Erica pulls out of Sonoma & Seattle

[rlytch]

The sad thing is in the pro categories you can win races and be #1 in the points and the purses are so bad (compared to ex. NASCAR) that you still can't afford to race. Even the sportsman purses are near the same as it was when I was a kid watching my father race. Impressed with what she has accomplished on the ELITE team's budget.

[SSDiv6]

Purchasing a ticket to an NHRA national event is not a guarantee to see a specific racer like a concert. It is not a single person's show.

[Superfan1]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

I find it really amusing that people suddenly decide it is Erica's fault, and/or they are no longer fans, because the guy who owns her car and team feels he cannot afford to run every race.

Alan, I agree with you completely.

[FINESPLINE]

Originally Posted by FireSail

At 16 races per year that's 1.2 million per season, which is about right. That's a tax write off to some degree for a sponsor.

Dale

And I guess you believe the politicians and the news that the economy is getting better by the day. There is not a lot of corporate money available to fund the high end racers. If you don't have it to front the effort , you can't write it off.

[FireSale]

Originally Posted by FINESPLINE

And I guess you believe the politicians and the news that the economy is getting better by the day. There is not a lot of corporate money available to fund the high end racers. If you don't have it to front the effort , you can't write it off.

What I mean is that money spent by a company on name bearing racing operations is a tax deduction as advertising expenses. IE: Lowes and Dewalt in NASCAR. The cars are billboards. If Elite, Summit and Jegs don't write off some of their racing expenses then they need new accountants.

Dale

[SSGT Mustang]

My father used to say to me: "Son, you need to make enough money, to spend enough money, to write off that money."

Surely, Elite (and Erica Enders-Stevens) has decided to miss the race just to piss people off.......

[FireSale]

Originally Posted by SSGT Mustang

My father used to say to me: "Son, you need to make enough money, to spend enough money, to write off that money."

Surely, Elite (and Erica Enders-Stevens) has decided to miss the race just to piss people off.......

Racers sometimes pass on part or all of the Western Swing because the travel from Denver to Sonoma and up to Seattle followed by a run to the East Coast with only a week off is a bit much. I'm sure the engine folks don't care for all the challenges either. No air one race, sea level the next and lots of oxygen and some unpredictable moisture for the last.

Dale

[SSGT Mustang]

I was being sarcastic.

I think that it's fair to say that money is in (relative) short supply for most, and with no durable recovery in sight, those with discretionary money don't want to squander it if they don't have to. I wouldn't even guess about the financials of the folks who fund that team, but if I were a bettin' man, I would say that ROI and spend forecasting (for the rest of the season, next year, etc) have a lot to do with how they determine their racing schedule.

To your point, the added cost to cover the Western Swing (time and money) probably doesn't help matters much.

[The Hawk]

Congrats Erica and team Freeman on your 2014 Pro Stock Championship!

[SSGN]

Looks like she has proven herself and etched her name in history books, great job! When my girls raced jrs Erica was there favorite racer and we were always treated like a friend by her when we met at the races.

Kevin