Issue 45.03 Racing Promotion Monthly

Racing Promotion Monthly
The Idea Newsletter For Auto Racing Promoters
Producer Of The Annual RPM Promoters Workshops
Issue 45.03
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 21
Social Media
Public Address
Rules & Tech
Sponsorship
PR & Publicity
Car Count Tips
Where To Find New
Sponsors
Maximize Local Media
Including Newspapers
Dollars To Show, Not
Dollars To Win
E-Mail, The Facebook Sell Your Racing, Not Are You Committed To
Alternative
Others’
Crate Engine Tech?
As a trusted provider of motorsports insurance, K&K
is committed to helping your business succeed by
offering high-0quality coverage and services
designed for your needs. K&K’s expertise is
respected throughout the industry; we are your
solution for affordable insurance overage. It’s easy
to work with K&K--visit our website now for more
information.
800-348-1839
www.kandkinsurance.com
Kart racing
Motorcycle racing
Boat racing
Tractor/truck pulls
Drag racing
Demolition derbies
Road courses
Racing associations
Indoor karting
Short track oval racing
Super speedways
Snowmobile competitions
Motorsports Country Clubs
Motorsports driving schools
Specialty motorsports events
Independent car club activities
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574-784-3152
Racing Promotion Monthly The Idea Newsletter For Auto Racing Promoters
Issue 45.03
Volume 45, Number 3
Producer of the Annual
RPM Promoters Workshops
Presenter of the
Auto Racing Promoter of the Year
Awards Sponsored By
Charlotte Motor Speedway...
This Month In RPM
P5 Remembering Earl Baltes, Andy Fusco, and Mike Woodward
P6 Welcome New Readers
P9 Lost Speedways; Look Back, Don’t Stare
P9 Social Media: E-Mail Marketing, The Facebook Alternative
P10 INEX Updates: April Fools
P10 Public Address: Sell Your Racing, Not Others
P10 K&K & Hoosier Extend Multi-Year Sponsorships
P11 Charles Cathell, 1999 Auto Racing Promoter of the Year
P11 RPM@Indy Moves, RPM@Indy 2015 Dates
P11 Rules & Tech: Are You Committed To Policing Crate Engines?
P11 RPM@Daytona 2016 Dates
P12 Legalert: Novelty Races & Stunts
P12 A Month Of Website Hacks
P12 Sponsorship: Where To Find New Sponsors
P13 PR & Publicity: Maximize Local Media Including Newspapers
P14 Blindsided By Facebook
P15 Directory Of Services For Promoters Updated
P15 Technology: Share Instantly With RPM
P16 Buy From 42nd Workshops Exhibitors, New Listing
P21 Understanding Minor Waivers & Parental Consent
P22 Contact RPM
P23 Car Count Tips: Dollars To Show Up, Not Dollars To Win
On The Cover...
Earl Baltes pauses from track prep before
his farewell race to greet your editor
(RPM Photo)
The voice of short track owners and promoters, fostering
cooperation, communication and the exchange of expertise.
The Promoters’ Front Page
More Ideas, More Cars, More Fans
Remembering Baltes, Fusco, Woodward
Godspeed Gentlemen!
wife. It seems a friend had offered them
complimentary lodging on the beach, but
we recall Earl whispering to us, "I can't
take Berniece in that place. She means
the world to me, you know." This was not
a movie star type pleading for palatial
surroundings. Heaven knows that in their
decades of promotional travels they had
seen worse, but nonetheless, this was
Speedweek, and this was the desperation
of a husband who had been too trusting of
a friend's less discerning tastes. (Daytona
veterans know that sometimes our
lodgings were not four-star, but that the
beach featured many inferior properties.) We obliged and found him a room at the
Workshops hotel. Or this vignette, the
Baltes was larger than life but as common
afternoon of his farewell race we found
as they come. In his lifetime, he
him in the infield leaning against the
transitioned from track builder to
barriers in an earnest discussion with a
entrepreneur, to acclaimed promoter and
half dozen push truck drivers. We
eventually was a grandfather figure to our
assumed they might be talking racing, or
sport. Three memories we have of Earl
talking track prep, but as we stood by
come to mind. Many years ago in Florida,
unnoticed by Baltes, he was asking for
we came across him in the lobby of the
their political advice. The nation would
Workshops hotel and he pulled us aside,
soon go to the polls that fall to elect a
sheepishly asking whether we could
(See Godspeed, P6)
arrange lodging for him and Berniece, his
Three people lost in less than two weeks,
Earl Baltes, Andy Fusco, Mike Woodward,
all good men, all significant players in the
short track industry. Baltes of course was
well-known and widely eulogized. Fusco,
an attorney, public servant, race promoter
and confidant of DIRT's Glenn Donnelly,
was an important behind-the-scenes part
of New York racing as well as an
occasional Workshops presenter and
friend of RPM founder Stew Reamer. Mike Woodward, "Woody," to most of us,
the VP of claims for K&K Motorsports, was
longtime Workshops attendee, panelist,
resource for your editor, and well-known
to promoters insured by K&K. RIP Earl: How often do you see promoters asked to sign
autographs, and how many promoters have their own
bobblehead doll? We wager Earl Baltes is the only one. The
industry won’t be the same without him!
(RPM Photo)
5
Welcome
Readers
Welcome to the Racing Promotion
Monthly promoters’ community. As an
RPM reader, you benefit from more than
40 seasons of experience, expertise, and
ideas, proven by successful short track
people. This newsletter and the RPM
Promoters Workshops produced by
Racing Promotion Monthly are the point
of contact for any promoter looking for
ideas, advice, feedback, or a gateway to
tap into the resources and collected
experience of more than 1,000
promoters, from 107 Workshops, and a
45-year knowledge base of over 500
issues of this newsletter. If you are a
newcomer just getting your feet wet in
the complex business of track operation
and race event promotion, looking for
others you can bounce ideas off, trying to
sift fact from myth, we are available to
talk with you seven days a week and will
facilitate or answer every inquiry. Plan to
attend one of the three RPM Promoters
Workshops next winter. The Workshops
and this newsletter are time well-spent
that will boost your attendance and
strengthen your bottom line. Enjoy this
newsletter and the others that follow.
Follow RPM on Twitter, Facebook, or
LinkedIn. Subscribe to the RPM
Newsletter RSS feed, and you’ll not miss
a single update. Thank you for reading
and best of luck with your endeavors!
6
president and Baltes was listening, not
talking, as they gave him their pros and
cons of candidates. Very interesting, we
thought, he was polling a "representative
sample" of American voters. Baltes was
known for his "community relations," not
the interaction with cvic leaders sort we
discuss at the Workshops, instead for just
stopping in a neighborly way at
surrounding businesses to see how folks
were doing. It’s not often one finds a
person of national acclaim seemingly so
down to earth. We cannot forget when
Earl decided to announce the million dollar
race during our Daytona Beach Workshop
and we told him, “Earl, when you have
made your decision, let us know and we'll
give you the podium.” About an hour
later, we found him standing on a chair in
the exhibit area making the
announcement. I asked Berniece why he
didn't take up my offer, and she confided
that she would not let him do it because it
would interrupt the meeting and
inconvenience the audience. Earl could
have his rough edges and there are some
colorful stories about him, but show us a
promoter and we’ll show you a similar
curriculum vitae. Berniece, like so many
of our wives, did her best to keep him on
the straight and narrow. In our opinion,
they rank with JC Agajanian as the most
important track owners and promoters of
the last 50 years. Earl was as special as
his events. Godspeed Earl. It was a honor
to know you.
We first became acquainted with Andy
Fusco as a correspondent for Dick
Berggren's Stock Car Racing Magazine,
and found him welcoming and helpful. Many years later as Stew Reamer's "new
hire" we reconnected. Again, it was
pleasure, and during the years between
he participated in the Workshops, always
looking to help promoters and strengthen
the sport. We hadn’t seen him or spoken
with him for some time. Behind the
scenes, he had a significant hand in
making New York racing what it is today. Things would not be what they are today
in New York racing without Andy Fusco. He was Glenn Donnelly’s go-to guy. He
was instrumental in the preservation of the
DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame and a
participant in the Lost Speedways
programs at the Saratoga Auto Museum.
We offer our condolences to Andy’s family
and New York racing community.
And there is Mike Woodward, “Woody.”
