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Kenny Wallace

Opens RPM@Vegas

Page 8WorkshopsDates, Hotels,

Schedules

Page 9IMCA

Becomes Supporting Sponsor

0IMCA

Super NationalsRevisited

Page 22 & 25App & BallotGet Credentials, Nominate ARPYs

Page 12DIRTcar

“Crate” Sprint Introduced

Racing Promotion MonthlyThe Idea Newsletter For Auto Racing PromotersProducer Of The Annual RPM Promoters Workshops

Vegas, Indy, Daytona Workshops App, P22, Ballot, P25, Download Schedules, P12

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P5 Kenny Wallace Live In Las VegasP6 Welcome New ReadersP8 Workshops Dates, Places, HotelsP9 IMCA Joins As Supporting SponsorP9 Workshops Session Preview, Building Big EventsP10 IMCA Super Nationals RevisitedP10 Workshops Session Preview, Adapting To The New FacebookP11 National Crate Sprint Class AnnouncedP11 Workshops Session Preview, Digital Timing & ScoringP12 Legalert: Pit Vehicle Liability P12 INEX Updates, News From Around The SportP13 Profile, Rodney Wing, Regional Promoter of the YearP15 Profile, Jody Deery, Auto Racing Promoter of the YearP16 Exhibitors: Directory Of Services For PromotersP21 Stop the Online BS!P22 FAXable Credential ApplicationP24 Nominate Regional ARPYs nowP25 FAX Ballot, Regional Auto Racing Promoter of the Year

Racing Promotion Monthly The Idea Newsletter For Auto Racing Promoters

Presenter of theAuto Racing Promoter of the Year Awards Sponsored ByCharlotte Motor Speedway...

Producer of the AnnualRPM Promoters Workshops

Issue 45.08Volume 45, Number 8

On The Cover...

Dean Malone provided this aerial of Boone Speedway during the IMCA Super Nationals.

(Track Photo)

The voice of short track owners and promoters, fostering cooperation, communication and the exchange of expertise.

This Month In RPM

EDITOR: Stewart Doty FOUNDER: Stew ReamerPHONE 715-536-1067 FAX 715-536-3616 MAIL: PO Box 406, Merrill, WI 54452E-MAIL ADDRESS: [email protected]

Copyright 2015, Racing Promotion Monthly.

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 E-Letter 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. 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.

Contact:[email protected]: 715.536.1067F: 715-536-3616

Kenny Wallace Joins Promoters At RPM@VegasIMCA Supernationals Revisited

The Promoters’ Front PageMore Ideas, More Cars, More Fans

Herman Live In Las Vegas: Kenny Wallace will open the RPM Promoters Workshops on November 12 and later race the Duel

In The Desert at LVMS. (Kenny Wallace Racing Photo)

5

Three years ago, we invited driver and commentator Kenny Wallace to offer his opening remarks at the Speedweek Workshop. Like readers, we had seen him on television and at the races. We knew something of the TV Kenny, his infectious humor, his occasional wackiness and his enthusiasm for racing. We should have foreseen his popularity but were unprepared for his unique humility, his happy-go-lucky outlook, and his extraordinary ability to relate to promoters. He began with an apology to the audience, saying he didn’t quite know why he had been invited or what he could say that would be instructive for promoters and followed immediately with immensely entertaining, stream-of-consciousness, monologue that ranged from thoughts of hair implants to his funeral wishes, wrapped around good short track stories, reflections on his career, the sport generally, his track ownership, and his modified barnstorming, all which left some in the audience nearly in tears from laughter. He elevated himself that day to a place alongside Tom Curley as “most popular speaker at RPM.” And as it all happened, we thought we’d have to pick Curley, who was in the audience that

morning, off the floor he was laughing so hard. And Wallace didn’t stop there, making the rounds of our exhibit area, mingling with promoters, posing for pictures, signing autographs, and not unsurprisingly booking a few race dates for his 2013 season. It doesn’t get much better than that, in a sport prone to taking itself too seriously.

We are fortunate that Oklahoma modified car owner Jessie Hoskins hired Wallace to race the IMCA Duel in the Desert at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next month, and that his TV producers worked with Kenny to make it all happen. It enabled us to persuade Kenny to join us a second time, this time at the inaugural Las Vegas Workshop of the modern era, Thursday Morning, November 12.

Kenny is the perfect personality to kick off RPM’s return to Las Vegas after a 38-year absence and we look forward to his humorous insights into racing life, and promoting. Wallace this season will race more than 70 short track events primarily in his Toyota, UNOH, dirt modifieds. In his NASCAR career, he

(See Wallace, P6)

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!

Author, Racer’s Wife, Keen Observer Of The Sport : Joyce Standridge will offer promoters her

“View From The Chigger Patch” at RPMs @Vegas, @Indy, and @Daytona. Bring your notebooks and

tape recorders, because she’s seen it all. (Standridge Photo)

6

(Wallace, From P5)

logged 905 starts, including 344 in Cup races and 547 in the series now sponsored by XFinity. He is heard and seen on Sirius XM Radio and FOXSports1, commentating on NASCAR events. He also is a partner in the consortium that owns and operates Macon (IL) Speedway, the biggest little dirt track in our industry--a fifth-mile dirt track in central Illinois, with managing partner Bob Sargent, Ken Schrader, and Tony Stewart.

What Happens In Vegas...Will Boost Your Car Counts & Ticket Sales!If you haven’t met or heard Kenny Wallace in person, if you’re new to promotion and haven’t been to a Workshop, or if you just haven’t been to a Workshop in a while, we encourage you to join us next month at RPM@Vegas. Along with “Herman Live In Las Vegas,” you’ll enjoy 15 sessions, and all the ideas you can write down,

remember, or record, a great IMCA race weekend at LVMS with over 250 cars expected, and famous Las Vegas fun, all for the most reasonable of airfares and lodging.

And Kenny’s Therapist Will Be There Too...Wallace once quipped that Joyce Standridge (who is also to be with us at Las Vegas) was his “therapist” as well as his biographer. We wouldn’t pretend to know who Wallace relies for clinical assistance, nor whether Standridge regards herself as his therapist, but we are certain of two things--they go back a long way, and Ms. Standridge has forgotten more about what’s important in short track racing than many of us know. We expect it to be a Workshop day to remember. (Find more about Standridge on page nine.)

(Continued, P9)

56-H Loomis StreetManchester, CT 06042Phone: (860) 646-9646Email: [email protected]

Baltimore2931 Industrial Park Drive Finksburg, MD 21048Phone: (410) 833-2061Email: [email protected]

Pittsburgh110 South Pike Road, #207Sarver, PA 16055Phone: (724) 360-8000Email: [email protected]

1933 Staunton TurnpikeParkersburg, WV 26104Phone: (304) 428-5000Email: [email protected]

Springfield3886 E. State Route 54Springfield, IL 62707Phone: (217) 522-1955Email: [email protected]

Indianapolis4155 N. 1000 E., Ste A, Wally Parks Dr.Brownsburg, IN 46112Phone: (317) 858-1234Email: [email protected]

Plymouth1801 Jim Neu Drive Plymouth, IN 46563Phone: (574) 936-8344Email: [email protected]

21601 John Deere LaneRogers, MN 55374Phone: (763) 428-8780Email: [email protected] www.hoosiertirenorth.com

AsphaltP.O. Box 537Welcome, NC 27374Phone: (336) 731-6100Email: [email protected]

Dirt OvalP.O. Box 1437Clinton, TN 37717Phone: (865) 457-9888Email: [email protected]

Road & DragP.O. Box 6080Maryville, TN 37802Phone: (865) 984-3232Email: road&[email protected]

