Who's Been to Arkansas?

[Red_Kitty]

Hard to tell, he had a beard as well.

This was a part of the ECTA sustainability discussion I had with CJ and Steve - how to bring in more participants to the events.

The title "ECTA Arkansas Mile Challenge" can appeal to 3 groups: those who know what ECTA is, those who live in Arkansas / local to the track, and those like me who came in looking for a mile challenge.

This guy was a local (I saw his car in the Lowes parking lot on Thursday when buying my numbers) but didn't know about the event. I invited him out and he came to watch on the Saturday for a while. Now he can tell others he knows etc.

A timely heads-up in the local paper a couple of weeks before the next event could help with spectators and local participants.

[RockJustRock]

Hard to tell, he had a beard as well.

This was a part of the ECTA sustainability discussion I had with CJ and Steve - how to bring in more participants to the events.

The title "ECTA Arkansas Mile Challenge" can appeal to 3 groups: those who know what ECTA is, those who live in Arkansas / local to the track, and those like me who came in looking for a mile challenge.

This guy was a local (I saw his car in the Lowes parking lot on Thursday when buying my numbers) but didn't know about the event. I invited him out and he came to watch on the Saturday for a while. Now he can tell others he knows etc.

A timely heads-up in the local paper a couple of weeks before the next event could help with spectators and local participants.

Can't see LSR as a big spectator sport without a LOT of Jumbotron screens and a HUGE PA system to carry the sights and sounds the length of a mile. I think it's future lies in telecasting. Two mile long facilities will usually end up in BFE anyway.

[pdub]

Can't see LSR as a big spectator sport without a LOT of Jumbotron screens and a HUGE PA system to carry the sights and sounds the length of a mile. I think it's future lies in telecasting. Two mile long facilities will usually end up in BFE anyway.

The sound carries for more than a mile, probably all the way downtown somewhere. The Jumbotron, maybe. Dallas Cowboys huger. But I don't know where you'd put it. And somebody would have to run the camera constantly.

The audio, yes, that's an issue. Without hearing Ron Ward talking it up, there's no way to even know what's going on, not even if you're in one of the cars running. The FM broadcast is way too weak....never mind Red doesn't even have a radio.

Strapped into the car tight, full gear. I kept trying to look at the speed readout beside the starting line tent. I could barely turn my head far enough to see it, but I don't think that thing was working every time. Well, I know for sure it wasn't, not every time. How fast did that car just go? That stuff is everything for spectators. You have a great point Rock, you are all over it as always.

[RockJustRock]

The sound carries for more than a mile, probably all the way downtown somewhere. The Jumbotron, maybe. Dallas Cowboys huger. But I don't know where you'd put it. And somebody would have to run the camera constantly.

The audio, yes, that's an issue. Without hearing Ron Ward talking it up, there's no way to even know what's going on, not even if you're in one of the cars running. The FM broadcast is way too weak....never mind Red doesn't even have a radio.

Strapped into the car tight, full gear. I kept trying to look at the speed readout beside the starting line tent. I could barely turn my head far enough to see it, but I don't think that thing was working every time. Well, I know for sure it wasn't, not every time. How fast did that car just go? That stuff is everything for spectators. You have a great point Rock, you are all over it as always.

You'd need one at each end and bleachers at either end as well. Engine noise through the speed trap is very important vs. a mere quarter mile. So many really fast really well mufflered cars.

[pdub]

You'd need one at each end and bleachers at either end as well. Engine noise through the speed trap is very important vs. a mere quarter mile. So many really fast really well mufflered cars.

It's a business quandary for sure. That Dallas Cowboys Jumbotron in the current stadium cost more that their old stadium did. I'm only using that as an example.

A PA system would be vital, to be able to listen to Ron Ward. I could even provide that, I have one. Not good for a mile but at least get the word out around the timing tower. Dang, a whole new mission. This is deer meat, it gets bigger as you chew it.

[Red_Kitty]

A PA system linked to the radio to be able to hear Ron at the start line could be good for the drivers and riders waiting in line at the start, and well as the spectators there.

[68scott385]

IF they're going to hunt for spectators they also need to have some basic rules readily accessible. This isn't cable television drag racing where every breathing soul can crowd the starting line. You also don't want the less aware to wander onto the racing surface because the "grass" (soybeans) is too tall, too itchy, etc. Then there's the issue of a car that's out of control. If you have a hundred folks in bleachers that are a hundred feet from the track, half won't see anything until he car goes by then want to know what happened (3 types of people*). And 25-30% of those same spectators wouldn't know run like the wind when a car got out of control......and you'd have insurance claims against ECTA, the race team, the car owner, the town, deities, etc., not to mention folks being stampeded.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a firm believer in letting folks take their Darwin awards but unfortunately that's not the society we live in today. SOoooo, they amount of work and manpower for basic safety precautions just tripled because now, with all those spectators, there needs to be some sort of definitive line/barrier between the track and the crowd, and someone to ensure/enforce that line isn't crossed. Just because the racing community understands the safety risks and hopefully how to keep themselves safe, common sense safety awareness among the spectators isn't going to impress anyone.

