How to get more spectators at races?

I remember the Northwest Grand Prix and how it was supposed to put Spokane on the map and make a ton of money. Right downtown around Riverfront Park (the Expo '74 site). A Winston West road course race.

Made a deal to bring in fences and barriers that they rented from some other street race, closed down the roads and had a race. Nobody watched, lost a ton of money. Promoters talked them into doing it again the next year becasue now everybody would know about it - how could it go wrong? Lost even more the second year and predictably vanished down the annals of time.

Street races are rarely money makers without a very major series involved, and as mentioned - cost, liability, and the inconvienience of taxpayers deprived of public roads pretty much makes them impossible to pull off anywhere but very small communities.

Lots of marketing dollars spent ......? Somebody pinch that guy - the vibrant and productive America that kind of thing happened in disappeared along with all of our tax revenues about 3 years ago.

I agree though - how cool would it be to run a race like that?
 
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Karting clubs still do this in a few places in the NW, but blocking off a few streets and putting up hay bales is a lot different than pretty much shutting down an entire town for 2 or 3 days. I would assume the liability involved with insurance would make it very expensive.
If you watch Targa Newfoundland you see cars driving over lawns and literally into houses every year, and of course lots of near misses with spectators and anything close to the road. Looks like an absolute blast, but it must be a logistical nightmare.
I attended both Spokane GP's, and even with the then hot Chad Little and Winston West, plus Altlantics, pro S2000 and the big ford grid the spectator base was sadly lacking. It went right thru downtown and was a fast, exciting course, but no one cared.
Perhaps Mission would be a good town to approach with this idea. Check into that and get back to us Lynn! See you Saturday.
 
Hehe ... Chad Little had the locker next to mine at University High School in Spokane. When he turned 16 there was an immaculate red 1970 Mustang Boss 302 waiting for him outside that his dad had put away in storage years before to surprise him with when he was old enough to drive.

He was a big name around Spokane by the time the aforementioned races occurred. Hershel McGriff was there too. Wasn't enough to make those races successful though.
 
Tacoma? Shoot, there's street racing in Tacoma every night right now. It's just not sanctioned...heh.

You know, if Russell Company moves out of downtown Tacoma, there should be plenty of opportunity to use those streets...(I say in part jest).

The potholes would be a concern though.
 
It happened for one more year after that called the Armed Forces 200. Racin' 'round the Dome. McGriff, DNF'd that year as he parked next to me two turns from the finish line, but then, he got a push-tow by one of his 'also ran' competitors all the way across the finish line. Good sports there, what?

If first impressions are the best ones, I would have preferred to meet him under different circumstances.

Again, financial infeasibility overcame the enthusiasm for the event, and 'poof'.

Another 'concrete canyon' poof, was the Formula One, Phoenix GP in 1989. I didn't make it to the 1990 race, and so that was my one, and only F1 race.

Two years ago Phoenix was poised and ready for the Champ Car race after the Las Vegas GP, but that was not to be.
 
Ken, I was at that F1 race in Phoenix in 1989 too! I heard the crowd was about 15,000. Me and a buddy road tripped from Seattle via LA to Phoenix for the race. The race was a bore, but we did see Ayrton Senna in the cafe in the lobby of his hotel having breakfast. But we didn't dare bother him for an autograph.

F1 did race at the track for 3 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_street_circuit

note how they say a local ostrich festival outdrew F1 in the final year. ouch no wonder F1 didn't return the US for many years.
 
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