Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili Bowl.
 

Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson along with others Boycott the Chili Bowl. :21::21:


Saw an article about this a few weeks ago and never really thought anything of it till I came across this one just a few minutes ago. What do you all think?


"Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Reportedly Set to Miss 2023 Chili Bowl Amidst Prize Money Standoff"
https://www.essentiallysports.com/na...mWXAb42nWoroOI




Not trying to start anything just wonder if there is any truth to this.

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Former BMARA driver Dean Billings talk about the Chili Bowl payoff years ago. Nothing came from it.

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

What does the Chili Bowl pay to win on Saturday?

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Originally Posted by The Old Coyote:
What does the Chili Bowl pay to win on Saturday?

$10,000 to win

I would guess it would take 8 or 10 of the top 10 teams (equating to 40-50) car to public announce a boycott to effect a sharp increase in the purse.

I have no clue if there’s any truth to this or not?
But Essentially Sports used to pop up on my feed until I stopped it from doing so.
Every article I read was utter B.S., and had 1000 extra words not needed in the article.

Again, if I’m wrong, I’m wrong. Just letting you know my experience from the source.

I think you could lose the top 40 and the bottom 40 and still have a great race

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

If those guys boycotted, you might see car count stay the same. I don't think either of those 2 are racing there for the money. If they lose 50 cars, they still have more than enough for a race.

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

I don't know what the Chili Bowl could afford to pay and still make a sizable profit. Remember this thing lost money the first two years. But now it's the center of the Universe in the racing world in January. If you win it, The racing world knows about it from F1 to quarter midgets.

I know there's lap money in the feature. But I also know that just participating cost a small fortune as you lease your pit space and other things. Just lodging and food for a team are significant expense. never mind the car.

The Rent is damn high, But I don't think they'd of added two more nights too it if it wasn't well worth it.

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Originally Posted by okie:
I think you could lose the top 40 and the bottom 40 and still have a great race

I attend racing for the competition/entertainment and the constant rivalry between drivers. Agreed without Larson/Bell it still would be great racing. BUT...I have heard and seen comments regarding the "Ho Hum" feelings of fans attending recent Midget Week and Ohio Speedweek. My ear will be to the ground as Indiana Sprintweek arrives. As series, races, and contenders transition, so will the marque events. It is as natural as "What goes up, must come down". In my days it was Foyt/Andretti, Larry/Gary, Opperman/Weld, Vogler/Gordon, and Kinser, Swindell, Wolfgang to name a few. Larson/Bell are definitely on my list. Change in the Chili Bowl is inevitable and natural as Border Wars, Twin 50's, Thursday Night Thunder, Eldora Nationals, Buckeye Nationals, etc. We should all hope that the changes at Smackdown will pump more excitement into that event. The Chili Bowl will need to evolve with or without Bell and Larson. What that looks like, only time will tell.

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

The main topic of the article is about the $10,000 winner's share, but the real story should be the rest of the field. Once you get past the podium finishers, the purse does not even cover what you spend for the entry fee and pit passes for the week. I do see the other side of things, however, and as a business minded person, why would you increase the purse when you have hundreds of competitors showing up with what is paid out now? No one that races at the Chili bowl does it with slightest thought of what they might get at the payout window. Even if they made the winner's purse $25,000, I can't imagine where there would be any more paid out below that. Until the car count goes down, there won't be any changes made. No one makes money at the Chili Bowl besides the ones running it and that won't change any time soon.

There Money to be made at CB all the car owners that have rent and rides

That are making much more than the winner of the main event. What’s a quality ride cost for the event? $8500?

To start the A-main on Saturday, I was told it was only $700

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Let Bell and Larson stay home if they dont want to race for 10k. They both race for much less many sprint car nights so if they dont wanna race the biggest midget event of the year so be it. My guess is they will be there because both have said its not about the $$ to win the Chili Bowl, unless they are backing out of their words now. My guess is this rumor is bull and just started to get people to start an uproar so the purse changes

IF Kyle Larson is not at the Chili Bowl he will be at the Wild West Shootout for reasons that don't have anything to do with the Chili Bowl purse.