3801 W. Pawnee, Suite 200 Wichita, KS 67213Phone: (316) 945-4000Email: [email protected]

Nebraska12252 N 153rd CircleBennington, NE 68007Phone: (402) 281-9700 [email protected]

103 Gross Road, Bldg. AMesquite, TX 75149Phone: (972) 289-RACE (7223)Email: [email protected]

2608 E. CaliforniaFresno, CA 93721Phone: (559) 485-4512Email: [email protected]

117-119 Cushman RoadSt. Catherines, Ontario, Canada L2M 6S9Phone: (905) 685-3184Email: [email protected]

1733 Maryland AvenueNiagara Falls, NY 14305Phone: (716) 285-7502Email: usasales@bicknellracingproducts.comwww.bicknellracingproducts.com

5601-45 ST Leduc, Alberta, Canada T9E 7B1Phone: (780) 986-7223Email: [email protected]

“TIRES DESIGNED FOR CHAMPIONS” ®

65465 SR 931, Lakeville, IN 46536 (574) 784-3152 www.hoosiertire.com

14

43rd Annual RPM Promoters Workshops Series

RPM@Daytona February 14-16, 2016

RPM@Indy December 9, 2015

RPM@VegasNovember 11-13, 2015

RPM@Vegas Official Hotel: PALACE STATION HOTEL & CASINO, 2411 West Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV. Standard Tower Rooms, $34.99 Monday-Thursday, $84.99 Friday, Saturday; and standard Courtyard Rooms $24.99 Monday-Thursday, $54.99 Friday, Saturday, triple or quad occupancy rates are higher. Rates are subject to a $9.99 service fee per night and local room tax at prevailing rate. Reservation cutoff is 10/17/2015, or upon block sellout. Reservations: (800) 634-3101, and ask for offer code “PCIRPM” to receive the RPM Promoters Workshops room rate.

RPM@Indy Official Hotels: MICROTEL INN & SUITES, Indianapolis Airport, 5815 Rockville Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46224. Hotel direct reservations: 317-247-9703. Special Workshops Group Rate: $59.95/night, plus tax, Reference “RPM Promoters Workshop” when calling.

SLEEP INN & SUITES, Downtown Indianapolis 1244 West 16th St., Indianapolis, IN 46202 Hotel direct reservations: 317-653-1854, Web: www.sleepinnindy.com/hotel/in312 Special Group Rate: $89.95/night. Reference “RPM Promoters Workshop” when calling.

RPM@Daytona Official Hotel: HILTON DAYTONA BEACH OCEAN WALK VILLAGE Official Workshops hotel and meeting site: 100 N. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach, FL, Hilton Hotels reservations: 866-536-8477, Hotel direct reservations: 386-254-8200 (9a-5p weekdays). Special Group Rate: $139/night, Saturday-Tuesday, Reference “RPM Promoters Workshops” when calling. www.daytonahilton.com

Event SchedulePre-Registration, Exhibit Set-Up, Welcome Reception,

November 11, 2015, 4:30-9:30 p.m.

Sessions: November 12, 2015, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Sessions: November 13, 2015, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.


February 14, 2016, 4:30-9:30 p.m.

Sessions: February 15, 2016, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Sessions: February 16, 2016, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.


December 9, 2015, 7:30-9:30 a.m.

Sessions: December 9, 2015, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

9

Nominate Regional ARPYsTime for a brief commercial break. We announced in the September InsideGroove that nominations are open for Regional Auto Racing Promoters of the Year. A retrospective on 40 years of ARPYs and the ballot can be found on page 24. Nominate today!

IMCA Supporting Sponsor We cannot recall when we first met IMCA’s Kathy Root, but we know it was long before she contemplated owning the organization, and we contemplated being your editor. But, under her guidance and adherence to Keith Knaack’s principles, she brought the organization to unique prominence in our industry as the leading sanctioning organization of weekly racing for avocational racers. After more than 20 years of purposefully resisting racing’s ill-conceived passing fancies harmful to weekly racers and the tracks that host them (which often perplexes and frustrates racing observers), she recently stepped back, handing operations and decision making to her son Brett Root. Brett this year will preside over the completion of the 2015 season and at the conclusion will present awards to champions in IMCA’s 100th year of sanctioning automobile races. They haven’t made much noise about hitting the big 1-0-0, playing it conservatively, so we’ll toot their horn for them. As we pondered the significance of IMCA’s 100th year, we realized it precedes another century mark--the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500. How cool is this? Short track racing beats the world’s most famous race by one year! We know of no other sanctioning group that has raced to the century mark. This winter, Racing Promotion Monthly is affiliated with IMCA in its 100th

year and with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as it preps for the 100th Running of its 500-mile race. We consider ourselves fortunate to have the support of auto racing's two century brands, and consider it a privilege to work with both of them, and we look forward to welcoming IMCA, who are no strangers to the Workshops, as a supporting sponsor in Las Vegas next month.

Super Nationals Revisited Even readers new to promotion should know of the IMCA Super Nationals. Several years after Keith Knaack introduced his modified, we covered the 4th such event for Stock Car Racing Magazine a race we recall that drew maybe 50 cars to the fairgrounds at Independence, Iowa. (Our notes from the weekend are long gone, as is our copy of the magazine.) In early September, we enjoyed a couple of days at the 33rd Annual IMCA Super Nationals, the 28th such event hosted at Boone Speedway. Over its six-day run, the event drew an amazing (and record) 876 cars. For stat keepers, these numbers: 278 Modifieds, 193 Stock Cars, 33 Late Models, 167 SportMods, 141 Hobby Stocks, 63 Sport Compacts. It was the eighth year the event exceeded 800 entries. Drivers came from 25 states, Canada and Australia. The total payout was $275,000 plus $60,000 in contingencies.

In our opinion, the Super National is only now getting the respect it deserves. This is because our sport, despite describing itself as “grassroots,” is prone to paying greater attention to professionals competing at short tracks, the several Outlaw series, the several Lucas Series, and other long-running marquee events. There’s nothing wrong with

(See Boone, P10)

IMCA, A Supporting Sponsor

Novel Race Car Wrap: As IMCA celebrated 100 years of race sanctioning, Texas driver Carbie McClearen (not surprising that with such a name as Carbie he has such a sense of humor) decided to celebrate the historic event and show his admiration for Brett Root’s business acumen with this specially created wrap for his IMCA Stock Car. Humpy might have had million-dollar bills but he never had a car. (RPM Photo)

The View From The Chigger Patch

Joyce Standridge joins us at all three Workshops. Joyce is an auto racing journalist, driver’s wife, car owner, pit crew member, track employee, and primarily racing fan. She is an accomplished author, collaborating with Ken Shrader and Kenny Wallace on autobiographies. Joyce is a national award winning writer for Speedway Illustrated. In her “The View From the Chigger Patch,” she’ll talk with promoters about the issues faced by low-buck racing families and the meaning they have for the sport as a whole.

RPM@Vegas, RPM@IndyRPM@Daytona

Session Preview

RPM@Vegas, RPM@DaytonaBuilding Your Own Marquee Events

Alabama track owner/promoter Billy Thomas, joins us to share lessons he’s learned building big events at East Alabama Motor Speedway, the 37-year-old Alabama State Championships, the 41-year-old National 100, the Bama Bash and the Jimmy Thomas Memorial. Thomas is a believer in profitable, risk-averse, self-promoted special events and one of the best at increasing event-related revenue streams of all kinds. This promises to be some of the best practical advice ever heard at the Workshops.

