The case against running the primary feature as the last race of the night

[Returning to Dirt]

http://insidedirtracing.com/the-case-against-running-the-primary-feature-as-the-last-race-of-the-night/

Here is my list of reasons why dirt tracks would be best served not to run their primary feature last.

[ptown]

This is one of my pet peeves. Everything you mentioned is true so why run last unless the promoter is looking to squeeze every last penny possible from the fans.

[GEAR_HEAD]

A track can't be any more disrespectful to the fans than running the headliner last. They're basically telling us that "we have your money and we're going to squeeze every last penny from you, and we don't care if you see a good race or not so we're going to put as many laps on the track as possible before we run the race you all came to see. Carl Short has been doing that for years. And that is why Farmer City's Summernats race was a complete joke.

[latemodelfan]

A track can't be any more disrespectful to the fans than running the headliner last. They're basically telling us that "we have your money and we're going to squeeze every last penny from you, and we don't care if you see a good race or not so we're going to put as many laps on the track as possible before we run the race you all came to see. Carl Short has been doing that for years. And that is why Farmer City's Summernats race was a complete joke.

Well said.

[427c.i.]

I have no problem with the headliner being ran last. IF the track runs an efficient program and doesn't run six classes.
I'm also a firm believer that during a week night show, such as the Summernationals, it should be mandatory that the feature be on the track ready to roll by 9:30.

[Shiny Side Up 18]

Peoria Speedway is one of the biggest offenders. They will run E V E R Y T H I N G (5 classes not counting LMs back in April) before the Late Model feature on special nights.

[thugginsince89]

On the other side. Headlining drivers start leaving after their features. How many kids (the future of our sport) want to go meet the drivers. If the drivers keep leaving less and less kids become interested in our sport. Our sport dies. NOW also if you are running a "big show" (10k or more) there should be no more than 3 classes. If you are running a big late model show and a big supporting class show(mods most of the time) 2 classes max. Run an efficient show no reason for you to run 3 classes and not have features on the track untill 11pm.

[Bigdirtfan]

Headline class needs to be first period. My 7 year old loves racing, but if the late model feature doesnt take the track by ten he is out. Also if anyone drives over two hours to support a track, why have them stuck there all night. When a track has an elevated purse for a class thats who your fans came to see.

[buster83]

the late models may or may not be the very last race of night lot of tracks run them ahead of modified hornets and pure stock and some will run the pure stock before and modified and hornets after it all depends

[CIRF]

The author makes a solid case for his reasoning in this article. I understand the need for back gate revenue and if that's what will keep tracks financially solvent then we're for it. But, when fans set at a track feeling like they're being held hostage waiting for the headline division they came to watch it can offset the the benefit of the back gate for future races. There is one track in particular in our area that schedules events in which the headline division is the only class we care to watch. This track regularly runs 4 and 5 support classes even with a special show and as often as not the headline division was the last or second to last to take to the track for their A-main. This track lost our group as patrons as a result of that policy. These days we will attend events at this track but we contact them well in advance of the event to check the sequence of the A-mains. If the headline division A-main is any later than 2nd in the order of progression or if they refuse to give us a definitive answer we will not attend. This particular track must have gotten the message because they now usually run the headline division 1st or second.

[BloomerHarvickFan]

IMO, for special events (Lucas Oil, WoO, etc.) the support classes are there for just that.."to support" the show. To keep fans from staring at an empty track during the necessary breaks in the LM program. I am in favor of time limits in support divisions too. I have seen a few lower division crash fests, that ran a 20 lap feature for over a half hour.

This is my preferred order of events. 3 classes, including Headliner. Favorites would be local late models, and modified.
SLM Hot Laps
LLM Hot Laps
Mod Hot Laps
SLM Qualifying
LLM Heats (No qualifying for support classes...too many extra laps on track)
SLM Heats
Mod Heats
SLM B Mains
LLM B Mains (If not enough cars in either division...run LLM feature in place)
Mod B Mains
SLM Feature
LLM Feature
Mod Feature

[ClampedUp]

Everyone quick to blame the tracks and promoters.
Anyone ever stop and think that maybe the series are dictating the running order of the nights events?

[hipower17]

one of the tracks we attend has a rotating system for the classes they run, unless its a big show.

[ptown]

What about starting hot laps at 5:00 or 5:30 instead of 6:30?

[CIRF]

Everyone quick to blame the tracks and promoters.
Anyone ever stop and think that maybe the series are dictating the running order of the nights events?You raise a valid point, Clamped. This may well be the case in some instances. When the series is dictating the A-main sequence it's safe to say that can become a sticky situation. If it's a lucrative series the track surely doesn't want to step on any toes by going public on social media stating their situation to their fans that aren't happy with how how the event went off. A situation such as that would put track management in an uncomfortable situation. We've recently seen what a sanctioning body can do to a track that they've become at odds with.

