Without starting a firestorm over sprint car versus modified payouts -

Yes, more payout should generate more cars

(With the Cruiser class being the rare exception)

I say should because at HHS the Super Late Models were paid what the SLM club felt was fair market share based on far more cars than they could hope to provide at the early start of the season.

The thinking was (both HHS management and the SLM club) that the stability in the purse would cause other owner / drivers to join in the class. And that purse was agreed too and paid from opening night on.

(A little ironic twist: The twenty + modified were none too happy about the agreement. And they had justifiable grounds not to be)

There were several nights when the SLM car count fell below the eight they started out with. Thanks to a few folks traveling into HHS from surrounding areas the class started to show signs of life and ever so slowly a few cars were added but the local contingent grew at about the same rate as some folk parked them.

I know there are some generalities in my example but I think I make the point that money does not always directly translate to car count even when it is fair market and guaranteed upfront without a minimum car count clause.

A few years past a dozen or more “A” mods would travel to Grants and put on some edge of the seat racing. I am pretty sure Grants was not paying out $4k per night.

I am thinking there are other factors besides just payout at play here.