People like Woody make K&K what it is,
the most experienced insurer in the
industry with best depth chart in the
(See Godspeed, P9)
RPM@RENO
RENO, NEVADA
DEC. 2-3-4, 2015
Andy Fusco: Andrew Fusco who died March 19 at the age of 62
was a leader in his community, and a great supporter of racing
in the state of New York. During his career, he was an attorney,
Cayuga County District Attorney, a correspondent for Gater
Racing News, and Stock Car Racing Magazine, and corporation
counsel for Glenn Donnelly’s DIRT organization.
(File Photo)
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Look Back, But Don’t Stare
Mike Woodward, K&K Insurance Group: Mike died
March 17 after a brief illness. During his 27 years at K&K
Insurance he rose to become Vice President-Claims
Director. He was a Workshops regular and a valuable
resource to RPM.
(File Photo)
business. Woody knew insurance, Woody
knew promoters, entrants, fans, and their
proclivities both good and bad. Woody
embodied why we find our relationship with
K&K so essential because he could answer
our questions on the arcana of insurance and
put it all in a layman’s perspective. He'd
seen it all, heard it all, could separate fact
from fiction and hysteria from reason. And,
he could do it with charm and empathy
toward RPM readers, his clients. That's
what makes K&K special. It’s not just a
broker of policies, but a trusted advocate for
promoters with insurance markets-something a small and risky industry like
short track racing needs. Even we are hardpressed to really appreciate the importance
of Woody and his experience, and his
colleagues because so much of what they is
beyond our horizon, but suffice to say the
sport was in good hands with Woody at his
desk. We offer our condolences to K&K and
Woody’s colleagues and co-workers.
and built as SoCal’s new short track
beginnings. It hosted NASCAR’s tours,
NASCAR’s Toyota All Star Showdown and
weekly oval and drag racing, but as land
values rose and our sport changed, it will
soon suffer the fate of many tracks before.
May it offer the community many goodpaying jobs and shoppers top-flight brands.
It seems certain that Jim Williams field of
dreams, Irwindale Speedway, in metro Los
Angeles will become an outlet mall. We
recall the great excitement and anticipation
of the mid-‘90s when after Saugus
Speedway closed, Irwindale was envisaged
with the knowledge that nothing lasts forever
and that facilities, like kitchen utensils
eventually outlive their usefulness. Change
is the only constant, and it should not be
The star-crossed, two-mile Texas World
Speedway, raced in the ‘70s by NASCAR,
IndyCar and other top series, but since used
for club sports car races, drivers schools,
testing and even a Willie Nelson “Fourth of
July Picnic,” will this summer become a
housing development. It was a speedway
that never really got off the ground, even in
its day, and if it becomes home to hundreds
of fine Texas families, even we might argue
that a higher use for the land was found.
The historic Moody Mile, one-mile dirt track
at the New York State fairgrounds is again in
danger and New York Racing enthusiasts
launched SaveTheMoodyMile.Com, an online
Look Back, But Don’t Stare
petition to lobby New York legislators to
reject proposals to convert the track for other
Tri City (WA) Speedway, according to
newspaper reports, will become a vineyard. purposes.
It hasn’t operated as race track for half
The fates of these tracks have been
decade or more, but we saw one of GIB
foreordained for some time, but the images
REPASS' excellent NASCAR Northwest Tour of Enoch Staley’s life’s work, the crumbling
races at Wayne Walden’s the eccentric
North Wilkesboro (NC) Speedway, published
triangle track and it was highlight of our
on the USAToday website recently shocked
Western trip at the time. It was racy place, fans and enthusiasts and prompted
and a Northwestern fixture, and we enjoyed sentimentality and melancholia. Losing a
ourselves that summer night. We hope it will facility is never good, losing several is worse,
make a heck of a vineyard as well!
but we must temper our disappointment
(See Don’t Stare, P11)
Social
Media
E-Mail Marketing, The
Facebook Alternative!
Facebook’s “throttling” of brand
messages had promoters talking at the
Speedweek workshop, as they sought a
work around to continue effectively
reaching fans. Facebook offers a paybased “Boosting” program, but not all
promoters were keen to invest to reach
their former level of effectiveness on
Facebook. The most effective alternative
is a strong e-mail marketing plan.
Marketing experts have long reminded
businesses that they should “own” their
own prospect lists so they can control
their communication. The peril of
trusting others to control your fan lists is
clearly demonstrated by the Facebook
changes. If your track isn’t e-mail
marketing, it should be. If you e-mail
market, now’s the time to make sure you
are doing everything you can to boost
subscriber numbers. Your public address
announcers should be talking up joining
your list. Your website should have an
“opt-in” e-mail subscription prominently
displayed. Your concession and souvenir
stands should have drop boxes with
forms to subscribe to your list. Your emails should have a “Send this to friend,
so they subscribe” reminder in them.
Your social media should link back to
your sight leading followers to an opt-in
area. Your posters, show bills, and print
ads in trade pubs and local papers
should include a QR code enabling
mobile device users to subscribe
effortlessly. Special offers boost opt-ins.
Offer a track souvenir or a concession
item discount.
9
Sponsors K&K, Hoosier Extend
Updates
APRIL FOOLS: TORC’s BJ Birtwell
announced on April 1, that his TORC
championship event of the season the
final race the Labor Day Weekend World
Championship Off Road Races at the
Crandon (WI) International Off Road
Raceway will be run on artificial snow
with an interruption during which drivers
will compete on snowmobiles for one
lap. The announcement said the race
will be named the “Big House
Snowdown.” Oh, and by the way, the
race will also include the making of the
World’s largest snow angel by 20,000
fans. Not to be outdone and keen to
hold onto his title of the industry’s
foremost April Fooler Perris (CA)
Speedway’s Dan Kazarian announced
that Perris’ races will be held Tuesday
mornings with the exception of the
Agajanian’s Turkey Night Grand Prix.
Kazarian said in his news release,
“Tuesday morning is a natural. No
concerts, no sports and no plays going
on then... Slam dunk! Racing will start at
9:00 AM so we are one hour ahead of
when the amusement parks open.”
“Racing fans are a hardcore group. They
will find a way to be here. Plus, if they
want to come the night before, we will
let them come in and sleep in their cars.
We will open the concession stands so
they can have dinner and breakfast and
any who want an early morning shower
can stand by the edge of the track and I
will spray them off with the water truck.
This is going to quadruple our crowd
size.”
10
forgotten that with change comes substantial
good as well. The sport must celebrate its
positives rather than lamenting lost speedways.
Speedways have come and gone for the entire
history of our sport. Remember the board tracks?
Short track racing has much to celebrate and
much to build on. Sentimentally, few would
disagree that North Wilkesboro’s ignominious end
was underserved, or that the demise of the Moody
Mile, should it come to pass, would rob the East
and the sport of one of its greatest events. In the
case of Syracuse, not yet a foregone conclusion,
the sport must do what it can to prevent the
track’s disappearance, as it has and is doing in
countless communities nationwide as it battles
aggressive neighbors and politicians pipe dreams.
But should the demise of The Moody Mile come to
pass, there is no choice but to move on. How can
we be so heartless, you might ask? Because with
the passing of Earl Baltes, we celebrate the
stewardship and vision of Tony Stewart, Larry
Kemp, and Roger Slack, who have carried on the
Eldora tradition as few other could. In SoCal, now,
the sport must support Charlie Beard, Rusty Risi,
James Vernon, and Lee Baumgarten at Kern
County Raceway. It’s the way things work. It’s
spring, it’s race season. Instead of sorrow, we
must take away the positives from change
whereever they may found, and make the sport all
it can be. A wise wordsmith or lyricist once said in
similar circumstances, “Look back, but don’t
stare.” Good advice we think.
K&K, Hoosier Extend Multi-Year Sponsorships
We are pleased to announce to readers that in the
background, surrounding the RPM@Daytona
Workshop, this publication completed multi-year
sponsorship extensions with primary co-sponsors
K&K Insurance Group and Hoosier Racing Tire.
