Slab fees

[sbracer58]

I'm gonna bitch just this once... and I know it's only $10 but it's the principal here. Like most racers I spend more than I should and for the most part am happy to do so. After all no one is making me race. But the slab fee absolutely infuriates me. My last race I paid a $50 entry fee, was informed that I was required to buy at least 5 gallons of fuel (that I didn't need or want) and THEN I was told I had to pay $10 to park. Throw in a pit pass and I shelled out $150 just to get in the place.

I know the promoters need to make money, but this is like Ringling Brothers charging the clowns to get into the circus!

I guess the reason it pisses me off is that it appears to me this is the easy way to generate more money. With absolutely no effort the track can generate roughly $1000 bucks a night by charging a slab fee...sure easier than figuring out how to get more people in the stands.

Call it the straw that broke the camels back, but I'm done playing slab fees. I'll race somewhere else, or I'll park it.

[Pun33]

if they take away the slab fee they will just up the gate fee or make you buy another gallon of that fuel you don't need.

They need to focus on people in the stands, lower the cost to the people putting on the show and maybe the show will get better, more cars and better cars

[dave41]

parking slabs

when I gave up racing 2004 slab parking was 20.00. greed was why I gave it up. can't hang em on a skyhook.

[shorttrackcar1]

what track was this at ? I didn't know any tracks charged slab fees anymore .

[jacko241]

I am running a race at Palm Beach International Raceway in March, and the entry fee is $300, and guess what, no purse! I am afraid you are going to find that that is the future for local stock car racing. The last time I ran my SLM at New Smyrna it cost me almost $1000 between tires, fuel, pit passes, etc. and I won a $125 for 14th place.

[OldSchool+]

"I know the promoters need to make money, but this is like Ringling Brothers charging the clowns to get into the circus!"--'58

Ya think?

Typically it appears that the back gate brings in more revenue than the front. So, the racers and all the support folks are kind of are both participants and spectators.

And the racers want to race, cost effective or not, so they pay what it takes--for as long as they can.

We are all big boys and can pay at track "A", or pay at track "B", or go bowling (whatever that is).

But here is the deal, as long as the racers are carrying most of the water, the tracks might consider more of a high-end Hotel sort of atmosphere.

Seems silly on the face of it, but here are some ideas.

>Welcome folks. Be glad they are there and make sure they know it. Every week. Just like they are checking back in and paying for another night's stay.

>Figure out how to make sure everybody races. Add weight, tell them not to bring something back, put them in the rear, something. That is, if something is not right, try to make it right --like a hotel mgr making "it" right so the visitor will return--with more money.

>Look out for the racers and their money. Make the rules simple and repeatable. If they have more money, they can pay slab fees and whatnot. Sort of like a discount on airfare or meals--something to convince the "patron" that the money they are spending at the racetrack may be offset elsewhere.

Now, all of the above is, let's say, out of the ordinary.

But consider what the actual hard dollar costs are (minimal), and what the return is--more Saturday night market share and stronger numbers at the gate each and every week.

[Phil Jacques]

Slab fee? What's that? We don't have crap like that up here... At tracks where there are dirt and paved pits, higher divisions park on the asphalt, lower park in the dirt. If you don't like it, you deal with it, find another track, or play golf. I've parked in the dirt many times and never bitched about it. It is what it is.

Oh crap there I go saying how we do it up NAWTH again... People gonna get all bent out of shape now!

It's all greed driven. Tracks trying to make more money. How about finding a way to put asses in the stands and cars in the pits. What a concept! /rant

[OldSchool+]

What does it typically cost to get a car on the track up yonder?

Gate, mandatory fuel & tire costs, union dues...

[luke81]

Oh crap there I go saying how we do it up NAWTH again... People gonna get all bent out of shape now!

Haha, I was thinking the same thing....we never had that up north....
Some places charged extra for season long reserved spots on the pavement. But nobody HAD to pay anything to park.

[sbracer58]

All the SSCS (Sunshine State Challenge Seriew) races require a slap fee at the three participating tracks; 4-17, Desoto and Aburndale

[Phil Jacques]

What does it typically cost to get a car on the track up yonder?

Gate, mandatory fuel & tire costs, union dues...

No such thing as mandatory fuel & tire cost except for a couple of the BIG $10k to win shows and the way they do those is a cooperation between the tracks, teams and tire company to help pay at least part of the purse for the show through tire sales.

There's really no gimmicks up here... Show up, pay your gate fee (whatever that may be) and race.

For big tour modified and K&N nights, it's $50 to get into the pits ($75 for the big 3 day weekends) and a regular night is $30. That's pretty much it.

[dave41]

free racing

I am running a race at Palm Beach International Raceway in March, and the entry fee is $300, and guess what, no purse! I am afraid you are going to find that that is the future for local stock car racing. The last time I ran my SLM at New Smyrna it cost me almost $1000 between tires, fuel, pit passes, etc. and I won a $125 for 14th place.

does your shoulder hurt from patting yourself on the back. your choice ,enjoy

[OldSchool+]

PJ--So, your regular gate cost about equals the gate + slabby fee down heah.

RE: Sports car events/no purse. Kind of where I got the "schmooze the racers" idea in my earlier post.

At the Daytona vintage 24 hour race the entry fee was more than local tracks but among other things that added up to a "high end" experience they did have a fantastic catered smorgasbord--and it was far above Golden Corral in both selection and quality (thx again for the great time, Joe).

I believe Jacko's point was that his "net" cost was less racing for no purse in some instances. And therefore, the purse per se is not the issue, nor slab fees, it is at the end of the day how much it cost you to race.

[Phil Jacques]

PJ--So, your regular gate cost about equals the gate + slabby fee down heah.

Seems that way, but everything is always more expensive up here also... Something when you cross that mason dixon line, everything seems to increase by 20% And like I said, no matter what track you are, if there is dirt, you deal with it. Sometimes they even park the modifieds out in the dirt in big big shows. And nobody whines!

As said before... Tracks need to worry about butts in the seats and cars in the pits rather than mandatory fees for everything just to make extra money. There's more than enough cars down there. There HAS to be a way to make it work. Not sure how, but I am sure they can do something.

[OldSchool+]

Ironic, ain't it?

There may be less whining up north--I will give you that one.

But overall, it is the whole save-the-earth-and-all-the-peoples mindset--mostly invented in "The North"--that has led to your higher costs, every day, on pretty much every thing.