Daugherty(IN): UMP Summer Nationals tonight. 7/5/2016

[IZZOJR16]

"PAY MORE!!!" Always the first "solution" from keyboard jockies. Do you think the tracks are getting so rich they can just snap their fingers and "pay more"? No one is getting rich at this game. If you want "pay more", then the first thing to fix that will be for the promoters to "charge more" at the grandstand and at the pit gate. Have you looked at all the whining about prices on this board already? Are you aware it's almost 22,000 in purse money just to have the 5k to win show, just for the late models, and another 10k to pay a 10 grand to win show? 1,000 fans at 25 bucks. That's an iffy proposition these days, and it barely pays the purse for a 5k to win show. And then throw in the dwindling car count, which also means dwindling receipts at the back gate to pay the help, the insurance, the UMP crew, buy the concessions, etc. Oh, let's not forget the cost of fuel to run a water truck around the track dozens of time every week, or the cost of water for those who don't have a well on site. How about electricity to run those high-powered lights for five hours? And if you want to get anybody to the track, you have to spend money advertising, whether it's TV, newspaper, radio, signs, billboards. But yeah. Real easy. Just "pay more". Viola. I shake my head.

Wrong, its part of many "solutions". These drivers are still making the same ( especially regional shows) for literally 25+ years past. so everything else has gone up, but the purses. Darn right some complain about the price at the gate when these shows are still paying the same to win as years past but charging more at the gate and draw less cars.

[MI Dirt Fan]

Fuel prices are way down. Both regular and diesel are under $2 a gallon. Just sayin'

[GEAR_HEAD]

There aren't many late models left in Indiana. They could have paid $10k to win and still would have had the same amount of cars.

[huskerdirt]

"PAY MORE!!!" Always the first "solution" from keyboard jockies.

Do you think the tracks are getting so rich they can just snap their fingers and "pay more"? No one is getting rich at this game. If you want "pay more", then the first thing to fix that will be for the promoters to "charge more" at the grandstand and at the pit gate. Have you looked at all the whining about prices on this board already?

Are you aware it's almost 22,000 in purse money just to have the 5k to win show, just for the late models, and another 10k to pay a 10 grand to win show? 1,000 fans at 25 bucks. That's an iffy proposition these days, and it barely pays the purse for a 5k to win show. And then throw in the dwindling car count, which also means dwindling receipts at the back gate to pay the help, the insurance, the UMP crew, buy the concessions, etc.

Oh, let's not forget the cost of fuel to run a water truck around the track dozens of time every week, or the cost of water for those who don't have a well on site. How about electricity to run those high-powered lights for five hours? And if you want to get anybody to the track, you have to spend money advertising, whether it's TV, newspaper, radio, signs, billboards.

But yeah. Real easy. Just "pay more". Viola. I shake my head.

I approve this post.

It's really not that simple as paying more. LESS fans are going to races. Promoters can't charge anymore because the ones that do go b!tch and moan.

20 years ago when I started paying my own way into the races.... It was $8, now it's $10 maybe $12. When the Busch all star tour rolled into town or was like $15-$18. Now the same regional show is $20. The front gate hasnt increased that much.

Racing itself has been priced out of market. And it has nothing to do with what promoters are charging/paying out. I just shake my head at some of the new equipment these guys buy to run for maybe a $1,000 to win each week.

[MI Dirt Fan]

I just shake my head at some of the new equipment these guys buy to run for maybe a $1,000 to win each week.

Even some of the hand me down stuff. Is it really necessary to have a stacker and toter to go race 50-100 miles from home for $1000. Or is the "your not cool if you don't have one" factor? 7-8 months out of the year its just sitting around not being used.

[TheJet-09]

Go to Farmer City (or an equivalent) and check out some of these Crate teams! I'm well beyond my means and resources in running a Late Model, and am frankly unable to compete with the likes in my area, but the thought of running a Crate is no more appealing because I know I wouldn't compete with them either. I might as well stay where I'm at and triple or quadruple my start money running last in a Late Model than what they pay in a Crate. But is that the answer?

[cgrace]

good job feger nobody wascatchin him lastnite. thought he was going to lapall of em

[huskerdirt]

Even some of the hand me down stuff. Is it really necessary to have a stacker and toter to go race 50-100 miles from home for $1000. Or is the "your not cool if you don't have one" factor? 7-8 months out of the year its just sitting around not being used.

That's exactly how I feel. There is one team in my area that doesn't even travel more than 100 miles(at most) to a race. They got a brand new S&S. If guys have the money then by all means go right ahead and get that toter. But you better not be screaming pay us more at the pay window.

