[TheGhostOfOpperman]

Why do fans care about racing business that has nothing to do with them?

[Mud Packer]

If memory serves me correctly, two years ago LPS was rained out on Thursday night of ISW and rescheduled for Sunday night. The bashing of Joe Spiker and LPS was pretty intense and many fans thought they called it too soon and/or were upset that the makeup date was Sunday and they couldn't make it back for the race. Those are the only folks that lost money?

Last year Tri State was rained out of ISW and the track with the million dollar John Deere equipment was bashed because they couldn't get the track race ready and didn't have a make up date. Tom Helfrich was the bum on that occasion. Imagine that he couldn't pull off a miracle just so the fans wouldn't be inconvienced. Who lost money on that night?

Moving forward to this year, Dave Rudisell is taking the heat. It could also happen to any other track for that matter. Simply put, the promoter just can't win no matter what happens.

Fact #1-Indiana hosts a lot of racing events at many, many tracks around the state. Most of the rain check policies are similar and the vast majority are NO CASH REFUNDS. Tickets/wristbands are good for a certain length of time. If you don't know that by this time, you certainly don't go the races very often.

Fact #2-Indiana has some rather diverse weather and it does occasionally rain here. Much to the disappointment of the car owners, drivers, promoters and fans, rain sometimes happens on race night. As fans we can sometimes lose money due to the rain check policy. HOWEVER, last I checked, no where in life are we gauranteed that everything will be fair. Sometimes we will lose out on a night of racing and not be able to make it back for the makeup. Let the pity party begin.

Fact #3-No matter what you think, you have no idea what it takes to promote a speedway and the time and effort it takes to plan and execute a "big" show like ISW. With that being said, rain isn't a friend of the promoter and he doesn't reap a huge reward from a cancellation. They lose money that can never be regained. They have a business plan that only they can know if and how they can work to reschedule an event. One thing to add that I haven't seen so far is that it was still raining this morning when we left Lawrenceburg. Rudy didn't have the opportunity to "seal" the track last night and right now it is raining there with more on the way. How would that reschedule look now?

Solution for fans. As a fan you have a couple of options. Option #1-Look at the weather reports and make the best call you can that fits your budget and needs. If you can't afford to chance a rainout and/or don't think you can make a reschedule; you need to stay at home and whine to all who will listen to you there. Fair weather fans don't see a lot of shows in Indiana. Remember, it does rain in Indiana.

Option #2-Look at the weather forecasts and make the call that no matter what, I am going to be at the race track. If this is your choice, don't complain about losing the opportunity to see a race. You will be rained out at some point in time. And you aren't the only one losing money. Remember, no one makes money on a cancellation. However, you will see a whole lot more racing than taking option #1. How many times have we seen a great racing program to get in our cars and the rain is starting? Lucky?????????

To all the fans who think they have the best answers on promoting a race track, here is Option #3. Paragon and Gas City are both for sale. Baer Field in Fort Wayne just closed. So this is the ideal time to jump right in and buy one of these facilities and show us all how you can make this thing work. Your time is now. Don't delay.

Now pardon me while I step away. I have an important task ahead of me. I have sock drawer that needs to be rearranged.

[hoosier race fan]

Originally Posted by TheGhostOfOpperman Why do fans care about racing business that has nothing to do with them?

It has everything to do with us. Without fans, there is no racing business. Fans want to see what they traveled for and paid to see. It is entertainment and a spectator sport. If it isn't entertaining or the spectators are not happy with the product, it will not last. Fans are concerned because they care and don't want to see the product go away.

[Eric Smith]

I beg to differ that no one makes money. If the traveling series fill the pits and the track tries to keep their money and not pay anyone anything, that's $25 pit pass times however many hundreds of people people plus tran$ponder rental for every car. I would love to go to work tomorrow and make that kind of nothing. I'm sure they spend a little on track prep (very little, usually don't start until we start getting there), staff costs, etc, but they are still making a killing raping the racers. Here's what the rule should be. Pay the purse or refund the traveling racers' money. Period. If the weather is that iffy, cancel early enough to save the thousands of dollars of diesel fuel. The track must know they have a problem if they are trying to get the travelers to sign something that they know they aren't getting a refund if it rains.

