Price Of Racing

[Mike C]

Race payouts are going to have to increase dramatically or racing costs are going to have to drop dramatically . And in my opinion , the only one of those options that makes sense is upping the purse substantially .
Lowering the costs by going to spec cars , spec motors , e-mods , skinny tires , etc . has been done at every track in America , with very limited success . The car counts continue to drop in most areas , and so do the paid admissions . Along with that , the fans are apparently not interested in watching the lower cost race cars . They want a show for their money . And that show has to be cars that are colorfull , loud , and fast .
So maybe it's time to open up the rules a bit , combine all of the stock car classes into one , and give people a show . And the track owners and promoters are simply going to have to spend the money to hire good marketing people who can go out into the surrounding community and sign up sponsors . Not sponsors for billboards , but sponsors who will finance races and classes . And they can't stop there . The marketing people also have to get a slice of the Home Depot , Lowes , Sprint , AT&T , Go Daddy , etc , market . All of those and many others are part of NASCAR , so they realize that race participation pays off . They have customers in the stands at small tracks each week . They need to reach them as well . Thats where the increased purse should come from .

[Boneman]

Lowering the costs has been done at every track in America with very limited success. The car counts continue to drop in most areas , and so do the paid admissions

Say what? Where do you get that information?

[Bigbuck]

His eyes are open!

[Iwyn]

Options as seen from past experiences

First off one should know I have been in racing for over 50 years. I have done it all from personally racing, race track tech, officiating, operating racing series, building cars and engines, putting on races and putting on 3 day racer's auctions. I have seen a lot of good and bad ideas come and go.
A major change has come about as what the new generation fans want. Most of these are below 35 years of age. They do not want to see what their parents were interested in ! They mostly have little or no interest in the competitive racing like we all love. They want to see crash-a-ramas, monster trucks, crotch rockets, motorcross bikes, drifting and drag races. The have standing room only facilities full of these people weekly. That is where our spectators are now and why they are not at our oval track races. If you do not believe it watch TV or go buy a ticket and to any of these events. Oval track racing can never again be what is was 50 years ago as it created the constant illusion of death and mayhem if did then. We now have what is basically a pretty safe and dull sport that only appeals to us wanting to see good clean competitive racing which regretfully does not sell many tickets !
We all like competition but most younger fans prefer destruction to competition ! Our younger enthusiasts want something different from entertainment than what we want. They mostly want to see destruction which is what oval track racing originally was and created the major sport it became. Oval track racing is not based off of destruction and mayhem as it was for the several years it reigned as king of entertainment. Most younger patrons prefer seeing events where a judge or judges make a decision on who wins and it is not determined by the actual winner during competition.They want to go watch somebody burn $300 a piece tires off their motorcycle while the front wheel is parked against a railroad cross tie or see a car sliding around an asphalt oval track sideways with both rear tires burning off of it while the crowd erupts in constant cheering. If you do not think so just watch the response of the crowd if an asphalt oval track racers starts smoking the tires at the finish line after winning. The crowd cheers more then than when the race was going on while they were at the concession stand. They were not interested in watching the race. We have to realize the younger ones just do not care for our ancient and outdated interests. I hate to say it but that is the true facts even if we do not like it.
Now a few points on rules gained from years of experiences around the USA. There are too many classes at all tracks now. Tracks need to consolidate classes and expenses to built full fields of cars. Tracks should not have more than 3 classes nightly. Monthly maybe have just 2 local classes and 1 traveling series. Get total support of locals primarily then occasionally add on a little spice to the night. Local classes should be about 3 - 4 heats nightly of 8 - 10 cars each as it used to be. There is not a track I have seen that can not start 30 - 32 cars in a feature race. They all do it yearly generally with enduros starting at times 100 + cars. Nothing different than any regular race night as the track is still the same. The winner gets flagged as winner and Winner's Circle Ceremony. Pay top 5 or so a little more or draw 5 car numbers from hat as to who gets top 5 pay position pay. Another option is pay top 5 by points over heats and feature passes for the night or such as done with some go kart classes and motorcycle races. The rest of the field all get the same. Most just want to make expenses for the night anyway as they are not doing it for a living.
Many say they want to use crate sealed engines. What a sucker you would be. There are always ones able to purchase sealed engines and get their pick out of 10 - 25 that have been dyno'd and get ones with best torque/horsepower curves and if you can not afford to do the same you will never be able to run with the leaders. Never believe the leader's sealed engine is the same as you have. On a very few rare occasions it might if all the good ones broke or fell out for some reason but that is the only time the real sealed one will win. I can get any " SEALED CRATE ENGINE " fixed to look like your engine but it will be far better then your engine. Look what happened to ASA and others that have tried that route. I have been involved in such adventures also and know from past experiences there are too many options available to sealed engine race programs if you want to pay for them.
Here is something you all could do and would help you greatly in parts availability , costs, interchangeability and other ways. Quit playing with 4 cylinder engines. They were made for economy and nothing stock OEM about them is really made for racing. So if you race them you are going to have to spend out the Yazoo to get any dependability or power. Facts are facts! Been there done it! You have to turn them out of the frame in RPM to get any power and that needs $$$$ spend just like any other engine. Racers start with them thinking they are cheap way to race. Wrong as it costs more to get HP and dependability in them than in any V8. In most cases a mild 350 SBC with a mild cam and intake will produce more power and dependability than any expensive built oval track 4cyl engine.
As for EFI and computer controlled engines who cares ! There is only so much fuel that can be put in any cylinder at any RPM. Any too much floods and any too little burns pistons. It does not matter if you use injection, carburetor or stand by the engine with a funnel pouring it in. Facts are facts. The same applies to Computer ignitions and Fuel injections. You can only advance or retard ignition till disaster happens. This applies on stock type ignitions or computerized ones. Computerized just makes it more efficient consistently. No major power gains or such are gained over a good tuned engine without such electronic items. Face it as it is coming in time anyway. The biggest ones not wanting it are those that just never got to learn about it. They would just have to learn as they did with older OEM non electronic type systems. I hated it too but I had to learn it! It is not going away ! In future days you will be running them everywhere.
If tracks would allow it most cars could be built with a good economical SBC 350 V8 or Ford and Dodge engine equivelant and have rules allowing weights down around the 2200 - 2400 lb range like a modified or late model and you would be surprised how fast they would be. Look at the times they turn with the heavy 3,000 - 3,400lb weights. Tracks keep heavy 3000 - 3400 lb rules on most classes so their Super Late Models look so fast. They could give all racers a big break here and all could afford to race cheaper and be nearly as fast as anything running other than a sprint. A safe built full OEM chassis can be built to 2200 lbs with the driver and fuel. This can be done for dirt or asphalt cars. Tracks just will not do it to protect their Supers.
I know this will not get fans back in our stands but I am afraid us old lovers of oval track racing are a dying breed as our interests are not the same as the younger ones interests. I hate it as much as all here do but facts are facts if you really take an honest look at the situation. The economy is not stopping from seeing full crowds in the other sports I mentioned. Gloom is hanging at the gate of all oval tracks and not all are poorly ran. There must be some other reason for this then. Maybe the above thoughts predict the future of oval track racing. I hope to be proved wrong !
I am wishing them all a recovery someway !
Just my 2 cents worth from years involvement in my favorite sport.

