Does anybody really care?

[Bruce Noland]

Originally Posted by rognelson777

Wow, how soon we forget, Nhra national events, better schedule for racers implemented 2 years ago so at most events, 2 round of stock is not run sunday at 7pm. Text messages when you are called to the lanes at divisional and national events. National event Sportsman winners at most events interviewed in front of the fans in the stands between pro semis and finals.
Advance cancellation of events when weather is a problem instead of we are going to try to get race in.

Live timing for divsional events.

Added factory stock super stock classes when new cars were quote ruining class racing.

Have payouts increased, no but I also have not seen drastic increase in entry fees the last few years while all other costs have gone up, looked at your electric bill lately, how about your insurance bill?.

Unfortunately handicap dial in racing does not draw fans and bring in sponsor money because there is no need to go faster, it is only to be consistent with the occasional heads up race. Enjoy what you have now.

Can you please tell us what all these wonderful perks are worth?

[Dale Rethke]

It's funny how people still cry about payouts and costs of racing all the time.
Have you looked around the pits and seen what people use to get there?
Not too many open trailers???

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by Dale Rethke

It's funny how people still cry about payouts and costs of racing all the time.
Have you looked around the pits and seen what people use to get there?
Not too many open trailers???

That's a good point ,Dale , but like I said earlier, those folks just haven't run out of money or credit yet.
God bless my friends that can still do that, but it can't sustain with the current situation in our government.
Ask Dan, Mark, Joe Jr. and a few more how hard it is to do this professionally.
Better yet, ask Michael Beard. We wins often, with a bare bones operation, but still uses other sources for income.
There are a few independent promoters that could sustain Sportsman racing, in the right venues and locations, but people or going to have to forsake the Wally thing, or go down with the ship...in my opinion.

[James Perrone]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

That's a good point ,Dale , but like I said earlier, those folks just haven't run out of money or credit yet.
God bless my friends that can still do that, but it can't sustain with the current situation in our government.
Ask Dan, Mark, Joe Jr. and a few more how hard it is to do this professionally.
Better yet, ask Michael Beard. We wins often, with a bare bones operation, but still uses other sources for income.
There are a few independent promoters that could sustain Sportsman racing, in the right venues and locations, but people or going to have to forsake the Wally thing, or go down with the ship...in my opinion.

Let's be real all of us are doing cause we love it.why is the motorhomes such a jealousy factor ?we are all wasting our money we don't have? Are you kidding? Why throw stones .if you race to get rich your an idiot .mike beard makes his money promoting races.sort of like Nhra. Reading this stuff is pathetic

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Dale Rethke

It's funny how people still cry about payouts and costs of racing all the time.
Have you looked around the pits and seen what people use to get there?
Not too many open trailers???

With all due respect, and I believe whole heartedly that you are entitled to your opinion, but exactly what does that have to do with anything?

Seriously.

That's like trying to argue that the payout should be based on how much money and/or property the winner has.

Really, race rigs have nothing at all to do with payouts vs. the actual cost of racing.

Facts are facts, every single thing used to actually race a car has gone up considerably in the last 15 years, some stuff as much as 100% or more. So have the fees NHRA charges.

Yet NHRA has not increased the purse for over a decade, and their policies have forced most potential contingency sponsors to refuse to be involved in the contingency program. Not to mention what NHRA spends on salaries and perks. While they pay the personnel (tech people, track crew, safety crew, etc) who actually make the races possible a mere pittance.

Really, the "look how much you have, why are you complaining?" argument is why we are where we are (that's as far as I'll go with "politics" out of respect for Ken and his rules). Again, I respect you and your opinion, and believe you are absolutely entitled to your opinion. But I vehemently disagree with the reasoning behind it.

No doubt the economy actually is really bad. Trust me when I say it has really hit home for some of us. But NHRA has simply followed a horrific business model for every thing they do for every part of the sport, and that is the single biggest reason the stands are empty, and the pits are starting to get that way. They've been on a short sighted, short term, immediate bottom line plan for a long time, and the result speaks for itself.

[Dale Rethke]

Who said race rigs had anything to do with payouts??
It's hard to listen to people crying about the payout not being enough when you pull through the gate with the stuff they do now.
It is the same way in dirt track racing as their payout is crap but the haulers keep getting bigger all the time.
So money should not be an issue to many the way it looks

How many racers didn't know the payout before they bought their race rigs?

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Dale Rethke

Who said race rigs had anything to do with payouts??
It's hard to listen to people crying about the payout not being enough when you pull through the gate with the stuff they do now.
It is the same way in dirt track racing as their payout is crap but the haulers keep getting bigger all the time.
So money should not be an issue to many the way it looks

How many racers didn't know the payout before they bought their race rigs?

It looks like you answered your first question with the last two sentences in your own post. And the answer is YOU.

You are absolutely making the argument that it is perfectly acceptable to make the payout inversely proportional to the amount of money someone spends on their tow rig. That's completely absurd.

[Dale Rethke]

How do you figure that?
If you have a problem with the payout why would you spend so much doing it if it money was a problem for you.
If you think you race for the money you better think again.

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Dale Rethke

How do you figure that?
If you have a problem with the payout why would you spend so much doing it if it money was a problem for you.
If you think you race for the money you better think again.

Who said we race for money? Although I do have friends that do.

Again, that has nothing to do with it. Leave the rig out of it, the rig does not matter, either.

Once again, you're making the argument that it is okay to treat people poorly, and take advantage of them, if they let you, and especially if they have money. That's an absolutely fabulous position by the way, you should be very proud of it. (It's also evidently a great business model for a "non profit" organization supposedly dedicated to the racers).

The cost of parts has gone up. The cost of race fuel has gone up. The cost of labor has gone up. The cost of supplies (oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, etc) has gone up. The entry fee has gone up. The other fess have gone up. The salaries of NHRA executives has gone up. The only things that have not gone up? The purse, and the contingency payout.

Like I said, you're entitled to your opinion, and I think I'll just leave you to it.

[Terry Knott]

Originally Posted by Dale Rethke

Who said race rigs had anything to do with payouts??
It's hard to listen to people crying about the payout not being enough when you pull through the gate with the stuff they do now.
It is the same way in dirt track racing as their payout is crap but the haulers keep getting bigger all the time.
So money should not be an issue to many the way it looks

How many racers didn't know the payout before they bought their race rigs?

USUALLY,(not always) the same people that complain about payouts are the same ones who have $250,000 plus in the motor/toter home+trailer. Back in 2005 I remember walking by a really nice rig at a IHRA race in Milan,MI. and the owner/driver was bitching about paying $500.00 for a set of slicks and Barbara said "Is he serious!!....maybe he should sell his Showhauler".
Anyway, this thread seemed to drift off the original topic so I digress......