Bull Ring Confusion

Last year it was called Twas The Midgets Before Christmas. For 2010 the Kemper Arena midget show in Kansas City is called The Bull Ring Midget Nationals.

I’ll admit that the “Twas The Midgets…” name was unique, but probably a little awkward for an event title. The Bull Ring is a bit more traditional for a race name and a little less of a mouthful.

This name change gets confusing however when you try to look for information about the show online. The event name has changed, but the website address hasn’t.

I’m not an expert by any means at promotions, but to me that defies common sense. You have to type in www.TwasTheMidgets.com to get information about the Bull Ring Midget Nationals. It’s confusing, it makes no sense, and it’s an extremely easy fix that was apparently glossed over.

I want the Bull Ring show to succeed. It took guts to put the event together. Bringing in dirt to create a track in the middle of a basketball arena is not an easy or cheap task.

Plus, it’s a great fix of racing for fans in the Midwest. I’m a midget racing fool, so the idea of getting to watch midgets on a dirt track three hours from home in December is appealing.

While the track in KC is much smaller than the indoor track at the Chili Bowl, you’re still at the races, smelling the fumes and seeing cars in motion.

That’s why it pains me to see this event with basically no promotion. I’ve seen some mentions of this show on a few racing websites, but nothing substantial. Thankfully Sean Buckley from Jackslash.com will have a webcast on his site for both Friday and Saturday nights, but outside of that there’s been little done to get the word out.

With so many free ways to promote something online these days (Hello Twitter…Facebook…etc.) what can the excuse be? I realize that the advertising budget for this event might be small, but with FREE social media available, you don’t need money.

The Bull Ring Midget Nationals is a nice warm-up for the Chili Bowl. It’s a great early gift for race fans. However, without a stronger promotional effort, I don’t think we’ll be making the Bull Ring Midget Nationals a traditional holiday event.

What: Bull Ring Midget Nationals – www.twasthemidgets.com

When: Friday, December 17 – Saturday, December 18

Where: Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Missouri

Webcast – www.Jackslash.com