Michelle Trueman Gajoch nails it

[rabbit]

http://speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/7718/


“I told (Clare) my perspective was, ‘You either need to be a sport or you need to be an entertainment vehicle. I’m in the motor-sports business. If in fact you define yourself as an entertainment vehicle going forward, I can surely understand that we probably aren’t going to fit that equation.’

“And he quickly said, ‘Don’t you think there needs to be a balance?’

“And I do believe there needs to be a balance because, I think what’s been lost in all this speculation is the fact that the fans come for the sport. And the fans are enthusiasts of the sport. And it’s been proven time and time again at permanent facilities, road courses and ovals, that you can bring in all these bells and whistles and put on carnivals and put on concerts, and at the end of the day, the racing fans are not here to see it. They’re here to watch cars go around the racetrack and be involved in that.

“In my opinion, (at)festival/entertainment based-events…the racing becomes totally secondary.

“I would argue that the race fans and the sport of it have to be the foundation that drives the other. And I think that the entertainment side of it certainly brings new people to it, but they’re not the loyal people who are going to travel from racetrack to racetrack and who the sponsors, more importantly, want to be influenced by their products.”

Nor, she notes, do they go home from a festival event and watch the next race on television.

“They’re casual consumers, that’s the way I look at it,” she says. “And as a product distributor—which is how I look at what we do with CART and our relationship with any other sanctioning body, for that matter—we need a product we can distribute.”
:thumbup:

[tllips]

I agree. The racing needs to be the primary focus. I don't have a problem with the entertainment/concerts as they may be able to hook a new racing fan that otherwise wouldn't give the sport a second look, but the racing needs to be priority one!

[racer2c]

So CART should stay at MO and keep their fingers crossed that the loyal fans come back? Fan loyalty is fine and dandy when speaking of the 'sport'. But when it comes down to survival, what's a race series to do, fade away with great memories of integrity?

[RaceGrrl]

Not only that, r2c, but Michelle needs to have that attitude. She knows that her track doesn't draw like an urban festival does. (Not that I want MidOhio to be that kind of event.) I agree that it's all about the racing, but I don't think that she's saying anything that we don't already know.

Let's just see what happens if CART doesn't return to MO and she's left with an empty date. Will she fill that date with the fixed pseudo-racing known as the IRL? The IRL: Not Racing, Not Sport.

[tllips]

CART should market the crap out of their events to get it into the public eye. They also should market the concert, but the concert needs to be billed as part of the race weekend, not the race part of the concert weekend.

I think CART needs to keep M-O and RA to keep the diversity of tracks. Same with Milwaukee and Fontana (Or another Superspeedway). The aim for the near term would be to just break even on these tracks while the series rebuilds. The long term goal should be to make these races profitable while adding more profitable ovals and road courses.

I loved CART because of the balance of tracks. I realize the reason many are gone, but I am hoping the diversity returns once CART turns the corner and gets out of the red. I was encouraged that Open Wheel's document mentions the goal of the different types of tracks (I can't find the link right now, but remember reading it yesterday). Hopefully CART will not remain a Street only series.

[Ziggy]

I like the letter she wrote. FWIW, Chicago had some great bands on the bandstand, yet it was not even on the bill. We stayed, and it was sort of like a bonus...

Ziggy

[turn1]

I agree that adding a concert to the race weekend does add value to the ticket and is proven to bring butts to the seats. The Pioneer Series last year seemed to go over very well, at least at the two shows I viewed in Denver and Cleveland.


As for Michelle, you go girl! Seriously, I think she should be commended for sticking to her ideals and not being dragged in to the muck.

[Treeface]

I think it misses the point entirely. She wants a guaranteed race date? Then fund a series out of pocket. Otherwise STFU. It has always been about the money.


