Great News About Desota

[andre]

It's a catch 22 situation. What goes first, high pay out to attrack racers that might attrack more fans or wait for racers to come in big number b4 paying them a lot?!?!?!?!!?!??

[Matt Albee]

Most of those drivers most likely moved up from entry level divisions,,,they didn't simply fall out of the grandstands...You have a hard time following along,dont you ?

Nope, not as long as the person i'm following is making sense. But when a guy says he can go racing with no expenditure for tires...and then insists that an entire class is made up of racers who sold their entry level cars and bought modifieds instead of Late Models or Super Lates.

[kendo]

Nope, not as long as the person i'm following is making sense. But when a guy says he can go racing with no expenditure for tires....

Let me clarify it for you,,,$0 meant that most weeks I don't have to buy tires After all,you race a car just like mine,,,you should know that

[Matt Albee]

It's a catch 22 situation. What goes first, high pay out to attrack racers that might attrack more fans or wait for racers to come in big number b4 paying them a lot?!?!?!?!!?!??

Very true. And that brings us back around to an often discussed topic on this site. I've been told that the payout for racers hasn't really increased much over the last 25 years while the cost of just getting to the races is up by about 85%.
There are two ways that the purses are going to increase. The track owner/promoter bites the bullet and pays a good purse out of his own pocket to entice the racers to the track. Once the cars are there, the fans will come out to see the show if it's promoted.
Or two, the track gets sponsors to invest money and uses that to pay purses that will attract cars. And then the fans will come out to see the show if it's promoted.

[Matt Albee]

Let me clarify it for you,,,$0 meant that most weeks I don't have to buy tires After all,you race a car just like mine,,,you should know that

While we're clarifying, I don't think $0 means sometimes, I think it means $0. Let's move on.

[scottgarrity07]

OSF, JC and Critter seem to get it. Eliminating TT's and going to heats will give the fans more real racing to watch and should lead to mucho lead changes in the features. A better racing environment will lead to larger car counts too. I think asking track owners to pony up a larger purse BEFORE larger crowds show up is as unrealistic as thinking racers have more money to spend then they already are spending. Most owners are probably maxxed out already and do this, like the racers, for the love of the sport. For me, I am happy driving by Showtime and it's larger purses, to compete in a better environment at Desoto. Money ain't everything when you already have to spend a lot to compete. Leaving the track with a smile on my face matters a whole lot more to me.

[kendo]

Very true. And that brings us back around to an often discussed topic on this site. I've been told that the payout for racers hasn't really increased much over the last 25 years while the cost of just getting to the races is up by about 85%.
There are two ways that the purses are going to increase. The track owner/promoter bites the bullet and pays a good purse out of his own pocket to entice the racers to the track. Once the cars are there, the fans will come out to see the show if it's promoted.
Or two, the track gets sponsors to invest money and uses that to pay purses that will attract cars. And then the fans will come out to see the show if it's promoted.

We agree on something!
I am not talking about high purses,I am talking about a modest increase to be even with the dirt tracks....Running a track is like any other business,you have to make investments to get returns.I would think that the investment in your racers at the payout window would be a good return.If it isn't,pay them $o and we can all go home early.

After only 1 year of running VCS,they announced that they are raising payouts next year...This is called moving forward....In all honesty,even though they have good car counts,their stands are far from jammened packed...1 racer in the pits with 5 crew members is the same revenue to 15 in the stands.

I understand wanting to run a race track because of your love for racing,but if you are doing it on a shoe string budget without the capital required to make it successful long term,your problem is far beyond the ability to pay the people that put on the show.

[kendo]

For me, I am happy driving by Showtime and it's larger purses, to compete in a better environment at Desoto. Money ain't everything when you already have to spend a lot to compete. Leaving the track with a smile on my face matters a whole lot more to me.

I respect you for raising the dirt vs asphalt topic.It is always a touchy subject.
If Showtime has larger purses as you say,do they also have larger car counts???

Isn't the larger car counts your wish for Desoto???

