low car and fan counts,,why?

[nc mudcat]

"The only reason it cost more is because they charge more." That explains it all. May i use that?

[play4kps]

A lot of people are missing the point about classes, one reason for so many classes at some tracks are horrible car count, at some tracks it takes 6 or 8 divisions to get 30 or 40 cars. uggghhhh

[Mason87]

I think a track should offer only 4 classes such as a rookie class for all the people who wanna try it, a sportsman class or super stock, modified and lates crates limited or what ever. I'm sure the guys that wanna race in that area will build one of the 4.

[kazual]

One person complains that he didn’t get his money’s worth if races are complete by 10:00. Next person is unhappy if it runs past 10 o’clock. Welcome to America in the 21st century.

[Fully Torqued]

4m.potato. Then again, most of you in the racing community are potatoes. Hang on to your buttholes. America as we know it is going down and isn't coming back. This was the last free place on earth, and we ruined it. Dirt racing above street stocks is for the elites. They're gonna get their payback for not caring about anyone but themselves. Prepare yourself for communism.

[dmr37]

4m.potato. Then again, most of you in the racing community are potatoes. Hang on to your buttholes. America as we know it is going down and isn't coming back. This was the last free place on earth, and we ruined it. Dirt racing above street stocks is for the elites. They're gonna get their payback for not caring about anyone but themselves. Prepare yourself for communism.

The Stinking Commies will sap and impurify all of our precious racing fluids

[weatherman85]

The response to this post is a perfect example of the issue. No one can or is willing to agree on anything. Whenever someone throws out an idea to attempt to fix the issue, some get behind it while others cry and whine about it. The sport is slowly following in the same foot steps as local short track asphalt racing. Costs in it sky rocketed and have so as well in dirt racing. Weekly racing is slowly bleeding to death.

[heinen81]

The best a person can offer to this good conversation, is their personal opinion/situation. I am 40 now, and went to races since I was 12. Used to watch the weather all week nervous as all heck they would rain out. From 15-18 I crewed on a late model. Once I turned 18, I drove a grand national 2 years. I went back to crew for 7 years after a hiatus, on a 410 travelling team. Once the team folded, and I lived across the street from the local dirt track that ran steel 360 sprints (30-35 cars) Super Lates (16-20) Grand Nationals (20) and sport mods (20-25) I haven't went to 5 races in 2 years. Like many now, its about instant gratification and what's the return on the time investment. I don't want to be at a track 6 hours watching packing, qualifying and 2 divisions I don't care about. If it were just sprints and lates and I was sitting down at 6 and in the car by 9:30... I wouldn't miss a week. Too many divisions and they drag the shows out too long to sell food and beer. I just follow the night on social media updates now. I lose interest, patience.. whatever. I'll stream a WOO or Lucas event over the local show almost every time now days. I love racing, but local shows just don't provide enough excitement to invest 5-6 hours sitting in one spot anymore. Tracks that don't provide passing anymore like they did 20 years ago, plays a big part in that as well. Same with starting the fast guys in the first 4 rows. There might be 20 lates on the track, but only 4-5 up front have a legitimate shot at winning equipment wise. Boring.

[mcarter815]

The response to this post is a perfect example of the issue. No one can or is willing to agree on anything. Whenever someone throws out an idea to attempt to fix the issue, some get behind it while others cry and whine about it. The sport is slowly following in the same foot steps as local short track asphalt racing. Costs in it sky rocketed and have so as well in dirt racing. Weekly racing is slowly bleeding to death.

You'll never take the cost out of racing unless you make the cars 100% spec.

[waaac77]

Reasons for smaller crowds. 1try to see how many classes they can run like 8.10. 2 under worked an one lane race tracks. 3 lets race all night 2 or 3 am 4 why do promoters this day an time when they run a big super race feel like they have to pay more money in ever class 5 why don't they run super big race one week crates the next week an so on that way you don't wear your race track out an you got something different ever week.

Something that I haven't heard brought up yet but makes a ton of sense is your #4 example. The special pays more and that's what fans came to see. They need fillers but that is just what they are, fillers. The fillers are there to provide modest entertainment so people don't get bored.

[Rocky]

Turn on an NFL game, there’s big tarps over huge sections of seats at more than a couple.NASCAR and Indycar have the same issues at every race except the respective 500’s. I hear concerts are feeling the pinch too. It’s not so much a dirt racing pinch as a live entertainment pinch. People are just staying home and if I was smart enough to fix it, I would go work for the NFL or MLB or NASCAR or something.

[latemodelman]

Rocky its easy to fix like EARL BALTES said one time about 10 years ago when I met him on a Saturday after the 2009 World 100 as he was leaving the press box. Its all about the PROMOTION and doing things that make the fans say hey I wanna go see this. You gotta make it entertaining. Like he told me that's why he had Poncho Carter dress up as an ape and get married to another Ape. Also he held Harness races as well as other races. He also did the 500 lapper for sprints. Its making the fans want more and they will come back.

[ride height]

Too many classes. Takes forever for show to get done, and people get sick of that. Payouts are WAY behind the cost curve. It’s a train wreck right now. Sad. Racing is in trouble. Real trouble. When’s the last time you heard a radio ad for a Saturday race? Me....decades ago. No promotion. Teenagers barely know how to put gas in a car much less which end of a screwdriver to hold onto.

[Rocky]

You do understand that asking everybody to be the legendary Earl Baltes is a bit much, right? Remember, Earl was a band leader. He came into racing from the entertainment business, not the other way around.

[kazual]

We are not a car culture any more, not like the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Lots of competition for your entertainment dollar that allows people to sit at home, and critically, costs less as well. We are fortunate to have two well run weekly programs within an hour’s drive. Not everyone is so lucky. At the same time we’ve lost four weekly tracks all within an hour and a half over the last dozen years. The one thing that gets me is how promoters can ignore the ladies and children, especially bathroom conditions. And if a track dorks around and takes my time for granted, I.E. drags the show out, I’m done with them.