Drivers School Best Practices: Driver sign up.

[pav225]

Driver School is one of the most successful ways we have to get new people into racing. In an effort to see this movement continue to grow...

What are different Regions/Clubs doing to help get folks signed up for your Driving Schools? How do you promote the School before the race?

Please feel free to share other suggestions on how to improve Driver Schools.

Thanks!
- Mike

[bmitch1]

Both MHRA and TRORA have participated in off-season boat, sport and vacation shows at regional convention centers, and setup displays at local malls when they do special weekend events etc...

Jeff Brewster has promoted the schools by setting up displays at other APBA category events (H1, etc)

[modhydro]

The IOA also does a large "Boat Sport and Travel Show," but we are getting about as many students from races where we do PA announcements letting them know about the schools and opportunities to try it out first hand. I think we have 4 already signed up for next June who have seen us race and want to take the next step to try it out for themselves. While we don't often have tons of spectators, the ones who are there are a good target audience. Take some time to walk the bank and ask them if they have any questions. If they are already at a boat race there must be some interest.


We have 4 more signed up that are friends of current racers as well....

Steve

[M Miner]

Thanks for the clinic, I am glad to be hooked.

[csh-2z]

This year at the APBA Annual meeting, the promotional committee has established 6 seminars to be held on Saturday the 27th. January in Chicago. These seminars are for all of us to learn of ways to improve our personal racing programs and to grow boat racing. The Seminars included are:
Promotion & Marketing
Driver School Hosting
Motor Technical & Inspection Training
Race Fuel Technology
Propeller Science
Data Compilation & Analysis (Mychron)

Everybody is welcome. I really need support from the membership to prove the value of these seminars for future consideration.

Thanks, John Runne

[csh-2z]

The hotel is pretty flexible and very good at their job. We have some good sized rooms reserved for the seminars but if we have overflow, we'll open a wall or something. I really hope we have this problem. Everybody should try to make it.

[ryan_4z]

Do we have to pay, like the meetings? Or, is this a complimentary service?

[ryan_4z]

Hotels are usually flexible. APBAs, not so much.....

[Flatiron]

Where do we stand with the engine tech seminars? In propeller Magazine it said pending hotel approval.

[pav225]

This is excellent. Please keep the good ideas coming!

[Ram4x4]

I know this is probably beyond our scope at the moment, but has anyone contacted local TV or radio stations to maybe come do a piece while the driver school is in action, or do a radio interview where the school can be promoted?

Any other possible TV coverage? I know Lucas Oil televises demolition derbies (of all things), so you'd think they might be interested in televising one of our races?

[fbref5269]

several years ago there was a news crew at the spring millville race. jerry davids, scott glossner and i were interviewed. they took nice race footage. the only downside was it was televised on sunday night after the races. it would be nice to see them there on saturday so people could come out on sunday to see a race. do any of the race sites put up posters several weeks before the race, or am i showing my age cuz we did that back in the day.

your buddy
frank
52-E

[Ram4x4]

Another idea I have, and would like to pursue once I am free from my classes, is a more "professional" driver school set up. Please don't take this the wrong way, our guys work really hard to do the driver school and the last couple of years have been quite successful, but...

I'm trying to look at things from a new person perspective. I know some of this might seem meaningless to some, but like it or not, image is important. One selling point we have is that the sport is relatively affordable compared to other sanctioned types of racing. Talk to anyone who's raced in other motor sports and find out what it costs. Secondly, we bill ourselves as family oriented. We have J's, boys and girls driving and even a few wives. I don't see that happening as much in racing that involves wheels. So, from that perspective, we're in good shape.

So, what sort of impression do you think a new person is going to have when they roll up to driver school and the club is struggling to find a boat or engine to use? Is it fair or right to expect the same person every year to use his personal equipment to put students in? What if a student is so thrilled they want to purchase a rig on the spot?

We need a racer school set up, with racer school gear and racer school boats. I think MHRA has done a great job in this area. A school trailer (with appropriate graphics), two school boats (a J and a C), engines and some cut suits and helmets. Of course, how do we get that, as that's a fair chunk of change. I've suggested it to a few folks and will be pursuing this with my club in the coming months, but we do like the volunteer fire departments do...we hold a couple gun raffles through the year.

Also, if we work with a builder, we might be able to get a discount on having boats built. Now we have a new rig, ready for sale on the spot. If they sell, that gives us a whole year to have them replaced. If they are sold for a reasonable price, the club has the money to replace them and could even make a small profit on them as well.

It certainly would not hurt to approach Lifeline or SRP to see about discounts for school gear if we buy several sets at once.

Other details I can think of have to do with the presentation of the actual classroom material, but those can be worked out.

I just feel a set up like this would make a great impression on potential new drivers. It shows we're serious, that we're organized, and it presents a great image.

[Flatiron]

It's a Great Idea Dane but I remember when you brought it up before it was pretty much shot down immediately. Was sorry to see that changed my outlook on a few things. I think you should take it straight to the BOD

[csh-2z]

Dane, The Promotional Committee has arranged for six seminars at the Chicago National meeting. One of those seminars is a "Driver School Hosting" seminar. It will take place on Saturday the 27, January. We have created a sub-committee to brainstorm the best practices of schools in all categories and will make a 90 minute presentation. If you could get together with Dave Deck and discuss this issue with him, that would be great.