Just a guess...

I would be happy with 3 nights of just the top 40.

For years my friends mostly say chilli bowl is wonderful I say it’s a great race with a pathetic payout, I’ll never support the promoter of this event

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Let me preface this by saying that I think that the Chili Bowl promoters could payout more than they do, but....

I don't think the Hahn family is making the kind of dough everyone thinks they are. That place costs three fingers, a toe, and a secret oath to rent out. Every day it's under rental and no fans are paying to stream through the gates is financially crushing. And then there are juicy morsels like this:

Originally Posted by :
FOOD & BEVERAGE EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS
Expo Square retains all rights to the sale of food and beverages at all events on the grounds. These rights are specifically addressed in
the Facility Lease Agreement and lessees are responsible for guaranteeing their exhibitors comply with the contractual terms of the
Facility Lease Agreement between TCPFA and lessee.

FOOD VENDOR POLICY
Food vendors the lessee desires to include as event participants, are eligible to request approval from Expo Square. Details about the
process and related fees are available at exposquare.com/exposerve. Strict penalties will be enforced if sampling policies are not
followed.

Is there any way we could maybe talk about how much cash is rolling in for the county there in Tulsa? Let's be fair here.

If you'd like to read some nonsense written by lawyers, you can find more at this link:
https://cdn.saffire.com/files.ashx?t...s_Guide(2).pdf

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Originally Posted by Midget98:
The main topic of the article is about the $10,000 winner's share, but the real story should be the rest of the field. Once you get past the podium finishers, the purse does not even cover what you spend for the entry fee and pit passes for the week. I do see the other side of things, however, and as a business minded person, why would you increase the purse when you have hundreds of competitors showing up with what is paid out now? No one that races at the Chili bowl does it with slightest thought of what they might get at the payout window. Even if they made the winner's purse $25,000, I can't imagine where there would be any more paid out below that. Until the car count goes down, there won't be any changes made. No one makes money at the Chili Bowl besides the ones running it and that won't change any time soon.

I agree with everything you said here except "No one makes money at the Chili Bowl besides the ones running it..." I think t-shirt/paraphernalia sales for ALL of the top name competitors are through the roof. You think Rico is counting on winning that $10k, or selling mullet wigs and t-shirts? Not to mention the exposure a driver gets by doing well. Rides are won and lost based on how far through the alphabet a driver can charge. Even with the Shootout. Jason McDougal was unknown outside of Tulsa until he stormed through the Shootout and won three classes. For some of these guys and gals, it's an investment in themselves to create exposure.

And at the end of the day, it's capitalism. Supply and demand. Only when you see a significant drop off in top name competitors or a significant drop in Saturday pit pass sales will you see any changes in format or purse. It works. They're not messing with a good thing.

I don't think you could run them off with a bucket of poo and a box of rocks, it only happens once a year, and folks find a reason for being there, it's a happening, it's a place to be, and see.
We used to go to Florida to race karts, between Christmas and New Years, Jacksonville and Daytona, Sprints and Enduros, couldn't keep us away, I figured my wife would throw a fit, but she actually encouraged me, first time I felt guilty, after that it became a custom, we needed a break, we've now been married 61 years, and never looked back. It's going to be a test this year, and maybe next, and it might drop off a little, but I don't think it will stop. My satellite just keeps going off, must be some weather in the area 😒.

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Well there is something too it. he can race for thirty five thou at Wild West shootout.

