Concern for RAGING in general.

[dirtisforracin]

As noticed Bristol Nascar race had a lot of empty seats. I've noticed more empty seats at supercross races as well, and same with NHRA. Indy car racing has been down for a while. Why is attendance at motorsports event declining?
Is this lack of interest in motorsports in general? Is it the economy? Is it cost? Is it effecting Dirt track racing. I notice not alot of young fans at recent dirt track races. Whats is reason for decline?Thankfully the EPA dropped aftermarket parts, BS, although untill I see it, I will believe it. Gas prices are lowest in quite a few years, you would think that would help, but it does look like it has.

[kidrock]

I would think there are plenty of reasons for the decline. Money, kids in year round sports, Game stations, there's just more options for family's to do. It just seems like kids are not that interested in going. I know when my brother had his car and I had mine my son was not even interested in going or helping. Heck now that we have sold both cars I don't have the interest in going like I used to. Plus my job changed and I wasn't able to go and that hasn't helped as well.

One good thing The late Model national touring series are both drawing good crowds

[old fan]

we had a a great great crowd last Friday night but he other 2 tracks suffered, long days or late night events don't help either

[kidrock]

we had a a great great crowd last Friday night but he other 2 tracks suffered, long days or late night events don't help either

Tri-city always does good and then you add the MOWA sprints and they have Good following.

[old fan]

REVIN has brought that track around the old owner that was there I wouldn't step foot on those grounds then Kevin and Tammy does a great job I really like bellclaire but same night great LIL track but the the promotor is not having much luck I55 H has had good car counts better crowds than last year

[mudslinger47]

My son went to a race in Monet Mo. last week, had 6 DLMS... thems California numbers right there... Its a lot of little things that make attendance low, maybe one of them is there just aren't that many gear heads in our youth .... they're into tuner stuff, but that's about it... any where from 10 to 18 bucks admission for our local tracks, 6 bucks for a beer and the same for a hamburger, three or four for a hot dog.... sodas are two bucks so that's reasonable... I usually get a soda and two hot dogs so I get out for ten bucks but add admission and three beers and its right at fifty bucks for one person.... not hard to see why a ton of family's don't do it...

[old fan]

many local racers want to out and travel more which hurts car count which then hurts the crowd but yes cost for night can get pricy but explain a ball game where prices are thru the roof but still get large crowd

[kidrock]

My son went to a race in Monet Mo. last week, had 6 DLMS... thems California numbers right there... Its a lot of little things that make attendance low, maybe one of them is there just aren't that many gear heads in our youth .... they're into tuner stuff, but that's about it... any where from 10 to 18 bucks admission for our local tracks, 6 bucks for a beer and the same for a hamburger, three or four for a hot dog.... sodas are two bucks so that's reasonable... I usually get a soda and two hot dogs so I get out for ten bucks but add admission and three beers and its right at fifty bucks for one person.... not hard to see why a ton of family's don't do it...

You got it, it comes down to money and just other things to do and the kids just not as interested but, I'm wondering if some of that is because the adults are not going as much so, they don't take the kids and then the kids find other things that interest them.

[kidrock]

many local racers want to out and travel more which hurts car count which then hurts the crowd but yes cost for night can get pricy but explain a ball game where prices are thru the roof but still get large crowd

Like I said in the past could you imagine if Babb, Feger, Shirley, Pierce, Erb, Heckenast Unzicker, Sheppard all raced at our local tracks. I'm sure the place would be packed every week or pretty close to it.

[old fan]

you got it plus guys like kloos manville gundaker rettig

[mudslinger47]

You got it, it comes down to money and just other things to do and the kids just not as interested but, I'm wondering if some of that is because the adults are not going as much so, they don't take the kids and then the kids find other things that interest them.

When I said what I said, I'm not meaning to bash the promoters, they have to make a living too... jus wanted to clear that up...

[old fan]

Then you got promotors saying that late models don't bring people in wth

[kidrock]

Then you got promotors saying that late models don't bring people in wth

The problem there's not enough of them to go around at your local tracks. when some promoters say they don't bring in the fans it's true. They don't bring in enough at some local tracks to afford them. That's why a lot of them now a days don't run them. It seems like fans wait for the big shows and go to them and not your local shows as much anymore.

[kidrock]

When I said what I said, I'm not meaning to bash the promoters, they have to make a living too... jus wanted to clear that up...

