We have reached the point!

[play4kps]

Last night both Lucas and WOO barely had a full field. Now when you go to a regular lucas oil show, you 3 heats and a feature. This sport is losing cars a record rate. That really stinks 30 dollar admission and you get 3 heats and a feature. In the past we all expected at least 4 or 5 heats and at least a b main.

[Shiny Side Up 18]

Welcome to "The Next Level".

[grt74]

they are going to have to fix local and regional racing or its not going to stop, stop the bleeding or the body will die
there are alot of people i know that can afford the cars and race but there isn't anywhere to race and the pay out is a joke on weekly deals,and they have to work or own businesses and can't travel all year
don't know the fix but doing the same thing over and over isn't going to fix it

[Josh Bayko]

Last night both Lucas and WOO barely had a full field. Now when you go to a regular lucas oil show, you 3 heats and a feature. This sport is losing cars a record rate. That really stinks 30 dollar admission and you get 3 heats and a feature. In the past we all expected at least 4 or 5 heats and at least a b main.

In the WoO’s case, they were at a track that has zero local cars. The fact that they even got to 23 isn’t so bad.

[WisWildManFan]

It’s pretty simple math $100k cars racing for $10k to win. Locals don’t have the sponsorship $ to make that work.

[dirt crow]

For a fan that just mostly loves the big boys, One National series is fine with me. The Lucas Oil World of Outlaws. I’m in the minority I know, but I like it. 17-20 series regulars, local tracks top 2 in points guaranteed to make feature when they come to town. Every race 15 k to win, 1.5k to start. ....now let’s see if I get blasted below. Lol

[nc mudcat]

At a track with no locals to fill the field + the end of the year, when lots of racers have gone broke and given up + Cost of racing = short fields.

[Josh Bayko]

@dirt crow

The sanctioning fee required of a 20 car tour would be over what tracks are willing to pay, let alone their ability to come up with the purse like the one you described. The dollars and cents part of national DLM racing is already at the threshold of what tracks are willing to pay.

Eventually there will probably be a Lucas Oil presents the World of Outlaws (it’s come real close before in a co sanctioning type situation for a couple races), but it will be out of necessity because there will simply not be enough competitors left for two tours. If we get to that point, the end of dlm racing is upon us.

[hoosier race fan]

The Lucas Oil series was also at a track (Kokomo) that does not race late models weekly and the nearest track that does is at least 2 hours away. 24 cars was decent, and still put on a very entertaining race. Costs are absolutely out of control, can’t disagree with that at all.

[dirt crow]

Josh, when I hit the powerball I’ll pay the purse the first year. Lol

[play4kps]

Im not trying to be negative. We all need to wake up. But honestly on 4m the only thing that matters in Lucas, WOO and the World and Dream.
Put this in perspective, Eldora is so far removed from being a late model track that Ricky Weiss is the track champion for this year for late models. World, Dream and he ran the Baltes classic. That was the extent of late models run at that track, and then one wonders why this year the car count was lower and continues to slide. I live 45 minutes from Eldora near Troy Ohio, Im easily 2 plus hours from any track running late models, Oakshade, Florence, Moler or Atomic. It would be real nice to see Eldora put some kind of series at the track, 6 races, all paying 5 or 10 grand to win and a 25,000 dollar to win series. Pay it on thru 20 places generously. And then pay a 25,000 dollar bonus if the series winner wins the world. That would be awesome for the sport and ignite a growth.
They are charging 24 bucks for the Baltes classic anyways, so a lot of money is coming in to pay the purse. And you know easy it is for Eldora to get sponsors. and they make more than enough from the world, dream and kings royal to start to help grow grass roots level racing in west central Ohio.
And if you have to, get rid of a lot of the banking, look at how competitive Knoxville was compared to Eldora. That will also cut expense and eliminate the free air issue.
just some crazy ideas. but I think they would help.
Its time for Eldora to help promote the growth of racing,

[WisWildManFan]

Eldora isn’t the problem... honestly if I lived that close to eldora I would be pretty happy with their diverse schedule

[153J]

the "point" was reached years ago when there were no more b mains at local tracks , and then crossed when local tracks considered 20 cars a full field

[Rocky]

Full field doesn’t really mean the same thing at every track 24 cars are way too much for one race at some tracks. 4th of July at Halifax I had my shish box down there planning on running a B main and none of the other slow guys showed up. I started 22nd behind Russell Erwin. Had to spin my car lap 1 corner 2 to miss a 16 car pile up. Ran 2 laps, took it to the trailer and got my start money. I would like for there to be more slow guys, so I have guys to race, but I don’t understand why fans would care. Only one guy can win.

[Rocky]

Speaking as a fan, I know that many people just want to go out to the local track and watch their cousin race and hang out with all their family. They haven’t been to Eldora they know the big names only from visits to their town and they aren’t about to start traveling. They are the blood and bones of this sport and if Super late models die, they will still be there, watching crates or limiteds. I like Supers, wish I had one. (Yes I have run a couple super races) but honestly.... guys we’re the super minority here. Promotors should worry less about what we, The super nerds on 4m think than anybody else we’re 1 percent of fans.