The announcement means we’ll continue to be at
the service of promoters, track owners, racing
officials, series and tour operators, and officials,
as well as club officers, and officials, publishing
each month as we have since 1971. We’ll be at
our desk 52 weeks a year, keeping tabs on a fast
changing industry while producing at least three
Workshops each off season. We take great pride
in the relationships we have built with these two
firms because as we remind promoters each year
at the Workshops, the multi-decade collaborations
are unique. We came to this desk from the
business-to-business advertising industry where
the best client/agency relationships lasted about 5
years. Surpassing that benchmark by four fold
years says a great deal about the commitment of
our sponsors to our our readers’ businesses.
RPM@INDY 2015
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
DEC. 9, 2015
(See Extend, P11)
Public
Address
Sell Your Racing, Not
Others!
You’re starting fresh. It’s a new season.
Now’s the time to listen to your public
address announcers to make sure they
are working for you. Announcers are
usually among the most enthusiastic fans
of racing on your property, sometimes too
enthusiastic, and because of this too
eager to show off what they know about
racing everywhere. We’ve heard them
spend as much time selling other’s racing
as they did the excitement presently in
front of fans, and the coming attractions
at the track that pays them. If Kenny
Wallace is coming to race in several
weeks, they should talk up the race, but
to go on and on discussing last Sunday’s
Cup race, and things he did on TV,
distracts from the tonight’s action in front
of fans and does not help sell your tickets
next week. Your fans can find out about
all that elsewhere and probably already
have on the Web. It’s your announcer’s
job to paint an exciting picture of the
racing action unfolding on track below
them now, to educate new fans to ensure
they remain enthusiastic. Your
announcers should make your drivers
larger than life, drivers from every class,
not just the card topper. Your PA
announcers should learn about your
drivers, their vocations, their families,
their careers, and paint pictures of them
that make it easy for fans to pick a
favorite to root for, someone they can
say, “I like him, he’s like me.” In doing
so, they must remind fans that such
excitement can only be found at your
track and that’s why they must return
next weekend.
Indianapolis Workshop Moves
Rules &
Tech
Are You Committed To
Policing Your Crate Engines?
The February Workshop discussion of crate
engines spent little time on the most critical
issue of crate racing--promoters‘
commitment to policing. The temptation
for racers to tamper for advantage is
understandable. Likewise, the assistance
to do so from engine builders feeling the
pinch of increasing crate engine numbers.
Additionally, the increasing number of
costly bolt-on parts said to increase the
power of crate engines, burdens promoters
with more tech decisions. Personal
commitment to ensuring a level playing
field is the basis of successful crate engine
programs. Tom Curley simply does not
tolerate funny business. Penalties for
tampering with a crate engine at Thunder
Road or in ACT are severe. Other promoters
and series such as Mike Vaughn’s
NeSmith Series and Vicki Emig’s RUSH
Series, have stepped up their tech and do
their best to eliminate bolt-ons before they
become widespread. Our predecessor
Stew Reamer wrote often about what he
called the “yellow spot syndrome,” saying
that as drivers seek an advantage, if this
week’s winning car has a yellow spot
painted on his roof, next week every car
will have a yellow spot on the roof. Crate
engines offer few real opportunities to gain
an advantage. Because of this, perceived
advantages resemble the yellow spot. That
makes it doubly important that tracks take
responsibility, expose the myths and deal
harshly with real tampering and bolt-on
parts that offer an advantage. If promoters
don’t, crate engines will be a temporary
cost control fix and eventually just become
the new “built” engines.
It is often said that racing is a sport built from
relationships. In the case of your newsletter and
Workshops, that is clearly the case because our
relationship with these sponsors continues to
withstand the test of time as well as multiple tests
from competition. Racing Promotion Monthly and
the RPM Promoters Workshops, are by necessity a
business with a clear and simple purpose,
exclusively for promoters and absent ulterior
motives. RPM remains the only business that is
for promoters and by promoters, that is free from
outside influences and terms and conditions. We
don’t try to sell you anything except the chance to
network and share expertise, and the opportunity
to meet face-to-face in the effort to improve your
business. All credit that we remain so, goes to the
sponsors--K&K Insurance Group, Todd Bixler, its
president, Paul Underwood, Senior vice-president,
and K&K claims, underwriting, and field staff, also
to Joyce Newton, the Newton family, Dennis
Sherman, Paul Menting, and the employees of
Hoosier Racing Tire as well as its 17 distributors.
Never in 24 years have these two firms sought to
influence RPM editorially or operationally. Their
sole interest and singular purpose in supporting
what we do is to bring stability and prosperity to
the short track industry and to help promoters,
their families, and their stakeholders, increase car
counts, sponsorship and ticket sales. We urge all
who read this, those doing business with our
sponsors or not, to find a moment to type an email
or text message of appreciation and send it to the
nearest K&K or Hoosier representative. Whether
you do business with our sponsors or not you
benefit from their commitment to the industry and
for that you owe them as much.
Indy Workshop To Speedway Media Center
Promoters gave the the inaugural 2013
RPM@Indy Workshop good reviews and
attendance reached the datum we set, but as our
readers know, the first of anything is generally
successful bolstered by curiosity and first-time
novelty. We recall Bill France, Jr. in 1995 saying
to reporters before the inaugural Brickyard 400, “I
don’t worry about first events, it’s the third that
tells the story.” Last year’s second RPM@Indy
showed nice growth, up about 20% from the
inaugural, but come December, we face France’s
critical third event. Bill France, Jr. had more
experience with new events than we, so with his
wise counsel in mind, we’re taking nothing for
granted next winter. After two years at the
Brickyard Crossing Golf Club, in the shadow of the
turn two grandstands, we are eager to stay at the
Speedway. But, there arose a complication
(See Indy Moves, P12)
RPM@DAYTONA
DAYTONA BEACH, FL
FEB. 14-15-16, 2016
Charles Cathell
ARPY 1999
Promoters selected the secondgeneration track operator from
Delaware’s U.S. 13 Dragway/Delaware
International Speedway complex as the
1999 Auto Racing Promoter of the Year.
Cathell continues to operate the
Delmarva Peninsula track. Cathell’s
father built U.S. 13 Dragway as an NHRA
member track, and it continued with
NHRA until this season when Cathell
affiliated with IHRA. Delaware
International is a 5/8-mile dirt track
presenting modified and late model
events weekly. The dirt track has hosted
prominent tours each season including
the World of Outlaws, but Cathell remains
among the independent weekly racing
operations unaffiliated with national
sanctioning groups.
11
A Month Of Website Hacks
Legalert
Novelty Races & Stunts
Q: Do courts or juries view an injury
resulting from a novelty race such as a a
demo derby or an enduro differently from
“real” racing events?
A: The law makes no distinction between
novelty events and racing. The waiver &
release, discussed last month in these pages,
provides the same protection from allegations
of ordinary negligence in claims resulting from
novelty events as it does in claims arising from
so-called real racing. The principles of ordinary
and gross negligence are no different in novelty
event cases than in other racing cases. But,
judges and jurors do show the tendency to
make a distinction, say attorneys who defend
race tracks. Judges and juries, find the
practices in novelty events, such as the
elimination of the yellow flag in enduros,
puzzling. Courts have held those in charge of
novelty events to a higher “paternalistic”
standard. Procedures such as no yellow flag,
when compared to the procedures in racing
events, can lead juries to be more sympathetic
to the plaintiff, reasoning that officials of novelty
events have greater duty to ensure the safety of
participants, whom they presume compete for
fun without benefit of the experience of
professionals. For these reasons, promoters
should pay close attention to risk management
when they present novelty events. While the
principles of law do not differ, jurists and jurors
unfamiliar with racing, it can be assumed, will
take a more critical view of circumstances.
DISCLAIMER: While these legal questions have been
researched, we do not represent this as legal advice.
Laws vary. Readers should consult with local counsel
in all matters. RPM assumes no responsibility for
actions taken because of, or despite, answers
appearing herein.
YOU CAN HELP! If you’re are involved in a legal
challenge of any kind, or if you know of, or hear of,
any challenges involving racing operations, or
challenges to other sports or attractions that could
threaten motorsports, call or write RPM editorial
offices.