I didn't take it that way, yes I'm all for the promoter making money if not why do it.

[mudslinger47]

Then you got promotors saying that late models don't bring people in wth

For what ever reason, sprint cars carry a heck of a fan base out here.. yo have a sprint car show and the stands will be full... and other then very select tracks not the same for DLM's

[oldgold]

For what ever reason, sprint cars carry a heck of a fan base out here.. yo have a sprint car show and the stands will be full... and other then very select tracks not the same for DLM's

I come from the asphalt side and those car counts are way down.the divisions are so scattered we run ABC classes which are mixed divisions of cars latemodels with sportsman or if you are a fast street stock you run with them on a 970 hoosier tire.since i started with a dirt team last weekend we had 120 cars and standing room only.I dont know why but I guess dirt racers are not in it to make hardly any money as it pays little to win or start.our local asphalt track actually started doing these demo derby flagpole races with fig8 at the ends and its 40 cars but the stands are full.I have raced 46 years on asphalt but this year grandson is running imca mod after winning 2 championships at 16 on asphalt .we get sprints bi weekly but their show is 10 cars and follow the leader.

[CIRF]

For what ever reason, sprint cars carry a heck of a fan base out here.. yo have a sprint car show and the stands will be full... and other then very select tracks not the same for DLM's

Mud, the first time I was at Perris I went to the office building to get tickets for all three nights of the Oval Nationals. I talked to the head guy at Perris at that time while I was in the process of buying our tickets. I asked him if he ever ran late models at The PAS and his exact words were "the last time we tried to run dirt late models there were more people in the pits than were in the grandstands". We were surprised as to how unpopular the dirt lates were out there.

It's very surprising how different regions of the country have different preferences in regards to types of racecars.

[mudslinger47]

Mud, the first time I was at Perris I went to the office building to get tickets for all three nights of the Oval Nationals. I talked to the head guy at Perris at that time while I was in the process of buying our tickets. I asked him if he ever ran late models at The PAS and his exact words were "the last time we tried to run dirt late models there were more people in the pits than were in the grandstands". We were surprised as to how unpopular the dirt lates were out there.

It's very surprising how different regions of the country have different preferences in regards to types of racecars.

I think for out here, the sprint car is and has been recognizable for many many years.. they haven't ever changes other then size, from midgets to full size sprint cars they still look generally the same..Back when I raced Latemodels, we had in our weekly program sprints, DLM's and either hobby stocks or mini stocks... only three classes with 25 to 35 sprint crs and the same for late models.... back when you had to work to make the A Main and those weren't touring divisions they were the locals drawing from say 150 miles in three directions (cause were only ten miles the other direction to the ocean) And I don't really know what happened, we just got fewer and fewer cars, actually the sprint cars actually got lower car counts then the DLM's at first, we hung in for a good while but eventually dropped to 15 to 20 cars a night... then I got out and my son started and touring started and soon enough there weren't any really local cars for the local classes and when there were local races the touring cars would come in and take all the money... The the DLM's died out almost completely and there was some resurgence in the sprints, but still no local classes... and that's where we are now, the present promoter is trying to get a local sprint car class going, he had 3 or 4 last year and this year he has 8 or 10, so he is gaining, and I hope it works out for him... He's trying the same thing with the late models but until he drops the hammer and tells them crate only (CT525) or (604) it ain't gonna happen ... our car owner just bough a new Corrnett spread bore, started at 45K..... three shock sets, at 5 grand + each easily we have one shock leaning on 2500 bucks and it sells for almost 3K... one shock and there lies the problem....

[mudslinger47]

Mud, the first time I was at Perris I went to the office building to get tickets for all three nights of the Oval Nationals. I talked to the head guy at Perris at that time while I was in the process of buying our tickets. I asked him if he ever ran late models at The PAS and his exact words were "the last time we tried to run dirt late models there were more people in the pits than were in the grandstands". We were surprised as to how unpopular the dirt lates were out there.

It's very surprising how different regions of the country have different preferences in regards to types of racecars.

And the guy was right, when we raced Perris for or five times, the drivers could go into the stand and introduce themselves individually and still get out early.... awesome track and facility but the worst freakin location in the armpit... Getting there from Santa Barbara is a freakin all day job, took the fun out of even going there....

[old fan]

would getting rid of the wide bore engines and high dollar shocks help with weight break or the 604s and 525s