Just from what I’ve heard in conversations with other promoters, I was concerned about his show here because we are having the best year we’ve ever had. It’s part of the magic of the expansion program and NHRA relationship, so this year has just been perfect with the weather too. This is the first race where we’ve struggled because of the weather this year. The opener, we set a record; our annual Night of Fire was way over what we projected and all of our programs are very strong this year. I’ll be anxious to see how this works, but I love his concept. I think it’s going to bring out thousands of new people to the race track. If we show them a good program and educate them about what we’re all about I believe it will help build our customer base.
So I love what Kenny is doing with the ADRL, or I very much approve what he’s doing and I think it’s a very different approach to the traditional marketing, but I think it’s what we need. I think it’s creative and innovative and I like it.
Do you think eighth-mile racing can catch on here in a traditional quarter-mile market?
Bader: Looking at it from a racer’s perspective I think they’ve all raced both and have their preference, but from a fan perspective he’s reaching thousands, if not tens of thousands of new people who wouldn’t know the difference between a quarter mile and eighth mile, they
are coming out for the experience, for a chance to walk through the midway and look at the manufacturers and the cars and drivers, enjoy the day with their families, so I don’t see the eighth mile as an issue.
I think it would be the experienced fan who might care and say, ‘Why are we running half track?’ But it’s all a matter of what you’re used too. By racing at an eighth mile I think you bring the competition closer, more drivers can compete. You don’t have to have quite as much money in your car to win eighth-mile races as you do to win quarter-mile races. That’s not to say these cars aren’t expensive and costly to run, I’m just saying it shouldn’t cost as much to run the eighth mile.
Do you think more tracks should hold special events like your Night of Fire or Halloween Classic races, or should they concentrate more on attracting a weekly crowd?
Bader: I agree they should plan special events, more so now than in the past. Years ago we believed that we needed to have 21 to 25 weekly bracket programs and those were our bread and butter and we’d put in a couple of special events throughout the year.
Today, people want to do things with their families, they don’t always want to race week in and week out. Today our bracket racers don’t exist anymore with that kind of passion to come out every single week; it’s more like 12 times a year now. I really believe that today select special events are necessary to fill out your schedule. I think those track operators who are still relying on what worked 20 years ago, if they are still doing that, they are going to be struggling.
What do you think the trend is for drag racing in general?
Bader: The sport has grown. I’m looking at bigger crowds in drag racing than we’ve ever had in our past; I’m looking at more involvement with major sponsors than we every had in our past; I’m looking at more TV time than the past; I’m looking at cross-marketing, cross-branding than I never saw in the past. Look at all ‘the official this’ and ‘official that’ of NHRA and IHRA, especially those non-traditional companies. I believe that’s because of the fact that the motorsports enthusiast is 73.5-percent brand loyal.
Finally, boxers or briefs, what is the Bader custom?
Bader: (Laughs) Boxers. I’m a boxer man.
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