12
we had to overcome. The Speedway has big
plans for the “100th Running,” the centennial of
the first Indianapolis 500. Part of those plans
recently announced is the proposed
redevelopment of the Southeast corner of the
Speedway property--a new hotel and conference
center on the site of the Golf Club--for which an
RFP was put out recently. With the days of the
Brickyard Crossing Golf Club uncertain, we sought
an alternative, and the Doug Boles, President of
the Speedway, graciously offered to host the
Workshop in the Speedway Media Center
overlooking the “Yard of Bricks,” (fittingly located
upstairs from the Chris Economaki Press
Conference Room, we might add). This is an
exciting prospect--the opportunity to host more
than 100 promoters three stories above the start/
finish line of America’s iconic Speedway, as it
kicks off its celebration of the 100th Running of
the Indianapolis 500. We are working on the rest
of the details for the Workshop and will publish
them in coming newsletters, including an afterWorkshop visit to the Dallara shop nearby, where
the Italian Indycar chassis manufacturer bases its
operation. We hope you’ll stay tuned and make
plans now to join us there next December 9.
Eldora or Charlotte, sites with lots of followers. I
don’t have to worry.” Guess again! Shortly
before those sites were hacked, ours was taken
down by a malicious attack. A few readers might
have noticed our site missing from the Web for
about ten hours the first week of March. Clearly,
we are not a big target, a website in our little
corner of the Web serving some 2,000 industry
professionals. But in the case of hacking, size
doesn’t matter, because hackers are not much
interested in damaging RPM’s business or hurting
RPM readers, or our site followers. These
hackers sought only to embed malicious code or
accomplish other things barely understood by us,
that would help them make bigger mischief
elsewhere on the Web. Having brought this
awkward subject up, we must reassure readers
who use our site that no personal data was
compromised. Those readers for instance who
registered online for the Workshops using their
credit cards are not in danger. That data resided
on secure servers elsewhere, not RPM Web
servers. It had already been scrubbed from the
servers following the Workshops. No online
reader passwords or account information was
accessed. The attempt was made to use the site
maliciously as as a transmitter, part of a larger
RPM Site Hack A Lesson For All
attack and all it did was damage and take down
There are state speed weeks, “Ohio Sprint
the RPM site. Until it happened, we were
Week,” “Pennsylvania Sprint Week,” there’s
unconcerned about our site security, making the
UMP’s “Month of Money,” now the industry adds mistake of thinking that we were just one little
another--March, the “Month of Site Hacks!”
site among millions consequently immune to
According to reports in the media, in early March, mischief. We had been watching the goings on
hackers compromised the Eldora Speedway
on the backside of our site and found ourselves
website, posting a message purporting to be
shocked at the many hundreds of attempts to
islamic, but authorities are not certain of its origin. gain access to the inner workings of our website.
It was one of three Ohio-area sites hacked
Many we are told were “Bots,” which we
simultaneously. Only days later Charlotte Motor
understand to be computers with programs that
Speedway’s three Facebook pages were hacked work automatically 24/7/365 looking for
with written reports showing the posting of “racy”
(See Hacked, P13)
NSFW images. In the aftermath of these events,
most RPM readers would think, “Well, that’s
Sponsor
Sales
Where To Find New
Sponsors
New promoters often ask Workshops
speakers, “How do you find new
sponsors?” It’s a key question. It is said
that racing is a business of relationships. If
you are a promoter who recently was a
driver, you already have relationships and
sponsors. Begin by talking with them to
see whether they have an interest in
becoming involved with the track. Ask
them whether they know of others you
might invite to become sponsors. Ask
them to put in a good word for you to open
the door. Ask them how they think track
sponsorship will help their businesses-what do they sell and how can your track
help them. Can you increase floor traffic
for them? Consider services and supplies
you buy to operate, fuel, lawn equipment,
rental construction equipment, computer
equipment, signage, restroom supplies,
kitchen supplies, all the things needed or
used weekly to run races and between.
Research all the local and nearby suppliers,
and propose a “soft dollar” barter or mixed
barter/purchase package that will cut your
costs and benefit them with increased
exposure and sales. If they are race
enthusiasts, exposure for their business
might be enough. If they are not,
activations of the sponsorship that increase
their store traffic and sales, using ticket
promotions, or displays on the track
concourse and sampling, for sales lead
generation might be the answer. Ask your
officials and employees who might a
prospective sponsor. Leads are
everywhere, and relationships make the
first call easier.
vulnerabilities in websites across the Web. They
do not discriminate nor do they care about size,
they just want in to help the bad guys do things.
A smaller percentage of unauthorized access
attempts on our site we surmise are human. Who
they are and why they do it is a mystery to us.
Best we can figure it must be those guys they
always talk about--adolescents in their parents
basements in their underwear testing their
computer skills. We beefed up security all
around. Readers will notice extra steps now as
you log in. Most RPM readers are probably like us
and rely on professionals like exhibitor Clint Doll
of Firethorn Marketing, to build and host our sites.
They know their stuff and do their utmost to
prevent these kinds of incidents. But let this be a
lesson for all of us. We can often be the Achille’s
heal. Nothing beats strong passwords. If you’re
lazy about your passwords, using one for
everything, or using simple passwords like your
dog’s name or the name of your track, you might
be inviting trouble. And, especially if you sell
tickets or souvenirs online, make sure you have
security buttoned up. Don’t presume that just
because your you’re a “small track” somewhere
that you are a low priority target. Hackers don’t
look for priorities they look for opportunities.
Blindsided By Social Media
We watch with interest the difficulties Kevin Ruic
finds himself in. The northern Ohio promoter is
not one to pass up an opportunity to be
provocative or foment unrest. Now he finds his
recent deal to promote the dormant Mansfield
Motor Speedway endangered if not undone. How
did it happen? Facebook! And therein lies a
(See Blindsided, P14)
www.kandkinsurance.com
David Laber
816-295-1855
david.laber@kandkinsurance.com
Donna Dinius
260-459-5551
donna.dinius@kandkinsurance.com
Sheldon England
816-443-3634
sheldon.england@kandkinsurance.com
Kerri Hamilton
260-459-5773
kerri.hamilton@kandkinsurance.com
Steve Sinclair
260-459-5714
steve.sinclair@kandkinsurance.com
Kathy Rhoades
260-459-5168
kathy.rhoades@kandkinsurance.com
Kevin Cismowski
260-459-5679
kevin.cismowski@kandkinsurance.com
Kerri Hamilton
260-459-5773
kerri.hamilton@kandkinsurance.com
PR
Publicity
Maximize Local Media,
Including Newspapers!
Flyers posted on Facebook, Instagram,
and other social media, are one of many
tools promoters can use to publicize
events, but using these media alone as
teasers or the means to inform fans of
winners and box scores, leaves too much
to chance, and does not reach thousands
of potential ticket buyers. This season
review the local media available to you,
radio, TV, and newspaper. Do not ignore
the newspapers. And look beyond your
immediate community to nearby
communities that also have the three. Get
a contact for each with office telephone,
cell phone, and email address. Invite
them to your races as your guest, but also
meet with them at their offices. Find out
what their deadlines are, how they want
news formatted for their use. All these
outlets are looking for news and human
interest stories, and will give you your
share of their time or space if you earn it
by meeting their deadlines with
information that is quickly and easily used
without rewriting. With local media focus
on two things, pre and post event news,
but more important human interest
stories. Race results will be short lived,
15 seconds during sportscasts or a
column inch or two in the daily wrap-up.
Human interest will earn time, inches and
images, in the media and have staying
power you can build on. Your goal with
human interest stories is to provide the
media with background and opportunity to
tell a story that will interest viewers,
listeners, or subscribers. Get started now
with a list of outlets. We’ll have more
guidance in coming issues.
13
Blindsided By Facebook
Workshops Outtakes: (Top) Cali confab,
Jeff Munro (L), Alan Brown, Greg
Scheidecker, Lucas Oil Modified Series.
(Center) Ron Bennett, Holland (NY)
Speedway and John Stiles, American
Electronics. (Bottom) 37th ARPY Roger
Hadan, The non-nonsense Nebraska
track owner.
(Lysakowski Photos)
14
lesson for all promoters and racing people.
