Tech Card Fee,....Lane/Payout Fee

[Robert Swartz]

Originally Posted by MR DERBY CITY

The reality is YOUNG bracket racers want to race, OLDER CLASS racers are enticed to race for that WALLY....as you get older there are many reasons to stay home....scheduling, weather, family obligations, .....

The above and add apathy to that as well. I decided to semi-retire. Life is too short. Finding both the money and desire is waning. I let my IHRA membership and stock# expire. Haven't had anything to the track in better than 3 years. Still go out and plug away at working on something from time to time. May show up again one day.

[Lenny5160]

Is divisional event payout even available to view anywhere? When I won a division race, I had no idea how much I won until the check showed up a couple weeks later. Also, a recent Stock winner posted on here to ask how much he had won the weekend prior.

There aren't many races that can get away with a $160 entry for a mystery payout!

I've also lost in the semis and agree that not covering your entry there is a complete scam!

[BKSG1198]

Originally Posted by Greenlight

Then and now
.................................................. .................................................. ...............................
September 2016 - E-town Division Race

510 tech card and at least one additional person per tech card (on average)

(510*170) + (510*55) = $114,750

Number of spectators at $10 Friday,$20 Saturday, $20 Sunday.

(12 *10) + (50* 20) + (50 * 20) = $2120

Total number of drag dogs and t-shirts sales dollars (profit) $2000

Total Weekend Payout = $22,000
Total Advertising Cost = $500

Total income minus advertising and payout = $96,370
*Then subtract NHRA's cut ($50,000), manpower($20,000), insurance ($5000), overhead($10,000),.......

Track owner's cut = $21,370
.................................................. .................................................. ................................
September 1980 - E-town Division Race

(500 * 60) + (500 * 25) = $42,500

(1000 * 10) + (3000 * 12) + (3000 * 12) = $82,000

Total number of drag dogs and t-shirts sales dollars (profit) $20,000

Total Weekend Payout = $22,000
Total Advertising Cost = $10,000

Total income minus advertising and payout = $112,500
*Then subtract NHRA's cut ($25,000), manpower($10,000), insurance ($3000), overhead($5,000),.......

Track Owner's cut = $69,500
.................................................. .................................................. .......................................

Of course many of the values are estimates, but I think a little advertising goes a long way. I never see ads any more for Division or National Events.

The sad part is what the track took home doesn't even pay for 1/4 of the taxes they pay per month. Like I said when you have politicians who are not making a dime off the track and are not "car guys" they will do everything and anything to make it so high that they can't do improvements and put the place out of business so they can build the next big shopping mall or business park or housing development.

[MR DERBY CITY]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

Not doubting your contention, MJ
The question then is "why"?
I would say that some have never known anything else.
Bracket racing and T&T nights may have kept many tracks open, but it was also the beginning of the end for younger folks' interest in NHRA, IHRA class type racing...in my opinion.

Teddy, the key word is YOUNG....after a while the whole NHRA thing just wears on you. They just flat take the FUN out of this sport. You remember FUN, the REASON we all started racing .....But it takes YEARS to get to that point. This Midwest Class Racers deal ...I think they are really onto something ....

[David Daulton]

Originally Posted by Mike Carr

Mark, I am looking at the flyer right now for that race (found it when I moved last year, and kept it handy). It was to be August 1-2, 1998 at Edgewater (near Cincinnati, for those unfamiliar). And it had a rain date too. Entry/payout was to be:

Pre-entry: $200
At the gate: $225

Win - $20,000
R/U - $8,000
Semi - $4,000
1/4's - $2,000
1/8's - $1,000 (round of 16)

Plus a Saturday gamblers race, contingency, and more.

And, yes, it was cancelled due to lack of pre-entries and interest.

I have a copy of that flyer too in my records from 1998, along with the envelope containing my returned check and nice letter from the Runnings explaining the race was cancelled due to lack of interest, still a sore subject for me.
I attended the Loose Rocker Race at Kil Kare Michael referred to above and believe me there are still a lot of folks out there young and old that want to race and will support a hardcore race at a local track. Best racing I've seen in a long time. I've been part of putting on a combo race at that same track and we were never able to get more than 26-28 cars no matter the entry or payout and half the field were NMCA Nostalgia Cars.