EXTEREMELY SIMPLE CONCEPT

[raceannouncer]

Simple answer to most discussions up here recently:  IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO RACE (for whatever reason: gas/diesel race fuel prices too high, entry fee, low payouts, THEN DON'T RACE!!! Same thing goes for other things rules package, dislike of management,track layout & conditions) DON'T RACE--no one is forcing anyone to race--it's your choice!  If you wanna play. you gots to pay! I keep asking the same question over and over when I read topics like this and that is:  "Where did the silly notion come from that you should be able to make money by competing at local tracks???(shakin' my head") I STILL get NO sensible, reasonable answer!

[Gomerpyle]

Nobody forces  Raceguy to golf, but he keeps trying.

[kt]

I repeat, telling the racers to stay home is not a good idea.....Too many of us have already made that choice.......just sayin'

[dirttrackrocker]

I am going to have to agree here.. For those of you that Golf, Hunt, Fish, Ski, etc. How much money do you have wrapped up in your equipment? How much did your last outing cost you? Did anyone pay you when you got back based on your performance?  NO!!  Racing is an expensive hobby, be thankful that there are sponsors out there that help out and the racetracks actually pay something back. I can't think of any other hobby that does that.

[itchypav]

Racing = expensive hobby
Cost - winnings = loss
Time at the track = (usually) fun.
Belief in making money = pipe dream.

[Jamesgang]

I repeat, telling the racers to stay home is not a good idea.....Too many of us have already made that choice.......just sayin'

That ain't no ***** either.  Telling a guy who has his whole life invested (Time, Money, time away from family, parties, weddings, fights with Wives on the cost and the time spent, where most friends are made and lost.  Where the cost could send your entire family on vacation together in the SUMMER time) Is not a good move.

The list goes on and on.  The money COULD be spent anywhere.  It's spent on this.

[PEEWEE]

WENT TO PLAY DARTS ON SATURDAY MADE 500.00  DARTS COST 80.00 7 YRS AGO

[bbbr]

Mike, 

I think the last thing a moderator of this forum needs to do is encourage people who own race cars to stay home.  This forum, if I understood correctly, once was for the betterment of local racing.  Discussing issues, such as purses, costs of racing, the business of motorsports, etc. is exactly what this place was intended to do.

Occasionally people have opinions that don't agree with each other.  There is NOTHING wrong with that.  However, the attitude you seem to have taken with your comments and moderation lately is one of "take whatever the speedway says and eat it" or otherwise just shut up.  You are not promoting dialogue at all.

No one is racing on the local level to make money.  I don't think there is one racer here who is.  It boils down to how much money are you going to lose and trying to keep that loss reasonable enough to continue to put the car on the track and provide some entertainment to fans.  If there aren't race cars on the track, there aren't fans in the stands.  No fans in the stands, we have shopping malls instead of race tracks.  That simple.   

[yeck22]

This is going to be funny when Race Announcer has to lock down a thread he started! lol

[Openwheeler]

Nobody expects to make money racing locally if you do you need to get your head checked but getting gouged all the time and the mentality tracks have of since there is no fans we have to make more money through the gate is the reason many of us don't race anymore and if you give a racer a reason to take a summer off from racing and he can see that there is actually other fun stuff that's a lot less stressful out there then you will lose them for life.

[cheezfriez]

not a very smart post mike

[oldguy]

Rule #1.  Have fun.
Rule #2.  Refer to rule #1.

I can hear Mike's frustration with every complaint about racing.

All the whining, complaining, and general frustration is within all of us.  I try not to get caught up in the negative.

See Rule #1.

[moselli]

This thread is certain to get a lot of responses.  Might as well put mine in....

The cost of racing that Mike brought out is like the crazy uncle that lives in an upstairs bedroom at your home and everyone knows he's there, but if we ignore him and don't talk about him, maybe he won't exist.  Unfortunately, sooner or later, we need to deal with the crazy uncle (cost of racing).

Let's face it, technology has changed racing and there is a cost for technology.  Each class of racing and each form of racing - dirt and asphalt - has a premium cost in order to compete and move up in class.  Many if not all racers aspire to move up to the highest levels and compete against the best drivers.  Not all have the economic means to do so, but try anyway and soon find themselves broke.

For some, racing is an addiction and the habit needs to be supported at any cost.  For some, racing is a hobby and is balanced with other things in life.  As the middle class in this country continues to get squeezed with less disposable income and the cost of fielding a competitive racecar increases, we are going to see fewer cars at the local tracks.  Unfortunate situation, but reality none the less.

Ultimately it is not necessary to tell someone to stay home and not race.  When the car needs repairs, tires or a new motor and there is no money, it's a done deal.....

Regards,

Moselli

[Shamrock 3x]

Attaboys for bbbr and Moselli....and shame on our moderator for even starting such an unnecessary and mean spirited thread!

[Casper60]

Here is another extremely simple concept Paz...

Most of us understand we're not in it to make money. At the same time we try to minimize our losses so we can keep coming back every week to get beat up by the promoters at the back gate and put a show on for the fans that pay to see us race. Telling people to stay home is not a wise idea when tracks are already struggling with car counts and the stands aren't as full as they used to be.

You are one of the few people involved in racing who MADE money. Since you can't do that anymore, why not put your car owner hat on and come see how it is on this side of the fence.