Promoter’s workshops preach about three-hour shows — and BAPS Motor Speedway is doing something about that. The track’s GM and promoter, Kolten Gouse, is taking it one step further. He’s guaranteeing a two-hour show.
That’s right. Green flag waves on the first heat race at 7 p.m. Final checkered flag falls before 9 p.m. If the track can’t finish its show by 9 p.m., every fan in attendance gets their money back in the form of a voucher for next week’s race.
Gouse’s inspiration for guarantee came from, of all places, the History channel.
“I was watching a show on products that made America what it is today,” Gouse said. “A segment was shown featuring Domino’s Pizza. The two brothers who started the franchise were struggling. One of them had an idea — if we don’t deliver in 30 minutes, it’s on us.”
Gouse hopes the guarantee brings in new fans.
“We’re hoping current fans tell their non-fan friends and neighbors to come and try something new,” Gouse said. “Yes, you will be home early. The show ends at 9.”
While Gouse said BAPS Motor Speedway wants to adhere to its 9 p.m. promise, failing to meet the guarantee isn’t all bad.
“If the two-hour show goes past 9 p.m., it is not a failure for us,” Gouse said. “The next time the fan comes back, he or she comes back for free and they will probably bring someone — a friend or family member with them.”
If you judge the world by Facebook/Instagram Reels or TikTok, today’s world operates in seconds, not hours. Research indicates attention spans are shrinking. Gouse feels strongly that many of today’s racing programs may be too long for fans. He pointed out that professional sports, such as baseball, are trying to shorten the time to complete games, too.
“If you have fans at your racetrack for three and a half hours, you are wearing them out,” Gouse said.
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
