Fairbury weekly in 2019...

[kazual]

Jet, don’t see you as a negative, it’s good insight and conversation. You race, I don’t, that gives you credibility in my book.

[cdustyr1]

Will have to wait and see

The one effect it has already had is having some guys who recently slowed down discussing the possibility of returning. Local Derek Chandler has said he plans to race more. The discussion of Scott Bull returning has been going around but not sure it is serious at this point. I think it will have the planned effect they intended bringing more local cars into the field.

[FANSFund]

I think it is awesome that Matt and Fairbury are stepping up in 2019 to pay more to the racer. Racers have been asking for this for years. Now we will see if the racers support the track with their attendance and follow-up on their claims that if a track paid more they would support them. Certainly, if a quality of field of cars is in attendance, the fans will follow.

My only questions are these:

1.) Is this sustainable? Will FALS be able to follow-up 2019 with the same program again in 2020?

2.) What are the affects on racing with this change (tracks, racers, fan attendance, etc). Will it cause another track or tracks to consider closing because they lose their fans/car count to Fairbury? What if they draw 35 cars consistently... what happens to the 9 cars that don't make the feature... do they begin to attend a different track, drop a class or get out of racing all together?

3.) What other tracks attempt to follow FALS lead? I think many will watch what is happening and base their decisions on the successes and failures that FALS experience.

As a side note, many of the track owners/promoters I talk with say their weekly shows lose money for them. They do it to keep the racers and fans there and keep the facility operational and working well. The specials are where they make the money to offset the weekly shows...especially the mega events where fans camp and stay on-site for several days. I asked several promoters - what if your big event rains out? Their response, "Lord help me financially if I cannot run my big event. I will for sure take a huge loss for the year if I don't run that event."

While we all talk about the plight of the racer's expenses going up, promoters too are paying huge expense increases in insurance, fuel, labor costs, food costs, and more. Do yourself a favor... have a discussion with a promoter/track owner sometime to get a reality of what they face to be able to operate a weekly race track.

Good luck to FALS in 2019 - many eyes will be watching to see what happens.

Respectfully,
Rich Olson
Mpls, MN

[wells9]

After reading and listening to many respond to this great increased purse announcement saying that FALS can do this because of all the volunteers that are associated with FALS. I think we must remember now that Matt and a group own a majority of FALS that it is now a business and no longer a non profit organization. Will the staff, wrecker service ect…. keep volunteering now that someone is now making money off of the track? Maybe it's as simple as just paying for these volunteers admission to the track every week? I hope and truly believe that this will all be great for FALS. I can't wait for the season to start!! Been going to this GREAT track for over 45 years now and proud of what FALS has become!! Keep up the good work everyone.

[dangerdann]

On another note i wounder if this will help farmer city get a few more cars since a lot of cars come to race both.Its something that i have always wanted to do race farmer fri and fals sat that makes a decent paying weekend.

[TheJet-09]

^^^ I almost guarantee it will. It's common to see guys from Michigan, Indiana and other surrounding states at Farmer City, especially on those three day weekends.

Get down there on a Friday if you can. Some great racing and many of the same names you see at FALS. Typically hammer down to start and like glass come feature time. You'd like it!

[dirty-white-boy]

Some great discussion on both sides, so I figured I'd chime back in as I was apparently the first "Negative Nellie" so to speak:

1) In thinking more about what my issue with the payout is, I realized it is the fact it's stacked at the top. I realize it pays more to start than anywhere else around here, and FALS already did with last years purse, but $2500 to win is just another example of helping those who don't need the help, and that's an all too common theme in racing. I realize it's a business, not a charity event, so the probability that bigger name drivers (like Feger, Schlenk, Shirley, etc) will undoubtedly be there more often is going to put butts in the seats. Nobody comes to watch me race, not even my own family, but I've never raced to make friends so that doesn't bother me. But wouldn't a purse that paid $1500 to win and $400 to start help save racing at the local level more than one that ensures the "rich" will get even richer (I know those guys are not "rich." I'm just trying to explain the disparity.)? And I realize nobody said this purse was meant to save racing, so I'll move on...

2) My point about Peoria was not claiming they might close or something. I'm not sure of what their plans are for next year, but I see they have a SN date so they will be open in some capacity. My point was that they stepped up their start money for LM's this year to match FALS, but I sure don't see them doing it again. So now you possibly take away guys like Drake, Gardner, and Walden (who don't race locally a ton, but when they do they typically race Peoria) and Peoria is left with what...5 or 6 LM's? Are they going to even run the class with that?

3) I appreciate all the constructive criticism about moving down a class, etc. I'm a fan of finishing what I start, and I've raced LM's since 1998 (minus an 11 year hiatus), so the thought of going backwards just doesn't appeal to me. I think I'd rather just step away (which is why my stuff is for sale). So we shall see...

I just hope we can look back in 5 years and say, "Yeah, a top heavy purse was the way to go." I also don't think my view is far off base. LaSalle is hoping to start a trend like that I speak of with their race they announced for next year (paying more throughout the field), but once again, only time will tell. Maybe Tony and I are just part of the extreme minority on this, but I guarantee we are both looking at it from the point of the racer and how we keep guys like me around.

Preach brother, preach!

I caught Moyer JR in his PRI interview mentioning stopping at FALS is a possibility. How does having someone like him showing up help the 'locals'? Now I am hearing guys are gonna tow 3 to 4 hours to race there? Wow, really?

Top heavy purse for sure and you like you said thats always been the case in DLM racing. I would rather see Joe Local get more to start or run 15th than the top 3 walk out the gate with 65% of the purse. It just makes no sense to me and never will. Its one of the biggest reasons we are seeing less and less cars at the tracks year after year... enjoy DLM racing while you can folks.

