San Antonio Still a Possibility for 2007

[Buellboy]

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/indycar/auto/22547/

I'm not a huge fan of street races but a weekend with a street race is better than an off-weekend in my book.

[MarkDonohueFan]

I would not commit until I saw a few things from Holly Hills/Heitzler:

1. A major committed primary corporate sponsor by (9/1/05).

2. A list of ten committed secondary local/national corporate sponsors.

3. A solid board of direcors with tentacles in the San Antonio community to get tertiary sponsor development going and a minimum commitment from local government (not money, just race support - like St. Pete).

4. A commitment bond showing 50% down on all necessary construction items related to temporary set-up (walls, fencing, grandstands, etc.).

5. An advertising drive to get advance ticket sales of no less than 40,000 by September 1, 2006.

That day (9/1/05), I would render a decision as a series on whether or not San Antonio and another street event makes the cut. If they fail to meet any of the above, they don't make it. If they make a gung ho effort and come up 10% short on #s 2 or 5, I'd give them 30 days. But if they do not have 1, 3, or 4 - forget about it.

Street events are expensive and need a solid business plan. The IRL is right not to go into these lightly and with a higher bar than they do permanent facilities.

Just an idea.

[Jakester]

5. An advertising drive to get advance ticket sales of no less than 40,000 by September 1, 2006

Sell 40K tickets Before the IRL even commits to signing with a promoter to have a race in San Antonio AND a year before the TENTATIVE event is planned to occur? Sorry, that's way beyond dreaming....I'm not sure even a NASCAR race could pull that off.

[SLKRR]

That day (9/1/05), I would render a decision as a series on whether or not San Antonio and another street event makes the cut.

So, what was your decision that day?

[MarkDonohueFan]

Sell 40K tickets Before the IRL even commits to signing with a promoter to have a race in San Antonio AND a year before the TENTATIVE event is planned to occur? Sorry, that's way beyond dreaming....I'm not sure even a NASCAR race could pull that off.

OK, fine. Get 20,000 weekend commitments by 9/1/05 at $80 per (minimum). That can be done in that market (SA/Juarez) and I bet they'd shatter it.

Red McCombs got 100,000 signatures online and 45,000 season ticket commitments in a drive to try and bring the Vikings to San Antonio. 20,000 weekend commitments for a racing weekend in a market that feeds into the United States and San Antonio would not be hard.

40,000 may be a far end goal, but you can't build these events on poor footing. They are expensive.

[MarkDonohueFan]

Correction: United States and Mexico (not San Antonio). My bad.