Adapting To The New Facebook

Kristin Swartzlander, DirtyMouth Communications, sums up changes taking place on the Facebook platform and their effect on promoters. Swartzlander who has worked with pro sports, as well as tracks and teams, will explain how Facebook is changing and how the bottom has fallen out on the 'old way' of using it. She’ll explain how promoters can increase engagement despite the changes, and build an audience they own, so that the ever-evolving Facebook cannot continue to block you from the audience you have built.

RPM@Vegas, RPM@Indy, RPM@Daytona

Session Preview

10

(Boone, From P9)

this, but the Super Nationals are otherwise known as “America’s Racing Vacation” and are an annual gathering place for the racers at the 900-plus short tracks in this nation. We overheard an observer say, “These guys skimp and save for a year, eat PB&J sandwiches, just to get here to be part of the happening.” While IMCA does have its own “pros,” the observer summed up the cache of the race week. Look closely at Dean Malone’s aerial photo on our cover. Think about what’s involved in laying out a race property for a week such as this. We observed 20 heats for Stock Cars and 30 heats for Modifieds, plus last chance races and feature events the days we attended. The track was never dusty! The races ran off like clockwork. There is an impressive array of John Deere equipment working the track after each group of 10 races. Every race was intense throughout the field for every position. They came for the fun, but leave no money on the table. Cars were wrecked, cars were rebuilt, motors were changed; bodies were re-hung every day.

Headlines, Of The Wrong KindNews-wise; unfortunately, the race made national headlines the result of Robert Lawton’s late-night, fatigue-induced, exasperation with a few handicapped fans, which is unfortunate for the sport, for the event, for Lawton, and for the aggrieved wheelchair using fans. He was simply trying to keep an exit aisle clear on feature race night when two wheelchair occupants, among a group of approximately 8-10 who regularly attend races at Boone, took exception to, and would not comply with, his request that they vacate an aisle where he had earlier allowed them to watch racing earlier in the season,

during regular weekly shows when the premises is not at capacity. Those who know Lawton from his many years on Workshops panels know that he is disinclined to mince words. He’ll tell you exactly what he thinks without hesitation. (This frankness, by the way, made him an all-time favorite panelist at the Workshops.) He admits that he was correctly quoted by the press after he told the fans that if they didn’t relocate, he’d simply ban wheelchairs and their occupants from the premises, henceforth. After reflection and some PR damage control, Lawton confesses he could have measured his words more carefully. But, it is noteworthy that the uncooperative fan is also the person who shopped the story to WHO, the most prominent TV station in nearby Des Moines, IA. The news result was inevitable. But in Lawton’s defense, all but two of the fans accommodated his request, and the uncooperative fans tripped his trigger; a lapse any promoter can relate to. (In the words of a promoter who called our offices upon reading of the incident to find out the background, said. “Been there, done that,” concluding it doesn’t make it right, but he’d been similarly hasty with his words in the heat of the moment.) We’re all human after all. When we are, it boosts the ratings of newscasts and the tally of hits to news sites.

Fallout From A Flyer Filmed?Following our departure from Boone, a Modified racer got some serious air leaving the high banks of the speedway and bouncing into the brush, eventually coming to rest in a drainage area bordering the track. At the risk of appearing cavalier about a racing accident, the significance we find in the accident is not

(See Flyer, P11)

IMCA Super Nationals Revisited

Make’n It Happen: The Super Nationals found a home at Boone Speedway 28 years ago after five years of moving from track to track. Afterward, Robert & Bea Lawton (lower picture) and partner Everett Sather worked each year to make America’s Racing Vacation the phenomena it is today. When Sather retired, (Kathy and Brett Root, upper picture) of IMCA became partners in the race week. The event continues to grow each year. (RPM Photo)

Communicating To The Thick Slice

Communicator Mike Lysakowski will share samples he’s accumulated as he coaches promoters to sell racing to what he calls the “thick slice,” of the pie chart--potential ticket buyers not now regular fans. He’ll explain "What NOT to do" in print ads, schedule brochures, websites, and Facebook pages, and talk with promoters about the importance of understanding the viewpoint of the target audience showing where promoters often target the wrong audience with the wrong message.

RPM@Vegas, RPM@Daytona

11

(Flyer, From P10)

so much the accident itself nor the response by track crews and medics, but in the fact that the driver’s GoPro-type camera apparently survived the wreck and continued to record the driver after the car came to rest including much of the extrication process by track crews and paramedics, and this video account is available on YouTube (HERE). There is a tendency now to regard such video recorders merely as fun and handy tools for promotional video. Little thought is given to intellectual property, liability, public relations, and brand issues surrounding most short track race events by promoters. Unlike NASCAR that controls all on board cameras in its events (for brand management, race control, and liability reasons), it’s impractical for short tracks with upwards of 50 independent entrants who are free to race wherever and whenever they like. We know of no short track rules addressing the cameras and few promoters who feel they can devote time to the myriad considerations related to the cameras. The result will be more videos such as the video from Boone posted to YouTube for bragging rights and fun. But, we wonder, should promoters be concerned about the cameras? What if an injured driver is clearly suffering from serious injuries, or is killed, and someone morbid posts the video? What if, in the view of YouTube onlookers, the emergency response can be seen as slow, inadequate in some way, inept in some way? What if your track safety crew isn’t mindful of what it’s saying and the fact it could be recorded without them realizing it? What if entrants who perceive themselves through the prism of victimhood use the videos with malicious intent? In videos such as these, a few seconds can appear to be an eternity and people will always debate the appropriateness and promptness of emergency response. Will ambulance chasers use the videos to persuade otherwise disinclined plaintiffs to initiate suits? Will these videos appear

in evidence in litigation? No doubt elsewhere in daily life they already do so. All good questions, these.

The Crate Nation, Still GrowingThus far, “crate engines” have been almost entirely limited to stock car and modified classes because technology did not exist to mate them to the drivelines of open wheeled cars. But, last February at the Speedweek Workshop, during our Workshop session discussing GM sealed engines, driveline specialist Don Blackshear introduced to promoters his innovative patented balance hub assembly, now known as the “Crate Innovations C11-21115” that enables the installation of “602” and “604” Chevrolet sealed engines in sprint cars without modification of the driveline (RPM issue 45.02). After experimentation and initial efforts to adapt the engines by promoters such as Glenn Styres at Osweken (Ontario) Speedway, sealed engines can now be easily mounted in sprint cars. DIRTcar announced September 25 the introduction of its Pro Sprint Division, a winged sprint class developed around the Chevrolet Performance “602” sealed engine. 1998 Auto Racing Promoter of the Year Larry Kemp, former GM at Eldora Speedway, spearheaded the two-year project to develop the class working with Rich Farmer, Fremont (OH) Speedway, Pace Performance, of Boardman, OH, a prominent sealed engine supplier and service center to Vicki Emig’s Pennsylvania-based RUSH Series for Modifieds and Late Models, and with Don Blackshear, Don Blackshear Automotive, Hermitage, PA. Ed Kennedy’s Plymouth (IN) Speedway, where much of the testing for the concept was done, is the first track to enter a sanction agreement with DIRTcar for the class in 2016. Kemp says the class is intended to an “entry level” sprint class for weekly tracks, as and affordable stepping stone from junior classes an

(See Crate Nation, P12)

Fallout From A Flyer Filmed?

39th Auto Racing Promoter of the Year

RPM readers selected Gary Howe, Kalamazoo Speedway, as 39th ARPY. His path to ARPY is a testament to the culture of the Workshops. Howe admits that when he attended his first Workshop, he thought he knew it all, and the speakers at our podiums were all wet. He returned home, did things his way, made the mistakes new promoters make, and created years of hardship for himself, but now credits the promoters and the Workshops for enabling him to become the success he is now. Howe will share pearls of wisdom gathered along the way.