[jog49]

Tell the drivers in the drivers meeting that when their class is called, they have 5 minutes to be in line......not 5 1/2 minutes but 5 minutes. If you are not there at the specified time, you can not race and lose your entry fee. If you don't think that will work, just give it a try.
You can train a monkey so I'm guessing you can train a driver.

[ClampedUp]

Tell the drivers in the drivers meeting that when their class is called, they have 5 minutes to be in line......not 5 1/2 minutes but 5 minutes. If you are not there at the specified time, you can not race and lose your entry fee. If you don't think that will work, just give it a try.
You can train a monkey so I'm guessing you can train a driver.

Seen Earl do exactly that at Eldora more than a few times at the Dream and World 100.
Didn't matter who you were either......

[DadofTrouble]

Hell. If its about that last hot dog. I would gladly pay them that extra $2 up front to save 2 hrs watching all the spin-fests, laps on the track. Farm City killed me. They waited like 5 mins for a car who wasnt lined up in time. He was having mech troubles all night. After all the wait, he was still running like crap and couldnt even complete the parade lap. Thats what we all waited for.

[Krooser]

I always had a 9:30 cut-off in place... never started a feature after that time nor any b-main or consi after 10PM...

[Bubstr]

Everyone quick to blame the tracks and promoters.
Anyone ever stop and think that maybe the series are dictating the running order of the nights events?

Ahh, the blame game. Does it make any difference, when the sun comes up on your way home? That makes it a lot easier. We get to keep the track and dump the series.

[CIRF]

A track relatively close to us is famous for calling cars to the staging area a minimum of 4 times and sometimes 5 or 6 with 2 to 3 minutes between callings. We have bet among ourselves how many times they will holler for cars and counted the number of times they would make the call for cars to the staging area. This happened with every class of cars, too. It became more annoying as the night wore on. I won't mention any names but it's the track that hosts the only 100 lap race of the UMP Summernationals.

[Phatdaddy]

A track can't be any more disrespectful to the fans than running the headliner last. They're basically telling us that "we have your money and we're going to squeeze every last penny from you, and we don't care if you see a good race or not so we're going to put as many laps on the track as possible before we run the race you all came to see. Carl Short has been doing that for years. And that is why Farmer City's Summernats race was a complete joke.

question: How is Carl in the DLMHoF ?? With the above mentioned topic, he was fleecing the fans at Pennsboro with crappy track prep for years.

[kidrock]

A track that constantly runs the LM "A" main last is in failure mode!

Are you talking weekly shows or specials?

[waaac77]

This thread really boggles my mind and I have been checking this one a few times today waiting for someone else to post some common sense but I guess I'll effen do it. First off all you entitled POS's need a reality check. So your race didn't get over by 10pm and little Johnny fell asleep. So what? He's 7 years old and loves the races I highly sought he"ll remember missing that and it's gonna tarnish his memory and never return to the track. And I'll tell you who the real cool dude is, the guy who compared waiting for a race to start to being held hostage.
For starters, tracks run way too many classes. 3 or 4 should do it. We don't need three different classes of sportsman cars let alone those annoying hornets. It's too much. Not sure why they feel the need to jam that crap down our throats. Fans don't come to see that stuff. They want speed. They want action. Passing. Racing. People don't want to sit through that crap just to see the main event yet some promoters/tracks can't seem to get that. One reason why NASCAR f'd themselves is because they thought if you buy a Winston cup ticket then you have to buy a Busch and a truck ticket. Here's your gun NASCAR, and your one bullet. Now just pull trigger.
Also, social media is a joke. Complete joke. Like the news. Everyone believes all the bs they read and think it has to be correct because CBS or ABC or Dan Rather or Joe Fu$@ing blow on 4m or chive typed it. Unreal how dumb and stupid human beings can be. I watched a news broadcast from 1982 the other day and everything they said was no different than the same crap we hear today. If you don't believe me just google some old newscast and see for yourself.
Everyone thinks the world is gonna end. Dirt racing only has a few years left. It's too expensive. It's bad for global warming, etc etc etc etc et effing cetera.
Since day 1 the main event is last because it's the main event. Go to any other event and it's the same way. You don't go to a Metallica concert to see them open up for Corrosion of Conformity. Metallica is the headliner. But wait, in 2017 you have a bunch of baby boomers who coddled their kids and turned them into millennials who all get awards and if they go to a race and it isn't a good race or god forbid they sit on their a$$ in the stands doing nothing but waiting for a race to start when they could be at home watching the bachelor or communist left wing news outlets.
You're all puppets and slaves. You believe everything you see on tv and the internet and you want results now, right now. No time for facts just something that sounds good now so you look and seem smart and superior even if the you're proven wrong at least you looked and felt relevant for 15 minutes.

