LaSalle August 29

[blncfn57]

On the payout front...I'd love to see a track run LM's weekly and pay 2k or 3k to win BUT....you have to have enough butts in the seats to make that happen. At 3k to win you need 300 people at $10/each just to pay the winner. If the total payout for the LM feature is 10k, that's 1000 fans, and you still haven't paid the support classes.

Let's just say a track could draw 1000+ fans every week. They would still have to sell tix for at least $15/person plus sell a ton of hotdogs and beer to make it a worthwhile venture.

I'm thankful for track owners but I just don't see where all the $$$ is to be made??? Appears to me that most of the profits would be spent on Pepto Bismol with all that stress and worry.

I have often thought the same thing. Then you have to add in fuel, electricity, maintenance and other operating costs. I know 30-35 dollar pit passes help, but it still seems like breaking even would be a big win!!

[WisWildManFan]

Frank Heckenast Jr has LaSalle on his schedule. All depends on Mother Nature. If LaSalle does what LaSalle normally does, you may see Simpson and others stay in WI for the Saturday CBC race at Plymouth, WI.

Hope we get a couple good guys fighting for the 3k. Simpson and Feger put on heck of a race on that tweaked track design during hell tour. Looking forward to seeing sprints turn laps on high side.

[1bbmft]

We the drivers and crews shouldn't have to pay $30-$35 for a pitpass, we're the ones putting on the show. If a promoter could run a GOOD show and be done by 10-10:30, have good concessions at a fare price, get 18-20 cars in each class, and put 1000 butts in the stands for a weekly show I bet it would be a good night.

Here's my take on the problem:
It cost WAY to much for a regular guy to run weekly in any class so we get 12-15 cars per class and that's a good field now days. If a promoter has 1000 fans at $10-$12 a head why not lower it to $6-$8 a head get 1500 fans, sell twice the concessions and you have came out ahead.

Also there are ways to make a $5000 motor be competitive with a $25000 motor (very cheap and simple). and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how. Then it's up to the driver and chassis. Now you will get 5+ cars in each class because more guys can afford to race or move up a class. How many fans can really tell if a car is running 12 or 14 seconds laps just by watching the car go around the track. And I bet you don't really care all you want is good clean competitive racing. Fast cars starting up front sucks, in the 70's and 80's we always started the fast cars in the rear and in 25 laps they were always up front at the end, but it gave the little guy fun leading for 5-8 laps till the faster guys passed him. THAT WAS FUN RACING.

Just some thoughts from an "old AZZ dude"

[CIRF]

You make a good point, 1bbmft.

No one can distinctly tell the difference of a couple of seconds difference in lap times.

I'm no NASCAR fan but the races the trucks have run at Eldora have been very entertaining and exciting. They are noticeably slower than the sprint cars, especially the winged cars, and even the dirt late models. However, the show has been very good every time the trucks have been at Eldora.

Speed is not what makes a good race, however there have been many that have dismissed the trucks at Eldora for being slow.

A case can also be made at a place like The Springfield Mile where the dirt late models, more often than not, put on a rather lackluster show but the ARCA stock cars, as often as not, put on an exciting show despite running 4 or 5 seconds slower lap times than the dirt late models. The ARCA race at Springfield just this past weekend is a good example and was a very entertaining 100 mile race.

[racecar1127]

What is a track championship worth now a days? If a track had a big payout for points for the year would that keep cars at one track for the year? It would only work if the points paid really good down to the top 10 in points to keep the cars there I would think.

[it"s a dirt thing]

https://youtu.be/Ismq9po_IBU I got to do the ride along in 2012 it was a blast....

[WisWildManFan]

https://youtu.be/Ismq9po_IBU I got to do the ride along in 2012 it was a blast....

Is this a raffle thing or you just pay for it? Looked like he was getting it pretty good!

[it"s a dirt thing]

its part of the 50/50 raffle someone wins the money the others I think 3 ppl get to ride along

[WisWildManFan]

Have to make sure to buy tickets... Looks like a blast!

[CIRF]

Is this a raffle thing or you just pay for it? Looked like he was getting it pretty good!

Have to make sure to buy tickets... Looks like a blast!

Guys, we were at the USAC Silver Crown race down at the Mile at The Du Quoin State Fairgrounds on the Sunday evening of Labor Day Weekend a couple of years ago and Jack was there giving 2 seater rides on The Mile. I had him on the stop watch running hot laps with a ride along behind him that would have had him starting around 14th in the Silver Crown race!!

He told us at Springfield last weekend that a rider has his choice of how fast they can go. A regular ride, a medium fast ride and then there is THE RIDE. I'm thinkin' THE RIDE is the way to go! LOL!!

