An interesting story on a short track that closed down in Alabama and is now a parking lot for a car dealership. The racers are unhappy with the owner who they feel promised them a full season. The owner claims that he lost $500,000 last year. It is basically a lose/lose proposition.
My sense from reading the story is that the place failed because they paid big weekly purses. The quickest way to oblivion in the short track racing industry is large weekly purses. It seems counterintuitive, but small purses draw more cars.
Monday, June 12, 2006
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OK...I'll bite. Smaller purses draw more cars? I know that money isnt everything to a race team. They want to be treated fairly, they want to feel listened to, they want a GOOD facility to race at but smaller purses...hmmm?
I would think that smaller purses tend to lead to less money invested into the cars and more people able to build a "competitive" race car. I mean, if you're going to win less money then you'd probably be less likely to build a high-dollar car right? If the cars cost less money to build to be competitive, more cars can race? Is that the logic?
What a nice looking facility. Looks like an investment opportunity for you!
Fanmark wins. It is true all over the country and at OPS. $14,000 purse equals 120-130 cars. $2500 purse equals 200-250 cars. We can argue over the other ways that the nights differ, but at the end of the day Fanmark is right.
What is the first thing that a racer does when he wins big money at a race? Does he pay bills? Pay off the car? Maybe someone has done that, but in my experience they try and buy more speed and a bigger hauler.
Obviously I believe that big money races are important, but they should be few and far between if a track wants to survive.
What an "ugly" story. It reads like the worse "hollywood divorce" in history.
On one point I agree. If a street stock driver can win 10,000 dollars for winning 9 of 13 events the payout was too large. From my experiance that class usually gets 2-300 hundred dollars to win. (not to mention the 5K to win a LM feature)
The guy had grand plans, grand ideas and not one wit of understanding of the racing business.
Looks like the only winner is a thousand miles or so north. Smoke and Eldora that gained a capable track operator.
Sadly, the track has its highest car count as a Hyundai parking lot. How ironic. Luckily, this would never happen at a dirt track, those cars would never have enough get up and go to get off the track once they were parked.
Hyundai's are like deer on an ice rink. They may look quick and nimble, but go nowhere.
They do help to fill a $10,000 to win Enduro however. There are many tracks running bust out the glass and go racing 4cyl cars on a weekly basis that have car counts in the 40-60 car range that only pay $50 to win and a trophy.
I see Bill's point. However he is also talking about different types of cars. $14,000 is the Saturday purse for what is mostly fabricated race cars. $2500 would be comperable to a Wednesday night purse for "pure stock" beginner classes.
Seth is exactly right. Racing "purists" may not like it, but if you want 20 cars have a late model race and pay $1000 to win and a purse of $5,000, if you want 100 cars run nearly bone stock for $100 to win.
Bill, Have you thought about running an old fashioned enduro?
Maybe do an 8cyl and 4cyl twin 100's?
The Wednesday car classes have basically outgrown that form of racing.
Is it time to create another level below it?
Speaking of purses, wasn't the Oxford 250 purse alot larger when Mr Bahre & Mr Liberty had the track. Every year it got bigger and bigger.
I think it has basically levelled off. I dont think it is lower. Bob Bahre grew the purse over the years for the race. I think Liberty had to pay out a larger purse one year because of the way he structured the winners amount and lap money (the year Gelinas won it and only led a lap or two).
quote I think it has basically levelled off.
If you consider inflation its a whole lot smaller.
Maybe Mr Ryan doesn't need a larger purse for the 250. But one would think TD Bank North could bump it up a little.
This is getting off topic but here goes. Anonymous, if you would like to count inflation, lets take into account 250 ticket prices too. I dont think they have gone up since Liberty. So in your view would that mean that ticket prices are actually lower now?
Yep...1996 was a $50,000 to win event with no lap leader money. It was a one-time shot because ACT was all done at the track and there was no real sanctioning body for Pro Stocks in the region. It wasn't the biggest purse ever (I think Whitlock won the largest check the year before but ACT had all kinds of contingencies built in to the winner's totals.
I like the structure these days. $25,000 to win and $100 per lap led. I've always liked that lap leader money. A couple of years ago five drivers made over $7,500 I believe! That's good money!
For today’s big regional shows I think it, helps to pay down further in the field and not stack the top three. The guy finishing 20th in a 24 car field shouldn't go home with $150 when the winner is getting 10-15k.
It would be like giving athletes at the Olympics a gold medal for winning and second and third a $25 gift certificate to Red Lobster.
You can run a healthy local weekly or bi-weekly late model show on a 6,000 purse and make everyone happy. Once a year, big, special, one-time only, you must experience special events can have a reasonable 35-40k purse. Balanced down the field.
Winning is everything. But, the guy finishing last has put the same amount of effort, time, and support into the event as anyone else.
Spread the wealth.
In the long-term, it will keep things stable and healthy. I'm not sure what Alabama Parking Lot Guy’s thinking was behind his plan?
PS: I’m in no way an advocate to a back-gate driven track operation on weekly events.
Kevin. Next year we are planning on running some races that are close to the old fashioned enduros. I am still thinking about it, but I think it will happen.
Anonymous. Since I have not increased ticket prices for the 250 (or for the Saturday night show for that matter) since I took over in 1998, it would be impossible to increase the purse.
Seth. Dead last in the 250 is around $1100. I agree that it does not make sense to pay the winner the entire purse on a big show.
Thanks for all the comments.
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