Very poorly written article. Bad subject and very irrelevant. No facts(news today as usual) Richard is a blogger just like anyone of us here on 4m. There are no professional reporters anymore. His article should have read that if you want to make racing better then cut the classes that no one cares about. I have never been in the racing business but how can promoters not figure this out? HORNETS SUCK! 3 SPORTSMAN CLASSES SUCK! People love racing but you can't expect us to sit through bs. We want speed, noise, drivers taking chances and making bold moves, living on the edge, rivals, fights, that's what exciting or at least that's what sells tickets. That's what's missing nowadays. Just look at car commercials today. They don't try to sell performance they try to sell safety. We're the safest. We have a great rating and win awards every year. Look at all our awards!! Then they list them. You can crash in our cars and still die but at least you gave yourself the best chance because we're the #1 rated safest car, go drive like a maniac cus this automobile won safest car award 2017. Go buy a Volvo, you and your kids will never ever die in a Volvo. Half the car commercials don't even make sense. WTF does Cadillac even have Matthew McConeheigh even talking about! Unbelievable. Chevy commercials just brag about awards they won and they have soccer moms and hipsters who say "that's a bad momajama". Really Chevy? I love vettes and maros but my god those commercials make me want to puke. I guess what I'm saying is if we need to try to cater to millennials and hipsters to make racing survive then I don't think we have much hope.
We gotta get back to the basics. Run 3 or 4 that's it. No one wants crap. Hornets are crap

[ptown]

This thread really boggles my mind and I have been checking this one a few times today waiting for someone else to post some common sense but I guess I'll effen do it. First off all you entitled POS's need a reality check. So your race didn't get over by 10pm and little Johnny fell asleep. So what? He's 7 years old and loves the races I highly sought he"ll remember missing that and it's gonna tarnish his memory and never return to the track. And I'll tell you who the real cool dude is, the guy who compared waiting for a race to start to being held hostage.
For starters, tracks run way too many classes. 3 or 4 should do it. We don't need three different classes of sportsman cars let alone those annoying hornets. It's too much. Not sure why they feel the need to jam that crap down our throats. Fans don't come to see that stuff. They want speed. They want action. Passing. Racing. People don't want to sit through that crap just to see the main event yet some promoters/tracks can't seem to get that. One reason why NASCAR f'd themselves is because they thought if you buy a Winston cup ticket then you have to buy a Busch and a truck ticket. Here's your gun NASCAR, and your one bullet. Now just pull trigger.
Also, social media is a joke. Complete joke. Like the news. Everyone believes all the bs they read and think it has to be correct because CBS or ABC or Dan Rather or Joe Fu$@ing blow on 4m or chive typed it. Unreal how dumb and stupid human beings can be. I watched a news broadcast from 1982 the other day and everything they said was no different than the same crap we hear today. If you don't believe me just google some old newscast and see for yourself.
Everyone thinks the world is gonna end. Dirt racing only has a few years left. It's too expensive. It's bad for global warming, etc etc etc etc et effing cetera.
Since day 1 the main event is last because it's the main event. Go to any other event and it's the same way. You don't go to a Metallica concert to see them open up for Corrosion of Conformity. Metallica is the headliner. But wait, in 2017 you have a bunch of baby boomers who coddled their kids and turned them into millennials who all get awards and if they go to a race and it isn't a good race or god forbid they sit on their a$$ in the stands doing nothing but waiting for a race to start when they could be at home watching the bachelor or communist left wing news outlets.
You're all puppets and slaves. You believe everything you see on tv and the internet and you want results now, right now. No time for facts just something that sounds good now so you look and seem smart and superior even if the you're proven wrong at least you looked and felt relevant for 15 minutes.

Very poorly written article. Bad subject and very irrelevant. No facts(news today as usual) Richard is a blogger just like anyone of us here on 4m. There are no professional reporters anymore. His article should have read that if you want to make racing better then cut the classes that no one cares about. I have never been in the racing business but how can promoters not figure this out? HORNETS SUCK! 3 SPORTSMAN CLASSES SUCK! People love racing but you can't expect us to sit through bs. We want speed, noise, drivers taking chances and making bold moves, living on the edge, rivals, fights, that's what exciting or at least that's what sells tickets. That's what's missing nowadays. Just look at car commercials today. They don't try to sell performance they try to sell safety. We're the safest. We have a great rating and win awards every year. Look at all our awards!! Then they list them. You can crash in our cars and still die but at least you gave yourself the best chance because we're the #1 rated safest car, go drive like a maniac cus this automobile won safest car award 2017. Go buy a Volvo, you and your kids will never ever die in a Volvo. Half the car commercials don't even make sense. WTF does Cadillac even have Matthew McConeheigh even talking about! Unbelievable. Chevy commercials just brag about awards they won and they have soccer moms and hipsters who say "that's a bad momajama". Really Chevy? I love vettes and maros but my god those commercials make me want to puke. I guess what I'm saying is if we need to try to cater to millennials and hipsters to make racing survive then I don't think we have much hope.
We gotta get back to the basics. Run 3 or 4 that's it. No one wants crap. Hornets are crap

crack is waaac.

[Highside Hustler25]

If all tracks had a curfew like one of my home tracks, it wouldn't be a problem.

[Krooser]

Ummm.... waaack using social media to blast social media.... wow.