[huskerdirt]

Go to Farmer City (or an equivalent) and check out some of these Crate teams! I'm well beyond my means and resources in running a Late Model, and am frankly unable to compete with the likes in my area, but the thought of running a Crate is no more appealing because I know I wouldn't compete with them either. I might as well stay where I'm at and triple or quadruple my start money running last in a Late Model than what they pay in a Crate. But is that the answer?

It's getting like that in my area.... The top 3 limited/crate late model teams drive 2 brand new Swartz's and an XR1. And they are racing for $400 every week. Unreal.

[blncfn57]

And admission used to be $20,00. Then $25.00. Now $30.00.

and there used to be so many people you were (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word) near sitting on top of the person next to you. Let's be honest with ourselves. We don't have to attend the races to see the action anymore. Used to be if you wanted to know what happened you had to go attend the show, or wait until tuesday for the local paper to come out to get a sketchy idea of what happened. We don't have to leave our homes these days, even if we don't see the action live as it's happening we can watch it within hours of it being over. Nascar has made it work because they get big TV money to make up for the butts that are missing from the seats. What are these small local tracks getting from dirt on dirt or any of the others? Not alot, maybe a little advertising is all, but what good does advertising do if the people seeing it are seeing it because they are subscribed to a website so they don't have to leave home?
I love all the coverage I can get from home and these guys that cover it do a great job, BUT lets not blame the promoters because they have to charge more to pay the same purse due to less people attending. I said 15 years ago that the big paying late model shows would kill the weekly show and thay all but have.

[BTExpress]

Dumb question: What does a top of the line new S&S motor-home/stacker trailer combination go for $300,000 or $400,000 or am I being conservative? I can see the full time national series guys ( maybe 30 or 40 teams throughout the entire country ) having one with all the travel, but like many on here have stated, do the local and regional teams really need one when they travel less than 100 miles for a weekly or regional show? The entire crew can stay in a "pretty nice" hotel when warranted and still not spend what most teams do in a season even if they are leasing those types of rigs.

[huskerdirt]

Dumb question: What does a top of the line new S&S motor-home/stacker trailer combination go for $300,000 or $400,000 or am I being conservative? I can see the full time national series guys ( maybe 30 or 40 teams throughout the entire country ) having one with all the travel, but like many on here have stated, do the local and regional teams really need one when they travel less than 100 miles for a weekly or regional show? The entire crew can stay in a "pretty nice" hotel when warranted and still not spend what most teams do in a season even if they are leasing those types of rigs.

I would say a brand new is probably around the 400k range. Give or take alittle depending how many bells and whistles you put on it. I get why guys have them. Even if you run like MLRA series they are some long trips in there 6-8 hours one way. Most of the time those are multi day swings. Do that 2-3 times a month and it adds up.

I've seen some pretty nice used run about 225-250k. It seems most regional guys in my area go that route.

[turnleftandgasit]

While it may have hurt some tracks, it has raised others to new heights. If it wasn't for DoD, most of the traveling race fans would not be heading to FALS on a regular basis now.

[blncfn57]

While it may have hurt some tracks, it has raised others to new heights. If it wasn't for DoD, most of the traveling race fans would not be heading to FALS on a regular basis now.

I can agree with that. Dirt on dirt does a nice job, I never said they didn't. My point was, I have attended races all my life. I raced for 22 years myself and there was nobody more die hard than I was. I used to attend at least 3 races a week and more this time of year when there were more races to go see. Now, thanks to DOD I don't have to leave home and spend $ for gas and a pit pass (as I can't sit in the stands). For about $10/mo I save hundreds of dollars. I still go to the races about once a week, but that is nothing compared to what I used to. The tracks are the ones losing the revenue and I understand why I have to pay more to watch a show that pays the same to win that it has for 20+ years. I'm still money ahead, even paying higher gate fees when I go. I know that I am not alone in this practice.
LaSalle, more times than not, puts on a great show, but what used to be elbow to elbow seating for special events is not that way anymore. I coulda threw a rock into the stands monday night and had only a 50/50 chance at hitting someone.

I just wonder if the tracks are not missing the boat on this by not doing their own online pay per view for their special events.

[turnleftandgasit]

I think it goes deeper than too much coverage. Families didn't have travel leagues for 5 different sports for 3rd graders back in the day, we didn't have 500 TV channels to watch, etc, etc, etc. Add in the extra costs of today, and most can't go to that many races.