Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 23
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Sidney, Ohio
    Posts
    1,217

    Default Super Late Racing in General

    I was thinking after watching some races this past year and now after watching races this year on tv. Is it me or is it time to do something about the costs of the sport? What I mean is in order to get new owners and drivers into the sport and to get new fans maybe we should be thinking of limiting costs. I mean to me when a short track starts to have to cut a super late model class because they can only get 10 or 12 cars maybe its time to say hey we have a problem. Also maybe its time for all sanctions to get together and tracks and say hey we need a change. I know there are alot of smart people who could do this. When a Crash-O-Rama draws more fans than a weekly show we have problems.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Sidney, Ohio
    Posts
    1,217

    Default

    Please no smart butt responses I want to know what others think about the state of local short tracks.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Pittsburgh PA
    Posts
    8,461

    Default

    We have this discussion at least once a month. Yes, something should be done about costs. I think everybody is in agreement about that.
    Follow me on Twitter: @JoshBayko

    Guerrilla Racing Junkies!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    Truth or Consequences New Mexico
    Posts
    1,905

    Default

    Are you asking about local short tracks in general or supers that race at local short tracks

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    GA
    Posts
    3,065

    Default

    Local "supers" are dead (certainly in the South), except for a few areas of the country! As far as the folks in the stands, most don't really care! They rely & cater to the pit gate instead. In general, their are way too many other options of things to do besides racing!! And many other activities! But there are plenty of Millionaires that like racing, but many didn't get all that $$ by "throwing it away" on a hobby or entertainment! Just be thankful our Billionaire has supported racing so much, especially the genre we like so much!!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Posts
    5,873

    Default

    Costs need looked atVery lucky to have Lucas helping so much with $$ and also promoting the racing 👍Hopefully Super late model racing holds strong for many many many years

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Posts
    1,042

    Default

    Well first off if you going to run supers an you want a good car count you have to pay them your are correct everybody wants the back gate what the difference in running 3 or 4 classes paying them good an drawing 20 cars an running 8 classes paying them as little as you can an drawing 10 cars to a class an on top of that you save your race track.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Posts
    966

    Default

    My $0.02

    Yes, the cost of supers continues to grow out of control.

    Meanwhile, the purse to win at local tracks and many regional shows has shown little to no increase.

    Tracks don't want to raise tix prices, fans don't want to pay more at the gate, and the fan base of dirt racing isn't exactly growing...

    So, how do you fix it?
    1) Tracks need to work together and host SLM's on alternate weekends. Increase the purse, but host the SLM's every other weekend. If two tracks can work together to create a full-field of lates, they should.

    2) Reign in the bodies. WoO, Lucas, UMP, and the regional series across the country need to adopt uniform body rules, and tech rules and enforce strict penalties/suspensions for violations. Simpler & more affordable body panels I believe would help. Close up the sail panels

    3) Tires. The local guy and small budget teams can't afford to spend $$ to match hp and tire budgets with the "big boys," but if they can find a few 1/10ths because their tire doctor has a better cat p!$$ mixture than everybody else, so be it. Make it legal. Eliminates all the suspect investigations/disqualifications. I see a lot of weekly tracks and regional series going to a hard tire rule. Don't know if that hurts or helps.

    4) Shocks!! I don't have an answer, but we all know it's a problem and a cost that continues to rise.

    5) Engines. Again, I don't have an answer here, but when you're staring at 50-75k for a bullet and $100/lap cost to re-fresh said bullet, that limits the number of potential competitors pretty fast. Cubic inch restriction? Compression ratio restriction? IDK

    6) Even out the purse structure. Hard to stay with it long term if a majority of the field can't even break-even night after night.

    7) Increase ticket prices. We pay $100's to watch a 3 hour football, basketball, or baseball game, but we b!tch about paying $20 for a 3.5 hour weekly racing show.

    8) Tracks/Promoters...run faster shows. You want new fans and more butts in the seats??? Start on time and run your 4-5 class show in 3-3.5 hours. Run more efficient shows.

