Your Track’s SMART Strategy

Set SMART Goals, Run a Smarter Track: A Promoter’s Guide to Success

Setting goals for yourself and your race track is one of the most important things you can do to steer your season toward success. Sure, the start of a new year feels like the natural time to roll out those plans—but the truth is, the best goals aren’t created in the rush of January. They’re crafted now, while you have the time and clarity to really think, evaluate, and map out where you want your program to go.

And when it comes to goal setting, promoters have to be SMART. Not just smart in the traditional sense…but SMART in the acronym sense: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These five pieces work together like a good track crew—each one plays a role, and skipping any of them can mess up the whole show.

Let’s dig into each one.

S – Specific

When you set a goal, it can’t be vague or fluffy. You need to pinpoint exactly what you want to accomplish. Broad goals like “make more money” sound good, but they don’t give you any direction or a real way to judge whether you succeeded.

Instead, narrow your focus:

• “Increase sponsorship revenue by 10% over last year.”

• “Boost weekly ticket sales by 2%.”

Specific goals give you clarity. They tell you not only what you want, but also help shape how you’re going to get there.

M – Measurable

Once your goals are specific, making them measurable usually becomes much easier. You need a way to track progress—something concrete to help you see whether you’re moving forward, falling behind, or hitting it out of the park.

If you can measure it, you can manage it. And if you can manage it, you can improve it. Measurable goals give you a scoreboard to work from, and promoters know better than anyone that numbers tell the story.

A – Achievable

Ambitious goals are great—they push you and your track to grow—but they still need to live in the realm of reality. Setting goals so far out of reach that they become discouraging doesn’t help anyone.

A SMART goal is challenging enough to motivate you, but realistic enough that hard work can make it happen. And don’t be afraid to include a few “easy wins” in the mix. Hitting those smaller goals can boost confidence and build momentum for the bigger ones.

R – Relevant

Your goals should tie directly to your overall vision for the track. If your big-picture focus is increasing revenue or improving the fan experience, make sure your goals support that path.

For example, while creating a schedule for bathroom cleaning is definitely helpful for operations (and your fans!), it doesn’t directly move the needle on year-end financial success. Every goal should connect to where you want the track to go—not just what needs to get done day-to-day.

T – Time-bound

The best goals have a finish line. A deadline keeps you focused and accountable. Without one, even the best intentions tend to get pushed aside in the fast-paced chaos of race season.

Most of us are natural procrastinators, so giving yourself a timeframe creates urgency. And here’s a little promoter tip—pad your deadline. Set it a week or two earlier than you actually need. If you finish early, great. If you fall slightly behind, you’ve still got built-in breathing room.

Wrapping It Up

Goal setting isn’t just a box to check—it’s the backbone of long-term success for your track. Clear goals help you define what “winning” really looks like. And in a year full of rainouts or unexpected challenges, you may still find that you crushed most of your goals, even if some race nights didn’t go your way.

Take the time now to think big, think clearly, and think SMART. Your future season—and your future success—will thank you for it.