race/practice track, if you're trying to make money, it is a business decision. People make bad business decisions like building a MX tracks away from any population, investing money in their facility inaccurately, bad customer service, not willing to adapt with the changing market, unwilling to partner and work with others. Your right, great tracks go out of business, but good business owners don't.
Please take one thing away from my comment... participation in AMA motocross events is up and it's rising...
I don't see where it says lack of riders...just taking on losses...?
Yea, because he's at local events every weekend.......
Glad I could help.We are now all dumber cause we read that.
I didn't read anything or know what I am talking about but can we talk about the price of tea in china?
Chet and Nick have had a bad year, the weather prior to this past Sunday has impacted every practice and race event that they have tried to run. Now whether its trully affecting the turnout, or its the fact that motorcorss in NE ohio is in steady decline, I dont know. But I do know that they are very bummed about it, and really dont have the resources to put on the race the way that they would like to promote it. So instead they will finish out this year with scheduled practice and re-evaluate running OIR after that.I was told by the promoter that he was getting really bad turnout for the races. I'm assuming that what he means by taking losses.
Heres your chance people, if you dont want to lose another damn track, maybe you should show them some support. Get to OIR for a practice, they need to see that the riders want OIR kept around, you could save the place.
Keep in mind, building and running a race/practice track, if you're trying to make money, it is a business decision. People make bad business decisions like building a MX tracks away from any population, investing money in their facility inaccurately, bad customer service, not willing to adapt with the changing market, unwilling to partner and work with others. Your right, great tracks go out of business, but good business owners don't.
Yes!!!! Dead on with this post. OIR has always had a strong following, I was there Sunday and the place was nice! The prep was good but there were only 65 or so riders.
That's because some of us were at a track that was holding a race. Don't support the tracks that are holding races, then they will go away. Plain and simple.
Here are the total amount of individual AMA racers that have competed in a AMA Motocross event by year... Keep in mind, you can see the decline of the economy and you can see the upward trend the past three years. This is consistent across the country.
2015 - 1330 (As of 7/28/2015 and we are mid-year)
2014 - 1387
2013 - 1276
2012 - 1080
2011 - 1190
2010 - 1761
2009 - 2054
2008 - 2063
2007 - 2016
2006 - 2102
Here's a thought... if every AMA racer that lived in the state of Ohio showed up to the same event and rode two classes... that's a 2,774 entry event (based on 2014 participation). That could possibly be the largest single event in the history of all two-wheeled racing events. One of the largest event (so far) in the Ohio in 2015, was the Battle event in Chillitown, which had over 700 entries, which accounts to 343 individual racers from Ohio. That's less then 25% of the total amount of racers that live in Ohio showed up.
There is a ton of potential to have quality events, but again marketing, value, customer service, weather, etc. play a role. The participate numbers are rising again, things are getting better.
Take chillitown for example, amazing turn outs. for what seems to be a month + prior to the event, I see flyers, facebook posts, photos to get you hyped up, promotions (free entry for random classes) etc... THAT is good business / marketing.
The post at 3PM the day before a race that says "hey were having a race tomorrow everyone come out"... not going to cut it.
We've lost a lot of good tracks the past few years. Those that have managed to stick around have not done so by luck... everything we have around us is a fairly decent track and ALL are MORE than capable of holding great events. I just feel like they dont all apply themselves and really do things to their full potential. Some because they are burned out and just dont care anymore, others because they dont know any better.
Its little stuff that are going to get people in the gate. Lets throw out some ideas, maybe some tracks will see some of them and try to use them?
GO.
A few off the top of my head.
Have a photographer on site for the day. We have plenty around that shoot photos all day for FREE. I"m sure some of them would happily dedicate a day for $150 or something to come do soemthing they normally do for free anyways... I'd be willing to bet if you advertised that you'll have a photogrpher there all day taking #'s to snap pics of and that they will be posted the next day... more people will show up. Everyone likes pictures, not everyone knows who the random people are taking them and how to find them.
Free lunch day.... seriously how much could a few giant packs of hot dogs and buns from samsclub cost? Advertise that on this saturdays open practice youll be providing lunch... im a fat ass, I will see you there! im sure that will draw in some people.
offer free practice if bring a 125 to ride for the day or something... yes it will suck to let some guys in the gate for free BUT how many guys bring their friends? I usually bring anywhere from 2-4 people with me when i go most places...
ok i have crap to do but am i off the path here or does this seem to make sense? Try to make some 'special" days.. to me it seems like common sense and i dont know s**t about marketing and i sure as hell dont ever want to run a track..
I remember in the 80's & 90's we raced 3 days a week all summer. Now your lucky if Ohio has 1 race a weekend.
I had planned on hitting 213 but I was sicker than a dog fri and sat as well as the boy. Woke up sunday feeling crappy still. About 11 I decided to take Austin to OIR to get some laps in. Only did 3 sessions myself and he only did 2. He felt worse than I did. Thats about half what I normally do.
Here are the total amount of individual AMA racers that have competed in a AMA Motocross event by year... Keep in mind, you can see the decline of the economy and you can see the upward trend the past three years. This is consistent across the country.
2015 - 1330 (As of 7/28/2015 and we are mid-year)
2014 - 1387
2013 - 1276
2012 - 1080
2011 - 1190
2010 - 1761
2009 - 2054
2008 - 2063
2007 - 2016
2006 - 2102
Here's a thought... if every AMA racer that lived in the state of Ohio showed up to the same event and rode two classes... that's a 2,774 entry event (based on 2014 participation). That could possibly be the largest single event in the history of all two-wheeled racing events. One of the largest event (so far) in the Ohio in 2015, was the Battle event in Chillitown, which had over 700 entries, which accounts to 343 individual racers from Ohio. That's less then 25% of the total amount of racers that live in Ohio showed up.
There is a ton of potential to have quality events, but again marketing, value, customer service, weather, etc. play a role. The participate numbers are rising again, things are getting better.
Take chillitown for example, amazing turn outs. for what seems to be a month + prior to the event, I see flyers, facebook posts, photos to get you hyped up, promotions (free entry for random classes) etc... THAT is good business / marketing.
The post at 3PM the day before a race that says "hey were having a race tomorrow everyone come out"... not going to cut it.
We've lost a lot of good tracks the past few years. Those that have managed to stick around have not done so by luck... everything we have around us is a fairly decent track and ALL are MORE than capable of holding great events. I just feel like they dont all apply themselves and really do things to their full potential. Some because they are burned out and just dont care anymore, others because they dont know any better.
Its little stuff that are going to get people in the gate. Lets throw out some ideas, maybe some tracks will see some of them and try to use them?
GO.
A few off the top of my head.
Have a photographer on site for the day. We have plenty around that shoot photos all day for FREE. I"m sure some of them would happily dedicate a day for $150 or something to come do soemthing they normally do for free anyways... I'd be willing to bet if you advertised that you'll have a photogrpher there all day taking #'s to snap pics of and that they will be posted the next day... more people will show up. Everyone likes pictures, not everyone knows who the random people are taking them and how to find them.
Free lunch day.... seriously how much could a few giant packs of hot dogs and buns from samsclub cost? Advertise that on this saturdays open practice youll be providing lunch... im a fat ass, I will see you there! im sure that will draw in some people.
offer free practice if bring a 125 to ride for the day or something... yes it will suck to let some guys in the gate for free BUT how many guys bring their friends? I usually bring anywhere from 2-4 people with me when i go most places...
ok i have crap to do but am i off the path here or does this seem to make sense? Try to make some 'special" days.. to me it seems like common sense and i dont know s**t about marketing and i sure as hell dont ever want to run a track..