Ruic posted comments on the situation in
Ferguson, Missouri that readers found
offensive and landowner Grant Milliron now
tells the Mansfield newspaper he will
terminate the deal. Based on what we can
learn of the circumstances both Ruic and
Milliron were blindsided. According to
reports, Ruic said he thought his comments
could be seen only by his Facebook friends
and therefore were “private.” We’ve read
some of the comments and must say that
while Ruic certainly is free to say what he
pleases, where he pleases, and we do not
know him well enough to judge the sincerity
of the comments, it was certainly ill-advised
to write the posts, and especially so on
Facebook. Ruic’s comments and
predicament are extreme, but we must say
that as we read Facebook (which we use
exclusively for business marketing purposes,
not personal) we read cringe-worthy posts
authored by racing folks. Call us
conservative, but if we were active on
Facebook, we would not share comments of
the sort we sometimes read. In your editor’s
opinion, people just don’t need to know that
much about anyone, nor about their whims,
pet peeves, passions, social, business or
sporting frustrations. Why are people so
willing to put the minutia of their lives and
their hitherto private thoughts out there for
the world to see? Social media are not
private--never were, nor intended to be. As
business people in a competitive
marketplace, one must assume things said in
social media will be seen, if not used, by
competing people or entities--and used to
their ends. One must assume that sponsors
will see them. One must assume bankers,
and suppliers will see them. One must
assume prospective employees and the
parents of prospective teen employees will
see them. That’s just the way it is today.
What Ruic's convictions are, whether he was
being rhetorical and provocative, doesn't
matter. His posts caught up with him when
someone brought them to the attention of the
the owner of Mansfield Motorsports Park. No
doubt, Ruic regrets his posts, and it is not our
intention to defend or criticize him here, but
the cynic in us, creates wonder about the
motivations of the "whistleblower.” New or
reborn race tracks are not always welcome
in the neighborhood. Was he outed by
someone of noble social intention or of
business self-interest, wishing to trip up his
plans? Many RPM readers wonder whether
Facebook is worth the trouble or not, and we
are among them. We know from experience
it has been a valuable marketing tool. (Note
we say "has been" since recent changes
require all who use it to reevaluate how they
use it and we are not finished doing that.)
We are left with this question after thinking it
all through. What is it about Facebook and
other social media that folks do not
understand? People use Facebook, Twitter,
and other social platforms, as though they
were talking with friend over a cup of coffee
in their living rooms, forgetting that there is
no privacy and remarks are certain to
become widely seen. We've all embarrassed
ourselves with typos in text messages
caused by big fingers on small keyboards
and inattention to spell check gone awry, and
we tend to brush these errors off lightly, and
recipients do too--been there done that. But
anytime one posts in social media one must
be "up on the wheel" bearing in mind that
everyone will read it, and it will be out there a
long time, if not forever read again and again
by friends, enemies, the NSA, the FBI,
sponsors, entrants, sanctioning bodies, fans,
extended family members--everyone! When
next you post, keep this in mind.
In Case You Missed it: Twice hotel personnel had to add
seating to our February meeting room as we hosted the
largest group of promoters and racing officials in five
years. Planning for the 43rd Workshops Series is
underway. Have ideas? Drop us an e-mail.
(Lysakowski Photo)
Directory Of Services For Promoters Updated
We know many of you keep the Directory of Services for Promoters on
pages 16-20 handy, a ready reference for buying services and products,
and this month we present you our revised listing of Workshops exhibitors
form the 42nd Workshops Series. We encourage our readers, especially
those who did not attend the Workshops to check out the services and
products included here. Over 30 companies exhibited at Reno, Indy, or
Daytona, offering virtually all the things you need to operate. If you will
begin your first season in a week or month, and are still rounding up
necessities, be in touch with the suppliers listed this month. Give them a
chance to earn your business and give the last look in those tight pricing
situations. They have demonstrated their commit to you by supporting RPM
though their commercial registration, now it’s your turn to return the favor
by making them your got-to places for the things you need. Check out their
websites first. If you do not see what you need, call them. Make them your
first choice!
Share
Instantly
Share Ideas Instantly!
“Learn, share, profit,” was the original
Workshops slogan. It’s still the essence of
the Racing Promotion Monthly and RPM
Promoters Workshops community. For
more than 40 years promoters have
gathered at the Workshops, spoken from
RPM podiums, shared expertise as panel
members, or from the floor. Each season,
promoters send examples of track flyers,
information on event promotions, and
more. Now, with pocket digital technology
sharing happens even faster. Odds are that
half who read these words have a
smartphone right now at their side, and
throughout race night. Why not use it to
share instantly with RPM readers? Next
race night, shoot a picture with your
iPhone or Android and send it via SMS text
message or e-mail to RPM with brief info
and we’ll call you afterward to learn more
about it. Scan the QR code below. Add it
to your phone contacts. Capture crowds,
promotions, kids club events, contests,
improvements--anything helpful and send
it immediately. Do it this week. Become an
RPM contributor!
www.kandkinsurance.com
15
Directory Of Services
For Promoters
ADMISSION CONTROL, TICKETS
DIAMOND TICKETING SYSTEMS
www.diamondticketing.com
845 E. 4800 South, Murray, UT, 84107, 866-323-5411, ext 107
Diamond Ticketing Systems provides customized snd costeffective ticketing solutions focused on helping motorsports
organizations build revenue and increase marketing exposure.
TICKETFORCE
www.ticketforce.com
4858 E. Baseline Rd, Ste 103, Mesa, AZ 85206 877-726-3581
TicketForce utilizes a powerful web-based ticketing system to
provide the racing industry a fully customizable solution to
ticketing online, mobile, and Facebook ticketing.
WELDON, WILLIAMS & LICK
www.wwlinc.com sales@wwlinc.com
711 North A St., Fort Smith, AR 72901, 800-242-4995
WW&L, Inc. specializes in roll tickets and fast turnaround event
tickets. We also sell the automated KIS Ticket System.
APPAREL, SOUVENIRS, NOVELTIES
ADVERTISING EDGE
www.advertisingedge.com
9840 Prospect Ave., Santee, CA 92071, 800-258-9774
In-house manufacturer of and for embroidery, screen printing,
direct to garment printing, full-color sublimation, promo
products. 16
RACE TRACK WHOLESALE
www.racetrackwholesale.com
817 Delaware, Independence, MO 64050, 816-718-2231 FAX
866-365-2231
Wholesale distributor of racing souvenirs, t-shirts, and
promotional products serving the grassroots racing industry
since 2008.
ADVERTISING DESIGN
SIMES GRAPHIC DESIGNS
www.simesgraphicdesigns.com
414 Main St., Mandan, ND 58554, 888-457-4637 Simes Graphic is full service art studio that services short track
racing. They design and print all types of brochures, posters,
promotional materials.
AUDIO, VIDEO PRODUCTION
MOFFETT PRODUCTIONS
www.moffett.com,
16140 Kuykendahl St., #126, Houston, TX 77068,
800-HOTT ADS
Professional audio production. Radio spots, TV ads, Tracks Trax
race track audio CDs. Great creative, fast service, reasonable
prices.
AWARDS & TROPHIES
SIMES GRAPHIC DESIGNS
www.simesgraphicdesigns.com
414 Main St., Mandan, ND 58554,, 888-457-4637 Simes Graphic is full service art studio that services short track
racing. They manufacture high-end custom cast aluminum
trophies.
BANNERS & SIGNAGE
TOTAL TRACK SOLUTIONS
www.totaltracksolutions.com
7613 Hamilton Avenue, Mt. Healthy, OH 45231 513-521-7446
Wholesale pricing. Banners, billboards, mesh, flags, car wraps,
decals, installation, signage consultation,marketing plans, a
division of GCI Digital Imaging.
BLEACHERS AND SEATING
BLEACHER BUILDERS INCORPORATED
www.bleacherbuilders.com
2710 South Blaine Street, Muncie, IN 47302, 765-716-5767
Specializing in grandstands and suites for speedways,
engineering, design/build, used bleachers, suites, press boxes,
buying used seating from major speedways.
COMPUTER TIMING & SCORING, SCOREBOARDS
DAKTRONICS
www.daktronics.com sales@daktronics.com
201 Daktronics Drive, Brookings, SD 57006, 800-325-8766
Daktronics is recognized worldwide as the leading designer and
manufacturer of electronic scoreboards, message centers, and
large LED video displays.
MYLAPS TIMING & SCORING
www.mylaps.com
2030 Powers Ferry Rd SE, Ste. 110, Atlanta, GA 30339,
678-816-4000
MyLaps offers the best in class sports timing systems to measure,
publish, and analyze race and participant results for all sports and
specifically auto racing.
