I hate the direction racing is heading

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Seems like all the big $$ races the majority of racers are doubled entered anymore. I get the purpose and benefit of buybacks from the promotor/track stand point. I'm guessing some promotors figure a certain % of racers will buy back so they may base their payouts on that, but on a normal race day if the pay is based off 1st round car count and everyone buys back and it doesn't change the payout, all that is, is $ in the tracks pocket. I don't care who you are, the more passes you make the better chance you have. The sport is growing more from a working man sport to who wants to shell out the most $$ for entries, etc. I say do away with double entries and buybacks and have a 2nd chance race. Wonder the last time a big $ race was won buy a single entry non buy back?
They have a no buy back and no double entry race coming up soon at Montgomery Motorsports Park in Montgomery, AL. Come and race with us.
 

Not nocking that flyer, but that seems to be the new norm for some places. They advertise a nice/decent winner purchase, but that's about it. I'd personally rather have a smaller winner purse and distribute the funds to more racers, but seems a lot of racers focus on the winner purse #, until they go 4-5 rounds and don't get squat, than they get all PO'd.
I look at it like this. The guy is guaranteeing his purse. And for the amount that he is guaranteeing for $100 entry fee it's way more than fair. I personally never split it up. But lots of racers do. People are always complaining about tracks closing. This guy is going out and securing sponsors so that he can guarantee that payout. I for one will be trying to support him. And be thankful that he is providing me a place to do what I love.
 
Guess I am lucky. I know my skill level and liabilities.
I am blind in one eye, and am footbraking against trans brake users with usually adjustable buttons, strictly no box racing.
it’s a definite handicap, or bringing a knife to a gunfight., however you want to look at it.
I sometimes do some damage, sometimes I don’t. but I rarely win, been 3 years since I won a race.
So, the last thing I am gonna throw my money away on is a big dollar race with high entry fees. It’s very unlikely I am not going to get in the money, and it ties up time that is valuable to me. 4 days away, gas, hotels, being away from work( haven’t retired yet)
so I focus on Mopar events, local races, and the rest of the time on the boat on the lake with the wife. At the end of the day only one guy is gonna win, and it most often isn’t gonna be me, try as I might.
I am very competitive, and this allows me to compete, take some scalps sometimes, but yet be realistic enough to know what I honestly can and can’t do.
 
If my car is running it's number and I lose 1st round because I do something stupid I will buy back, because I'm not that good and I need every chance I can get! I haven't gone more than 3 rounds this year with the new motor and it is always my fault not the cars. It sounds like I need more practice, so yeah I'll buy back but I would have to start winning local races before I would spend more than 100 bucks on an entry fee in footbrake.
 
If my car is running it's number and I lose 1st round because I do something stupid I will buy back, because I'm not that good and I need every chance I can get! I haven't gone more than 3 rounds this year with the new motor and it is always my fault not the cars. It sounds like I need more practice, so yeah I'll buy back but I would have to start winning local races before I would spend more than 100 bucks on an entry fee in footbrake.


I look at it this way too. I don’t attend hardly any test n tune nights because track prep and street cars one after another doesn’t give me the info I need. Also I have a routine with alcohol that usually prevents me from making the first pass of the evening. So I usually get two passes. Once again between track prep on test n tune nights and dew moving in on many late nights I’m usually a spectator for the last round or two. So for 30.00 if I need to hop back in I’m doing so on most race days. Especially with gas prices towing to the track. Between off weeks and special events at our track I’m forced to seek races in Ohio if I want to race every week. Which I do.
 
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Made me wonder. Why not have all the people who lose 1st round race each other so on and so forth? Practical? Kind of a second chance to race others who lost and keep them separate from original group
 
Made me wonder. Why not have all the people who lose 1st round race each other so on and so forth? Practical? Kind of a second chance to race others who lost and keep them separate from original group

They tried that at our track and the payout was too low. People just loaded up and went home.
 
Made me wonder. Why not have all the people who lose 1st round race each other so on and so forth? Practical? Kind of a second chance to race others who lost and keep them separate from original group
I'm in favor of that. I've seen it done at 1 or 2 tracks. They call it the buyback round, happens before 2nd round. Something else I've seen is to have a 2nd race for people who are out that starts after 3rd round. Much lower payout but better than nothing. No buybacks and you pay a separate entry fee. If you drove a long way and spent a lot of money, you would probably want the chance to go down the track a few more times.
Hell, I race on Sundays in a series called the Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge (TMCCC). There is no $$ for winning, just the fun of doing your sport and maybe some braggin rights. It is done on Sundays and there are no buybacks. Numerous street classes and 2 classes for regular racers. It's a lot of fun. Sunday the 26th we're at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, so you get to run down some pretty good venues, too!
 
Made me wonder. Why not have all the people who lose 1st round race each other so on and so forth? Practical? Kind of a second chance to race others who lost and keep them separate from original group
Lots of races pit the buy back cars against each other for a couple of rounds.
 
No matter what you think of Nascar. They do a better job at supporting regional and local tracks than NHRA/IHRA. So any "Out of the box" ideas is welcomed. The monies is still too top heavy in Drag Racing. Which is contributing to reductions in tracks.

