Milwaukee IndyFest

Mark down another item I've added to my bucket list: the Milwaukee IndyFest. The more I read about this event, the more I want to go. I mean, just the name alone sounds exciting: IndyFEST. This is exactly what an auto race needs to be these days to attract fans. It should be more of a festival, carnival-type event rather than just a race--especially on the oval tracks, where the common criticism from non-fans is "but it's just cars going around in a circle!"

I applaud Andretti Sports Marketing for figuring all this out. I had thought for years that more tracks should do this. The street races seemed to have realized this long ago. You have to attract all kinds of individuals if you want to improve your attendance at a motorsports event. Sure, you'll always have the diehard fans and the gearheads but let's face it, even in NASCAR that number is decreasing. So what can be done to encourage other people to check out an IndyCar race? Exactly what has been done in Milwaukee.

Take a look at the schedule for the weekend and you'll see that there are plenty of things to do, no matter where your interests lie:

• For families: There are carnival rides such as a ferris wheel, bumper cars, and a carousel.
• For the partyer or the social butterfly: There's a beer garden and a street party, and earlier this week several drivers took over as bartenders at a local bar and grill.
• For the music buff: A street party hosted by a hotel providing accommodations for attendees features live music and local bands will play throughout the day on Friday and Saturday. There is also a post-race concert.
• For the car enthusiast: A vintage car show, a pit stop competition just like at Indy, and three IndyCar races throughout the weekend (Pro Mazda, Indy Lights, and IZOD IndyCar Series) tells me that there is always some kind of action occurring on the track.
• For those who like racing, but maybe not car racing: The Mile is featuring the first-ever World Championship of Rickshaw Racing, which sounded very intriguing to me. This is a unique event that should grab fans from other cultures, too.
• For those who want to experience what it's like to go fast: There are pace car rides, and two-seater rides around the track in an actual IndyCar. I'm sure these are not cheap but it still can be the thrill of a lifetime for many.

Of course, you'll also find some typical race fodder such as driver autograph sessions, the IndyCar Fan Village, practice, and qualifying. And what does all this cost the average fan? As little as $29 for adults and $10 for kids. I don't know about you, but most of these type of events usually cost a heck of a lot more than that. I sound like I'm writing a commercial for Milwaukee IndyFest, but I can assure you no one has put me up to this, nor am I getting paid for this. I just think this sounds like a fantastic fan experience, and I think other tracks should follow suit.

However, you can always make improvements to the event to attract even more fans, and to keep them coming back year after year. You could allow fans to bring in their own food and beverage like some other tracks do. Since racing is all about competition and trying to be the fastest one to the finish line, I think you could incorporate that into some type of activity where fans compete against one another. A hot dog eating contest for example, or a fastest biker/runner/three-legged walker race. And the zipline seemed to be pretty popular at Indianapolis this year, so why not add that too?

As for the racing, which almost seems like an afterthought after all the festivities going on around the track, IndyCar will be looking to rebound from an unspectacular showing on national television and I expect that we will see a much better race than Texas. Last year's race could not have been scripted any better, with Andretti driver Ryan Hunter-Reay winning and celebrating in DHL Victory Circle. I like his chances to repeat this year, and you have to think that Marco will eventually get that oval win this year so look for him to be in contention too.

All in all though, Milwaukee IndyFest should be very worthwhile for all who attend. Perhaps in the future we'll see IndyFests at more tracks. If those tracks want to improve their attendance, they would be wise to take a page out of the Andretti Sports Marketing book. You'll see a lot more than an IndyCar race this weekend in Milwaukee, and maybe some new IndyCar fans will be born.