    More butts in seats = more $ for tracks & drivers

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    801

    Default

    Gotta get the local racer back into it. This aerodynamic body work is killing the sport. The shocks are out of control too! Cars keep getting uglier (IMO) with the front fender flares and the cars looking like a rolling wheel chock.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    812

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Zonks32x View Post
    My $0.02

    Yes, the cost of supers continues to grow out of control.

    Meanwhile, the purse to win at local tracks and many regional shows has shown little to no increase.

    Tracks don't want to raise tix prices, fans don't want to pay more at the gate, and the fan base of dirt racing isn't exactly growing...

    So, how do you fix it?
    1) Tracks need to work together and host SLM's on alternate weekends. Increase the purse, but host the SLM's every other weekend. If two tracks can work together to create a full-field of lates, they should.

    2) Reign in the bodies. WoO, Lucas, UMP, and the regional series across the country need to adopt uniform body rules, and tech rules and enforce strict penalties/suspensions for violations. Simpler & more affordable body panels I believe would help. Close up the sail panels

    3) Tires. The local guy and small budget teams can't afford to spend $$ to match hp and tire budgets with the "big boys," but if they can find a few 1/10ths because their tire doctor has a better cat p!$$ mixture than everybody else, so be it. Make it legal. Eliminates all the suspect investigations/disqualifications. I see a lot of weekly tracks and regional series going to a hard tire rule. Don't know if that hurts or helps.

    4) Shocks!! I don't have an answer, but we all know it's a problem and a cost that continues to rise.

    5) Engines. Again, I don't have an answer here, but when you're staring at 50-75k for a bullet and $100/lap cost to re-fresh said bullet, that limits the number of potential competitors pretty fast. Cubic inch restriction? Compression ratio restriction? IDK

    6) Even out the purse structure. Hard to stay with it long term if a majority of the field can't even break-even night after night.

    7) Increase ticket prices. We pay $100's to watch a 3 hour football, basketball, or baseball game, but we b!tch about paying $20 for a 3.5 hour weekly racing show.

    8) Tracks/Promoters...run faster shows. You want new fans and more butts in the seats??? Start on time and run your 4-5 class show in 3-3.5 hours. Run more efficient shows.

    More butts in seats = more $ for tracks & drivers
    $100 per lap rebuilds?.lol Could you show me a $75,000 SLM engine? People on here seem to have a strong urge to exaggerate the cost of operating a SLM.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Woodruff, SC
    Posts
    2,828

    Default

    Yeah and ask the karting world how tire treating saves them money. Better yet ask the racers that went through that debacle at Speedweeks several years ago. A local guy has trouble competing now with all the tire work. He would be completely lost if $$ teams brought their tire chemist with them to the track. Something else for a "specialist" to charge for.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    Truth or Consequences New Mexico
    Posts
    1,905

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Crossbones View Post
    $100 per lap rebuilds?.lol Could you show me a $75,000 SLM engine? People on here seem to have a strong urge to exaggerate the cost of operating a SLM.
    He technically didn't say anywhere a motor cost $75k. He said between $50k-$75k.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    812

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by NeedforLMspeed View Post
    He technically didn't say anywhere a motor cost $75k. He said between $50k-$75k.
    The big brand engine builders build for about $40,000 and rebuilds at about $15,000. If it cost $100 per lap for rebuilds that would mean that a rebuild would cost about $100,000.lol I have seen some claim on here that top teams spend 100k+ for fuel for haulers.lol They spend probably around $15,000 per year for fuel for haulers. Some on here have claimed that it takes upwards of $2 million dollars a year to run a top SLM team "if you want to be competitive".lol

  14. #14
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Jackson, Tn.
    Posts
    820

    Default

    The Cash Money series in southwest Missouri started from scratch a couple years ago. Last season they had huge car counts, most nights they had 30 plus.
    They don't allow tire grooving and they have a mandatory cheap shock rule.
    I've no idea why other places don't implement rules like that.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    848

    Default

    My opinion is that you won’t see any cost cutting rules done on the national (touring) level any time soon because the drivers of those series truly don’t want them. Like it or not, they could care less about the little guy once they’ve reached that level. They want to make their money and not have to worry about more competition when they pull into your local track.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Kansas
    Posts
    1,935