Good Luck all,

[Iwyn]

Checking

Checking display

[Boneman]

You and I agree on some points, but on others.....

The have standing room only facilities full of these people weekly. That is where our spectators are now and why they are not at our oval track races
Check out your average drag stip. Their stands are even emptier than the oval tracks. The other events you mention don't even happen on a weekly basis.

Quit playing with 4 cylinder engines.
As for EFI and computer controlled engines who cares
It is not about building a stronger engine or even a faster car, it is about increasing participation in the sport by using engines that are readily available and inexpensive. The advanced classes don't run on junkyard engines, but the entry level and mid level classes do. The class I am in uses antique engines from the 1970's and early 80's. Its time to evolve. How many midgets still run Offenhausers? How many stock cars still compete with a flathead 6?

You do make many other good points!

[andre]

One thing I have notice with drag strip is this. One event of ''real'' drag racing with ''real'' drag racing race cars is so so fans wise, BUT a mid week street car drag evening will pack the place like you would not believe, all honda's and toyota's and alike but they are there, by the hundreds for cars and by the thousands for fans, and supporters.

[tccaz]

One thing I have notice with drag strip is this. One event of ''real'' drag racing with ''real'' drag racing race cars is so so fans wise, BUT a mid week street car drag evening will pack the place like you would not believe, all honda's and toyota's and alike but they are there, by the hundreds for cars and by the thousands for fans, and supporters.

Drag racing on the local NEVER gets a crowd, big events are a different story. The hondas, toyotas, and every other street car pull big time, that is why short track racing should create a class for current type cars, THAT is what interests young car enthusiests and if you don't get them involved short track or any other racing with V8 or carberated engines is doomed to failure.

[Mike Bresnahan]

Promotors can not afford to pay higher purses. What they can do, is make it more affordable for the racer. Take away the advantage of having plenty of money. Put claimers on shocks (all classes). Hard tires take away the advantage of a big motor and they wont need to be purchased every week. I think most promotors would rather sell arm bands than tires....

Limit practice. The racers would all cry and complain but at some point someone has to stop the insanity. My kids would love to eat Mac Donalds every night, but it's my job to make sure that don't happen for their own good. Less practice = less wear and tear on tires, motors, brakes etc. We probably run just as many if not more laps in practice than the race itself. The fans want to see cars race, not practice. But if my competitors are out there getting better, I have to too. If the track is closed, it's closed for everyone. We're all on equal ground.

[jacko241]

Very well said, Mike