Session Preview

Session Preview

Latest From Our Legal Eagles

Cary Agajanian, Paul Tetreault, and Don Ornelas of the law firm Agajanian, McFall, Weiss, Tetreault, & Crist, will summarize significant case law and regulation events from the year and answer promoters’ questions on matters of law, regulations, ordinances, corporate structure, and more. An hour or more of pro-bono legal advice essential to all promoters.

Partner With Sponsors For Profit

Mark Gundrum, VP Business Development, and Corporate Partnerships, ARCA Racing Series, returns to share with promoters practical partnering strategies proven in business relationships between ARCA and its sponsors. Gundrum began his career working at short tracks and later worked for Rex Robbins at ASA. He accumulated a wealth of practical experience and street smarts. Bring a pen and notebook, a tape recorder, or your tablet, or smartphone for this one. You’ll never remember everything he’ll cover if you don’t.

RPM@Indy, RPM@Daytona

Digital Timing & Scoring Pitfalls

Liz Fredrickson, Chief Scorer, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, anchors our electronic timing & scoring session. Now commonplace, the high-tech systems, like all technology, come with advantages but are not without challenges and Fredrickson has dealt with all of them--as they say, in real time, during events. She and colleagues will share a few war stories but also wisdom and experience that will help you make your towers run more smoothly.

RPM@Vegas, RPM@Daytona

LegalertPit Vehicle Liability

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.

Please discuss liabilities associated with pit vehicles, ATVs, golf carts, bicycles, scooters, and mules?As with any aspect of your business, pit vehicles used by teams in pit areas are a risk management issue. Some tracks have rules covering these vehicles, including low speed limits, limited hours of operation, operator age limits, areas that are off-limits, and even operator licensing. Consider some rules if you don't have them and worry about problems. While we know no tracks that do, if your state or outdoor groups offer ATV safety courses with diplomas or cards after completion, it might be recommendable to have underage pit vehicle drivers show them as a condition of being granted a track license. Instruct your security to police pit vehicle use diligently. Check for state and local laws and regulations as well. Most racing insurers require that entrants provide proof of pit vehicle liability and property insurance. If an incident with a pit vehicle occurs, it is also recommendable to follow your insurer's reporting guidelines and keep a record of the incident. It might be recommendable to get a police report if an officer is on the premises. Despite these and any other measures you might take, you nonetheless face the prospect that you can be accused of negligence for not properly controlling the vehicles.

12

(Crate Nation, From P11)

as an alternative to mini-sprint-type classes based on motorcycle engines which cost more than the family racing operations common to “small car” racing can afford. The Pro Sprint joins the IMCA Racesaver Sprints as an affordable alternative for drivers looking to race sprint cars and for tracks looking to entertain fans with sprint car racing.

Kemp, a friend and former employee of Keith Knaack, long-time thinker about economy racing classes, who promoted the hometown track where Knaack launched the IMCA Modified, sought to assemble a complete package for DIRTcar with a wide range of cost control measures besides the engine/driveline package. Pace Performance is the exclusive supplier and upfitter of the engines. The class will enforce a “no rebuild” policy with the engines. The cars will race on spec Hoosier Tires, utilize a 5x4 wing with a weight break, and approved DIRTcar decaled shocks. The class requires the use of spec headers, a spec carburetor, spec MSD control unit, spec Chevrolet Performance distributor, and a spec muffler for tracks where mufflers are required.

DIRTcar and Bill Martens of Chevrolet Performance will attend all three Workshops. Kemp will join us at RPM@Indy and @Daytona.

Workshops Session Schedules PublishedPulling together your Workshops is more time consuming and complex than many readers might expect, especially when our first gathering is three weeks earlier than it has been in the past. But, preliminary session schedules finished and we can now share them with you. (Through the live links at the conclusion of this story.) You will note that in sidebars this month offer synopses of Workshops sessions along with a graphic indicating the Workshop you can expect to find

them on the agenda. RPM@Vegas will feature 15 sessions, over two days, Thursday, Friday November 12 & 13. The one-day RPM@Indy offers a sampling of eight sessions drawn from the RPM@Vegas agenda. RPM@Daytona will offer an agenda quite similar to RPM@Vegas with adjustments to accommodate our awards ceremonies, and that agenda will be firmed up and published in early January. But for planning purposes now, presume it will be much like the Vegas schedule linked in this story.

DOWNLOAD RPM@VEGAS SCHEDULE HERE

DOWNLOAD RPM@INDY SCHEDULE HERE

The Finale At The FairgroundsAs we write this DIRTcar is teching cars for the Finale At The Fairgrounds, the 44th running of Super DIRT Week. We’ll miss the party unfortunately because we’re deep in preparations for the Workshops, and at the keyboard putting together this newsletter, but wish everyone well. It’s a spectacular race weekend. We’re disappointed the Moody Mile will go away and with it an over-100-year tradition of auto racing at the New York State Fairgrounds, but the place was showing its age, we are told, and in tough shape--heck it didn’t look so hot the last time we stopped in. We’re excited at the prospect of DIRTcar carrying on the tradition at Glenn Donnelly’s new Central New York Raceway Park where there is an agreement to host the event next October. Donnelly, Carl Myers, and their partners will have their hands full getting CNYRP ready for next October, especially if the winter is unkind, but we are confident it will somehow get done. Donnelly expects to start building grandstands and buildings later this month, with a Memorial day 2016 target date for for the first race. It will be multi-purpose half-mile for harness racing and cars, he said.

DIRTCar “Crate” Sprint Introduced

UpdatesOktoberfest Weekend: Chuck Deery predicts his annual season-ender at LaCrosse (WI) Fairgrounds will attract 500 cars and 15000 fans, and we have little reason to doubt his prediction. He was the 25th Auto Racing Promoter of the Year and has patiently built the speedway and its events during his 20-plus year run at the track. Fiftieth NSTC: Jody, Susan, and David Deery celebrated the 50th National Short Track Championship October 4 at Rockford (IL) Speedway. Soon to be 91 years old, Jody Deery has seen all of the race events as the principal in the family business and she threw the green flag for the start of the race. Susquehanna Speedway Park Sold: Todd and Rhonda Fisher recently sold Susky to Scott Gobrecht who will operate the speedway beginning in 2016. Fisher has owned and operated the track for 12 years. Fisher brought stability to a troubled operation many thought was beyond reclamation and enjoyed a successful run. We wish the Fishers well in future endeavors and wish Gobrecht well as he embarks on his tenure as track owner. Badlands Speedway: Entrepreneur Charles Brennan is making a lot of noise in Sioux Falls, SD after purchasing Huset’s Speedway and renaming it Badlands Speedway. He claims ties to the entertainment business and the website for Badlands promises a regional entertainment amphitheater and big-money races. We’ll keep an eye out for things promoters can learn...

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IntroducingRegional Auto Racing Promoters of The Year

Alan KreitzerSilver Spring (PA) Speedway

When readers selected Alan Kreitzer as Regional Auto Racing Promoter of the Year, he was operating Silver Spring (PA) Speedway and was involved with Williams Grove (PA) Speedway. Kreitzer closed Silver Spring and sold the property for development, but remains involved in the operation of Lincoln (PA) Speedway today and the traveling Super Sportsman Series, the open wheel class that formerly headlines at Silver Spring.

www.kandkinsurance.com

David Laber 816-295-1855Donna Dinius260-459-5551David Laber 816-295-1855Bianca Bird260-459-5738

Steve Sinclair260-459-5714Kathy Rhoades260-459-5168Steve Sinclair260-459-5714Toni Fries260-459-5126

Kevin Cismowski260-459-5679Kerri Hamilton260-459-5773Kevin Cismowski260-459-5679Lori Tschantz260-459-5739

Two Popular Workshops Forums

2015 Season Recap, An Open Forum Discussion: Promoters and Workshops moderators capsulize 2015 and share their analysis of the 2015 season, discussing tech, car class dynamics, car counts, successful and unsuccessful promotions, ticket sales peaks and valleys, and more, attempting to sum up an overall picture of the 2015 season. How was your season? Looking for benchmarks? Was it just your track, or are there others like yours? Want to compare results? Here’s your chance.