Supporting Sponsor of the RPM Promoters Workshops
Spec racing with INEX. Legends Cars, Bandoleros, Thunder Roadsters
and the new U.S. Legends Modified. Entry classes that attract new
participants. Strict rules enforcement alleviates rules problems.
Complete car manufacturing, promotion and rules enforcement.
5245 NC 49 South, Harrisburg, NC 28075 704-455-3906
Supporting Sponsor of the RPM Promoters Workshops
Circle track crate engines. Engine, chassis and other racing/high
performance accessories
available at your local GM dealer.
For more information, contact Bill Martens: bill.martens@gm.com
6200 Grand Pointe Drive, Grand Blanc, MI 48349 800-GM USE US (468-7387)
www.chevroletperformance.com/circletrack/
www.uslegendcars.com
Supporting Sponsor of the RPM Promoters Workshops
Supporting Sponsor of the RPM Promoters Workshops
One-Way Radios
Race Management System
Raceceiver is the world’s smallest radio receiver, used for one-way
communications to drivers. Raceceiver Race Management System by
Westhold, transponder scoring for short tracks.
www.raceceiver.com
872 Main Street SW Ste D2., Gainesville, GA 30501 866-301-7223
FIRETHORN MARKETING
Custom website design, and developer of custom e-mail
marketing campaigns. E-commerce specialists.
www.firethornmarketing.com
872 Main Street SW Ste D2., Gainesville, GA 30501
Directory Of Services
For Promoters
RACECEIVER RACE MANAGEMENT
www.raceceiver.com,
872 Main St. SW, Unit D2, Gainesville, GA 30501, 866-301-7223
Raceceiver race communications. Raceceiver race management
timing and scoring system.
WESTHOLD CORPORATION
www.westhold.com info@westhold.com
742 Charcot Avenue, Avenue, San Jose, CA 95131,
408-533-0050
Westhold is a leading seller and manufacturer of race timing and
scoring systems, scoreboards, message centers, video displays,
and software.
CRATE ENGINES/PERFORMANCE PARTS
CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE
www.chevrolet.com/performance/crate-engines.html
6200 Grand Pointe Dr., Grand Blanc, MI 48349, 810-606-3655 Circle track crate engines. Engine, chassis, and other racing/
high-performance accessories available at your local GM dealer.
For information, contact Bill Martens.
FORD RACING
www.fordracingparts.com
24796 Davenport Ave., Novi, MI 48374, 800-367-3788
Sealed racing engines and engine components
FUEL, LUBE, ADDITIVES
LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS
www.lucasoil.com
302 N. Sheridan St., Corona, CA 92880, 800-342-2512
Nationally known manufacturer and marketer of lubricants and
additives for fleets and automobiles, owner or sponsor of Lucas
18
Oil I-10 and Lucas Oil (MO) Speedways, drag racing, drag boat
racing, pulling, motocross, off-road racing, ASCS Sprint Car
Series, Lucas Oil MLRA Series, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt
Series, and MAV TV American Real.
SUNOCO RACING FUELS
www.racegas.com
PO Box 1226, Linwood, PA 19061, 800-722-3427
The largest refiner of racing gasoline. National distribution of
quality brands. SUNOCO, Turbo Blue, and Trick.
GAMING DESTINATIONS
ELDORADO HOTEL/CASINO
www.eldoradoreno.com
345 North Virginia Street, Reno, NV 8950, 800-648-5966
Superb dining in five themed restaurants, 800 gorgeous rooms,
and suites, 81,000 sq. ft. of fun and gaming, world class
entertainment. Sponsor of Workshops.
INSURANCE, RISK MANAGEMENT
ALLIED SPECIALTY INSURANCE
www.alliedspecialty.com tellmemore@alliedspecialty.com
10451 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island, FL 33706, 800-237-3355
Allied Specialty Insurance is a leader in the Motorsports industry
since 1983. Call us for a speedy quote!
JONES BIRDSONG MOTORSPORT INSURANCE
www.jonesbirdsong.com
8935 South Pecos Road, Unit 22B, Henderson, NV 89074,
866-998-3804
Jones Birdsong Motorsports offers the widest range of products
designed to protect motorsports associations, facilities, teams,
and special events.
K&K INSURANCE GROUP
www.kandkinsurance.com
1712 Magnavox Way, Ft. Wayne, IN 46804, 800-348-1839
www.kandkcanada.com
K&K Insurance Group Canada,
#101-5800 Explorer Drive, Mississauga, ON, L4W 5K9,
800-753-2632
The industry’s largest provider of racing insurance. More than 40
years of underwriting and risk management experience.
Motorsport’s most experienced in-house claims staff.
International service capability. Proud sponsors of RPM and the
RPM Promoters Workshops.
NAUGHTON INSURANCE, INC.
www.naughtoninsurance.com kevin@naughtoninsurance.com
1365 Wampanoag Trail, East Providence, RI 02915,
401-433-4000
Motorsports insurance programs for race tracks, teams,
sanctioning groups, and drivers since 1947. Programs available
in all 50 states.
SPORTS INSURANCE SPECIALISTS
www.sportsinsurancespecialists.com
4115 Clubview Drive,
Fort Wayne, IN 46804, 855-969-0305 Sports Insurance Specialists offers a complete motorsports
portfolio of participant and spectator insurance. A proven
industry leader. “Let’s kick some risk.”
Directory Of Services
For Promoters
LIGHTING SYSTEMS
MUSCO LIGHTING, INC.
www.musco.com
100 First Avenue W., Oskaloosa, IA 52577, 800-825-6020
Manufacturer of race track lighting systems for short tracks,
dragstrips and superspeedways. Featuring the Light Structure
Green System and S.C. 2 Retrofit systems.
MARKETING & MEDIA CONSULTATION
DIRTYMOUTH COMMUNICATIONS
www.dirtymouthcommunications.com
170 Morehead Road, Sarver, PA 16055 724-448-5120
Helping tracks, sanctioning bodies and entrepreneurs build
profitable racing programs by integrating marketing, social
media, public relations and sponsorship activation.
RACING TIRES
HOOSIER RACING TIRE
www.hoosiertire.com
65465 US 31 South, Lakeville, IN 46536, 574-784-3152
Complete line of custom-manufactured spec racing tires for oval
tracks, drag racing and road racing. The only company
exclusively manufacturing racing tires. Proud sponsor of RPM
and the RPM Promoters Workshops.
RACE TIRES AMERICA
www.americanraceronline.com
1545 Washington St., Indiana, PA 15701, 800-662-2168
Making competitive, cost-effective race tires, so that you can
focus on increased car counts and exciting shows.
20
TOWEL CITY RETREADING
www.towelcityracingtires.com
1601 N. Ridge Ave., Kannapolis, NC 28083, 704-933-2143
Forty-six years experience manufacturing economical longwearing retreaded racing tires, 7 to 13‚ widths, dirt or asphalt.
Track tire plans available.
RADIOS, COMMUNICATIONS
AMERICAN ELECTRONICS, INC.
www.americanelectronicsinc.com
PO Box 301, Greenwood, IN 46142, 800-872-1373
Two-way radios, noise-canceling headsets, and accessories
designed for speedways, and dragstrips. Exclusive home of the
FREEDOM radio and the BOSS II and EARS headsets.
RACECEIVER RACE COMMUNICATIONS
www.raceceiver.com
872 Main St. SW, Unit D2, Gainesville, GA 30501, 866-301-7223
Raceceiver one-way radios and race communications.
SANCTIONING GROUPS
IMCA-INTERNATIONAL MOTOR CONTEST ASSOCIATION
www.imca.com
1800 West D Street, Vinton, IA 52349, 319-472-2201
The nation’s oldest, largest, and leading sanctioning body. We
focus on affordable divisions to assist the profitability of our
sanctioned facilities and events.
INEX
www.uslegendcars.com
5245 NC 49 South, Harrisburg, NC 28075, 704-455-3906
Spec racing with INEX. Legends Cars, Bandoleros, Thunder
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manufacturing, promotion and rules enforcement.
