Demo Derby At sunset?

[SSW-BSW-FAN]

Every sport has a gimic... what do you think a pre show-half tme shows are?? Even Nascar with there pre show!! They bring in people to sing...

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[rossevans30]

we'd better inform the families of all the drivers who survived the last 20 derbys at sunset then

They were run on paved? Hey if its been done, what can I say.

Having run in over 10, and seen countless derbys, I've NEVER seen one on paved. I can get enough traction on mud, to make a hit hard enough to almost tip a car. I don't want to know how hard a hit could be deleivered hooked up on a paved surface.

Also with paved, you cannot slide the car around two make sharp turns and hits. Who wants to make a 3-point turn in the middle of the derby? Even if you spun it around, its going to be a smoke show...

Do they wet or grease the track or something? Bad idea written all over this one.

Look if you guys want this stuff so bad i suggest that you go to Peterborough. Enter you kid in some stupid race. Watch a "Pastor" drive a 4-fun car at snails pace. Heck suggest something to them, they might do it. Flag football anyone? Personal I'll be at a RACE track, RACING or watching a RACE.

They can do whatever they like "pre" race. I culdn't care less. I show up for the racing. Show up early enough, and you can watch them setup the stands at Kawartha!! Try running that crap "post" race, and see who stick around...

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[SpencerLewis]

we'd better inform the families of all the drivers who survived the last 20 derbys at sunset then

They were run on paved? Hey if its been done, what can I say.

Having run in over 10, and seen countless derbys, I've NEVER seen one on paved. I can get enough traction on mud, to make a hit hard enough to almost tip a car. I don't want to know how hard a hit could be deleivered hooked up on a paved surface.

Also with paved, you cannot slide the car around two make sharp turns and hits. Who wants to make a 3-point turn in the middle of the derby? Even if you spun it around, its going to be a smoke show...

Do they wet or grease the track or something? Bad idea written all over this one.

Look if you guys want this stuff so bad i suggest that you go to Peterborough. Enter you kid in some stupid race. Watch a "Pastor" drive a 4-fun car at snails pace. Heck suggest something to them, they might do it. Flag football anyone? Personal I'll be at a RACE track, RACING or watching a RACE.

They can do whatever they like "pre" race. I culdn't care less. I show up for the racing. Show up early enough, and you can watch them setup the stands at Kawartha!! Try running that crap "post" race, and see who stick around...

as far as i know theyve never wet or greased the track

although it seems every time a derby is ran every single car blows at least 1 tire within 35 seconds of the derby starting, making sliding a little easier...

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[Petty Fan 45]

Spencer, I believe they used to wet the front stretch with that big old water truck (not sure if it still sits at the track or not), could be wrong, I was just a little puke at the time!

Rossevans, as for people sticking around for these 'gimmicks' that seem to irritate you so much; I will certainly hang around, and I know as a kid watching at Barrie, the 'gimmicks' were the highlight of our night.

Didn't Barrie have derby's too?  I seem to remember motorcycle jumps over vehicles too.  My parents told us it was Eivel Kneivel, but they could have been lying!! (they lied about our old dog running away too!) lol

Can anyone confirm, or correct my memory?

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[SpencerLewis]

you know...now that you mention it, i seem to remember them using that big greyish blue water truck for something....

maybe it was demo derbies, but that was a long time ago

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[rossevans30]

Ok, seems you guys need ideas for RACECARS...

1) Barrie Vs Sunset night(s)

Sunset runs a Sunday instead of Saterday. Lots of notice is given, and it promoted at both tracks. On the Sunday, Barrie cars come to sunset. Each class is lined up in reverse order to their points standing. Alternating sunset and barrie cars.

All points are recorded and totaled all night for both tracks. Fans are given a running score of which track is leading in the points.

Week after its the rematch. Sunset runs sat as ussual, Sunday only for Barrie, with the sunset cars coming to Barrie.

2) LLM vs thunders (or thunders vs mini ect ect)

Do the math and find out how many laps based on time it would take a LLM to run down a thunder. Give the thunders whatever head start is required, so the LLMs should catch them with 2 laps to go..... Works for all the classes. Mix them up do one a night, and you have an extra race for almost the whole year.

3) King of the Hill for 1 million dollars (you can find an insurace company that will sell you coverage for the prize) with a catch.....

The driver has to be the fastest king of the hill driver. But to win the million, they must go up agaist and beat a LLM (or whatever class car would be close in speed yet unbeatable)

4) Swap a car race....

Find a mid pack Thunder or mini driver, who would be willing to let Walters drive it for a race.....

5) Invitational Driver night

Get a NCTS driver to come to the track, and find an LLM team that will let him run their car....

6) elmination race

Standing start, reverse order to points. 2 car lengths between cars. Last car to cross the line each lap is elminated...

7) Pit stop race

Add a pit stop to any race, where one tire has to be changed.

Twin 25's, 15's whatever...

reverse the order after the 1st race.

You really don't need the dog and pony to sell a race, you have your cars...

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[daisygirl818]

Ross all of these are really cool ideas...perhaps they can be used at other tracks too not just Barrie and Sunset?

