We have reached the point!

[play4kps]

Rocky, You said it all. That is what grew the sport.
Wiswildman, I never blamed Eldora, I just noticed the comments on how Kokomo did not run late models regularly, I was just pointing out neither does Eldora. And its great Eldora has good sprint shows also, The point I was saying is Eldora is dark so many weekends of the race season, the track is closed from June 15th to July 18th, and also closed from August 3 to Sept 1st. Thats 2 months out of a 3 month summer of a short racing season to begin with. they also scheduled 2 races headlining ump modifieds and bombers to support, less than 35 cars total for the night. The All star sprint series was scheduled 1 time. Just pointing out that for such a great facility, it would be nice to give the guys who raced there and the fans who supported the place some racing in the summer.

[hucktyson]

The costs to open and run eldora are astronomical compared to other dirt tracks. Having a facility of that caliber requires an army of paid workers. You can’t even break even without a ton of fans and fans don’t support the small events.

[TUTY]

I believe the above statement is what has happened at the big tracks all over the country. We have Husets Speedway in Brandon SD closed for the past 2 years after 8 million dollars was stuck into it. They need 50 to 100 employees to show up on race night and can you imagine what that cost. They have 2 entrances 3 towers, sky boxes, concessions all over the place. It takes waitresses, security, bar tenders, just way to many people to turn a profit on a weekly show. If 50 people make $10 per hour for 6 hours it cost $3000 just in wages plus another probably $3000 for weekly employees keeping the track in shape, Insurance and getting thing ready for race night. It’s crazy but almost impossible.

[bullring]

It's a tough situation that people in power don't want to address. Ridiculous car costs vs return makes for smaller and smaller fields.

For example I went to a Summernationals race around 3 years ago. 19 cars. So had one 7 car heat and 2 six car heats. Guys like Shirley and Erb start in front rows and dominate the field which consists of cars that sound like street stocks compared to theirs. Every car makes the feature so heats mean nothing. Every race won from front row. Hard to justify 25 or 30 bucks I paid to see that.

[play4kps]

I understand your argument about the expense of opening it but that's like buying a brand new car and never driving it that track is closed two of the three months of Summer that makes no sense.

[Rocky]

Every race track operator has to worry about his bottom line. Super late models around here are a travelling deal only. You have to worry about getting those 4 local guys with big families out there every week not worry about the handful of one percenters that will take time off work and drive to Florida in February out there. If that means your top class is limited or crate, or even Modified...... You do that. It's too far down the rabbit hole fellas. Get used to it.

[Rocky]

BTW, from a recent foray to Michigan, there's a lot of cars in the Midwest that would be called limited on the East Coast or in the South running Super up there.

[dirt crow]

It's a tough situation that people in power don't want to address. Ridiculous car costs vs return makes for smaller and smaller fields.

For example I went to a Summernationals race around 3 years ago. 19 cars. So had one 7 car heat and 2 six car heats. Guys like Shirley and Erb start in front rows and dominate the field which consists of cars that sound like street stocks compared to theirs. Every car makes the feature so heats mean nothing. Every race won from front row. Hard to justify 25 or 30 bucks I paid to see that.

Car counts would return if there wasn’t so many regional series. There’s too many of em.

[Rocky]

Dirt Crow there's so many regional series because the division has been dropped weekly in a lot of places. Around here, steel blocks only. Farther south, crates only. There's just less unlimited motor late models than there used to be.

[Krooser]

31 supers @ at Seymour, WI last night for the Dirt Kings race.

Great show for their 2nd annual Fall Brawl.

This race was the first time I wished I had worn ear plugs.

The supers were loud with the sound bouncing off the steel grandstand. But the Grand National cars that usually run at Plymouth were even louder. (metric chassis with a pavement style body and high HP iron heads engines). The top two guys must have been running 9 grand plus... just screaming. But the 3rd place guy was nearly silent! Could not hear his car among the other 18 or so in their main. Weird...

All in all a great show with a good crowd and they must have had 150+ cars in the pits.

[Crash 4]

I watched the replays of Saturday night races on DOD this morning. The races at Red Cedar, Beckley, and Eriez were much better races than the WOO and Lucas races. Anyone who thinks that you need a major sanctioning body to have a great race, is really missing alot of good racing going on across the country. Support your local tracks.

[TerryM]

If not for those regional (and national) series, I wouldn’t get to see any supers in Georgia. We’ve just about quit going to any local races because of how things are done down here.

[Dlmfan123]

There are way to many regional series

[dirt crow]

There are way to many regional series

Exactly......

[play4kps]

There are too many regional series, it does hurt the tracks. It makes no sense for Eldora to be closed 2 out of the 3 months of the summer. Earl sold that track to tony because he wanted to sell it to a guy who loved racing and would continue his tradition, the day Earl died was the day Eldora became a special events track only.
As I posted earlier about a 6 race series paying 10,000 to win, and a 25,000 dollar 1st prize to the point winner with a generous point fund payout for the top 20. There is no reason you wont get 30 plus cars every show, they already charge 24 bucks for a regular show, you will easily get 10,000 people for those races, the track cant help but make money. And like I said, if you have to get rid of some of the banking, it will eliminate the free air issues and cut cost on wear and tear of engines and will make for better racing, look at knoxville compared to the World.