"festival/entertainment based-events…the racing becomes totally secondary"

Nonsense. Run where the warm bodies show up. Why do you think there were so many State Fair dates back in the good old AAA/USAC days? Because they provided a ready made audience and the facilities costs got pushed onto someone else. The same reasons they look to Denver or Miami to underwrite a street festival. The more things change. :p

[SteveH]

"Why do you think there were so many State Fair dates back in the good old AAA/USAC days?"

Great point, one that has been lost in all this.

[Chief]

I got to agree. Toronto (as reference) was just a race in 1986. They had a population base to draw from, a business base that wanted to get involved, and a city that embraced the race. Now it's a successful event. What is wrong with that?

I think it's all semantics, especially when it refers to "diversity" and "entertainment driven" and "product distribution". It's not different, it's all the same, it always has been. CART was just trying to find a way to bring in sponsorship dollars with the marketing play on words. Stop playing politics and tell CART the track's here if you want it. If they pass on it, it's CART and it's fan's loss. Otherwise, put a bid in and buy the series Michelle. We could use a passionate, dedicated racing person at the helm.

[oddlycalm]

Her's is a fair response, and shows a firm grasp of her track's position in the broad equation. Anyone that knows even basic marketing is aware that borrowed interest is a historically a very poor way to market any product. If it takes a rock concert to beef up the appeal, how long until someone simply books the concert and dumps of the expensive diversion of the racing entirely...?

Either the racing can be promoted on it's own merits, or it can't. IMO it can be, and it's a simply a gross error to head down the motorock path to oblivion. That said, I suppose that one path the oblivion is as good as another...:rolleyes:

oc

[racer2c]

I'll reserve passing the judgment of imminent demise as a result of combined concert/race street festivals. As others pointed out the other day, concerts have been going on at CART events for many, many years. If CART has finally figured out a way to attract a larger crowd and actually make the money from it as opposed to a concert promoter than great! But on the other hand, here I am talking about concert promotion instead of auto-racing. Is that what people will be talking about on Monday morning?

[cart7]

I think Michelle gets it pretty good. SOME street events have been great for the series. Toronto, Surfers, LB and the new St. Pete. Great circuits with wonderful B2B opportunities. The communities are behind them and they add value. It's the Miami's, Houstons and Denvers that have detracted. Poorly laid out single file tracks that were clearly designed as "EVENT" tracks. Yes, a bunch of folks show up for the event, but they're not race fans, the race is just a backdrop for the event. Will they watch the next race next week on TV? Probably not. Will they attend another race? Only if it's close in another city and if they had a good enough time at the current event. Will they drive to a far out road course for a race there? NO, M/O, RA, Laguna, etc lack the amenities that a street event have. These are not campers folks, there to see a great road race. If Cart goes to the urban street model, Michelle's track becomes the odd lot out. She has to assume the risk of paying the sanctioning fee and then the promoting costs to try and attract a fan base of urban viewers who probably won't drive out to the track to watch the great racing 'cause they're not really into the racing to begin with. She also realizes that hardcore Cart fans like us, may become disinterested if the series goes to a mostly street format. Now who does she have to market to and recoup her upfront costs? I agree with her and think that while the urban racing event model may work, it will change the face of this series forever and there will be no incentive at all to go back if it succeeds. :(

[pchall]

I think most of what she "gets" is the major hit to her purse with the disappearance of Honda ¥¥¥.

It has bugged me for years how little actual promotion Gajoch has been doing for races at Mid-Ohio. For too long she has been depending on the hardcore roadracing fan base and just opening the gates.

M-O could be a major entertainment event with some work. The weekend should be made even more family and kid friendly. I've long thought that a concert on Friday and Saturday evening would be great. I could also see bringing in a small carnival and midway to provide alternative attractions for families in need of a break from the track or destined to be stuck in a hotel room all night. A temporary water park could be set up as well. There are plenty of possibilities.

[Chief]

There you go pchall, innovation!!! She's got the die-hards, she just needed to entice new fans to come in. Geez, even NASCAR at the Glen had bands each night . Made the whole weekend fun.