If Desoto eventually has large car counts,lets say a 21 car feature,are you still going to leave the track with a smile on your face after getting caught up in other racers mess week after week? Be careful what you wish for because that better environment does not always last.

[andre]

If Desoto eventually has large car counts,lets say a 21 car feature,are you still going to leave the track with a smile on your face after getting caught up in other racers mess week after week? Be careful what you wish for because that better environment does not always last.

So shall we conclude it is better for the racers to go race where they have low car counts?????? If so, the sport is in a worst shape I thought it was.

[kendo]

If Desoto eventually has large car counts,lets say a 21 car feature,are you still going to leave the track with a smile on your face after getting caught up in other racers mess week after week? Be careful what you wish for because that better environment does not always last.

So shall we conclude it is better for the racers to go race where they have low car counts?????? If so, the sport is in a worst shape I thought it was.

Better? no,,,but I am sure some racers do and that's fine with me...Lets face it,bigger car counts=bigger carnage.Some simply cant afford to or have the time/resorces available to rebuild their stuff every week.Everyone has their own situation.

[Frasson118]

... 'Bigger car counts = bigger carnage'.... simply NOT TRUE.

It all depends the the skill and respect of each racer on the track. I've seen 53 Mods start at Syracuse, and 55 at Trenton. Neither was a 'carnage' race by any stretch. I've also seen a 3 car feature that was OVER before anyone cleared turn 2 when 2 boneheads took each other out.

When you've got 21 (for this arguements sake) idiots & amatuers, sure you're gonna get carnage. That's why I hate the Trucks anymore..... nothing but crash fest from turn 1, lap 1 on. NO respect.... everyone trying to win in the first corner.

It has NOTHING to do with the size of the field.... it all has to do with the percentage of Pro's versus Amateurs.

Idiot drivers will kill a race no matter if there are 55, 21, or 3.

[Frasson118]

By the way.... I didn't mean to imply that ALL Trucks drivers suck, as there is a lot of talent in that class. But even the top guys have to admit that most of the 'carnage' is caused by same 'quality' of driver every time. The top guys are rarely at fault for ruining their show.

[kendo]

... 'Bigger car counts = bigger carnage'.... simply NOT TRUE.

It all depends the the skill and respect of each racer on the track. I've seen 53 Mods start at Syracuse.

I was commenting on 21 car feature at asphalt tracks such as Showtime and Desoto...A far stretch from Brett Hearn and Billy Decker on a 1 mile dirt track Have you seen a 21 car feature at Showtime? Isnt always pretty...cant blame a racer for passing it by.

[Frasson118]

Put Brett Hearn & Billy Decker on the 1/4 mile track at 5-Mile Point. Same result, no wreck fest. It isn't the size of the track (although tracks of ANY size have great ones and shitty ones). Slinger Speedway is the same size as Showtime & Auburndale, yet they pull full fields without it being a constant demo-derby.

Track configuration has a lot to do with it, but driver RESPECT has much more to do with it.

If more drivers were willing to accept 7th, instead of wrecking someone else for 6th, the whole deal would be better off. Realize that tearing shit up for 1 position isn't worth it. Maybe $25 or $50 more at the pay window if it works..... If it doesn't, probably a Grand each to get her running again.

Battling for the win near the end is what makes this sport the greatest I've ever known.

Battling for 8th in turn 1, lap 1, that takes out half the field behind them..........

[Jimmy McKinley]

I was commenting on 21 car feature at asphalt tracks such as Showtime and Desoto...A far stretch from Brett Hearn and Billy Decker on a 1 mile dirt track Have you seen a 21 car feature at Showtime? Isnt always pretty...can't blame a racer for passing it by.

I've seen 28+ cars start features at Sunshine. We used to get 30+ Late Models every week. Ran whole 30-lap features most weeks without a single caution.

Street Stocks used to have four or five heats of ten-plus cars, and the features were pretty good, too (as far as being "clean"). Guys knew if they were "in the way", they'd either move and let the fast guys go, or simply pull off if they were that far off the pace.

It's all 'bout respect on the race track when it comes to large fields of cars on a short track.