Class Nationals event planning

[Michael Beard]

Something else very important to me is race coverage. Events like this are a big deal, and should be treated as such. I worked the US Class Nationals for IHRA, doing photography, wrote the race coverage, and laid it out in the magazine. I have a number of online outlets that will print coverage, and I'll work on getting physical print coverage for the event as well.

We did two big money bracket races this year. You can view the race coverage at www.looserocker.com. The Footbrake race includes video coverage!

[69Cobra]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

Rough outline: Subject to change.

Northern Class Nationals & Bottom Bulb Shootout
National Trail Raceway
Hebron, OH - May 3-4, 2014

Friday
Parking & Tech
(If the track wishes to do a test n' tune and/or gambler's race, up to them)

Saturday
No-Box Time Trials and S/SS Qualifying
Class Eliminations (Stock and Super Stock, each)
No-Box Race #1 Eliminations
S/SS Clean-Up Run

Sunday
No-Box Race #2 Eliminations
Stock Eliminations
Super Stock Eliminations


Class Winners will receive Iron Tree trophies. I will work on potential contingency sponsors.




Stock or Super Stock (separate classes, same entry/purse)
Entry Fee: $260
Win: $5,000
R/U: $2,000
Semi: $500
5th Rnd Loser: $300
4th Rnd Loser: $250
3rd Rnd Loser: $200
With 129 or more cars in a class, that class would receive $7,000/win, $3,000/RU, $1,000 semi. (Round money as listed)
I will work on contingency sponsors for the main event.

No-Box (2 races: 1 Sat, 1 Sun. S/SS cars welcome.)
Footbrake and Transbrake cars will be called separately
Entry Fee: $90
Re-Entry: $50 (1st Rnd Only)
Win: $5,000
R/U: $1,000
Semi: $300
6th Rnd Loser: $160
5th Rnd Loser: $120
4th Rnd Loser: $80

All winners will receive Iron Tree trophies, "Big Checks", and collectors trading cards of their winning rides. (Examples from one of our past Footbrake races)

Just curious if you could explain the reasoning for the big gap in the entry fees for those who might not understand where you are coming from. I'm assuming that its because the bracket race will have buy backs and pay out less for the round wins. I just thought it would be something to talk about so people understand instead of not asking the question for one reason or another and coming to their own assumptions.

[Michael Beard]

Just curious if you could explain the reasoning for the big gap in the entry fees for those who might not understand where you are coming from. I'm assuming that its because the bracket race will have buy backs and pay out less for the round wins.

That is exactly it. Class Racers don't like buybacks, which reduces revenue, and the gap between getting paid $200 for winning 2 rounds vs $80 for winning 3 rounds is huge. The round money that S/SS classes are paid is more than double that of No-Box. The total purse for one S/SS class is thousands of dollars higher than No-Box, with half the cars. No-Box has an established base for this type of event for roughly 125 cars. Stock and Super Stock should have an attainable base of 65 cars per class, and if we do our job with promotion, sponsorship, and generally providing the type of race that you the customer wants, we could see 100+ cars per class. We'd also laid out where S/SS classes could earn an extra $5,000 added to the purse if a given class got more than 128 cars -- a bonus not offered in No-Box, which needs that kind of car count to start with. S/SS has the added expense of additional staff required, around $1,500 in trophies just for Class winners, and two days of track time on just one entry fee as compared to No-Box which is an entry fee each day.

I have a Race Purse Calculator spreadsheet that I have spent years developing that crunches just about every number you need for a race: Give it entry fees, buybacks (with multiple options), car count, payouts, spectators (actual # or calculated as 'people per car'), and it will tell you how many cars are in each successive round and how much the payout is for each round, how long it will take to run the race, front gate/back gate income, itemized expenses, and much more. Realistically, just for two days track rental, purse, and misc. expenses, you're looking at close to $60,000.

Great question. Hope this helps!

[69Cobra]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

That is exactly it. Class Racers don't like buybacks, which reduces revenue, and the gap between getting paid $200 for winning 2 rounds vs $80 for winning 3 rounds is huge. The round money that S/SS classes are paid is more than double that of No-Box. The total purse for one S/SS class is thousands of dollars higher than No-Box, with half the cars. No-Box has an established base for this type of event for roughly 125 cars. Stock and Super Stock should have an attainable base of 65 cars per class, and if we do our job with promotion, sponsorship, and generally providing the type of race that you the customer wants, we could see 100+ cars per class. We'd also laid out where S/SS classes could earn an extra $5,000 added to the purse if a given class got more than 128 cars -- a bonus not offered in No-Box, which needs that kind of car count to start with. S/SS has the added expense of additional staff required, around $1,500 in trophies just for Class winners, and two days of track time on just one entry fee as compared to No-Box which is an entry fee each day.