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www.nascar.com
One Daytona Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114, 386-310-6272
The NASCAR Home Tracks Program offers sanctioning
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WISSOTA PROMOTERS ASSOC.
www.wissota.org
PO Box 297, Dassel, MN 55325, 320-275-9922
A member-driven sanction in the Upper Midwest featuring six
divisions of race cars: Late Models, Modifieds, Super Stocks,
Midwest Modifieds, Street Stocks and Mod Fours. As a member
of WISSOTA, you vote on policies and rules and help guide YOUR
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SPONSORSHIP
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Speedway Benefits unites the best ideas from the most
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WEB DESIGN & HOSTING
FIRETHORN MARKETING
www.firethornmarketing.com
11550 Indian Hill Way., Zionsville, IN 46077, 304-481-9807
Developer of custom e-mail marketing campaigns and custom
website design. E-commerce specialists.
Understanding Minor Waivers,
Parental Consent
Busy Times At The Chevrolet Booth: Ken Squier, the lapby-lap commentator on CBS’s first-ever flag-to-flag
broadcast of the Daytona 500, famous for its last lap
crash and ensuing fight between the Allison brothers and
Cale Yarborough, did not know Jim Hedlund, the corner
worker in the orange jump suit who attempted to break up
the scuffle, until they met during our February Workshop.
(Lysakowski Photo)
Insurance and the minor waiver and release
are complex subjects. We cover them each
winter during the Workshops, answering
many questions from promoters, especially
newcomers who often have difficulty
comprehending some of the paradoxes of
insuring minor participants. Before going
further in this discussion, this cautionary note.
We offer a general discussion here, but
readers should talk with their insurers
because racing insurance policy language
and insurer practices vary, and your insurer
has the last word when it comes to insuring
minors. Racing insurance policies have two
primary policy segments--the motorsports
liability form which includes “participant legal
liability insurance” and “participant accident
insurance.” There are other provisions as
well, but in this discussion we'll focus on just
these two. Participant legal liability
(abbreviated PLL) is the portion that offers
liability coverage to the track owner and the
promoter, for actions involving participants in
the restricted area who have signed the
waiver and release. It is also the portion that
provides for coverage for the expense of legal
defense for the promoter and the track and
coverage for damages. Participant accident
insurance (abbreviated PA) provides for
medical insurance coverage for those
covered under the policy. Most racing
insurance policies provide PA insurance to
minor participants, but unlike the PA
coverage, PLL coverage for minors is not a
certainty. Our discussion here focuses on the
PLL--the liability portion of the policy.
Minors, that is persons under the “age of
majority” (21 years, 19 years, 18 years, or
any other age specified by a state)--cannot
sign away their rights. This is a principle of
law that new promoters sometimes find
confusing. Parents or guardians also cannot
sign away minors' rights for minors, also a
principle of law. The law says contracts
between minors, and others are not binding.
Parents or guardians (who are over the age
of majority in their state) can enter binding
contracts for themselves, but not for their
children. Under the law, minors can sue for
cause (after injuries or other damages) for a
defined time after they reach the age of
majority in their state. This gives them an
extended period when they have the right to
litigate because the clock on the statute of
limitations does not start ticking until they
reach the age of majority. Since states’ ages
of majority differ, and since states also define
differently the time litigants may sue for
damages after they reach the age of
majority, there is no hard and fast rule.
(Example: an adult from a state with an age
of majority of 21 is injured and the state
statute of limitations is five years. The
insurer is at risk for claims for up to five
years until the injured person is 26 years old.
Example: a minor of 16 in a state where the
age of majority is 21, is injured and the
state’s statute of limitations is five years.
The insurer is at risk for claims for up to 10
years; double the time period.) Promoters
must know the particulars of their states.
Minors may also be “emancipated.”
Emancipated minors become adults in the
eyes of the law and subject to the law as it
applies to adults. Emancipation is a legal
proceeding where a minor and his or her
parents or guardians appear before a judge
and petition the court to grant adult status.
(See Minor Waiver, P22)
Extra
Income
Sponsored Bottled Water
Veteran promoters were in disbelief when
the bottled water “fad” began 15 years
ago. Now, bottled water is a big seller,
and just a light poles and water trucks,
starter’s stands, and party decks can be
sponsored, so can bottled water. Many
water bottlers now offer private label
water, and we found this example
recently at an event we attended. This
event, a fund raiser, saw the sponsor
purchase the water on behalf of the
organization for advertising consideration.
The organization then sold the water at a
mark up and benefited by adding the
profit to its coffers. Put your track logo on
it along with a sponsor’s. Invite drinkers
to save the bottles and redeem and
recycle them at the sponsor’s business
for product or service discounts. Or label
bottles for the track and include
information on upcoming events. Maybe,
include on the label a QR code that takes
the drinker to your website to buy
advanced tickets to a big upcoming event
or to opt-in to your e-mailing list.
21
the minor waiver & release and the parental
consent form, as acknowledgments of
"assumption of risk" and make them a
requirement for coverage. Your insurance agent
makes waivers & releases a condition of coverage
under your policy to protect their interests, the
Having read all that precedes, a reader might ask,
interests of the policy underwriter(s), and the
“If a minor cannot sign away his or her rights, why
interests of the track and promoter.
must we bother with waivers?” It is important to
bear in mind that the minor waiver & release and Most racing insurance policies specify a minimum
the parental consent form are legal instruments, age for drivers below which minors are not
and tools used by insurance companies, but they covered by the PLL portion of the racing insurance
are separate from and do not change the law. The policy. Most policies we know of are silent on the
minor waiver & release and the parental consent minimum age for non-driver minors admitted to
restricted areas, and thus provide coverage for
form are a requirement of racing insurance
non-driving minors of any age. The most common
despite the law because they are valuable tools
used by insurers when claims arise. Because a minimum age for drivers presently is 16, but may
promoter has entered a contract with an insurer to be any other age an insurance company specifies
by endorsement to the policy. Some insurers
insure racing events, a promoter is obligated to
fulfill the conditions under the insurance contract choose not to specify a minimum age. Insurers
decide how to set age limitations and whether the
and follow the procedures established by their
insurer. If not, coverage can be denied or might policy shall or shall not mention a minimum age.
not be in force. The minor waiver & release and When no minimum age is specified, it does not
the parental consent form serve multiple purposes necessarily mean that minors of any age are
in combination with the insurance policy. Although covered. If no minimum age is specified, it is
minors are not bound by contracts, insurers use doubly important to talk with your insurer about
Minors can be fully emancipated or partially
emancipated only for racing or other endeavors.
Emancipation is subject to state laws, and an
emancipation in one state may not be recognized
in another.
CONTACT
715-536-1067
rpmeditor@frontier.com
EDITOR: Stewart Doty FOUNDER: Stew Reamer
PHONE 715-536-1067 FAX 715-536-3616
MAIL: PO Box 406, Merrill, WI 54452
E-MAIL ADDRESS: rpmeditor@frontier.com
Copyright 2014, RPM Services Inc.
EDITORIAL
DISCLAIMER: The
RPM E-Letter, Racing
Promotion Monthly,
InsideGroove, and
Websites are digests of
ideas provided to the
operators of auto racing
facilities. Published
material is informational
in nature and is adapted
from many sources.
The editor, publisher,
parent corporation, the
publication's sponsors
and all their heirs and
assigns, assume no
responsibility for the
practicality of the ideas
and information
appearing herein.
Persons using or
adapting ideas or
procedures from the ELetter and RPM do so of
their own freewill, and
assume all risk for
incidents which may
occur because of, or
despite, the adaptation
or use of such ideas
and procedures.
22
Editorial content and
views expressed are
those of the editors, and
do not necessarily
reflect opinions of the
newsletter's sponsors.
PRIVACY POLICY:
RPM does not sell
subscriber information.
When promoters and
other readers provide
RPM with their mailing
address, telephone
numbers, cell phone
numbers, or e-mail
addresses, for any
reason, they are used
only by RPM for
communicating with
subscribers. Data are
not sold or distributed
to third parties. RPM
does, however, provide
exhibitors with a list of
mailing addresses and
phone numbers for
tracks registered for the
Workshops, a service
offered as part of
commercial registration
for more than 20 years.
TRY SOMETHING
NEW... E-FLYERS
WHY NOT THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX...
PROMOTE YOUR NEXT BIG EVENT WITH
A E-FLYER OR PRINTED POSTER/FLYER!
