Interesting Story Of An Owner Bailing Out

[Late_Model_Mark]

I found this story quite interesting and telling at the same time. At first, this is not Late Model related until the end.

Read a story about WoO Sprint car owner Dan Motter who is throwing in the towel. Motter is a guy who has quite a fat billfold and has fielded a winged sprint ride on the WoO circuit for years and is now calling it quits.

Motter said that it costs between $700,000 and $800,000 clams a year to field a team on the WoO circuit providing you have the truck, trailer, cars, engines, and all the support equipment on hand, geez!!!

Motter also quoted saying that each time he pops the trailer doors open it cost between $6,000 and $7000 smackers a night to run the deal. He states that even if he wins a standard $10,000-to-win show, he pays the driver half of that and he loses money!

Motter opined that in his opinion that the WoO Sprint circuit is the nations number # 1 touring circuit on dirt, there is some hard fact truths to that as that tour hits all four corners of the country and everything in between. That being said with those facts, he hired a high-end marketing firm to get sponsorship leads. The ones he got said one of the biggest drawbacks was no TV. Motter once again stated that at one time a race like the WoO Finals at Charlotte was live on Speed, then tape delayed on other outlets then nothing since.

Then this car owner went on to say, "the Late Models are on Mav TV, and CBS SN," they got a package and we don't. That is the blame for the lack of corporate dinero.

Seems those of us on the Late Model side have a decent exposure package that ain't so bad. All this major stuff costs major bank, that's a no-brainer, but dang, 7 to 8 big ones a year to run that team.


Late Model Mark
Talladega Short Track Announcer

[SLIDING SIDEWAYS]

WOW Good post! Thanks for sharing.

[johnE]

All for a 30 lap main and 7 minutes of green flag racing.

[PennDirt]

And here 4Mers told me 50% driver pay didn't exist.

Anyway, Motter is just PR fishin' here. He was to sticker-up his sprint car at Charlotte with his 2016 sponsors. It didn't happen. Depending on what you wish to believe, it was a hook to keep Saldana in the car or the team may have actually had a sponsor and subsequently bailed after no announcement of a TV contract at Charlotte, as well.

Regardless of the fact and fiction diction, Motter is facing the classic >Can't race without big money > can't attract big money without naming a viable touring driver > can't announce a viable touring driver without the big money infusion. Rinse; repeat.

These annual conundrums have a way of working themselves out - usually in short order, too. No worries.

[zyoung25]

That outlaw sprint tour is wayyyy different than either of the late model series'. Most of those teams have 5 to 6 full time crew guys that do nothing but travel with the car. I'd like to know how much money those teams shell out to them a year. Very few top late model teams have multiple full time crew members.

Motter had been out of the sprint scene for a few years until the last couple seasons. He had somewhat of an idea of what he was in store for before he decided to out and do it again, just didnt see it bring that expensive. The cost now isn't near what it was 20 years ago when he hit the road with Jacobs.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

And here 4Mers told me 50% driver pay didn't exist.

Anyway, Motter is just PR fishin' here. He was to sticker-up his sprint car at Charlotte with his 2016 sponsors. It didn't happen. Depending on what you wish to believe, it was a hook to keep Saldana in the car or the team may have actually had a sponsor and subsequently bailed after no announcement of a TV contract at Charlotte, as well.

Regardless of the fact and fiction diction, Motter is facing the classic >Can't race without big money > can't attract big money without naming a viable touring driver > can't announce a viable touring driver without the big money infusion. Rinse; repeat.

These annual conundrums have a way of working themselves out - usually in short order, too. No worries.

My belief is that driver probably gets 50% of some pay. Not 50% of the big pots.

[Escobar]

And here 4Mers told me 50% driver pay didn't exist.

Anyway, Motter is just PR fishin' here. He was to sticker-up his sprint car at Charlotte with his 2016 sponsors. It didn't happen. Depending on what you wish to believe, it was a hook to keep Saldana in the car or the team may have actually had a sponsor and subsequently bailed after no announcement of a TV contract at Charlotte, as well.

Regardless of the fact and fiction diction, Motter is facing the classic >Can't race without big money > can't attract big money without naming a viable touring driver > can't announce a viable touring driver without the big money infusion. Rinse; repeat.

These annual conundrums have a way of working themselves out - usually in short order, too. No worries.

You know all too well that this place has no clue about the inner workings. It's been my experience that pro drivers typically get 40-50% of the winnings each night.

We were going to partner with a back 2 back outlaws sprint champion, but his team shut down. In 2011, their annual budget was $1.1 million. They only made $80k from their t-shirt trailer/year.

The WoO's lack of a TV deal will be the death blow for their LM series. TVis the lynchpin for all big deals. Richards' Valvoline deal is fascinating to me that TV isn't an issue.

[Dirt Frog]

Maybe it's time for him to jump to late models and help sponsor say like Steve Francis on the lucas oil tour !!!!!!

[Late_Model_Mark]

Last night I read a story about Shane Clanton and his costs. Clanton said that he has between a $350,000 and $400,000 budget to run the year, Shane said that after his spending for the year, race winnings and the $100K for the title that they broke just above even, sheez!



Late Model Mark
TST Announcer

[waaac77]

Late model racing is and always has been a hobby sport. That's why cup drivers refer to it as the roots of racing. That's also why some guys retire in their prime. It ain't gonna change

[Tireguy17]

The WoO sprint series would be in major trouble without Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson. They have the top 4 in points cars and half of the tours regulars.

[hucktyson]

So are you guys arguing that the sprint car owners are making a killing an motter is lying ??? I have been saying on here for years that even with a great season your breaking even .... I would even say that if Kevin and Leroy Rumley and davensnort worked their normal 9-5 jobs they would have netted more money at the end of the year than they did with their absurd season