Racing Costs Rise While Purses Remain the Same

[Returning to Dirt]

http://insidedirtracing.com/turn-2-blog-racing-costs-rise-while-purses-stay-the-same/

We discuss the difficulty in making rain out calls for tracks, some reasons for lower car counts in some classes, and the fact that costs in racing have risen while purses have not.

[3 wide]

You are exactly right about the number of classes if they woul just run 3 or 4,classes pay good money in each class they would get just as many cars as running 7 or 8 classes but promoters can't understand that the racing would be better and everybody would get to go home at a decent time.

[racer x16]

Certain tracks do that and doing very well why can't the other promoters wake up and smell the coffee

[Krooser]

In many cases the back gate $$$$ keeps the track alive.... just as it does in motorcycles, snowmobiles and many other forms of motorsport.I really don't like it coming from a two class background but it is a fact of life...

[racer x16]

that is very true but 3 maybe 4 classes would the same thing, and how about no surprises at the back gate or front gate you have a less of a chance of losing a fan or race team that way

[Krooser]

Many don't like the 4 cylinder classes but they bring their fans, too. In my world the tracks that run run these 'lower' classes last see the 'real' fans leave but a few hundred friends and relatives of the 4 banger drivers stay until the bitter end.

Many of these guys will move up in future years... and if they don't they still pay their pit pass and talk about racing wherever they go... good ambassadors of the sport.

You don't need a $20,000 baseball to play little league... racing needs to be the same.

[racer x16]

but when you get 6 4cyls is it worth it but who is the say they are not one of the 4 classes, how many limited or 2 barrel classes do you need

[waaac77]

B mods are great, they put on a hell of a show almost every night. It's the hornets that I really can't stand. There are too many classes. If I owned a track I'd have streeters, b mods, a mods, lates. Can't believe any tracks would have 7-8 classes that's a lot

[weatherman85]

Agree with too many late model classes. Took a first time visitor to Dixie Speedway here in Ga few months back. To him it looked like they had 80 something Late models and a FWD class.

Dixie runs SLM, steelheads, CLM, Super Bombers and bombers (as they call them)

The super bombers and bombers run late model bodies so all the other classes looked the sam to him in appearance.

[Krooser]

I agree that every class should have a distinctive look.

Last year I sat behind a couple from Alaska that had never been to a race... brought there by a family member who has been involved for 40 years. The "uncle" showed his knowledge of the sport by almost reciting the entire rulebook by memory... they were overwhelmed with the details and, quite frankly, not impressed.

When the "uncle" left for the pits they turned around and asked me if everybody in the stands knows all those rules by heart... I told them to just sit and enjoy the night... good weather, cold beer surrounded by nice people. They had a good time...

[RW57]

Those bomber cars at Dixie are stock clip 3 link late models with about a 400 HP motor or full jig 4 bar with 602 I got one with about 5;grand invested running against 15 to 20 grand cars racing for same money I raced for 35 yrs ago in a junk yard built car NUFF SAID sums it all up right there.