Do You Want More Cars, More Fans, In 2016? Promoters and Workshops moderators compare and share thinking and plans for the 2016 season. After analyzing 2015, what will stay the same and what will change? What worked in 2015? What will be kept in 2016? They’ll talk class trends, tech issues, whether schedules and race nights will change, promotions they’ll implement, or abandon, new or renewed ticket promotions, and more. Especially at Vegas which gives you 12 extra weeks to prepare for the new session this session can help you make the choices you contemplate.


Session Preview

THE RPM PROMOTERS WORKSHOPHAS A NEW DATE AND LOCATION!

15

www.kandkinsurance.com

Promoters selected the New York General manager of Oswego Speedway as 1981 Auto Racing Promoter of the Year. O’Brien and his wife Linda worked with the Bill, George, and Harry Caruso, and the Caruso family to promote the Speedway and the Supermodified racing for which it is known throughout the 1970‘s and 1980’s.

Dick O’BrienARPY 1981

Third Workshop, The 100th Running

When we convene at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for our third RPM@Indy Workshop, the historic running of the 100th Indianapolis 500--the longest continuously presented race meet in motorsports will be six months away Doug Boles, president of the Speedway, the Hulman George family, and the staff of Indianapolis Motor Speedway want to make you welcome, and help you to get to know their tradition. They’ve invited us to help them celebrate the 100th running of “The Greatest Spectacle In Racing.” As you are seated at the Workshop, you’ll look out at the front straight away below, and on the yard of bricks. You’ll feel the tradition. You’ll be surrounded by the history. And if RPM does its job well, you’ll share and compare with colleagues, and depart at day’s end with valuable practical ideas that will increase your car counts and sell more tickets in 2016. What could be better!

Session Preview

16

ADMISSION CONTROL, TICKETS

DIAMOND TICKETING SYSTEMSwww.diamondticketing.com845 E. 4800 South, Murray, UT, 84107, 866-323-5411, ext 107Diamond Ticketing Systems provides customized snd cost-effective ticketing solutions focused on helping motorsports organizations build revenue and increase marketing exposure.

TICKETFORCEwww.ticketforce.com4858 E. Baseline Rd, Ste 103, Mesa, AZ 85206 877-726-3581TicketForce 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 & LICKwww.wwlinc.com [email protected] North A St., Fort Smith, AR 72901, 800-242-4995WW&L, Inc. specializes in roll tickets and fast turnaround event tickets. We also sell the automated KIS Ticket System.

APPAREL, SOUVENIRS, NOVELTIES

ADVERTISING EDGEwww.advertisingedge.com9840 Prospect Ave., Santee, CA 92071, 800-258-9774In-house manufacturer of and for embroidery, screen printing, direct to garment printing, full-color sublimation, promo products.

RACE TRACK WHOLESALEwww.racetrackwholesale.com817 Delaware, Independence, MO 64050, 816-718-2231 FAX 866-365-2231Wholesale distributor of racing souvenirs, t-shirts, and promotional products serving the grassroots racing industry since 2008.

ADVERTISING DESIGN

SIMES GRAPHIC DESIGNSwww.simesgraphicdesigns.com414 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 PRODUCTIONSwww.moffett.com, 16140 Kuykendahl St., #126, Houston, TX 77068, 800-HOTT ADSProfessional audio production. Radio spots, TV ads, Tracks Trax race track audio CDs. Great creative, fast service, reasonable prices.

AWARDS & TROPHIES

SIMES GRAPHIC DESIGNSwww.simesgraphicdesigns.com414 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 SOLUTIONSwww.totaltracksolutions.com7613 Hamilton Avenue, Mt. Healthy, OH 45231 513-521-7446Wholesale pricing. Banners, billboards, mesh, flags, car wraps, decals, installation, signage consultation,marketing plans, a division of GCI Digital Imaging.

BLEACHERS AND SEATING

BLEACHER BUILDERS INCORPORATEDwww.bleacherbuilders.com2710 South Blaine Street, Muncie, IN 47302, 765-716-5767Specializing in grandstands and suites for speedways, engineering, design/build, used bleachers, suites, press boxes, buying used seating from major speedways.

COMPUTER TIMING & SCORING, SCOREBOARDSDAKTRONICSwww.daktronics.com [email protected] Daktronics Drive, Brookings, SD 57006, 800-325-8766Daktronics 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.

Directory Of ServicesFor Promoters

Supporting Sponsor of the RPM Promoters Workshops

5245 NC 49 South, Harrisburg, NC 28075 704-455-3906 www.uslegendcars.com

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.


Circle track crate engines. Engine, chassis and other racing/high performance accessories

available at your local GM dealer.

For more information, contact Bill Martens: [email protected] Grand Pointe Drive, Grand Blanc, MI 48349 800-GM USE US (468-7387)

www.chevroletperformance.com/circletrack/


One-Way RadiosRace 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.com872 Main Street SW Ste D2., Gainesville, GA 30501 866-301-7223

FIRETHORN MARKETINGCustom website design, and developer of custom e-mail

marketing campaigns. E-commerce specialists.

www.firethornmarketing.com11550 Indian Hill Way., Zionsville, IN 46077, 304-481-9807


RACECEIVER RACE MANAGEMENTwww.raceceiver.com,872 Main St. SW, Unit D2, Gainesville, GA 30501, 866-301-7223Raceceiver race communications. Raceceiver race management timing and scoring system.

WESTHOLD CORPORATIONwww.westhold.com [email protected] Charcot Avenue, Avenue, San Jose, CA 95131, 408-533-0050Westhold is a leading seller and manufacturer of race timing and scoring systems, scoreboards, message centers, video displays, and software.CRATE ENGINES/PERFORMANCE PARTS

CHEVROLET PERFORMANCEwww.chevrolet.com/performance/crate-engines.html6200 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 RACINGwww.fordracingparts.com24796 Davenport Ave., Novi, MI 48374, 800-367-3788Sealed racing engines and engine components

FUEL, LUBE, ADDITIVES

LUCAS OIL PRODUCTSwww.lucasoil.com302 N. Sheridan St., Corona, CA 92880, 800-342-2512Nationally known manufacturer and marketer of lubricants and additives for fleets and automobiles, owner or sponsor of Lucas

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 FUELSwww.racegas.comPO Box 1226, Linwood, PA 19061, 800-722-3427The largest refiner of racing gasoline. National distribution of quality brands. SUNOCO, Turbo Blue, and Trick.

GAMING DESTINATIONS

ELDORADO HOTEL/CASINOwww.eldoradoreno.com345 North Virginia Street, Reno, NV 8950, 800-648-5966Superb 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 INSURANCEwww.alliedspecialty.com [email protected] Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island, FL 33706, 800-237-3355Allied Specialty Insurance is a leader in the Motorsports industry since 1983. Call us for a speedy quote!

JONES BIRDSONG MOTORSPORT INSURANCE www.jonesbirdsong.com8935 South Pecos Road, Unit 22B, Henderson, NV 89074, 866-998-3804Jones Birdsong Motorsports offers the widest range of products designed to protect motorsports associations, facilities, teams, and special events.

