In 2017 I started this RaceChaser blog with pretty modest expectations. I figured it would be an outlet for me to write about the hobby I love. It’s gone beyond my expectations.
In 2020 there were nearly 65,000 page views for RaceChaser and 27,493 users. Talk about humbling to see that kind of traffic.
I decided to answer sponsors for 2020 to help with travel and to help buy a camera. It exceeded my goal by 67 percent. Again, talk about humbling.
So many people — drivers, fans, track promoters — have voiced support for the blog. For someone who is insecure to begin with this is so nice to hear this.
This year, sponsorships have grown again — already exceeding last year’s amount with 3-4 more to finalize. Several have renewed, some new ones have been added with a couple of more to announce in the next few weeks.
A special thanks to my in-laws Jim and Carol Hoffarth. They not only have supported the blog financially this year but have made trips to Fargo to watch our two kids on racing weekends.
Some have asked, understandably, what the sponsorship money is used for. Much of it is travel — gas and meals on the road. Some went to a new camera last year with hopes of adding a bigger and better lens soon. Some went to sponsoring four cars with small sponsorships, four people who I respect and like — Kasey Ussatis, Torey Fischer, Jordan Adams and Larry Samuelson. Some went to buying grandstand tickets to give away at the six coverage area tracks which went well. I will continue much of that in 2021.
I have a few other plans in the works I will talk about in the weeks and months ahead.
I’m looking forward to this summer racing-wise, hopefully Covid-19 is in the rear view mirror, businesses can get back to normal and we can have full grandstands again.
2021 Plans
All six primary coverage tracks — Viking Speedway (presenting sponsor), Sheyenne Speedway, Norman County Raceway, Red River Valley Speedway, I-94 Sure Step Speedway and River Cities Speedway — will remain the same in 2021. All six have renewed their sponsorship with a couple of more announcements regarding them coming in the weeks ahead. They will be the primary tracks covered weekly.
This year, Devils Lake Speedway, Casino Speedway in Watertown, SD and Bemidji Speedway will be included as part of the secondary coverage area. Those tracks are a little further away travel wise so they won’t be primary tracks but I do want to give them some coverage. That means I’ll probably make a trip or two, at least, to those tracks, for special events, and do some feature stories on drivers that race at those tracks. It’s an experiment to maybe add a little variety to the coverage of racing in this region. Devils Lake was included last year in coverage and was very accommodating as far as pit access so it’ll be nice to make a few trips there again. I may make a trip to Greenbush Race Park as well this year.
I hope to have a firmer schedule in advance for this summer. Last summer with Covid-19 messing with the schedule it was a week-to-week thing. Some things I will hope to follow include the Steffes Street Stock Tour (a sponsor for 2021), some NLRA and NOSA shows and other special events in the region.
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