Asking a Good Question Desoto Super Speedway

[Frasson118]

Danbury Racearena in CT ran their show entirely on a percentage basis... 60% in the purse, 40% to the track. The place was packed with both cars and fans every week, and the payouts were huge.

Not saying that this is the answer, but if it's a good week, the racers and the track both do well. On a bad week, they all take the hit together.

[Jane]

Reducing the pit entrance fee and grandstand fee was done entirely to help the racers and fans. There are alot of cars out there in backyards just sitting and going to rust buckets because the person who owns that car simply can't afford to race. Before anyone can even think about working on purses, you have to have racecars and fans for the show.

I work in a pit office and I have worked in the office and I will say I have never gotten that many calls on purse payouts. When I have been asked, I have given them gladly and at times even posted them on the web. Most racers know purses are never what they need them to be but racers want to race and sometimes the purse is not the biggest deal to them. Some will gladly race for trophys only just to race.

I have been asked if we charge a pit slab fee which we don't and I have been asked if we charge for parking which we don't. A few years back we did sell/rent pit slabs for the year but it caused more headaches than anything because when a special tour came in, they would sometimes take that spot (they were not charged for it) and it caused too many hard feelings and a giant parking problem so out when that idea. We found ourselves chasing around looking for parking spots for the tour and keeping the regular people happy which is sometimes hard to do when it comes to parking and racing.

Lowering the pit gate will help. It might not be this weekend or next weekend, but in the long run it will help. And having a set price for general admission is a positive for all fans. No longer will they have to guess what it costs for a race, they will know. But nothing new works overnight, it takes time but I think in the end, you will see a very positive reaction from this.

The biggest point of all of this is that FASCAR is trying and they are listening to the racers and what they need to do to help both the racer and the track.
Yes John, tracks need to make money but in order to do that you first must have racers and fans. Once that happens, then purses can go up and I have seen purses change in the last few years also so there have been changes in payouts.

At least they are trying and that to most counts more than anything. And for that, I applaud FASCAR for trying because the one thing racers complain more about is that no one ever listens to them and now they are.

[Edm]

I firmly believe this will help. I will not spend $60 to get into the pits for me and my wife, so when I came into the pits this year, I came alone. At times I wouldnt even go into the pits by myself because I didnt want to spend $30. However I will spend $40 for me and my wife. The tracks will make more money from me and it wont cost them any more to do so.

Thanks again.

[ocalasp76]

Hey You Old Fa%t

138 miles each way...

That will be a total of 4 DEPENDS change for you overall (2 down/2back).

R U sure you will be up for that long a haul at your age?

OSF:

I know youse live right by the hiway, so I'll 'dump' off those old depends in your truck as we pass by....... And I'll save a little of the used beer for your tank too !!
Where you been hiding? Doodewamp ain't around much anymore, so you don't have to hide.......Come on up to Ocala soon......fries are done
----JIMBO----

[fred23]

I have asked numerous times on this board for ALL tracks to post there payouts....to no avail! Skip brought up out of state tracks that have payouts posted on the websites. I have never understood why a track would not. If a racer is looking to find a different track to race at he will probably like to know what his costs vs take home might be.

John, please post your payouts and maybe the other tracks will follow.

[x90 John Sarppraicone]

Fred you got the point,after lunch I will post mine then we can hopefully compare apples to apples.

Jane if you needed help on doing the slab list you schould ask other tracks that have a been doing it for A LONG TIME LIKE US 8 YEARS,YOUR NOT USING ALL OF THE TOOLS IN THE TOOL BOX LEAVING ALL OF THAT MONEY ON THE TABLE I HOPE ROBERT DOESN'T KNOW THAT.Thanks again John

[eagletai]

Fred you got the point,after lunch I will post mine then we can hopefully compare apples to apples.

Jane if you needed help on doing the slab list you schould ask other tracks that have a been doing it for A LONG TIME LIKE US 8 YEARS,YOUR NOT USING ALL OF THE TOOLS IN THE TOOL BOX LEAVING ALL OF THAT MONEY ON THE TABLE I HOPE ROBERT DOESN'T KNOW THAT.Thanks again John

That quote right there should tell every Racer/Fan/Supporter of your track exactly what it is about to you, Getting the MAXIMUM amount of Greedy Money from the Racer/Fan/and supporter of your track. Shame! Shame!