K&K INSURANCE GROUPwww.kandkinsurance.com1712 Magnavox Way, Ft. Wayne, IN 46804, 800-348-1839www.kandkcanada.comK&K Insurance Group Canada,#101-5800 Explorer Drive, Mississauga, ON, L4W 5K9, 800-753-2632The 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 [email protected] Wampanoag Trail, East Providence, RI 02915, 401-433-4000Motorsports insurance programs for race tracks, teams, sanctioning groups, and drivers since 1947. Programs available in all 50 states.

SPORTS INSURANCE SPECIALISTSwww.sportsinsurancespecialists.com4115 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.”


18

LIGHTING SYSTEMS

MUSCO LIGHTING, INC.www.musco.com100 First Avenue W., Oskaloosa, IA 52577, 800-825-6020Manufacturer 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 COMMUNICATIONSwww.dirtymouthcommunications.com170 Morehead Road, Sarver, PA 16055 724-448-5120Helping tracks, sanctioning bodies and entrepreneurs build profitable racing programs by integrating marketing, social media, public relations and sponsorship activation.RACING TIRES

HOOSIER RACING TIREwww.hoosiertire.com65465 US 31 South, Lakeville, IN 46536, 574-784-3152Complete 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 AMERICAwww.americanraceronline.com1545 Washington St., Indiana, PA 15701, 800-662-2168Making competitive, cost-effective race tires, so that you can focus on increased car counts and exciting shows.

TOWEL CITY RETREADINGwww.towelcityracingtires.com1601 N. Ridge Ave., Kannapolis, NC 28083, 704-933-2143Forty-six years experience manufacturing economical long-wearing retreaded racing tires, 7 to 13‚ widths, dirt or asphalt. Track tire plans available.

RADIOS, COMMUNICATIONS

AMERICAN ELECTRONICS, INC.www.americanelectronicsinc.comPO Box 301, Greenwood, IN 46142, 800-872-1373Two-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 COMMUNICATIONSwww.raceceiver.com872 Main St. SW, Unit D2, Gainesville, GA 30501, 866-301-7223Raceceiver one-way radios and race communications.

SANCTIONING GROUPS

IMCA-INTERNATIONAL MOTOR CONTEST ASSOCIATIONwww.imca.com1800 West D Street, Vinton, IA 52349, 319-472-2201The nation’s oldest, largest, and leading sanctioning body. We focus on affordable divisions to assist the profitability of our sanctioned facilities and events.

INEXwww.uslegendcars.com5245 NC 49 South, Harrisburg, NC 28075, 704-455-3906Spec racing with INEX. Legends Cars, Bandoleros, Thunder Roadsters, Modifieds. Entry classes that attract new participants.

Strict rules enforcement alleviates rules problems. Complete car manufacturing, promotion and rules enforcement.

NASCARwww.nascar.comOne Daytona Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114, 386-310-6272The NASCAR Home Tracks Program offers sanctioning opportunities for weekly racing and touring series events across North America and Europe.

WISSOTA PROMOTERS ASSOC.www.wissota.orgPO Box 297, Dassel, MN 55325, 320-275-9922A 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 organization. Click on Promoter Center at wissota.org.

SPONSORSHIP

SPEEDWAY BENEFITSwww.speedwaybenefits.comSpeedway Benefits unites the best ideas from the most knowledgable in the industry, to help promoters innovate, improve, and maximize profits.

WEB DESIGN & HOSTING

FIRETHORN MARKETINGwww.firethornmarketing.com11550 Indian Hill Way., Zionsville, IN 46077, 304-481-9807Developer of custom e-mail marketing campaigns and custom website design. E-commerce specialists.


20

TRY SOMETHING NEW... E-FLYERS

MARKET YOUR BIG RACE WITH POSTER OR FLYERS!

WHY NOT THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX...

PROMOTE YOUR NEXT BIG EVENT WITH A E-FLYER OR PRINTED POSTER/FLYER!

F R O M S I M E S G R A P H I C D E S I G N S

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

[email protected] or 888-457-4637

.com


IMCA-INTERNATIONAL MOTOR CONTEST ASSOCIATIONThe nation’s oldest, largest, and leading sanctioning body. We focus on affordable divisions to assist the profitability of our sanctioned facilities and events.

1800 West D Street, Vinton, IA 52349, 319-472-2201

www.imca.com

Supporting Sponsor of the RPM Promoters Workshops Editorial: Stop The Online BS!We know we’re preaching to the choir, but we’ve got to get this off our chest! Being a promoter is tough. Governing any sport is fraught with challenges, managerial, and interpersonal, then add the challenges of small business ownership. As they say, “It’s lonely at the top,” and we find promoters generally are people who thrive on challenges, and are self-confident enough to persevere despite the criticism of people who would never volunteer for their jobs. Like other leaders, promoters laugh it off believing they aren’t there to be liked, but only respected. Over two-plus decades, we’ve watched the promoters difficult job exponentially increase in difficulty as people changed. Our population’s now common tendency to see themselves as victims adds an entirely new dimension to the difficulties of track ownership and race operations. The dominant paradigm guiding many people today seems to be this, “If you’re in a position of power or control (such as track owner) then you came to that position somehow in an illegitimate way, at the expense of someone and, as you are in that position now, you keep the power through the exploitation of someone else.” This is what the modern paradigm of victimhood teaches, and it’s repeated every night in evening newscasts. Most promoters are essentially volunteers. Those that manage club-operated tracks do so for little pay because leader-types must find something to lead. They’re just those kind of people. Promoters who own or lease step up to the plate for two reasons, some see what they believe to be an opportunity to make a profit, others are sportsmen, they have the means, and motivation (As some would say, love for the sport) that challenge them to work for the good of a group entrants and

fans who share their enthusiasm. We know no promoter who does what he or she does to screw someone else, to deprive someone else of all their money, to make someone else look bad. Yet, when we walk pit road this is what we most often hear in conversation between entrants. This is the part about racing we do not understand. Promoters, just like the elected officials that volunteer to run our communities, do what they do to enable others to pursue their dreams and passions. So too racing officials. None do it for the money. They could make more doing almost anything else. So why must they be targets of so much disdain, even hatred? The reason: drivers and car owners just can’t admit to themselves, or in front of others, that tonight’s race wasn’t their best, or that they setup the car wrong, or that despite all the money they invest their stuff still isn’t enough, or that they’re embarrassed in front of their friends at not doing better. It’s been this way since we bought our first pit pass. Thirty years ago, disappointed racers went to bar afterward, had a beer, griped about the promoter, and drove home. The half dozen folks along the bar knew the racer was just bummed out and inebriated and ignored all he said. Nowadays, sobriety laws mean racers can’t stop at the bar, so they go home, have a beer, fire up the computer, The tablet, the smartphone, login to social media, and say all things they would have said at the bar--and the millions of folks online with them have no idea they’re inebriated, no idea they’re feeling sorry for themselves, and no idea their talking nonsense. It’s got to stop before those who love the sport the most destroy it for themselves and everyone else!

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND: Admission to the RPM Promoters Workshops is limited to authorized members of the motorsports industry. This registration is offered only to weekly-schedule oval track and dragstrip promoters (and owners, lessees, managers, etc.) and their designated staff members, officers of racing associations and touring series and their designated staff members, promoters of specialty motorsports events and their designated staff members and the motorsports press. Decisions regarding eligibility to register and attend are solely within the discretion of Workshops management. Workshops management reserves the exclusive right to offer registration to other individuals. Workshops management, in all instances, reserves the right to decline registration and admission at these private meetings. Receipt or possession of this application does not imply or constitute a right of admission or a right to participate in the Workshops. The registration fees here are offered to race facility owners, lessees, promoters, managers, association officers and their staff. Participation by commercial

firms shall be through commercial registration only, as detailed in the solicitation of such firms.