I have a Race Purse Calculator spreadsheet that I have spent years developing that crunches just about every number you need for a race: Give it entry fees, buybacks (with multiple options), car count, payouts, spectators (actual # or calculated as 'people per car'), and it will tell you how many cars are in each successive round and how much the payout is for each round, how long it will take to run the race, front gate/back gate income, itemized expenses, and much more. Realistically, just for two days track rental, purse, and misc. expenses, you're looking at close to $60,000.

Great question. Hope this helps!

Thank you Michael. You put it into words way better than I could have. I've done a little bit of what you are doing but nothing at this level. I just thought it would give people a little glimpse at what all you have to consider by putting an event on such as this. I wish I was back home to help you in someway.

Also, getting back to the double entering for stock and no box. Will there be an issue of a stick car using a 2 step and line lock in no box?

Thanks again.

[Michael Beard]

Will there be an issue of a stick car using a 2 step and line lock in no box?

Not at all. Again, "No-Box" rules, common in Div. 3, are much more open than "Footbrake" rules of Div. 1 and down into the Carolinas. Even in Footbrake, though, Stick cars are allowed a 2-step and line lock.

That's one of several reasons why I paired this event with a No-Box race, to provide more racing opportunities to those S/SS racers who wanted to do so. All S/SS cars are legal to run No-Box. Noted S/SS and 10.90 racer Rick Baehr along with partner Jeff Stewart had promoted the Bottom Bulb Extravaganza for two years (2010 & 2011), and had anywhere from 115-150 cars. That's a tough range to make a big money race live on its own. The risk vs reward is very high, and its very easy to just go racing rather than spend the better part of a year working to try to make a single weekend enjoyable and worthwhile for everyone involved. (I know after mentioning the possibility of adding a 4th event to our promoting schedule in 2014, I received a quiet "Mm." from my wife...) Anyhoo, by combining two "almost make it on their own" events, I think we can have something that's a big enough event, yet still something that's manageable in size. I think we should end up with right around 250 cars on the grounds, which will allow for good parking for everyone. With double-entries, you've still got a good time frame for running the show, and potentially have the makings of an annual event. And hey, if y'all blow the roof off the place, maybe we can go to 3 days the following year with more S/SS-specific festivities.

[butch8908]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

Something else very important to me is race coverage. Events like this are a big deal, and should be treated as such. I worked the US Class Nationals for IHRA, doing photography, wrote the race coverage, and laid it out in the magazine. I have a number of online outlets that will print coverage, and I'll work on getting physical print coverage for the event as well.

We did two big money bracket races this year. You can view the race coverage at www.looserocker.com. The Footbrake race includes video coverage!

Michael,

Would love to be able to photo on the ground for you instead of in the stands which is where I usually am. I'm not a professional, but I think I can take a pretty good picture for you to use. Depending on where and when, let me know. I might just come and do it anyway as a spectator.

Butch

[Bobby Bennett]

CompetitionPlus.com will be there, as we were at the first event. The blistering hot Byron event, was sweating in places I never knew I could.

Whether I am there as a journalist or a racer remains to be seen, but we are going to put it in Project White Wagon's [SS/EM] schedule. Regardless we will have staff there.

The one thing I believe is crucial is the bickering which went on at the first one, simply cannot happen this time. As important as the racing is, isn't it secondary to getting together and sharing the style of racing we all love in a format dedicated to us?

Food for thought ...

[Michael Beard]

Thanks for your support, Butch and Bobby. We'd love to have you! As details come together, we'll talk more in detail about race coverage and photography.

The Columbus staff is checking with NHRA about the date and some other questions I had. Should get an idea where we're at sometime next week.

[Jack McCarthy]

mike,
we would like permission to host the third U/SA shootout as part of your event. we simply need to be paired and laddered for class eliminations, and a close proximity for pit space is pretty cool too last time we had a cookout and bourbon sampling.

i am working on sponsor money and so far i've got $200 up for class champion already(last two total purses added up to $4000+)...anyway "it's on"

captain jack
jmccarthy@sasfe.com

p.s. would like to thank bob shaw for his support and wish him well in T/SA

[Michael Beard]

Sounds good to me, Jack. Thank you for your interest and support!