*There are three types of people in the world. 1) the people that makes things happen, 2) the people that watch what happens, 3) the people that wonder happened...... Be Alert, the world needs more lerts. my words of wisdom for the day

[RockJustRock]

Well.... no slight to Ron or any other announcer, but I would be more concerned about the music the CARS make.

[pdub]

Well.... no slight to Ron or any other announcer, but I would be more concerned about the music the CARS make.

The music the cars make is self evident. Right now that's the ONLY show. and it's a great one.

Unit and I spectated at Maxton and we were sitting there and we didn't have a clue was going on, what was about to happen next. I don't believe grandstands are at all in the future, it's not quite that setting, not that type of a sport. But the folks meandering around and looking at all the cars deserve to know/hear what's going on.

In order:
1. PA system
2. Food. But the vendors won't come unless there are spectators and the spectators won't come back a second time without a PA system. So, it's a process.

I can help with number 1, I have the stuff. I just need to find out how to hook the line signal to the board, I didn't pay attention to what equipment they have in the tower. That's my part, I can hook it up. I can BRING it and hook it up. The sound stuff is going to waste at my house and there's the perfect use for it.

[Russell]

Would not want them to mic the cars. I could see it if you are trying to broadcast for off site people. If you want to hear the cars watch near the start or finish line. They have had mini radio speakers set up in Ohio, did they not get transfered. The station did need more power or a better antenna

[pdub]

Would not want them to mic the cars. I could see it if you are trying to broadcast for off site people. If you want to hear the cars watch near the start or finish line. They have had mini radio speakers set up in Ohio, did they not get transfered. The station did need more power or a better antenna

Right now I'm just thinking out loud, but it's mighty strong. I haven't yet even contacted the Stupps with this plan. I don't see how they could do anything other than to agree with it. Free help. I haven't yet told CJ that I'm coming with this load of equipment and hell's coming with me.

[DanStokes]

The FM broadcast is HUGE improvement vs what was done before that. A bigger sign near the entrance and a more powerful broadcast would help a lot though I suppose there are FCC regs to be considered. Brian did a GREAT job of keeping up with what vehicles feature what equipment and Ron's coming up to speed on that. Guess I'm suggesting that tweeking the current audio would probably get the job done. I used to bring my PA to Maxton and set it up in front of the bleachers at the finish line (we sometimes had them) but I stopped when it was apparent that no one cared.

At ECTA events spectators can be a significantly closer than at Bonneville where the closest viewing spot other than at the start line is something like 1/4 mile away (that's my guess of the distance from Impound to the long track). The reason for this is, of course, what happens in the event of a spin-out, which DOES happen. When Calaguiro's Studebaker came off the track in Ohio it didn't do a 180 but used ALL of the available safety area coming to a stop. I don't think there's any practical way to get the folks any closer to the action and keep an insurance policy.

Jumbotrons are a great idea but I expect the buy-in exceeds any revenue from spectators. What works at Bonneville (remember, Bonneville is even more in the middle of nowhere) is making the event a gearhead event with "spontaneous" car shows in town every night and a reputation that causes folks to see Speed Week as a bucket list item. The ECTA has a little of that going for it but that needs to expand. Maybe with encouragement some locals could be recruited to pull together motorheads from Arkansas, TN, and other near-by states to turn this into an event, too. I'm thinking Corky Coker (Chattanooga isn't THAT far away) and others could be brought into it. Seems like our best chance.

Also, I don't know why Hot Rod didn't even bother to cover the event this year - I think that HURT badly. Phillip Thomas came out and burned millions of pixels but all that ran was an article on the rat rod coupe. No coverage at all of who did what to win the pleather jackets. There may have been on-line coverage but that doesn't have the feeling of having your car in a mag that you can pass around at lunch or after working in the shop. Anyhow, if Steve and CJ could encourage HRM to run those articles it has to help.

My

Dan

[Red_Kitty]

If the start line is the designated spectator area and has PA and speed display, it encourages spectators to go-to / stay in the safest spot to watch - vehicles are rapidly moving away from them.

[DanStokes]

If the start line is the designated spectator area and has PA and speed display, it encourages spectators to go-to / stay in the safest spot to watch - vehicles are rapidly moving away from them.

'Zakly! And that's a spot where a big screen TV might do some good with a fixed camera at the finish line. There are some pretty big TVs available at Costco/others that, given a sun screen, might get the job done.

Dan

[pdub]

If the start line is the designated spectator area and has PA and speed display, it encourages spectators to go-to / stay in the safest spot to watch - vehicles are rapidly moving away from them.

I'm thinking about wires. Putting the PA at the start line, well I agree. Today I don't now how to hook that up.