September 18, 2023, 10:16 PM
B KINGBracket AND heads up events at small/local tracks?
quote:
Originally posted by Tom396:
quote:
Originally posted by Goob:
Tom, my notion is to charge a nominal fee for car/driver, provide a good track, a trophy for the winners, timing and scoring, and let the racers pool their money for the purse they want to run for.
Let them feel the reality of what it takes to fund the expected purses.
On a good day, the S/P purse was $300-$500 more than what was taken in. The other classes carried the weight.
OK. So you and I show up. Will anybody else?

Take care. Tom Worthington
Tom gets it!
It doesn't matter what you think will work, it only matters what works.
2BKING

September 18, 2023, 10:55 PM
Tom396quote:
Originally posted by B KING:
Tom gets it!
It doesn't matter what you think will work, it only matters what works.
2BKING
Not entirely. I'm a diehard true believer. Have I mentioned that I never, ever b*yback?

I just want to have a low cost local option to continue my hobby. Mixing in the heads up crowd
might be a way to keep that feasible.
Traveling to
big buck races definitely does NOT work for me. Take care. Tom Worthington
September 19, 2023, 05:06 AM
Buckyquote:
Originally posted by Goob:
Tom, my notion is to charge a nominal fee for car/driver, provide a good track, a trophy for the winners, timing and scoring, and let the racers pool their money for the purse they want to run for.
Let them feel the reality of what it takes to fund the expected purses.
On a good day, the S/P purse was $300-$500 more than what was taken in. The other classes carried the weight.
A nominal fee? How much do you think it costs to own and maintain, let alone operate a facility that we race at? I get the concept that you are talking about. But on some level I really have to wonder how many business men want to own a million dollar facility, spray liquid gold on the surface, have a dozen or more employees, insurance, electric for lights, tractors mowig etc....so that they can charge a nominal fee a couple times a week to the few racers who still show up during good weather months. It's kind of a crazy business prop. Maybe the couple spectator races they make money at each year get plagued by weather and then what?
I don't know what the secret sauce is for making money with a drag strip. It seems to be different in every market from what I read.
September 19, 2023, 06:37 AM
CURTIS REEDThe market at our track is a really tough one. Huge concert facility ( the BOK ) and a few smaller ones. Casinos every where. A college with decent sports teams. Minor league baseball that does a really good job and has a super nice facility. I can't even imagine what it costs to run the Musco lighting we have for night races but I know the city hits them for a large stupid rainwater run off fee.
September 19, 2023, 10:30 AM
Goobquote:
Originally posted by Tom396:
quote:
Originally posted by Goob:
Tom, my notion is to charge a nominal fee for car/driver, provide a good track, a trophy for the winners, timing and scoring, and let the racers pool their money for the purse they want to run for.
Let them feel the reality of what it takes to fund the expected purses.
On a good day, the S/P purse was $300-$500 more than what was taken in. The other classes carried the weight.
OK. So you and I show up. Will anybody else?

Take care. Tom Worthington
Well, that's the rub.
All these professional racers demanding guaranteed payouts is laughable.
I've always contendeded that if you wouldn't race for a trophy, you're not a racer.
September 19, 2023, 10:57 AM
Emanquote:
Originally posted by Goob:
Tom, my notion is to charge a nominal fee for car/driver, provide a good track, a trophy for the winners, timing and scoring, and let the racers pool their money for the purse they want to run for.
Let them feel the reality of what it takes to fund the expected purses.
On a good day, the S/P purse was $300-$500 more than what was taken in. The other classes carried the weight.
We had a local track that used to charge every car through the gate $15 for car and driver, that would get you into the trophy race if you wanted. Then they would basically run a gamblers race for each class where all of the entry and buyback money was paid back to the class however the drivers worked it out. Many ran multiple classes including trophy. Many street cars ran just trophy and brough their friends with them, each paying spectator entry. Track is in an area with a big car culture crowd and not much competition for entertainment so the place would get a lot of spectators. Not a premier facility by any means.