SMI operators off base on how to boost attendance (cont'd)

The two essentials

Other SMI track operators also are working with local hotels to cut rates and reduce or eliminate minimum-stay requirements, and they're offering payment plans on tickets that can be tailored to fans' budgets -- or lack thereof, apparently.

"All our speedways offer payment plans," said Marcus Smith, president of Lowe's Motor Speedway just outside Charlotte. "So if you don't have enough room on your credit card today or that home equity loan is all taken up, we offer payment plans where you can pay us over time."

“

A lot of the drivers have spoken up and said, 'hey, we'll do whatever we can to help the sport.' But taking care of the fans is the first priority, in my opinion, of the race tracks. So if I were the race tracks, I would start asking instead of starting to point fingers."

”

-- KEVIN HARVICK

Forgive Marcus, folks, for he is young -- at least by track operators' standards and certainly when compared to his father, octogenarian Bruton Smith. Stretching your credit even further when it's already stretched to the limit is what got too many Americans -- and this country as a whole -- into this economic mess in the first place.

But Father Bruton understands. Even in difficult times -- perhaps especially so in difficult times -- the common man experiences a deep-seated need for an escape.

"If you go back historically and look at any downturn in the economy, you've always found that people need two things: entertainment and beer," the elder Smith said.

"Beer sales should not be down this year, either, and we'll be in there, too. We'll be doing more for the race fans than we've ever done before, to show them just how much we appreciate them. We're going to be working really hard and come up with some innovations to fill these seats."

That's where Johnson and his fellow drivers come in, according to Smith. They can help -- and, in fact, need to join the cause like never before. Smith has some ideas about how to get the drivers to connect more with the fans, and it involves connecting as well with some of his fellow drivers in a way that, well, just doesn't fit Johnson's steady, outwardly stoic style.

First, Smith thinks all the drivers -- he's not singling out Johnson -- should sign more autographs.

"I think we all have obligations. And this idea of running and hiding and not signing autographs, I don't like it at all," Smith said. "I think [NASCAR] is in position and they'll be doing something about it.

"I have a suggestion. Let's say they have two hours on a certain day before a race for signing autographs, and a driver can take either hour. But if he fails to show up, he forfeits 10 percent of whatever he wins in the race. I thought that might be something that would entice them in a different fashion to be there."

Then Smith got a little more personal about the current NASCAR champion.

"Here you have Jimmie Johnson. He's a great guy, a neighbor. I like him a lot," Smith said. "But another thing that might help is if Jimmie Johnson gets out of the race car one time and goes over and slaps somebody. He can slap me, I don't care. But we need to get something going. We need a fight or two -- something that makes for a good headline on the sports pages. You've gotta have that."

Not the first time

This isn't the first time Smith has suggested that Johnson or drivers in general need to spice things up. But before we get back to that, Kevin Harvick was asked about the general assumption that the tracks need the drivers to start doing more to satisfy disgruntled fans.

He said if they want the drivers' help, all they've got to do is ask. (Continued)