I wish I had a Dollar for every time this topic has been thrashed on this forum over the last 25 years, all these ideas, and not one of the usual suspects has taken the initiative to buy / operate, or work at a track, to prove out their theories.

goob- just sayin'

I have zero desire to own, operate, or work at a race track. ZERO. Doesn't make my opinions invalid. And I do recall what it was like to be a beginner, and what drew me to the sport. Just sayin'...

Many years ago our local track would run trophy after the weekly bracket show was over. A lot of the spectators would hang around and get into it. Track made some extra money, no complaints of street cars messing up the racing surface and it kept the spectators interested. Some of the locals would come through the gate late and get into the trophy race.

I have to go back through this when I'm more awake, but one thing I think could help is dial in lanes at test and tune... no entry fee, doesn't take any longer to run, gets racers, new or old, practice on finish line driving, thinking about what to dial, etc. Designate 2 lanes for dialing in, after 1 or 2 rounds/sessions of the test and tune.
Dial for dollars on a race day would do the same thing, allow for practice. Tracks could charge whatever for it, and give a purse, or simply do it as a practice elimination run but it's a time trial. Offer a "normal" time trial for racers who don't want to buy in.

What ever happened to those dial for dollars time runs anyway?

Some tracks still do it. Bristol has a late time run if you want to buy in, basically charging you for a time run that's within a couple of hours of your first round. They pay 1/2 the take and winner gets 1st rnd bye. Others run it during 2nd time run, some give 1/2 of the take some give a mulligan for the race. I used to like Knoxville's format where 2nd time run everyone put a dial on their car and if you wanted in the dash you paid if you didn't you still had a dial on the car. Paid back 1/2 but they did away with it I think because of lack of personnel.

Pageland SC used to pay it ALL back. Thats right, all of it. I won a lot of them back in the day.