[Zonks32x]

We the drivers and crews shouldn't have to pay $30-$35 for a pitpass, we're the ones putting on the show. If a promoter could run a GOOD show and be done by 10-10:30, have good concessions at a fare price, get 18-20 cars in each class, and put 1000 butts in the stands for a weekly show I bet it would be a good night.

Here's my take on the problem:
It cost WAY to much for a regular guy to run weekly in any class so we get 12-15 cars per class and that's a good field now days.....

Just some thoughts from an "old AZZ dude"

Sorry I didn't copy your entire quote. I agree with much if not all of what you have to say here, but I especially wanted to highlight your point about pit passes.

I know tracks have to make $$ off both the front and back gate, but I think many tracks go about the back gate all wrong.

As a fan, if I want to purchase a pit pass for the evening, I should have to pay extra for the privilege. I get to roam the pits and I get to still watch every lap of every race that I care to.

A driver pulls into the pits with his crew, and all the crew gets nailed $35/each to "work." It's like asking your buddy to help you move and then asking him to pay for the pizza and beer afterwards too. As a fan, I'm watching heat races, taking pictures, roaming around. Crew guy is grinding tires, adjusting shocks, cleaning mud off the car, etc. and for that privilege gets charged the same as me??? He's working, I'm being entertained.

I get tracks have to charge an entry fee to race, because that is after all, the "service" they are offering the drivers. However, I'd only charge crew guys the same admission price as adults walking through the front gate, and I'd charge a guy like me "fan only" guy in the pits the $35. That one simple change alone would be a good place to start. I believe many race teams would appreciate it and many would find it easier to find a couple more hands to help out.

May not fix the car count issue and overall cost issue of running a car, but the future of the sport depends on drivers/track owners working together and this is one thing that can be fixed and start the process.

[1bbmft]

Here's another idea, Driver gets a FREE pit pass. It may not be a big savings per night but every dime a driver can save he WILL put back in the car. I also believe that a lower admission equals more fans in the stands. Kankakee had a FREE admission a month ago and had a full house and they didn't run UMP mods or LM class that night. I had fans come down after the races that I hadn't seen in a couple years and I asked where the've been and they said two adults $24, three kids $32 plus $60 in concessions is more than they could afford weekly, but if it was 1/2 price admission they'd come more. It will work it just takes balls to do it.

[blncfn57]

Car counts could be helped at weekly shows if the promotors would park the water trucks earlier. There's an excellent article on dirtondirt.com that covers the subject and is written way better than I could say it. If you have a subscription, check it out! It's titled "fast tracks tough on a tight budget".

[illowadirt32]

Plenty of tracks in the midwest sitting empty 1bbmft, if you honestly think your ideas would work, go promote a race track. Start an LLC and go!! Simple as that!!

[Pops15]

I must have missed where 1bbmft posted that he had any interest in promoting. He posted IDEAS that he believes would help the sport. What's wrong with that? I think it's good to hear ideas from people that have been around the sport a long time. 1bbmft's father raced in the 50's and 60's. And he started racing in the early 70's and still races today as do 3 of his sons. I think he's earned the right to give an opinion.

[Pops15]

Promoters have to walk a fine line when it comes to the water truck. Gotta put down enough water to keep the fans from getting dusty, but not so much that it would be hard on equipment.

[WisWildManFan]

40 sprints

[ddracing]

When I was growing up watching dirt races it was a hobby for fun. Now everyone has to make money doing it. Guess since everything is so expensive, If you love it you'll find a way to do it. If not you may have to cut back cause it aint gonna get cheaper. We do amateur road racing in a spec class on asphalt because we love it and it's our hobby. We have around a $500 entry fee for most tracks we go to and there is no payout. If we hit a guard rail we have to pay for it. Spill oil on the track it cost us $50 a bag for floor dry, etc. Racing is in our blood and we find a way to do it or sit behind a keyboard and complain. I personally don't want to promote a track these days.

[Nasty55]

When I was growing up watching dirt races it was a hobby for fun. Now everyone has to make money doing it. Guess since everything is so expensive, If you love it you'll find a way to do it. If not you may have to cut back cause it aint gonna get cheaper. We do amateur road racing in a spec class on asphalt because we love it and it's our hobby. We have around a $500 entry fee for most tracks we go to and there is no payout. If we hit a guard rail we have to pay for it. Spill oil on the track it cost us $50 a bag for floor dry, etc. Racing is in our blood and we find a way to do it or sit behind a keyboard and complain. I personally don't want to promote a track these days.

Good Post ddracing and i agree that it has became more expensive now days than what it use to be thats for d@mn sure.... When we ran our cars we done it for the fun of it til it got to expensive for us to do anymore and my health couldnt do it anymore either but i still love this sport and dont want to see it die due to the expensiveness of it all now days either.... just my opinion on it all....

[WisWildManFan]

Unzicker flipped hard in heat 1