[MI Dirt Fan]

Preach brother, preach!

I caught Moyer JR in his PRI interview mentioning stopping at FALS is a possibility. How does having someone like him showing up help the 'locals'? Now I am hearing guys are gonna tow 3 to 4 hours to race there? Wow, really?

Top heavy purse for sure and you like you said thats always been the case in DLM racing. I would rather see Joe Local get more to start or run 15th than the top 3 walk out the gate with 65% of the purse. It just makes no sense to me and never will. Its one of the biggest reasons we are seeing less and less cars at the tracks year after year... enjoy DLM racing while you can folks.

I'm thinking he meant for like a SN or PDC event. Not a weekly event. Fergy said something similar to that also. I'd expect to see Fergy at events like PDC, USA Nationals and I-80 this year.

[dirtrace09]

A "big name" coming to our tracks is not good for the facility? And not good for the drivers? I am still blown away by this. I teach junior high kids. Should I give them all a passing grade for showing up? Or should I discourage the top performing kids from coming to class? Competition breeds success if you choose to take it on. Arguably one of the greatest basketball players of all times once said that you only get better by playing against better competition. Sure you may not have the financial backing to compete with brand new top of the line equipment or their book of notes, but if you have a track with top notch caliper drivers you are racing against then it should make you better. Or would it be better to just pay everyone the same? Fans come to see top notch guys fly around the track. The more fans the better the chance of that track surviving. That has not equated to more money for the drivers and car owners yet, but a move like this from FALS may very well have that effect. Everyone wants more money. Well more money brings more competition. That is how it is.

[Pennsboro23]

A "big name" coming to our tracks is not good for the facility? And not good for the drivers? I am still blown away by this. I teach junior high kids. Should I give them all a passing grade for showing up? Or should I discourage the top performing kids from coming to class? Competition breeds success if you choose to take it on. Arguably one of the greatest basketball players of all times once said that you only get better by playing against better competition. Sure you may not have the financial backing to compete with brand new top of the line equipment or their book of notes, but if you have a track with top notch caliper drivers you are racing against then it should make you better. Or would it be better to just pay everyone the same? Fans come to see top notch guys fly around the track. The more fans the better the chance of that track surviving. That has not equated to more money for the drivers and car owners yet, but a move like this from FALS may very well have that effect. Everyone wants more money. Well more money brings more competition. That is how it is.

Very well said. You only get better going against better competition.

[reid boys]

A "big name" coming to our tracks is not good for the facility? And not good for the drivers? I am still blown away by this. I teach junior high kids. Should I give them all a passing grade for showing up? Or should I discourage the top performing kids from coming to class? Competition breeds success if you choose to take it on. Arguably one of the greatest basketball players of all times once said that you only get better by playing against better competition. Sure you may not have the financial backing to compete with brand new top of the line equipment or their book of notes, but if you have a track with top notch caliper drivers you are racing against then it should make you better. Or would it be better to just pay everyone the same? Fans come to see top notch guys fly around the track. The more fans the better the chance of that track surviving. That has not equated to more money for the drivers and car owners yet, but a move like this from FALS may very well have that effect. Everyone wants more money. Well more money brings more competition. That is how it is.

This isn't like giving junior high kids passing grades, this is like giving junior high kids college work. Nobody is asking you to give all the drivers equal amount of money. Its takes time for LOCAL drivers to build there race program to be even with the top LOCAL drivers let alone the best in the Region or the best the nation. I do agree that to beat the beat you have to races the best but it's not magic or a video game. Just because Billy Moyer Jr. shows up at your track for a local race doesn't mean you automatically gain 10xp points to upgrade your driving skill, your car or your engine. It's going to take years for the true LOCAL driver to utilize that experience and knowledge from racing better people. If hes making only $60 a night hes not going to be around for every long.

[dirtrace09]

Ok so let's outlaw anyone that is not a LOCAL racer from coming to our tracks. That way the true local has time to build up their program. How many years should that happen for? And let's make sure we tell the fans that we banned the others from coming so that we can build our locals. In the meantime, promoters please pay top dollar.

[Illtsate32]

Whose gna show up that is gna take all the "participation" money? If the pie is bigger as a whole, who cares how the purse is distributed if you are better off at the end of the day if everyone is getting more. And if you cant make an a main at a local track, and you are going to quit over a 100 dollars instead of trying to step up your program, then maybe you should, I doubt it will keep any fans at home and doubt you will be missed...jmo...

[reid boys]

Ok so let's outlaw anyone that is not a LOCAL racer from coming to our tracks. That way the true local has time to build up their program. How many years should that happen for? And let's make sure we tell the fans that we banned the others from coming so that we can build our locals. In the meantime, promoters please pay top dollar.

I never said outlaw anyone, fairbury has 3 awesome events that pay 10 grand and over. I just think having Moyer jr., babb, pierce, shirley, feger, hecknast, unzicker, weaver, opje and 3 guys from St. Louis show up at LOCAL events is going to help a LOCAL car counts. What happens when highland has there summer nationals and all of these guys show up there? Your 14-10 cars LOCAL show went to under 10. I hope this works out for fairbury, I'm LOCAL and go there WEEKLY but in my eyes if one LOCAL guy quits racing fairbury every week or if this doesn't bring back a couple of LOCAL races who have quit or who are running limit schedule, what good has it done? In the meantime give those junior high kids college work they will thank you in 5 years when they go to college....if they make it past junior high.

[MI Dirt Fan]

If you have those guys all show up to a weekly event even though it's 97% chance they won't. That would be bargain for $10.