Taking Beef to the Races

PIERRE (June 19, 2006)—In addition to the roar of speeding cars, racing enthusiasts at Huset’s Speedway near Sioux Falls will be exposed to plenty of beef at the racetrack this summer. The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Auxiliary, in cooperation with the popular racetrack and the South Dakota Beef Industry Council (SDBIC) through its beef checkoff dollars, is offering a special promotion aimed at getting the racing public to eat more beef.

“We’re reaching an entirely new audience,” says Sue Sibson, auxiliary treasurer. “Huset’s is a popular dirt track that attracts anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 people on racing nights. It’s a great opportunity for us to get the message of beef to people from across the region.”

Throughout the summer, anyone at the races who purchases a $10 South Dakota Beef Buck gets free admission to the races on Beef Night August 13—a $20 value. South Dakota Beef Bucks are checks that can be used to purchase beef at a retail outlet or restaurant anywhere in the United States .

Huset’s is also offering special buys on its race track burgers during the special summer-long promotion. “This race track is in the midst of a farming community and people who make their living producing beef,” says Mark Tassler, promotions director and announcer at Huset’s. “Beef Bucks is a wonderful concept and we’re just taking it into the racing world.”

Tassler, who is also farm director at KXRB Radio in Sioux Falls and comes from a rural South Dakota background, was familiar with Beef Bucks. He approached the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Auxiliary about working with the race track on the promotion. “The biggest gathering of people in the entertainment world on a weekend is at racing events,” insists Tassler. “By taking the Beef Bucks to this large audience, we’re bound to get some results.”

The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Auxiliary mans a special booth during some of the racing events, offering checkoff-funded beef information and recipes. When they’re not at the races, fans can purchase the Beef Bucks at the racetrack’s souvenir stand. A billboard touting beef is also visible from the track area to fans in the stands.

Tassler says the Rubin family that has owned Huset’s since 1988 has been totally supportive of the cooperative promotional effort between beef and racing. “They’re proud to have the beef industry be on board in their business,” says Tassler.

The SDBIC collects the $1-per-head beef checkoff on cattle sold in South Dakota . The state council, comprised of representatives from eight agriculture organizations, can retain up to 50 cents for state checkoff programs, while the remaining amount is forwarded to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board. All checkoff dollars, state or national, must be utilized for promotion, research or educational projects.

Representative organizations are: SD Beef Breeds Council, SD Cattlemen’s Association, SD Cattlemen’s Auxiliary, SD CattleWomen, SD Farm Bureau, SD Farmers Union, SD Livestock Market Association, and SD Stockgrowers Association.