The Hoosier Race Report: In Defense of… Promoters?

By Danny Burton

Danny Burton’s Hoosier Race Report appears courtesy of OpenWheelRacers.com

For the second weekend in a row, races in Indiana have fallen victim to the weather. Scoffers of the theory that global warming is already happening are scoffing even more. Global warming advocates no doubt are protesting that a few days or weeks’ worth of weather is not an accurate barometer. From here, it would seem that both are wrong. For sure there are climate changes going on, never mind this weekend’s weather. But a few weeks or even a few years does not a climate trend tell. One needs a sense of perspective before declaring that the sky is falling or that all is well. And this has plenty to do with short track promoters.

Only in recent years has gambling become legal, though strictly regulated, in Indiana. But I’d wager that promoters have been legally gambling for much longer than our fair casinos have dotted our rivers and lakes. Our entertainment culture features promoters of all sorts of events, but let’s concentrate on race track promoters.

Anyone who stages any event that is outside first gambles on the weather. It is amusing to read the rants on internet message boards and anywhere else that real race fans gather about promoters postponing or canceling races. Before we go any farther, let’s not count the dreaded “phantom” rainouts that have plagued the Hoosier racing scene on rare occasions. You surely know of what we’re referring to here. Believe it or not, weather forecasting is probably more accurate than it has ever been. Race tracks and/or sanctioning bodies can often look ahead and see trouble coming in the form of bad racing weather.

Most fans, including yours truly, have little idea of how much risk is involved for a promoter looking two or three days ahead and seeing likely precipitation on the way. Maybe fans should be aware that bad weather will scare off most of the potential gate, hurting the bottom line. Bad weather can often affect the car count as teams with a long drive will think twice before committing to the appearance. If the promoter opens the gates, regardless of the forecast, his costs go up immediately. And if a single car enters the track, his costs likely go up even more. And most all of us have seen this happen. It’s a gamble we’d not take ourselves, but we’re quick to second guess any promoter who does.

Most race fans, including yours truly, have no clue how much a promoter’s other expenses eat away at his/her bottom line. Sanctioning fees (where applicable), insurance, decent seats, restrooms, concessions, security, parking, personnel, rent, track preparation (no shortage of “experts” in that area), advertising, and scheduling (especially in conjunction with what a promoter’s neighbor/competing promoter is scheduling) are all, or nearly all, of the headaches that a promoter endures most every week. Do you ever wonder how many promoters suffer from ulcers, stress, etc.?

So that no one reading this would assume that I’m employed by a race promoter, it’s time to take note of the other side of this equation. Promoters, obviously, need to keep up their end of the bargain, too. Race fans do have more and more options than going to a live race. And the promoter who does not promote risks being an ex-promoter at best, bankrupt at worst. Promoting is a lot more than opening the gates and counting the money.

I’ll spare us the details of all a good promoter has to do, but will sum up by saying it boils down to, you guessed it, how he/she treats people. A good promoter will give the people a good reason, make it several good reasons, to come back next week. A good promoter will make the fans feel at home. A good promoter will be like a good host of a party, where the people anticipate going to the track and where they will feel good when they leave, looking forward to the next visit/party. Race fans would not be surprised to know that there are still too many “promoters” who have yet to figure this one out. They most always end up as ex-promoters.

Throughout much of the state of Indiana we are, and have been, blessed with many good, or even great, promoters. They seem to have a few things in common, not the least is that they have been around this business for awhile. Short track racing in Indiana is, for the most part, alive and well largely because of these people. They have been able to take the risks, try new formats, and endure the bad times. True, they’ve been able to rake in some serious dollars on many occasions. But those who note that often fail to note those nights when bad weather, or even the threat of bad weather, causes the same promoter to take a financial bath. And a few of those nights of bad weather will cause make even the best of promoters to wonder about seeking another line of work.

Like it or not, we need promoters, people who not only love short track racing, but who know how to present it to people in a way that will keep even the casual fans coming back for more. I mean, they have us race junkies locked up for the most part, but to make a real living they need to attract more families, with kids.

There is no law etched in stone that says that short track racing will always be with us in the form that we know today, or in any form. But racing need not be a candidate for the endangered species list. Short track racing remains, at its best, a great way to spend an evening, regardless of weather. And if all concerned keep at it, then weekend nights will still find bleachers and pits full of people who love racing.

So let us remember that and give just a little love, and a few dollars too, to the promoter who is risking a lot more than us fans to present us with a great night of racing for a fair price.

This weekend should find me haunting some familiar haunts, namely Bloomington and Lawrenceburg. Bloomington has the Elliotbrand.com Clash and new promoter Dave Rudisell welcomes USAC’s sprint car division, plus supporting classes for both nights.

Nervously eyeing this coming weekend’s weather, as always, I’m…

Danny Burton

Visit OpenWheelRacers.com for all of the latest open wheel racing news, results, and information.