Once my car is where I'm happy. I like watching test & tunes and even qualifying from the stands. I began getting discouraged when index Racing began using throttle stops to regulate their elapsed times. Who wants to watch that?

There are a number of troubling signs we can all point too for discouragement. And I wish I had a magic answer. But if I was the owner of a small track? I would go more viral. Have a cyber talk and interview crew work the crowd and the pits. With today's bandwidths on 5g networks you can even have it interactive with logged in users all over the world. Adding virtual advertising sponsorship?

Again, just throwing out ideas.
 
No matter what you think of Nascar. They do a better job at supporting regional and local tracks than NHRA/IHRA. So any "Out of the box" ideas is welcomed. The monies is still too top heavy in Drag Racing. Which is contributing to reductions in tracks.

Once my car is where I'm happy. I like watching test & tunes and even qualifying from the stands. I began getting discouraged when index Racing began using throttle stops to regulate their elapsed times. Who wants to watch that?

There are a number of troubling signs we can all point too for discouragement. And I wish I had a magic answer. But if I was the owner of a small track? I would go more viral. Have a cyber talk and interview crew work the crowd and the pits. With today's bandwidths on 5g networks you can even have it interactive with logged in users all over the world. Adding virtual advertising sponsorship?

Again, just throwing out ideas.


Not to the extent you are talking about but we have Glenn our videographer that goes live before every race and test n tune. During the jet truck, funny car type of shows he often goes live, and he always posts up the finals from jr dragsters to box class on Facebook every week with a lot of crazy funny winners circle videos. He even made up a YouTube video for beginner racers so they know what to expect. Between him and our photographer well are truly blessed.
 
No matter what you think of Nascar. They do a better job at supporting regional and local tracks than NHRA/IHRA. So any "Out of the box" ideas is welcomed. The monies is still too top heavy in Drag Racing. Which is contributing to reductions in tracks.

Once my car is where I'm happy. I like watching test & tunes and even qualifying from the stands. I began getting discouraged when index Racing began using throttle stops to regulate their elapsed times. Who wants to watch that?

There are a number of troubling signs we can all point too for discouragement. And I wish I had a magic answer. But if I was the owner of a small track? I would go more viral. Have a cyber talk and interview crew work the crowd and the pits. With today's bandwidths on 5g networks you can even have it interactive with logged in users all over the world. Adding virtual advertising sponsorship?

Again, just throwing out ideas.


Just a YouTube sample.

https://youtube.com/@keystoneracewaypark2653
 
Not to the extent you are talking about but we have Glenn our videographer that goes live before every race and test n tune. During the jet truck, funny car type of shows he often goes live, and he always posts up the finals from jr dragsters to box class on Facebook every week with a lot of crazy funny winners circle videos. He even made up a YouTube video for beginner racers so they know what to expect. Between him and our photographer well are truly blessed.
As nearly all ideas I've ever had. Someone has already done. Lol. But I was thinking more real-time. Almost like a TV broadcast. But live on the internet. (Obviously lower "Grassroots" type production quality)

I've seen simular. But after the facts. A live Pod cast if one would? That's interactive. Where even Pros can join from their locations to interact with local and regional racers via the internet. (With racer consent of course.)

It would also be much lower production costs.
 
As nearly all ideas I've ever had. Someone has already done. Lol. But I was thinking more real-time. Almost like a TV broadcast. But live on the internet. (Obviously lower "Grassroots" type production quality)

I've seen simular. But after the facts. A live Pod cast if one would? That's interactive. Where even Pros can join from their locations to interact with local and regional racers via the internet. (With racer consent of course.)

It would also be much lower production costs.


Big money bracket race on the internet right now with round by round action. Lots of the ones I enter are online.
 
I'm still thinking small tracks and venues. My 2 test and tune tracks never have any production. Now our big track? B.I.R (Brainerd Int Raceway) Whole different animal.

It may be a day late and a dollar short. (Wouldn't be the first, or probably last.) But to start something small. One can only look to small events.
 
Just race for the trophy and be happy.
I pissed more money away towing the kids on skis then we ever did racing cars or bikes.
 
I'm still thinking small tracks and venues. My 2 test and tune tracks never have any production. Now our big track? B.I.R (Brainerd Int Raceway) Whole different animal.

It may be a day late and a dollar short. (Wouldn't be the first, or probably last.) But to start something small. One can only look to small events.


You have to have guys that love working for peanuts or nothing, 12 hours plus on their legs, hot, humid, stinky days, and a good wife. Our videographer’s wife has stepped in for him. Our photographer is known statewide for his work in all areas.
 
I wished I raced for nothing. That would mean I broke even.

If I won every weekend from now until I die and never spent another penny I might (MAYBE) would come close to breaking even. Maybe.


I’m set up as a business so it helps. Lots of paperwork but it’s worth it. I’m going to race anyway. I’ve never smoked, never in a casino, don’t play the lottery, quit hunting, quit looking for girls, quit buying girls drinks, just about quit buying myself drinks, and I don’t buy fancy clothes. Guns, bullets, tools, and racing stuff I still buy.
 
You have to have guys that love working for peanuts or nothing, 12 hours plus on their legs, hot, humid, stinky days, and a good wife. Our videographer’s wife has stepped in for him. Our photographer is known statewide for his work in all areas.
Good point
 
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