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[rossevans30]

Ross all of these are really cool ideas...perhaps they can be used at other tracks too not just Barrie and Sunset?

Tottally.. I'm not even from those tracks. I was just using it as an example, because the tracks are close, and the setup for the cars are close..

Us Kawartha guy could come down to sunset and clear your guys clock... Some good friendly rivalry..

You hear the fans here asking all the time "What cars are going to show up for the Wednesday night at X or the invitation at Y". They want to see their drivers up agaist another tracks drivers. Why not promote that? Have the Kawartha fans show up for the Friday show, then also come out on Saterday to see how Ryens compairs to the Sunset guys... Thats one race fan filling 2 seats on one weekend....

Goes back to even the idea of the Sunday no points inviational. But takes it a step further. Track pride is on the line. So you have a bit of a reason to risk your car, without points racing...

CCS and Kawartha have been doing that a bit with the lates. I think it could be promoted a bit more and made a FRIENDLY us vs them competion...

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[Mobil1fan]

Those ideas are good and fine, but go down to Lake Erie (the textbook example of how a track should be run in this area) and ask what drew better, their Late Model 150 or their 'Night of Fire'? Given the right circumstances, there's tracks that manage to do both sucessfully (look up Langley Speedway and their "Wednesday Night Wackyness") Your ideas *might* appease the die-hards and bring more of them out (from my experiences the so-called die-hards find ways of not going to things under claims of racing seriousness) but in a sport where new blood needs to be found (in the seats and in the pits) things like this work to do so. It shouldn't replace the actual racing, but if it's getting people out to see the regular classes and making them into weekly attendees, isn't it a success?

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[SpencerLewis]

even the winner of the 2007 Short Track In North America Award Thompson Speedway devotes an entire night every year to monster trucks, stunt drivers and demo derbies. And they PACK the place....

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[rossevans30]

You guys are admiting that racing doesn sell. You need a demo derby, or some side show to "pack" the place.

Sorry I just don't buy it... Sell RACING and you will pack the place.

Those that show up for the side show are there for a curiosity. They will not be back the next week to watch racing. They move on to another event. The Zoo, the drivein ect.. They are simply looking for variaty in what they do. You can't base your track on that.

What you need is the die hards. The people that go to a leafs game to watch the hockey. These are the folks that would like to be there every week. They are the ones that buy the seaons tickets. Look at nascar. Its the guys that live and breath it that keep it going. The guy that has Dale Earnhard underware and toothbrushes. Promote your product, not a gimick. ITs like selling the cerial box for the toy inside. You make a few quick sales but its dosn't last.

The track that have the most fan are the tracks that have the srongest classes of racing. Simple as that. Want to fill a place.. Caugua, the old Canada Day challenge. CASCAR with a few NASCAR drivers. IT packed that place. RACING PACKED CAUGA!! Not some side show at a track with 1/20th the seats....

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[SpencerLewis]

with your reasoning, mosport should be turning people away

but then have more trouble  packing the place than the tracks that have "side shows"

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[Mobil1fan]

The track that have the most fan are the tracks that have the srongest classes of racing. Simple as that. Want to fill a place.. Caugua, the old Canada Day challenge. CASCAR with a few NASCAR drivers. IT packed that place. RACING PACKED CAUGA!! Not some side show at a track with 1/20th the seats....

And that wasn't a side show relative to the rest of the CASCAR season? Nobody's saying at all that the racing doesn't sell, just that there's more than racing alone to get people in the doors.

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[Statsman]

Spencer, I believe they used to wet the front stretch with that big old water truck (not sure if it still sits at the track or not), could be wrong, I was just a little puke at the time!

Rossevans, as for people sticking around for these 'gimmicks' that seem to irritate you so much; I will certainly hang around, and I know as a kid watching at Barrie, the 'gimmicks' were the highlight of our night.

Didn't Barrie have derby's too?  I seem to remember motorcycle jumps over vehicles too.  My parents told us it was Eivel Kneivel, but they could have been lying!! (they lied about our old dog running away too!) lol

Can anyone confirm, or correct my memory?

In 1976 Larry "Hurricane" McLean did a motorcycle jump at Barrie. He crashed and slid along the track and into the wall but he was unhurt other than being slighty shaken. I was in the tower that night when they brought him back up and he was saying he'd be okay in a bit and I thought he was nutz.

The Mad Canadian Ken Carter used to do some jumps in cars at many Speedways before his untimely death in a stunt at Peterborough.

There was a guy in a wheelchair Jim somebody (Wagner?) I think who did ramp stuff as well, T-Bone crashes and things like that.

I also remember a jet car at Barrie, they basically just fired it up with it chained on the back of the ramp truck and aimed the flames from the exhaust at some old cars stacked up.

Demo derbies were a staple throughout the 70s. Driver and 4 time Barrie Champion (in the Diamonds and 4 cyls) Garf Peacock was particularly good at them.

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[Kahnefreak]

dad ran a demo derby at Barrie in 78' the year before his rookie year. He won...we have some pics of that car and dad beside it. he looks so young. He was only 18.

I particularly like the demo derbies and of course the ever so popular hell drivers. They would drive around the track on two wheels. was great to watch.

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