FROM
SIMES
GRAPHIC
DESIGNS
WHAT’S AN E-FLYER? An e-flyer is the same great artwork we
use in all our printed materials, but in a digital form that is used
in e-mails. A super way to promote upcoming events and to keep
everyone up to date on what is important at your track. We even
give you a pdf that is usable in printing flyers for handout at the
track, all for one reasonable price. Special price for readers of the
RPM newsletter $75.00 per flyer... That includes a print ready pdf
file and a jpg made for your website.
NEED A TRACK & EVENT POSTERS & FLYERS? A colorful poster
or flyer is still one of the best ways to attract attention to your
next big event. A powerful poster is great for store windows,
restaurants, and other visible locations. We’ll custom-design the
perfect one. IN A HURRY? Full-color posters or flyers in quantities
as low as 50 to 250 that ship the same day of approval.
TO ORDER OR LEARN MORE INFORMATION E-MAIL OR CALL
.com
info@simesgraphicdesigns.com or 888-457-4637
MARKET YOUR BIG RACE
WITH POSTER OR FLYERS!
the “fine print” of your coverage.
What about young children in other sports, you
ask, soccer, baseball, football--or in motorsports,
motocross or karts? Insurers are free to tailor
policies specifically to individual customers,
adapting policy terms on a customer-by-customer
basis, using criteria such as track size, vehicle
speed, safety apparatus, and rules and race
procedures. This is the way sanctioning groups
such as INEX with its Bandoleros, the AMA (for
cycling), the WKA (for karting), etc., get coverage
for children. Karting, quarter midget, modified
midget, and motorcycle insurance policies allow
very young children to compete and benefit from
coverage. Promoters should get a specimen copy
of the policy provisions defining minimum age and
review it. There can be limitations in these
provisions that specify the type of competition,
such as only karts, for instance, that can be
overlooked. This is why it’s important for
promoters to get their insurance from a
specialized racing insurance agency because it
reduces the possibility an attractively priced policy
might be misapplied to auto racing.
The inconvenient reality is that just because
children can race karts or cycles and be covered
doesn't mean they are automatically insured in
race cars, although it is increasingly common. It
can be a matter of comparing apples and oranges
because the criteria for minor coverage in
automobile racing, generally speaking, differ from
other sports and motorsports. Insurers establish
whom they will cover, and whom they will not, on
a track-by-track and organization-by-organization
basis. To address young entrants, some insurers
add a section to the track policy called an
"endorsement," which describes coverage of
minors that is not otherwise described in the
policy. If your insurer adds an endorsement,
request it from them and read it to understand its
conditions, limits and exclusions.
(See Minor Waiver, P23)
When racing's insurers decide to provide liability
coverage for persons under the age of majority,
they agree to do it at THEIR risk as a service to
customers. With minors, insurers agree to accept
what insurers sometimes call a “tail” on the
policy that is significantly longer and potentially
more costly than insuring adults, as explained in
our earlier examples. Promoters are indebted to
insurers’ for their decisions to insure minors
because insurers have agreed to shoulder
potential losses (and protect promoters from
potential losses) that they would not otherwise
necessarily accept in similar legal circumstances.
By doing so, racing's insurers make possible for
short tracks an important “youth league” to build
for the future.
Because danger and the risk of injury is inherent
to auto racing and because most promoters are
former race drivers, there is a tendency to accept
risk differently than would folks from other less
dangerous walks of life. But despite this, each
promoter must decide how he or she will handle
minor participants. What age is too young?
Would you let your children drive race cars? At
what age would they be mature enough to do so?
As unusual as it might seem nowadays when
minor drivers and crew persons are increasingly
common, there are still tracks that do not permit
minor drivers, crew, or others in the restricted
areas. There are other tracks that designate the
classes minors can participate in based on risk
concerns. There are tracks with hot and cold pit
areas to separate families with infants and young
children from pit activities for reasons of safety.
These are all decisions made by promoters,
based on their own risk assessment, not
mandated by insurers as a condition of coverage.
Understand the company’s minor waiver and
parental consent procedures. Get the appropriate
forms and use them correctly as directed. Make
sure back gate staff are trained and consistently
follow insurance company instructions. Although
minor waivers are not binding contracts, the
acknowledgment and assumption of risk that the
waiver represents is a very important tool for
insurance companies and their defense attorneys
when they protect YOU. Plus, the Parental
Consent form can be used to defend promoters
against suits brought by the parents of an injured
minor. Give insurers all the help you can to
minimize their risks in exchange for the risk
insurers accept so that you can build a youth
sports league and build future attendance and
participation.
A note on parental consent forms: It is not
uncommon for minors to appear at pit gates
accompanied by one parent or guardian. This
presents an additional challenge to pit gate
personnel and tracks. Insurers prefer an annual
parental consent form signed by both parents and
an minor waiver signed by one of the parents.
When one parent or guardian is not present,
tracks must do their utmost somehow to obtain a
signed form from the absent parent. It is an
unfortunate fact that when injuries occur, absent
parents, who have not signed a parental consent
form, tend to litigate--especially those estranged
or divorced. This makes follow through
important. In circumstances where just one
parent or guardian presents themselves, send a
parental consent form home with the parent or
guardian present and request its return
completed and notarized. When doing so, have
your pit gate personnel get complete contact
information, name, address, phone, email
All these complexities aside, readers who do
admit minors to restricted areas should give the address, for the absent person to make follow up
minor waiver and the parental consent form top possible. Then follow up to make sure the form is
priority this season. Please do not conclude after returned. The complication of the Notary seal
demonstrates why it’s best to get parental forms
reading this newsletter that because the forms
are not binding on minors, they are not important. completed before the season begins to minimize
surprises and misunderstandings at the pit gate
Avoid that temptation. Talk with your insurer.
on race night. And, of course, the adults must
sign the adult waiver for themselves as well.
As promoters, you decide who races at your
tracks, not your insurance company. Insurance
companies do what they can to accommodate
promoters’ wishes regarding minor participants.
But, promoters that admit participants younger
than policy minimums without appropriate
endorsements or understandings, or promoters
that deliberately turn a blind eye to the policy
limitations or the work of paperwork compliance
with policy requirements can find themselves
denied coverage. In either case, such a promoter
leaves him or herself open to the risks associated
with underage participants, and might find
themselves paying for expensive defense and
damage costs.
A footnote: As RPM has watched the situation
surrounding minor waivers and parental consent
forms change through the years, we have seen an
ever greater acceptance of risk by promoters.
Following from this, market pressure has forced
racing’s insurers to become more accepting of
wider participation by minors. Twenty years ago
it was common to see minors only in entry level
classes--slower cars with plentiful protection on
smaller tracks. Later minors became common in
faster late model classes, and then on bigger
tracks. Now, minors are becoming more
common in open wheel classes, even sprint cars.
And as this has taken place, promoters have
become increasingly tolerant of younger drivers,
first 18 years old, then 16 years old, and now 14
years old. Insurers’ reluctance to shoulder minor
risks increasingly is trumped by market forces
(competition between insurers) pressured by
promoters. Insurers rue the day that a highprofile claim involving a minimum age minor
hardens the market, making insurance higher in
cost or even unavailable for some tracks.
Promoters must think about this as well when
they decide how young their participants can be.
Car Count
Tips
Dollars To Show Up, Not
Dollars To Win
Our sport spends too much time
advertising $$$ to win, a factor for only a
handful of hot-dog racers. Other drivers
ignore dollars to win and make the
decision to enter each week based on the
probability of braking even on their race
night expenses with winnings and maybe
having a little beer money leftover. They
do it for fun! In the mid-‘90s RPM studied
the correlation between car counts and
what we labeled the “cost to show up.”
Our informal study found a relationship
between race night expenses and car
counts. We added the cost of hauler fuel,
pit passes, tires, and race fuel together
and compared several classes of cars
racing at both at paved and dirt tracks.
The finding we think was that the cost of
the car, engines and consumable parts
had an understandable bearing on overall
car counts, but nightly car counts were
higher for classes requiring less race
night out-of-pocket expense. Simply put,
the lower the race night out-of-pocket
expense, the higher the nightly car
counts. We believe the study proved a
hypothesis we’ve long held that many
drivers will invest in building and
maintaining a car, as a matter of pride,
mechanical challenge, but how often it
was raced had more to do with the
driver’s weekly budget and disposable
income. The car itself was a long-term
“investment,” if indeed a race car can be
so considered. The operation of the car
was a matter of convenience, available
time, and short-term finances.
23
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