It is not just the price of a big block, per se, because guys are still calling CC and Doug at Finger Lakes and Billy The Kid. The issue with Rolling Wheels stems from rumors of bounced checks, lack of safety crew, and social media shenanigans. The crew that worked their a$$es off for Thursday's show may not be there next week, and it's hard to take it seriously. I think Jason Palmer has his heart in the right place, but he doesn't seem to understand that you have to prepare for events of the magnitude he sees them as.
This race was postponed twice by rain, and had advertising done, but didn't get any PR until Craig Decker stepped in. I can tell you for a fact that guy busted his B@LLS Thursday night, along with Pat Jordan and Greg Hixson, and should be given credit for a well-run show (except redrawing over half the field. That's still got some people trying to figure that out).
The September show last year with 165 cars kind of gave Jason the impression that that amount of cars would show up each time. It's hard on teams racing 4 or 5 days in a row, and that's what it would have been for guys who follow the Series - Tues, Weds SDS races; Thursday Wheels; Fri, Sat, Sun regular weekly racing. Plus Mohawk had a make up race Thursday so you lost guys like Fuller, Terrance, Maresca who may have come just for the money.
I see the Reaper's Harvest event being successful with a date change - right now it's up against Outlaw Speedway's Fall Nationals weekend. Even a move to Sunday, September 24th may be better. The next weekend is Outlaw Weekend at Fulton, and then we roll right into Super DIRT Week.