Page 4 - 2019 April-May IWMA Magazine

From the Race Director
I read a lot of racing magazines, both online and off. I also listen to many podcasts related to racing, social media marketing, personal
development, and more. I gather “nug- gets” of wisdom from many sources, and keep a notebook to record them. I also save many articles by other authors to share with the members and follow- ers of the IWMA. I’m going to share some of them with you now:
*Even if racing is how you make your living, it is not the only piece of the pie that is a life well lived. MAKE time for things outside of racing that includes your entire family.
*Ever since my son started racing over 22 years ago, I’ve always said a success- ful night is when you finish the race and the car is in one piece. Winning is great, but finishing is more important to me, beause being a part of the race family is more important than any trophy.
*The number of people who join you in Victory Lane are not nearly as im- portant as the number of people who are at your trailer when you finish last.
*Great moments in racing involve win- ning, but the most memorable are the lasting friendships.
*The most important people at the races are not the drivers, they are the fans. Without them, the drivers would have nowhere to race.
*You may someday regret the time and money you spent racing, but you will never regret being able to say, “I was a race car driver.”
*Every driver should sit in the grand- stands of a race at least once a year. That can be an eye-opening experience.
*You are lucky to have marketing part- ners. They are not lucky to have you.
*Race cars don’t know the difference between a male or a female once they are behind the wheel. Good advice for all.
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By: Melinda Russell
As I write this, it is snowing here in Michigan and it is the last week of April. Our local tracks raced last night (Friday) but all the tracks had to cancel for tonight. Mother Nature needs to give all of us a break!
I have been a supporter of the Midwest Compact Touring Series and hope you will check out the races they have on their schedule this year for FWD cars. They have really stepped up the number of races as well as the pay-outs. This has drawn some excel- lent drivers from all over the midwest. If you have a FWD, it’s worth checking out their series and joining them. They also have a podcast on their Facebook page on Tuesdays, 8pm edt.
For the past couple of years, we keep hearing over and over how “racing is dying” or “no one is interested in at- tending races” etc.
I disagreed then and I disagree now. The 70th Anniversary of Opening Night last night at Kalamazoo Speedway was a sunny day with a high of nearly 60 and a promise of a chilly and windy night. But that didn’t stop over 150 cars from showing up, and fans lined up be- fore 530 to get their favorite seats. The line continued to grow and was still long when the races began at 730. The stands were full, all three pit areas were packed, and the concession lines were moving quickly so as not to miss any track activi- ty. Racing is certainly NOT DYING - at least not at the short tracks in my area. Kalamazoo did a great job of promot- ing their race season LONG before it was time to open the gates. It takes time and effort to make the fans feel like if they do NOT attend, they will be miss- ing out on something BIG - and EX- CITING - and FUN!
How does your track do at pro- moting their events so get the people through the gate? It’s not just social media, it’s you asking your neighbor to come, or your co-workers, or maybe some friends from your church. It’s time
we all take it upon ourselves to make sure those grandstands are full of new fans! What can you do to help?
The IWMA plans to visit sever- al tracks this year, some include South Bend Motor Speedway; New Paris Speedway; Berlin; I-96; and Angola. I am also going to watch the Autocross series in August here in Michigan, and I’m putting several truck and tractor plls on the list. I have to go back to Koko- mo, and would like to add Winchester as well. What are some other tracks that I need to visit? Let me know by sending me an email at iwmanation@gmail.com
I hope you are enjoying the vid- eos that are available in our magazine. As far as I know, we are the only maga- zine offering video ads and racing vid- eos in a digital magazine. If you have a video you would like to share, let me know!
See you at the track!