You can put a dress on a pig but guess what it's still a pig..
(no pun intended or comparison just a quote I heard....)

[Frasson118]

"Better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt".

[AJ14]

No one thats really been paying attention to Florida stock car racing takes John seriously . DeSoto is a great race track , just needs a better owner .
I don't see that copying what other tracks do is the answer . And that has been the only mode of operation for John since he became a track owner . He has an incurable case of NSS envy . He never tries to be truly innovative , only copies what he thinks NSS is doing or planning . NSS or FASCAR comes up with a series , John instantly comes up with one thats similar . NSS plans a special race event or series , you can bet John schedules one right on top of them . Bradenton is my home track , i've spent many hours and thousands upon thousands of dollars there . But John needs to develop the track with his own ideas , not copy other tracks .
So heres your chance John . Be a leader . Post a purse that is 40% larger than NSS . Because theirs is too low by that amount . Pay back through the field twice as far as NSS does , because they don't go far enough . Lower the pit gate to $10 per person and the front gate to $7 per person because thats what Nss should have done . There you go John , if you want to lead , then lead . Don't wait for someone to tell you what other tracks are doing .

[flraceguy]

John

In these tough economic times, charging fees for a piece of concrete is not a very reasonable thing to do... To be honest with you, as a racer I find it appalling that you would charge a fee for a slab unless it was a specific big event...

As a business person, if times were better and racers were coming out of the woodwork it would be a different thing... But times are tough!!! so business decisions must be made that are prudent to your business not necessarily prudent for your pocketbook.

[Edm]

No one thats really been paying attention to Florida stock car racing takes John seriously . DeSoto is a great race track , just needs a better owner .
I don't see that copying what other tracks do is the answer . And that has been the only mode of operation for John since he became a track owner . He has an incurable case of NSS envy . He never tries to be truly innovative , only copies what he thinks NSS is doing or planning . NSS or FASCAR comes up with a series , John instantly comes up with one thats similar . NSS plans a special race event or series , you can bet John schedules one right on top of them . Bradenton is my home track , i've spent many hours and thousands upon thousands of dollars there . But John needs to develop the track with his own ideas , not copy other tracks .
So heres your chance John . Be a leader . Post a purse that is 40% larger than NSS . Because theirs is too low by that amount . Pay back through the field twice as far as NSS does , because they don't go far enough . Lower the pit gate to $10 per person and the front gate to $7 per person because thats what Nss should have done . There you go John , if you want to lead , then lead . Don't wait for someone to tell you what other tracks are doing .

I can agree with the scheduling but that is as far as I'll go. Nss doesnt charge pit slab fees or tire stamping fees so John didnt copy that from Nss And how in the hell is a struggling track going to be able to increase pay outs AND lower admission? One step at a time or the tracks will end up being shopping centers.

Here is the question that I want a lot of you to think long and hard about.
Do you want a place to race in a few years or do you want larger pay outs now? Personally I want a place to race.

[calres22]

Here is the payout from one of the tracks i run at up here in ohio.

http://www.shadybowl.com/payofftable/

This is their touring modified series payout.

http://www.shadybowl.com/ams/ams-payoff.html

Then when I run at Kilkare, their payout for the modifieds is about an extra $50 per position.

[AJ14]

Well John , Its waaaaayyyyy past lunch time . I haven't been able to find the payout info that you promised us . Again , quit trying to play everyone and concentrate on improving DeSoto and racing in Florida . And the biggest negative you've had over the years , the thing that needs fixing first is your attitude and your almost complete lack of self control . I can't even count the drivers , fans , enployees , and sponsors you've run off since you took the track over . I remember an incident a few years ago when you cussed a lady and her grandson ( i think , its been a few years ) over nothing .

[x90 John Sarppraicone]

To all concerned I can not post my pay off for some reason ,I am sending it to Jack Smith so he can post it as soon as possible ,thanks again John

[Jane]

John,

If you will e-mail it to me (RacingJLS@aol.com), I will gladly post it for you.

Jane