Stock car tracks racing to get families in stands

"That means ... we better be a fan-friendly, family-friendly facility because people don't come every week, and they do have a lot of entertainment choices," he said, pointing out that his Motordrome Speedway in Carnegie installed a playground last year.

"We try to have something going on that interests kids every evening, whether it's Ronald McDonald coming to visit, fireworks, giveaways," he said.

Humpy Wheeler, manager of Lowe's Speedway in Concord, N.C., said the new amenities at short tracks are helpful for children who "might like racing for five or six minutes, then their mind wanders elsewhere."

"Parents, they've got a built-in baby sitter," he said. "It's smart business."

At Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, competitors roll out school buses painted with cartoons and race them for an audience of mostly kids twice a year, according to the track's manager, Gary Risch Jr.

"That's the future of this deal, to get families, new families," he said. "It brings you fans for years to come. It's a clean family atmosphere."

Larry Cothren, editor of Stock Car Racing magazine, said the tremendous growth of the sport over the past decade has also come at the expense of small tracks.

But in Pennsylvania, a racing hotbed that has more tracks — many of them dirt — than any other state, some speedways are marketing themselves to nearby residents and seeing an upswing in local sponsorships as a result.

The Jennerstown track earns $1 million to $2 million annually, thanks partly to a jump in local sponsorships, said Wheeler, who added that the track tries simply to break even.

At a recent race, 12-year-old Whitney Galantine of Friedens said she liked the racetrack's food and playground, not to mention the fast cars.

"I love it, it's fun," said Galantine, whose forehead was painted with colorful swirls. "The race cars get trophies and it makes (the drivers) so happy."

Her 45-year-old father, Gene Galantine, said he is a longtime race fan and that it has become cheaper in recent years to bring his family with him to the races.

"I get to do what I like to do, and they do too," he said.

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