REFUNDS AND DEADLINES: Registrations after deadline dates are void. Fee refunds are made upon written request, following the Speedweek Workshop. Fees may also be credited toward registration at subsequent Workshops. If a registrant attends any meeting session, he or she is ineligible for refund. All refunds are subject to 10% handling charge. Substitutions accepted only prior to registration deadlines. Substitutions are not accepted at the door. All at-the-door registrations, new or substitute, will be charged at-the-door registration fees.

REGISTER IN ADVANCE, PLEASE: Fees shown on this application are for PRE-REGISTRATION ONLY. Pre-registering saves you money (at-the-door registrants will be admitted at the flat rate of $290.00 per person).

____________________________________________________Name On Card ____________________________________________________Card Number

____________________________________________________Expiration Date Security Code

SIGNATURE: I hereby agree to terms & condition at the right, registration fees, and charges to my credit card.

______________________________________________________________Signature Date

Terms/Conditions & Refund Policy

Applications by mail, FAX, e-mail, after deadlines are void. Late entries welcome at Workshop. No late entry up charge.

Workshop Dates & TimesRPM@Vegas, Nov. 11-13, 2015 Pre-Registration, Wed. Evening, 11/11/15, Sessions, Nov 12-13, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.RPM@Indy, Open at 7:30 a.m., Sessions, 9-5:30 p.m. Weds., Dec. 9, 2015RPM@Daytona, Feb. 14-16, 2016 Pre-Registration, Sun. Evening, 02/14/16Sessions, Feb. 15-16, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

More InformationCall/Email Stewart Doty, 715.536.1067, [email protected]

Entered _____________

Charged _____________

Check Amt. _____________

Confirmed ______________

ForOfficialUse Only

_________________________________________________________________Track/Series/Club/Firm

_________________________________________________________________Contact Name

_________________________________________________________________Mailing Address

_________________________________________________________________City, State, Zip

_________________________________________________________________Telephone FAX

_________________________________________________________________E-Mail Address

Only applications with e-mail receive confirmation.

________________________________________________________________Owner/Promoter/First Registrant $295.00

________________________________________________________________2nd Registrant Advanced Discount $270.00

________________________________________________________________3rd Registrant Advanced Discount $270.00

________________________________________________________________4th Registrant Advanced Discount $270.00

________________________________________________________________5th Registrant Advanced Discount $270.00

Total Fees (US Dollars Only Please)..........................

RPM@Vegas RPM@DaytonaFax/Postal/E-Mail Advanced Application Deadline for RPM@Vegas, October 26, 2015. For RPM@Daytona, February 6, 2016

Track or Organization

Credentials Requested For...

Please Print Legibly All Information

Credential Discount Void After Deadline. All Late Entries, $290.00

Credential Application 43rd RPM Promoters WorkshopsRPM@Vegas, Nov. 11-13, 2015; RPM@Daytona, Feb. 14-16, 2016

Credential Application, RPM@Indy 2015RPM@Indy, Dec. 9, 2015

RPM@IndyFax/Postal/E-Mail Advanced ApplicationDeadline, November 27, 2015

Credentials Requested For...

______________________________________________________________Owner/Promoter/First Registrant $195.00

______________________________________________________________2nd Registrant $195.00

______________________________________________________________3rd Registrant $195.00

______________________________________________________________4th Registrant $195.00

______________________________________________________________5th Registrant $195.00

Total Fees (US Dollars Only Please).......................

Reserve Your “Player’s Card” Now! Claim it When You Arrive.

_____________________________________________________Full Name As Shown On ID (Print Legibly, Please)

_____________________________________________________Complete Address as Shown on ID

_____________________________________________________

Date of Birth ___________________________________________

FAX app to 715.536.3616Mail to: RPM Workshops, PO Box 406, Merrill, WI 54452Email to: [email protected]

Send This Application To...

Reserve Your Palace Station “Boarding Pass”

Enquire upon arrival at hotel registration (the hotel Front Desk) to claim your Boarding Pass.

Mark Your Calendar, December 9, 2015The RPM Promoters Workshops

Return To Indianapolis Motor Speedway

What Is The ARPY Award?

Who’s Eligible, Who’s Received the Award?

Honor Roll of Promoters of the YearPrevious recipients of the Auto Racing Promoter of the Year Award, the “ARPY Award,” are: Hugh Deery, 1976 and 1984 posthumously; J.C. Agajanian, 1977; D. Anthony Venditti, 1978; Jack Gunn, 1979; George Eisenhart, 1980; Dick O'Brien, 1981; Howard Tiedt, 1982; Don Martin, 1983; Glenn Donnelly, 1985; Cary Agajanian, 1986; Bud Lunsford, 1987; Bob Daniels, 1988; Howard Commander, 1989; Ray Wilkings, 1990; Paul Kuhl, 1991; Robert Lawton; 1992; Earl Baltes, 1993; Jody Deery, 1994; Andy Vertrees, 1995; Charles Powell, 1996; C-Ray Hall, 1997; Larry Kemp, 1998; Charles Cathell, 1999; Charles Deery, 2000; Ralph Capitani, 2001; Lanny Edwards, 2002; Bob Nadine Strauss, 2003; Tom Curley, 2004, Steve York, 2005; John Padjen, 2006; Lynn Phillips, 2007, Joe and Walt

Doellefeld, 2008, the Nuckles Family, 2009, the Queensland family, 2010, Robert Sargent, 2011, Ron Drager Scott Schultz, 2012, Roger Hadan, 2013, Gary Donna Howe, 2014.

Honor Roll, Regional Auto Racing Promoters of the YearBob Barkhimer, Ned Jarrett, Harvey Tattersall, John Marcum, Ed Bloom, Bob Slack, Dick Tobias, Roger Holdeman, Ken Clapp, Marshall Wilkings, Keith Hall, Stan Durrett, Darwin Hentz, Jim Corcoran, Leroy Nelson, Jim Raper, Doug Fort, Dan Jones, John Stiles, George Butland, Gary Cressey, Sharon Craig Kelley, Marty Jones, Dave Manes, Bill Leesch,

Roger Van Daalwyk, Frank Plessinger, Bill Lipkey, Mason Day, the Meals Family, the Beacham Family, Benny Yount, Rick Farren, Mick Beadle, the Rubin Brothers, John Bandimere, Lee Baumgarten, the Cook Brothers, Marion Collins, Tom Helfrich, Russell Hackett, Bob Fredrickson, Mike Lamm, the Chrysler Family, Mark Chewning, Alan Kreitzer, Dale Johnnie Pinelis, the Stone Family with Ted Austad, Bob Allen, Craig Cormack, Mooney Starr, Joe Clay, John Hellendrung, Ray Marler and Ken Schrader, Les McBurney, Harvey Fink, Don Hoenig, Andy

Cusack, Terry Eames, C.J. Richards, Alex Freisen, Ben Dodge, Mark Arute, Red MacDonald, Bill Ryan, Andrew Harpell, Sylvia Shirley Porter, Gary Donna Howe, James Griffin, Adam Nelson, Roger Hadan, Steve Beitler, Wayne Anderson/Linus Don Mack/Darren Evavold, Bruce Rogers, Todd Fisher, Fritz Roehrig, Al Varnadore/Todd Hutto, Jim Doran, Paul Zimmerman, the Bassuener Family, Orville Chenoweth, Toby Kruse, Rodney Wing, Redd Griffin, Roger Hadan, Dan Robinson, Kurt Beeksma and the Ashland Bayfield County Racing Association, Harold Crook, Joe Phyliss Loven, Rich Farmer, Doug Traci Hobbs, Ron Scott Wimmer, Tim Pat Bryant, Dan Robinson.