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Crossbones View Post
    The big brand engine builders build for about $40,000 and rebuilds at about $15,000. If it cost $100 per lap for rebuilds that would mean that a rebuild would cost about $100,000.lol I have seen some claim on here that top teams spend 100k+ for fuel for haulers.lol They spend probably around $15,000 per year for fuel for haulers. Some on here have claimed that it takes upwards of $2 million dollars a year to run a top SLM team "if you want to be competitive".lol
    Zonks did a typo I think, he meant 10.00 a lap to freshen an engine. 1200 laps x 10.00 = $12,000.00

    That 10.00 is pretty close but does vary but is a good indicator of how much it cost you a night to run the engine. 5 laps in hot laps, 10 lap heat race, 40 laps main = 55 laps x 10.00 = 550.00 just in engine usage a night

  17. #17
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    2,319

    Default

    The only way local racing comes back is if the national level racing takes over Nascar. Asphalt racing only got so big because people didn't want to leave a race track dirty as a coal miner. This dirt ball experience isn't going to be a nationwide extravaganza for the masses. DLM racing on the local level is dead as a door nail. Might as well call it nails that board up the coffin. What brings it back? 5 or 10 thousand dollar race cars and people who love to physically work. The guys who work with their backs everyday that started this sport aren't making enough money to inject themselves in today's game. They are running 4 poppers, street stocks and the cheaper modified cars. They love racing and would love to race a DLM but it is so far out of their reach that its virtually impossible. Look at how much they are putting in these lower level classes to race and it is still miles away from a DLM. 20K street stocks, hot mods, 30K sport mods, 100K crate cars..........etc etc. The average working man is sporting cars now that have a ton of money in them and its so far from a competitive DLM's price tag it isn't going to happen.

    The fix is basically taking place on its own. DLM as a national touring type series only, higher paying local shows for the lower classes to try and draw cars and fans. There is a reason that tracks are running umpteen classes of cars. Because umpteen classes of cars calls for umpteen cars with umpteen people. People go to a race track mainly because they know someone racing or associated with the show.

    You have to create reasons for coming to the racetrack other than the race on the track. Duck Dynasty sure wasn't 100% about duck hunting. Racing is the same. You have to create a culture people want to associate themselves with.

    Go to factory production engines only. Hemi's, L9's, coyote's etc etc............... Get rid of this ancient technology and give kids something to think and talk about. I bet there isn't a half a dozen in the stands <18 or 21 yoa that even know what WIDE BORE even is. Let alone Bert/Brinn/Longhorn/Foxhorn etc.............. PUt snapchat and twitter, instagram iterations hitting their phones during the race or something.

    The problem is you have 50+ year old people associated with these tracks and such and they have no clue what today's market requires and most don't have any money to implement them anyway.

    Sorry for the bitsh session but I love dirt racing a hate to see DLM fizzle out.
    BUCKLE UP NOW, YA HEAR?

  18. #18
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Greensboro, NC
    Posts
    792

    Default

    It makes no difference what a wide bore is, or a longhorn. Why does it matter if they know what all that means? Remember when we went for the excitement of the race? Didn't matter at all what kind of chassis it was, or whether it was a crate or built engine. That stuff simply does not matter to everyone.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Posts
    966

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Crossbones View Post
    $100 per lap rebuilds?.lol Could you show me a $75,000 SLM engine? People on here seem to have a strong urge to exaggerate the cost of operating a SLM.
    Crossbones...thanks for catching an obvious typo/mistake. Meant $10/lap refresh cost.

    Hot laps, heat race, feature...
    Still talking $500+/night every night you take the car out. That $150 the local track pays for 10th on back in the weekly feature doesn't amount to much.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Posts
    966

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by billetbirdcage View Post
    Zonks did a typo I think, he meant 10.00 a lap to freshen an engine. 1200 laps x 10.00 = $12,000.00

    That 10.00 is pretty close but does vary but is a good indicator of how much it cost you a night to run the engine. 5 laps in hot laps, 10 lap heat race, 40 laps main = 55 laps x 10.00 = 550.00 just in engine usage a night
    Thank you. Yes, $10/lap is what I meant to type.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:43 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.0
Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.