You can't pay the purse when the feature isn't ran. Tracks pay the sanction bodies way before the race I'm sure but I might be wrong. I don't know of to many tracks that pay heat races now days. If the tracks cancel early they get bashed, if they try get it in they get bashed, if they move it to a different day cause of weather fans bash. It is a no win situation. They offered you a show at same money if you wish or save your band for 2015 sprint week and they get bashed. Good luck finding very any tracks that refund money. Most it's posted right when you pay NO CASH REFUNDS. I drove to Lawrenceburg for my first time sun. 3 hrs there and 3 back , tickets for 2 adults 2kids plus fed them while I was there. I walked out seeing a new track for the first time. Heats I saw were awesome, track was fast. Very nice facility. Talked to people that I never get a chance to cause I'm always working.
Plus I knew the weather before I went. It was toss up for sprint week at Lawrenceburg or Summer Nationals at Danville.

[fish]

Originally Posted by Eric Smith Maybe some tracks do need to be burned down.

There are good and bad things about auto racing message boards. Please use this as an example of that fact.

[davidm]

How many times have you seen a great race when there's a 40% or higher chance of rain 24 hours before the race? You want to lose out on those events? I know I don't!

[dirt330]

Have you ever bought a scratch off ticket, lottery ticket,or put money in a slot machine, and lost your money ? Did you complain to the lottery board or the gaming commisioner that you didn't win what you wanted? If you went to a movie that you didn't like ,did you ask for a refund ? I'd bet not. Racing fans are rolling the dice everytime with the weather. During the weather delays at The Burg, I toured the pits, Talked with friends in section A and enjoyed the time with my neice and nephew who came from Fort Campbell Ky. Best $30.00 spent enjoying quality time with family and friends. On the drive back to Indy we where all happy that we saw the teams and drivers in the pits, hot laps, qualifications, and 3 great heat races.

[mowerman]

Originally Posted by Eric Smith What happened with the money part of the USAC show last night? I wasn't there and don't know, so I'm asking. There has been a bit of "activity" at tracks recently regarding refunds/payouts and I am just curious. It seems the tracks are wanting to keep all of the racers' (traveling series) money and all of the fans' money anytime they can. I've seen where they didn't run features, so they weren't going to payout, but ran a couple heats, so they called it a complete show and weren't going to give refunds either. We were at a "track" where there were no races at all, and they tried to keep all of everyone's money. Only once the racers basically promised to burn the place down, did they decide to refund pit passes. Saturday night, they said they were going to make us sign something stating we knew we weren't going to get our money back if it rained (very strong chance of rain). The group of people standing there not signing in eventually got them to change their minds. So what in the world is it with track people that think they have the right to keep the racers and fans monies, but not pay anyone. Is that practice everywhere? Why would we put up with that? Isn't that kind of like having your cake and eating it too? Maybe some tracks do need to be burned down.

Where you there ?

[sprintracer82]

The way I have always known and thought is that if you buy a pit pass and an engine has been fired you don't get your pit pass money back. At that point in time I would like to think the track has insurance. If no engines have been fired and your just sitting in the pits its up to the tracks policy for a refund. Now if you have sat through practice ,qualifying ,and three heat races. Sorry about your luck. At that point I think no refunds are in order. Now most tracks that I have been to will offer up at least tow money that is greatly appreciated but not expected . In the case of this last weekend I think what USAC and the burg did was very fair. Now what the nonwing teams in Michigan experienced last Saturday was beyond fair. They fired engines off, ran some practice, and did get all pit pass money back. I haven't seen the rain out policy change much in my 33 years of going to the races. Grandstand passes have always had the 50% rule. If 50% of the show has been ran then its a show.