Celebrating 40 years of Promotional Excellence

Who Will You Nominate For Promoter of the Year?

2015

The Best of The Best: Pictured here on the occasion of the 30th ARPY Award: (Back) Bob Daniels, C-Ray Hall, Glenn Donnelly, Cary Agajanian, Tom Curley, Howard Commander, Robert Lawton, (Center) Chuck Deery, Ralph Capitani, Andy Vertrees, Steve York, Charles Cathell, Paul Kuhl, Larry Kemp, (Bottom) Jody Deery, Earl Baltes, Berniece Baltes, Beverly Edwards, Lanny Edwards, Zonda Powell, Charles Powell. (Lukens Photo)

Nominate 40th Auto Racing Promoter of the YearVote By FAX-Back or E-mail

STEP ONE: Determine and indicate your region REGION 1--EASTERN REGION: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey. REGION 2--SOUTHEASTERN REGION: Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina. REGION 3--CENTRAL REGION: West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois. REGION 4--NORTHERN REGION: Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin. REGION 5--GREAT PLAINS REGION: Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado. REGION 6--GREAT PLAINS AND WEST REGION: Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Hawaii, Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah, California.

My Region is: ___________________________________ (enter number and name, please)

STEP FIVE: Nominate annual award for outstanding annual short track event...List one special event as your nominee for Outstanding Annual Short Track Event. Eligible are special events of one day or more, presented each year at weekly schedule oval tracks of 5/8 mile or less, or at dragstrips. Events must have been presented for three consecutive years or longer. Typical eligible events would be: Chili Bowl, National Short Track Championship, Gold Cup, Snowball Derby, etc. NOMINATED EVENTS MAY BE FROM ANY REGION.

__________________________________________________________________________________Event name, race track, state, please...

STEP THREE: Nominate candidates... (Please type first name, last name, track name, and state)

Enter the names of up to four individuals, FROM YOUR REGION ONLY, whom you believe are qualified as nominees for Auto Racing Promoter of the Year. If nominees are not from correct region, ballot is void. AUTO RACING PROMOTER OFTHE YEAR NOMINEES--nominate up to four from within your region, (see guide to states below)

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________Name, race track, state please... Name, race track, state please...

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________Name, race track, state please... Name, race track, state please...

STEP TWO: Read nominee qualifications and balloting guidelines.NOMINEE QUALIFICATIONS: Nominees shall be promoters (individuals who present and manage auto racing) at North American oval tracks of 5/8 miles or less, and dragstrips, presenting at least six events each calendar year. Consider these criteria as you nominate. SUCCESS LONGEVITY: The nominee's operation should be a successful, profitable track or strip, in continuing operation. IMAGE:The nominee's operation should be well- known in the industry, through continuing favorable publicity and advertising for the facility and its events. NOMINEE’S REPUTATION: The nominee's character and reputation within the industry, as well as in other businesses or endeavors, should be beyond reproach... BETTERMENT OF THE INDUSTRY: Nominee's interest in and involvement with the problems facing the industry, his/her participation in industry meetings, and his/her willingness to share ideas and help others, should all be considered in your selection. BALLOT GUIDELINES: Cast only one ballot, please. We do this on the honor system. Multiple or duplicate ballots from any e-mail or FAX number are not counted.

STEP FOUR: Wild card nomination (optional)...Enter the name of one promoter, FROM ANY REGION, whom you believe is qualified as a nominee for Auto Racing Promoter of the Year. You must nominate at least one promoter from within your own region to qualify for the privilege of nominating a wild card candidate. (Please type first name, last name, track name, state, region)

____________________________________________________________________ Region ________Name, race track, state, please...

Honor Roll,Auto Racing Promoters of the YearBob Sargent, Macon (IL) Speedway, received the award last year. Previous winners are: Hugh Deery, 1976/1984; J.C. Agajanian, 1977; D. Anthony Venditti, 1978; Jack Gunn, 1979; George Eisenhart, 1980; Dick O'Brien, 1981; Howard Tiedt, 1982; Don Martin, 1983; Glenn Donnelly, 1985; Cary Agajanian, 1986; Bud Lunsford, 1987; Bob Daniels, 1988; Howard Commander, 1989; Ray Wilkings, 1990; Paul Kuhl, 1991; Robert Lawton; 1992; Earl Baltes, 1993; Jody Deery, 1994; Andy Vertrees, 1995; Charles Powell, 1996; C-Ray Hall, 1997; Larry Kemp, 1998; Charles Cathell, 1999; Charles Deery, 2000; Ralph Capitani, 2001; Lanny Edwards, 2002; Nadine Bob Strauss, 2003; Tom Curley, 2004, Steve York, 2005; John Padjen, 2006; Lynn Phillips Alfred Gurley, 2007; Joe Walt Doellefeld, 2008; and the Nuckles family, Columbus (OH) Motor Speedway, 2009, The Queensland Family, 2010; Bob Sargent, 2011; Ron Drager and Scott Schultz, 2012; Roger Michelle Hadan, 2013; Gary Donna Howe.

Past Regional Auto Racing Promoters of the Year:

Bob Barkhimer, Ned Jarrett, Harvey Tattersall, John Marcum, Ed Bloom, Bob Slack, Dick Tobias, Roger Holdeman, Ken Clapp, Marshall Wilkings, Keith Hall, Stan Durrett, Darwin Hentz, Jim Corcoran, Leroy Nelson, Jim Raper, Doug Fort, Dan Jones, John Stiles, George Butland, Gary Cressey, Sharon Craig Kelley, Marty Jones, Dave Manes, Bill Leesch, Roger Van Daalwyk, Frank Plessinger, Bill Lipkey, Mason Day, the Meals Family, the Beacham Family, Benny Yount, Rick Farren, Mick Beadle, the Rubin Brothers, John Bandimere, Lee Baumgarten, the Cook Brothers, Marion Collins, Tom Helfrich, Russell Hackett, Bob Fredrickson, Mike Lamm, the Chrysler Family, Mark Chewning, Alan Kreitzer, Dale Johnnie Pinelis, the Stone Family Ted Austad, Bob Allen, Craig Cormack, Mooney Starr, Joe Clay, John Hellendrung, Ray Marler Ken Schrader, Les McBurney, Harvey Fink, Don Hoenig, Andy Cusack, Terry Eames, C.J. Richards, Alex Freisen, Ben Dodge, Mark Arute, Red MacDonald, Bill Ryan, Andrew Harpell, Sylvia Shirley Porter, Gary Donna Howe, James Griffin, Adam Nelson, Roger Hadan, Steve Beitler, Wayne Anderson/Linus Don Mack/Darren Evavold, Bruce Rogers, Todd Fisher, Fritz Roehrig, Al Varnadore/Todd Hutto, Jim Doran, Paul Zimmerman, the Bassuener Family, Orville Chenoweth, Toby Kruse, Rodney Wing, Redd Griffin, Roger Hadan, Dan Robinson, Kurt Beeksma and the Ashland Bayfield County Racing Association, Harold Crook, Joe Phyliss Loven, Rich Farmer, Doug Traci Hobbs, Ron Scott Wimmer, Tim Pat Bryant, Dan Robinson.

Supported by Charlotte Motor Speedway, Recognizing Excellence In Promotion!Deadline December 18, 2015.Racing Promotion Monthly and Charlotte Motor Speedway team up again to recognize excellence in race promotion through the Auto Racing Promoter of the Year Award. We appreciate the commitment of MARCUS SMITH and the employees of Charlotte Motor Speedway as they assist us in calling attention to the work of the men and women who lead the short track industry.

Send ballot by FAX to715.536.3616or e-mail [email protected]

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