Question: Does a guaranteed purse mean anything to anyone? What I mean is will it make you more likely to race at a track with a guaranteed purse? What about being paid to start the race? What I mean by this is if you know that if you start the main you get say your pit pass back would that make you more likely to race at a facility? I don’t know about anyone else but I used to put my money in a coffee can and use it the following week for fuel or pit pass, sure I almost always had to come out of my own pocket (especially while racing at UCS, and HH) to cover something for Saturday night, but it never seemed as bad racing on a budget when I had something from the week before. So I ask again if you knew you would get at least your pit pass back just for starting would it mean more to race at a facility? See I was told that none of that mattered to racecar drivers, so it had me questioning if I was a race car driver or not. So please don’t hold back tell me your opinions…
I think the days of paying for your racing with winnings (with the exception of special shows)is gone. in Aztec in the hobby class if you finish (the main) out of the top 4 you get $25, that doesn't even cover 1 pit pass. I started out the year with a budget,9 sponsors and the attitude that I am going to have fun this year despite having an evil car last year. it worked for me-had fun all year, didn't tear up too much stuff and had $16 left in my account! hope 2104 is the same.
Gary, not quite sure where you want to go with this ? However, i'll tell you my experience with the locals around here, all the years anna & i ran the mods it was benifical for everyone to get something back. Hardly ever did anyone worry about the " win " money, most were concerned about getting something back, i made sure of this every year, you saw we had lots of cars back then. Times are not the same but i'd bet its best to get a little something. Remember one thing ! The fast cars will be there no matter what, you need to keep the mid-pack and rear pack cars happy, they are there to have fun, keep them happy ! Just my 2 cents...but what do i know...RJ
Now my 3 cents worth. As for NMMREA Sprints, as President in 1995, my Board & I convinced DUKE CITY RACEWAY that anyone taking a Green Flag should be Paid $$$. Yes, even in the Heats as if someone in their Heat Crashes, blows-up or whatever & is unable to make even a B Main. As these unfortunate incidents excite the Crowd and it is those Fine Spectators who help Pay the PURSES. Curtail damage by taking the Top 12 from Heats, add only 4 from B MAINS and then invert 4, 6 or 8 by a Pill Draw.
Gary: Personaly I go in the hole almost every week,I DON'T do it for the money, I spend time with My Family and My Friends, most times I get to see some damn good racing, that what I love about the sport.To be a Racer You got to love racing more than You love money. As far as a "guaranteed purse" that is nice and for Me a MUST for out of town races, the promoter that will guarantee the purse is the promoter that will do what it takes to put fans in the stands, so He covers said guarantee, However the Racers and or Racer Clubs in or order to ask for a guarantee MUST do what it takes to put fans in the stands, so the Racers are worth said guarantee. BOTTOM LINE the Fans have to see good racing on a good track with a good car count !
Thank you guys for your answers, I am aware that this is the wrong decade to make money in racing. The meaning behind this was too prove a point to someone. Guaranteed money to Start WILL bring more cars, I agree with Richard Johnson 100% on this. Jwzinter although I think what the NMMRA did at DCR was awesome I am not even going that far, just the main. Every car feels they can make the main otherwise why go? So if everyone is thinking I can at least get my pit pass back, well then everything else can be justified. it costs me for one person $85 a race to get there and get in, $50 is very justifiable, $85 sounds a bit expensive, but $50, I can budget for $50. And that was my point.
I guess it depends on who you ask, in that I mean if you were to ask the top twenty season finishers from the previous year’s racing in any division I bet you would find those who put in the serious effort (money, time and equipment) and finished in the top five are going to want the purse stacked on the top side. Those finishing out of the top ten are more likely to sign onto the linear payout assuring those in the rear are covering the most basic cost.
If you stop and think about it, Saturday night oval racing is one of the last places that you can expect to gain a return on your racing endeavors even if it is a losing one. If you own a sports car, sport bike, drag car and wish to run it on the road course, drag strip you go into that knowing that you will be paying for track time and that goes for many other forms of motorsports. Entertainment cost money and in all reality, racers are entertaining themselves – pay no attention to those people in the grandstands. That is the promoters take.
And yes, Truman has a valid point. The love of racing can outweigh the costs regardless at what level you may be spending at. I cannot tell you the number of times I would have to hunt down a Cruiser pilot and deliver his/ her winnings in an envelope from a race run a month prior. These folks had no idea, nor did they seem to care that they could get a return on their racing. They were there having fun with family and friends and that justified the cost.
In short, I do think the racer should at a minimum cover the entrance cost; after all he/she is the entertainment that the fans come to see. No actors – no drama, no show, no front gate, followed abruptly by the theater being converted into a parking lot for crane equipment storage.
Racing: The most efficient conversion of money into noise devised by mankind.
on October 29, 2013, 11:23 am
I think the days of paying for your racing with winnings (with the exception of special shows)is gone. in Aztec in the hobby class if you finish (the main) out of the top 4 you get $25, that doesn't even cover 1 pit pass. I started out the year with a budget,9 sponsors and the attitude that I am going to have fun this year despite having an evil car last year. it worked for me-had fun all year, didn't tear up too much stuff and had $16 left in my account! hope 2104 is the same.