Partial Gate refunds - PLEASE READ

[Jeff]

Dawn/SD/Shawn - please sticky this.

Folks,

This last weekend, it was noted that there are no longer refunds for those spectators who show up on Saturday and leave on Saturday.  Now, before everyone blames Kevin, it was stated that HE was the one who ORIGINALLY instituted the partial refund.

However, that being the case, he gets to be the recipient of the mass emails to reinstate this.  

Please send off an email yourself and also send to anyone who ever comes to watch you race, urging them to send it too.  

Here's what I'm sending out to my friends/family/fans.

Folks,

Very recently, a policy was changed which now does not allow for a partial refund for spectators who only want to view Saturday's racing.  So if you show up for Saturday, you will pay full weekend spectator price (typically $25) with no refund.  PLEASE send an email to Kevin Elliot below:

kevinelliott@clearchannel.com

Mr. Elliott,

I am a fan of CCS roadracing, and attend racing events as a spectator as often as possible.  It has recently come to my attention that I can no longer get a partial refund should I only attend Saturday's races.  

Unfortunately, this will prohibit my attendance at numerous events.  

I sincerely hope you can reconsider this decision and keep pricing reasonable for the competitors and spectators alike.

Sincerely,

XXXXX

=====================================

As a racer, here's what I'm writing:

Kevin,

I'm doing my best to get folks out to the track to watch me race.  I enjoy sharing it with them as much as they enjoy watching it.  However, now that they cannot get a partial refund for a Saturday-only attendance, many people are not going to be showing up.

I'm not sure what drove the decision, but hope that it can be reconsidered.  I believe there will be LESS money collected now than if the partial refund continued to be offered.

$25 for a single day of club-level racing is pretty steep in my opinion and that of my friends/family/fans.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

-Jeff Kufalk
Midwest EX-42

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

Was better when you could just get a sat only pass. But thanks to some really dishonest people a few years ago who decidede to stay overnight and not go back and get a sunday pass in teh morning, they had to go to buy a full weekend pass on sat. >:(

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

     As I stated at the meeting, why not have a different color wrist band for the saturday only people. Make that band a highly visible color that would stand out obviously on Sunday, make whole event wrist bands a color very different from those. Just a thought. :)

[Jeff]

If I recall correctly, in years past, when you came in on Sat, you paid FULL price.  When you LEFT, your wristband was cut off and you were given your partial refund.

That's a SIMPLE system which is effective.  It forces people to pay the full price and LEAVE the track when they're done.

[r1owner]

If I recall correctly, in years past, when you came in on Sat, you paid FULL price.  When you LEFT, your wristband was cut off and you were given your partial refund.

That's a SIMPLE system which is effective.  It forces people to pay the full price and LEAVE the track when they're done.

I agree.  What's wrong with that system?  I can guarantee at least 6 people will not show up at BHF on memorial day if this policy is in effect.

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

    As I stated at the meeting, why not have a different color wrist band for the saturday only people. Make that band a highly visible color that would stand out obviously on Sunday, make whole event wrist bands a color very different from those. Just a thought. :)

Thats how it was in 99 and 2000.

[Jeff]

One could argue cost/confusion/etc over the multiple colored wristbands.

You can't argue that a wristband is either present or is not present...

[Jeff]

And here's the response that goes out to the letters...

---------------------------- Original Message ---------------------------- Subject: RE: Partial gate refunds
From:    "ELLIOTT, KEVIN M" <Kevin.Elliott@SFX.com>
Date:    Mon, May 9, 2005 2:11 pm
To:      jeff@cbr600rr.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for your letter regarding Saturday tickets at Blackhawk Farms.

Unfortunately, through the dishonest actions of others, everyone is paying a price.

Several years ago when Blackhawk stopped selling Saturday only tickets, (Because people would buy Saturday only tickets and then camp out to avoid the Sunday gate fee), we convinced them that we should offer Saturday refunds up to 60 minutes past the last checkered flag for those leaving on Saturday.

At first this seemed to work great, but as time went on, people found ways to abuse this courtesy until starting with this season the policy was changed to no gate pass refunds. Once again the dishonest actions of the minority cause problems for the majority.

We apologize if this inconveniences you and your friends, but our
choices were either more security (which would raise the gate fees even higher), or to only sell a full weekend pass that would allow us to continue without increasing costs to the majority of our racers and their crew members.

Kevin Elliott
Director of Operations-Road Race
Clear Channel Entertainment - Motor Sports
3001 Ramona Drive
Fort Worth, Texas  76116
817-332-4822 Ext. 103
817-332-5633 Fax


=========================================

Now, I can respect what you're saying Kevin, but the system can be made much easier and simpler.  CRA has 2 different colored armbands.  Visual and simple.

Paying full weekend price and then Cutting off an armband for a partial refund Saturday night is far more effective and reliable in my opinion.

I simply can't see why this wouldn't work.  How does someone get around this?  If they're coming back in without a wrist band, they're coming in without buying one in the first place, and there's nothing you can do about that other than increase security.  Punishing the honest, paying customers isn't the solution here.

This policy does *NOTHING* to benefit racing.  

Attendance is terribly low and will only get worse because of this.  WE, the racers, lose in the end...

[ecumike]

I don't see how the different wristband thing'll work.  No one comes around to check if anyone's wearing them or not now, so what would that solve?

[Jeff]

I don't see how the different wristband thing'll work.  No one comes around to check if anyone's wearing them or not now, so what would that solve?

Exactly, which is why I suggested having people cut their wristbands for the refund upon exit.

[Zac]

I don't see how the different wristband thing'll work.  No one comes around to check if anyone's wearing them or not now, so what would that solve?

If no one is checking wristbands at all, then people are probably hiding in the back of the van to avoid buying any wristband.

The 2 color system seems to have worked just fine in the SW.  

-z.

[r1owner]

I don't see how the different wristband thing'll work.  No one comes around to check if anyone's wearing them or not now, so what would that solve?

They did at Gateway once.

Removing the wristband is the best option.  Make them pay for the whole weekend then give them back 10 bucks if they turn it in.

It really will hurt attendance IMO.  How much does it cost to buy an AMA ticket?  Can't you go there for around the same price?