Three things to promote the IRL

[hdolan]

1. Free tickets to all venues for kids under a certain age...
2. Free pit passes at all venues for kids under a certain age...

and now for the biggie

3. One day qualification at Indianapolis. In the NCAA one loss and your gone...they pack the house, same for NFL playoffs...we are now a 'right now' culture...line 'em up and take a run...I believe that both attendance and ratings would improve drastically for the event...build on that improvement...

Show me where I'm wrong...

[TxIndyFan]

Howard, I can go with one and two, but not three. I could even go with two days of qualifying at Indy. But one... naah.

jmho

[IndyIRLman]

Re: Three things to promote the IRL

Originally posted by hdolan
1. Free tickets to all venues for kids under a certain age...
2. Free pit passes at all venues for kids under a certain age...

and now for the biggie

3. One day qualification at Indianapolis. In the NCAA one loss and your gone...they pack the house, same for NFL playoffs...we are now a 'right now' culture...line 'em up and take a run...I believe that both attendance and ratings would improve drastically for the event...build on that improvement...

Show me where I'm wrong...

Some well thought out ideas that could help the IRL. Most of us would probably not like to see #3 though. Drop the very last sentence and I think you may have something.

[Turn13]

I thought they did number one at some events already, but I think all of them is a good idea.

Number two essentially means you'd have to let the parents in as well, and I'd think you'd have to be careful about parents not being able to watch more than one or two kids- no undersupervised little league teams with one "parent", please.

But again, sure, what could it hurt, even revenue-wise? Put a big Chevy, Toyota, or Honda logo on the Passes, too. Be sure they look nice, so kids can collect 'em, show their friends... put tyhe drivers and cars on 'em as well... make it a collectible set.

I don't know if you're right or wrong, hdolan. I just know in my opinion, I prefer the current qualifying format.

Now, how about my questions in this thread...

[dog-ring]

Whoever started this thread posing as Howard Dolan, you have 24 hours to return him..........................

[Willie]

I will say this ... For the past 5 years I've taken my son, Sammy (Now 11), to Indy. We've continued buying 4 tickets, and have sold the other two. This year the guys that have purchased our tickets had to back out at the last minute. Out where we live, it was too late to get new buyers, so I told Sammy to invite a couple of his friends (Rather than let the tickets go to waste). So there I am at Indy with three 11 year old boys - Two of whom had never seen an Indycar.

I've never had so much fun at a race in all my life !!!

I like the first two ideas. A lot!

[R_Mears_Fan]

I'll add something to the list that you missed, Howard: Promote the drivers

If the series and the sponsors did more of that, more people would pay attention.

[slinger]

I like all except #3. I like the idea of the pit passes but there might be some insurance problems. If that's the case, why not have a show car available and let the kids actually sit in the thing? Get 'em when they're young and they'll be fans for life.

[Railbird]

I'll go ya one better Howard.

Make it the three day event it essentialy is already and make the first two days free.

Kickin' the gates open for a couple weeks has to cost more than the crowds are spending anyway and it would certainly add to the immediacy.

[Truth Detector]

I'm still seething from the trip my family took to Dover for the last IRL race there. What year was that? 1999? I think my kids were 5 & 3 and I had to pay $50/each for them to sit in the hottest sun you ever saw. My wife spent half the race under the bleachers with my son to keep him out of the heat.

What made it especially bad is that the place was at most 20-25% full.

[skypigeon]

My only question on #3 is, in the past 20 to 30 years, has there ever been a time where 33 drivers qualified for the race on the first day? Anyone with a head for stats or a photographic memory, feel free to call me out. I just don't remember it happening, and it makes me wonder if one-day qualifying is possible without changing the format.

If it is, great--the Speedway could have it the Saturday of the traditional first weekend of qualifying, then the following week, let the IPS have the track for Freedom 100 practice, running the Freedom 100 the following Saturday. Give the Indycar teams the week off to be with their families and enjoy Indianapolis. And hey, here's a thought--use the week to have your driver make public appearances with his/her car, all over creation!

After the Freedom 100, open the track up for practice up to Carburation Day.

Hmmm...

[mnkywrch]

Here's my idea to increase attendance at IMS:

Tear out the infield golf course and let people park there.

People don't want to park and ride trams.

[cdkief]

Originally posted by mnkywrch
Here's my idea to increase attendance at IMS:

Tear out the infield golf course and let people park there.

People don't want to park and ride trams.

Good point.

[passngas]

No can do. (at Indy)

Kids get in free to all events EXCEPT INDY
Finding seats together is tough enough. If you add free kids you probably boost the attendence 20%. Indy couldn't handle that.

I am a fan of the once and done qualifications like they do at TMS, but who am I to question tradition?

[hdolan]

"Make it the three day event it essentialy is already and make the first two days free.

Kickin' the gates open for a couple weeks has to cost more than the crowds are spending anyway and it would certainly add to the immediacy."

No problem here...

Somebody asked if all 33 cars could be qualified in one day...although I don't recall it ever happening, I see no reason why it cannot be done...