I'm confused about IHRA's Sportsman friendliness

[novassdude]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

A purse needs to not only pay for itself, but also produce a net percentage. At 40 cars, you're asking the promoters to take an additional hit of $2,400 to $2,700 per class, close to $13,000 per event. In order to keep the net percentage of the typical SS car count, it would require roughly 80 cars in Super Stock to pay the same purse as T/S, in which case you would also have to make it to the 4th round before receiving any money. 80 cars. And that's for $2,500 to win. To really draw cars, does it need to be $5K/win or $10K/win? Now what do those numbers have to be?

With your example of A purse needs to pay for itself, but also produce a net percentage. How can you justify the TS pay out. From the numbers at that race they were far from paying for them self's let alone putting any thing into the tracks pocket. I really think that is the point that Gary is trying to make.

[THE LEGEND]

Gary,
What you need to understand is in 2011 T/S and T/D are paert of "THE SHOW" and SS is not. Top Fuel only had 2 cars at PBIR. I bet their payout was more than SS too. Guess what it's part of "THE SHOW".

What you need to realize is
a) SS gets paid well for a 3 or 4 rd race. With contingency most winners can leave there with $5,000.
b) With Qualifying on race day you only have to be there 1 day.
c) If car counts don't increase we won't be having this conversation. Our next one will go something like this: Remember the Good Ole Days when IHRA had SS and MODIFIED.
Part of this has already happened.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by THE LEGEND

Gary,
What you need to understand is in 2011 T/S and T/D are paert of "THE SHOW" and SS is not. Top Fuel only had 2 cars at PBIR. I bet their payout was more than SS too. Guess what it's part of "THE SHOW".

What you need to realize is
a) SS gets paid well for a 3 or 4 rd race. With contingency most winners can leave there with $5,000.
b) With Qualifying on race day you only have to be there 1 day.
c) If car counts don't increase we won't be having this conversation. Our next one will go something like this: Remember the Good Ole Days when IHRA had SS and MODIFIED.
Part of this has already happened.

You hit the nail right on the head there big boy. In time we wont have to worry about any one with a stocker or S/S running IHRA. Then all of you will start crying when your taking it up the shorts with more and more enhancements.

[mjacquesjr]

Hagan check out the IHRA website under, Racers don’t miss out on the most fun and exciting race of the season at Mardi Gras Nitro Jam, You've got ink http://www.ihra.com/article/7300.html

[Michael Beard]

With 14 cars, you win 4 rounds, you make $4K-$5K. Dude, that looks like a paycheck! (Not to mention it qualifies you for a free entry $10K to win + contingency race) You should be able to win a 4-round race by accident. What does 4 rounds get you anywhere else?

IHRA pays back a much higher percentage of the gate than NHRA. By asking for a T/S purse, you increase that rate substantially. I understand supply and demand, and I know what you're getting at is that $2K net would be better than $300 net, despite the dramatically lower ROI % net, but...
1) With the existing purse and 40 cars, net is $4,500. They're going to want to try cheaper ways to draw cars first. It would take 62 cars to reach the same $4,500 absolute net, and 80 cars to reach the same % net.
2) Raise the purse at low car count nationals, and you have to raise it at successful nationals, too. Explain to those tracks that THEY have to take a $10K hit.
3) You really think an extra $1,000/win is going to draw 26 more cars? It's already been done, and failed. Remember this from last summer?
"Think we had 32 entries total on Friday, around 20 Stockers each day, so that leaves about a dozen SS cars. ....Now, where were the other 100 cars that should've been there?"
S/SS, $200 total weekend entry, a $5,000 to win and two $2,000 to win races, at Belle Rose, by all accounts a favored NHRA facility. People have to break their dependence on NHRA. Until they do, promoters have no reason to trust that people will show up, regardless of the carrot.

$10K S/SS races sound great, but require huge fields to cover the track rental, let alone make any money -- and that's even with significantly lower overhead than a sanctioning body. (See "3" above) It's easy to gamble with other people's money.

How can you justify the TS pay out.

You can't, from a self-sustaining standpoint, and no one has argued otherwise. They are akin to TA/D and TA/FC, which make even less 'cents'. But again, that's a whole separate discussion.

[fredjohnston]

I can claim $2300 in contingency at a "Nitro Jam" event and $400 at the "Pro-AM" events.

I hope the check at the payout is large $ !

[THE LEGEND]

Fred you need to upgrade your parts list.

Examples
Accel Wires cost less than $75 will get you $300
RJS Belts cost less than $70 will get you $300
M/T and Hoosier will get you $300
Pick a cam and Convertor/Trans
The list goes on.

I can get $3900 right now

Support the sponsors that support us.
Chip

[X-TECH MAN]

you can NEVER get these guys to believe any of it. They expect the same sponsors that pay in NHRA to be the same sponsors that IHRA has. Like Legend said you need to update your parts and decal list if you goung to run IHRA. Its all a moot point as you STILL have to WIN to get anything and I dont remember any on here bitching being in a winners circle lately.

[Ed Wright]

Legend, at a div race exactly who is watching the SHOW? The stands are empty.

[Michael Beard]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

Legend, at a div race exactly who is watching the SHOW? The stands are empty.

This is an issue in both sanctioning bodies. Just because tracks fail to promote their events does not mean that there is not a show to be seen. Several years ago, Mooresville bothered to spend $2K on radio and sold 1,500 1-day passes on that Sunday alone, at $20/head. Don't know what they did for promotion, but we had a great crowd at Union County's Pro-Am last year. Norwalk chooses a different scheme, and its results are legendary. One thing's for sure: No promotion, no spectators.
"Your Mileage May Vary"