Large Western Workshop Crowd

Six-hundred, twenty-nine people, from 164 tracks, associations, and series, 53 exhibiting companies 30 states, four Canadian provinces, and New Zealand, gathered at the Eldorado Hotel Casino, December 4-6, 2008. The three-day, 36-session Workshop opened with keynote remarks from Roger Slack. In his remarks entitled, “It’s The Show Stupid,” Slack discussed how Lowe’s Tuesday-night Shootout Legends Car shows grew to 225 cars averaging 2500 fans and gave a critical review of race events he’s seen in 2008. Racing Promotion Monthly editor Stewart Doty urged promoters to make the most of recessionary times by refocusing their operations on hometown fans. Speakers, panelists, and presenters, gave promoters a detailed “how-to” plan for restructuring their business to place the emphasis on weekly racing ending over-dependence on traveling fans.

Marquee sessions included: "No More Regular Shows," discussing how one track refocused itself on its weekly racing; "You Can't Do It Alone," discussing how promoters can change their traditional view of staffing and digital communication skills, "Building Local Buzz," a primer for promoters who want to create greater excitement about their races; and the remarks of 32nd Auto Racing Promoter of the Year Lynn Phillips, who talked with promoters about what he and Alfred Gurley have learned emphasizing weekly racing at Talladega Short Track for 30 years.

The "Short Track Short Course" discussed: entrant relations, dirt track prep, rules and rulebooks, race night money, crate engines, food and beverage, media relations, digital e-mail, viral marketing, text message promotions, websites, guerilla marketing tricks, media hooks, old-fashioned promotion, group ticket sales and the always popular new promoters' forum.

Two RPM Promoters Workshops Achievement Awards were presented during the Workshop. The recipients were: Harriett Chancellor of the Midwest Late Model Racing Association (MLRA), for her dedication to racing promotion; and All-American Speedway, as an outstanding continuing operation.

“As we planned these Workshops, we placed the emphasize on weekly racing because we saw too many tracks faced with high gas prices and a slowing economy paying too little attention to their weekly show,” said Racing Promotion Monthly editor and Workshops Chairman Stewart Doty said. Then came the fall credit meltdown and the prospect of a prolonged recession, and our message became more timely. Short tracks did very well in past recessions, but many promoters are too young to understand this, and to know how a strong weekly show made this happen. This week we gave them the tools to persevere and make 2009 a great season”

The Speedweek Workshop, produced by Racing Promotion Monthly, takes place February 9-11, 2009 at the Orlando Marriott Lake Mary. Racing Promotion Monthly, the idea newsletter of auto racing promoters, and the Workshops are produced with the year-round support of K&K Insurance Group; Inc. and Hoosier Racing Tire. The Workshops are produced with additional sponsorship support from: The Eldorado Hotel Casino, INEX, GM Performance Parts, Lucas Oil Products, Moffett Productions, Musco Sports Lighting, World Racing Group, AMI-Graphics, Raceceiver, Simes Graphic Designs and the WISSOTA Promoters Association. Information on the Speedweek Workshop is available on the Web from www.rpmpromotersworkshops.com. Information on Racing Promotion Monthly is available on the Web from www.racingpromotionmonthly.net or from the Racing Promotion Monthly editorial offices, P.O. Box 195, Edgar, WI 54426, by calling 715-536-1067, or by FAX from 715-536-3616.