Who cares who comes to your track as long as they spend cash? Isn't that the point?

[nrc]

I'm more interested in a fun place to go see a race than a fun place to go where there happens to be a race.

I haven't seen much difference in MidOhio's promotion. Same flyers, same smallish ads in the paper, same radio spots. They had a pretty decent crowd of race fans there this month, what they lacked was corporate hospitality and sponsorship.

It's a double edged sword. On one hand the promoters should be willing to ride out this bad patch with all the hay they've made over the years. But on the other hand, it's hard to make that case if CART isn't expressing any committment to running on road courses.

[Ankf00]

Originally posted by rabbit
http://speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/7718/

:thumbup:

yea, but put drivers in that mag Seventeen, and bring in washed up never weres to play their crap guitars, and make sure everyone's nice n stoned on ganja, and who cares about the rest. the solutions to the dilemma that is cart. :rolleyes:

[Tom Slick]

I don’t go to the carnivals and fairs that are a mile from my house.
But I do drive hundreds of miles for a race weekend at Mid Ohio.
If they were to put a carnival in the infield, I would just stay home and watch the race on TV.

[nrc]

Just a few years ago there wouldn't have even been room to consider putting a carnival in the infield. The market hasn't changed so much that we need carnival rides to get back there. We just need a stable series that offers a good product for the diehard race fans who have always supported CART at MidOhio.

[pchall]

No carnivals? No alternative entertainments for kids and families? I guess you will never be able to go to LeMans.

Okay, you're purists. Have fun watching SCCA regionals in the future...

In the last decade MLB has learned that purists watch the game and the kids and wife want interesting food and some other diversions. It's a way to keep the gate up and create the next generation of fans. Now they are following the example of minor league franchises which figured this out decades ago. Motorsports can learn from stick and ball games.

[RaceGrrl]

I'm sure none of you guys would mind if it was a Brazilian style Carnivale.

You might discover that you aren't as interested in racing as you thought. :D

http://medlem.spray.se/henriklindstrom/pics/brazil/carnival14.jpg

[Ankf00]

Originally posted by pchall
No carnivals? No alternative entertainments for kids and families? I guess you will never be able to go to LeMans.

Okay, you're purists. Have fun watching SCCA regionals in the future...

In the last decade MLB has learned that purists watch the game and the kids and wife want interesting food and some other diversions. It's a way to keep the gate up and create the next generation of fans. Now they are following the example of minor league franchises which figured this out decades ago. Motorsports can learn from stick and ball games.

MLB shot themselves in the foot 20 years ago and never learned their lesson helping the NBA and giving top bill to the NFL. Football crazed women are scary... :eek:

[cart7]

Originally posted by pchall
No carnivals? No alternative entertainments for kids and families? I guess you will never be able to go to LeMans.

Okay, you're purists. Have fun watching SCCA regionals in the future...

In the last decade MLB has learned that purists watch the game and the kids and wife want interesting food and some other diversions. It's a way to keep the gate up and create the next generation of fans. Now they are following the example of minor league franchises which figured this out decades ago. Motorsports can learn from stick and ball games.
I guess the problem in my mind is, the "Carnival" becomes the primary concern. The race is only a part of the carnival. It then becomes a part of the overall package and can be tailored to make it more interesting to Carnival/race fans. The spec, the track, the rules are open to modification to create a racing show. Sorta like the earl does now. I'm no hard core purist, but I can see where this kind of model can take the series so far away from where it once was, it could lose me as a fan. It will draw good crowds at the events it runs at but it won't pull these people to the next carnival or to the tube to watch it.(who watches carnivals on TV?). I wouldn't even consider this a temporary patch to hold the series over till it gets it's feet on solid ground or till the economy turns around. Once this is changed and it becomes successful, there will be little motivation to go back. While I understand the reasons for making these changes, I fear the on-track product may interest me even less than the garbage TG shovels onto the ovals each week. Hopefully I'm wrong.