Trends In Our Sport

Gary Smith · 11-21-2013, 11:16 PM

Forgive me for thinking out loud & sharing this, but lately I've not been able to get this out of my mind... Has anyone done, or know of gathered data for the following metrics:

New racers, by category, class, state, city
Parked racers (same criteria)
Racers who've sold off operation (same criteria)

Also:

New race tracks (state, city)
Track closure (state, city)
Operating tracks (state, city)
- Basic revenue data (profit - loss)

I'd be curious how drastic the changes would look in graph format over a 50 year period.

Bret Kepner · 11-22-2013, 04:10 PM

Gary, I can give you a sixty-five year "track report", (and I may be the only one who can).

No matter how many people want to argue it, the fact remains the sport has had roughly, (plus or minus five percent), the same amount of dragstrips operating at any given time between 1955 and 2013.

It's a fact; I've spent most of my life gathering proof.

James Perrone · 11-22-2013, 04:17 PM

Thanks Bret...the sky isn't falling..!

JHeath · 11-22-2013, 04:18 PM

Thanks, Bret!!!

Bill Howell · 11-22-2013, 04:33 PM

That is amazing. Do you have a record of just the ones in South Carolina? There are a few newer ones, but it just seems like a lot of them are gone, especially the ones closest to me.

Bret Kepner · 11-22-2013, 04:42 PM

Bill. most people can only see the past in one dimension. A state may have been home to seventy tracks over a sixty-five year period but the most important fact is they weren't all open at ONCE!

Even when viewed by decade, the number stays amazingly constant.

ALMACK · 11-22-2013, 05:06 PM

Interesting.

rawhide · 11-22-2013, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Howell

That is amazing. Do you have a record of just the ones in South Carolina? There are a few newer ones, but it just seems like a lot of them are gone, especially the ones closest to me.

Bill,
I can reference to 25 different dragstrips in SC.
thanks, Roland

Mike Gray · 11-22-2013, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bret Kepner

Bill. most people can only see the past in one dimension. A state may have been home to seventy tracks over a sixty-five year period but the most important fact is they weren't all open at ONCE!

Even when viewed by decade, the number stays amazingly constant.

Except in "California"

k.pascoe · 11-22-2013, 06:07 PM

Bret also knows in his home state the 3 drag strips in the last couple years have closed, and no new ones have been built.

11-21-2013, 11:16 PM	#1
Gary Smith Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 820 Likes: 9 Liked 132 Times in 30 Posts	Trends In Our Sport Forgive me for thinking out loud & sharing this, but lately I've not been able to get this out of my mind... Has anyone done, or know of gathered data for the following metrics: New racers, by category, class, state, city Parked racers (same criteria) Racers who've sold off operation (same criteria) Also: New race tracks (state, city) Track closure (state, city) Operating tracks (state, city) Basic revenue data (profit - loss) I'd be curious how drastic the changes would look in graph format over a 50 year period. __________________ Gary Smith "another broke racer spectating"

11-22-2013, 04:10 PM	#2
Bret Kepner Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA Posts: 418 Likes: 1 Liked 11 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Trends In Our Sport Gary, I can give you a sixty-five year "track report", (and I may be the only one who can). No matter how many people want to argue it, the fact remains the sport has had roughly, (plus or minus five percent), the same amount of dragstrips operating at any given time between 1955 and 2013. It's a fact; I've spent most of my life gathering proof. __________________ Bret Kepner BRETKEPNER@Prodigy.net Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

11-22-2013, 04:17 PM	#3
James Perrone VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: LONG ISLAND N.Y. Posts: 1,671 Likes: 3,359 Liked 1,804 Times in 422 Posts	Re: Trends In Our Sport Thanks Bret...the sky isn't falling..! __________________ james perrone 1290 STK

11-22-2013, 04:18 PM	#4
JHeath Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 786 Likes: 2,876 Liked 370 Times in 101 Posts	Re: Trends In Our Sport Thanks, Bret!!! __________________ Jerry Heath I/S '93 Cobra FS/J 2010 Mustang "Ebay CJ"

11-22-2013, 04:33 PM	#5
Bill Howell Sponsor Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Aiken, SC Posts: 315 Likes: 28 Liked 218 Times in 61 Posts	Re: Trends In Our Sport That is amazing. Do you have a record of just the ones in South Carolina? There are a few newer ones, but it just seems like a lot of them are gone, especially the ones closest to me. __________________ Bill Howell 2059 STK

11-22-2013, 04:42 PM	#6
Bret Kepner Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Saint Louis, Missouri, USA Posts: 418 Likes: 1 Liked 11 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Trends In Our Sport Bill. most people can only see the past in one dimension. A state may have been home to seventy tracks over a sixty-five year period but the most important fact is they weren't all open at ONCE! Even when viewed by decade, the number stays amazingly constant. __________________ Bret Kepner BRETKEPNER@Prodigy.net Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

11-22-2013, 05:06 PM	#7
ALMACK VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Bardstown, KY Posts: 1,937 Likes: 131 Liked 369 Times in 127 Posts	Re: Trends In Our Sport Interesting. __________________ Alan Mackin Stock 3777/ SS 3377 P/SA & SS/PA Fox Thunderbird I/PS '95 Mustang GT

11-22-2013, 06:07 PM	#10
k.pascoe Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Fenton, Missouri Posts: 107 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Trends In Our Sport Bret also knows in his home state the 3 drag strips in the last couple years have closed, and no new ones have been built.