Or is a ploy to get Chili bowl to pay more?

https://www.racingamerica.com/news/d...urse-as-factor

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Well, someone will become a dirt-track legend and some others will be racing late models in the desert. [shrug]

Hopefully they don't end up looking like some clowns who thought it would be a good idea to run the US 500 against the Indy 500. :10:

Isn't it odd too, that the guys crying about money are the guys who have the most money. Yung Money, indeed. :42::

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Originally Posted by chrismattlin:
Well, someone will become a dirt-track legend and some others will be racing late models in the desert. [shrug]

Hopefully they don't end up looking like some clowns who thought it would be a good idea to run the US 500 against the Indy 500. :10:

Isn't it odd too, that the guys crying about money are the guys who have the most money. Yung Money, indeed. :42::

There is something to be said about guys not pulling their cars out unless it is $XXX to win. I like it and applaud them for fighting for a better purse. WoO guys don't show up to local events unless they can make money doing it. This thought pattern doesn't follow the USAC crowd as they seem to still be willing to show up for $1,500 to win :14:

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

If you have Twitter, Hahn responds.
This event cost a million a year to put on and Im not just going to put up fifty K because I don't have it. i don't get concessions etc. If they want to race elsewhere when this event is what helped launch their Nascar Careers. Well they can go do that.
Bell started this crap two years ago and it's a shame,, They all have my # and Im easy to get ahold of, But they go straight to the media. They are not going to back me into a corner, This race will grow and thrive without them giving others a shot.

https://twitter.com/SprintCarHist/st...91103573364736

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Originally Posted by spankytoo:
There is something to be said about guys not pulling their cars out unless it is $XXX to win. I like it and applaud them for fighting for a better purse. WoO guys don't show up to local events unless they can make money doing it. This thought pattern doesn't follow the USAC crowd as they seem to still be willing to show up for $1,500 to win :14:

Its because they dont have near as many dates with USAC as WoO does. So on a weekend that USAC is not running do you suggest they keep the cars home and make nothing?

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Originally Posted by Charles Nungester:
If you have Twitter, Hahn responds.
This event cost a million a year to put on and Im not just going to put up fifty K because I don't have it. i don't get concessions etc. If they want to race elsewhere when this event is what helped launch their Nascar Careers. Well they can go do that.
Bell started this crap two years ago and it's a shame,, They all have my # and Im easy to get ahold of, But they go straight to the media. They are not going to back me into a corner, This race will grow and thrive without them giving others a shot.

https://twitter.com/SprintCarHist/st...91103573364736

All I see there is excuses. The purse is abysmal for the Chili Bowl. He says several times that Bell and Larson don't call him. Only reason Hahn wants them to call is so he can make a side deal with those guys and continue paying everyone else peanuts.

Breakdown:
Entry Fees: $150X394 cars = $59,100
Pit Passes: 394X6 people per car = 2364X$375 (multi day pit pass) = $886,500 this is probably extremely low.

Just in those two revenue sources we are at $945,600.00. By his own admission it costs $1 million. We are almost there and we haven't sold a single ticket yet.

Let say he sells 12,000 tickets for the week. 12,000X$365 (week long ticket) = $4,380,000

So just rough numbers before any sponsorship, no TV rights and no fuel sales....

Total reveunue = $5,325,600.00-$1,000,000(costs) = $4,325,600.00 in NET PROFIT!

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

If you read the centres terms, It says he pays all security, electric etc, Not to mention storing clay at the fairgrounds for a year then have ten trucks, a couple dozers, grader etc some of which burn five grand a day in fuel. Bet there's fifty staff, for just scoring and getting program run. I doubt they make pennies.

I got no doubt Hahn makes a good $$ on the thing. But the Chili Bowl lost the first couple of years, help build the careers of several racing stars and has gotten thousands into racing in the first place. As for the fans, ITS A WINTER VACATION, SIX, Count em six nights of racing for one low price. Hahn took a chance and worked it for a decade before it became world renouned.

Now I guess them were crockadille tears from Bell on how he's wanted to win it all his life, Now it's chump change?

Racing's bigger than the racer, You can't have the famous racer without the race to begin with. And the Wild West shootout will take ten years to get close to CB's popularity.

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Originally Posted by Charles Nungester:
If you read the centres terms, It says he pays all security, electric etc, Not to mention storing clay at the fairgrounds for a year then have ten trucks, a couple dozers, grader etc some of which burn five grand a day in fuel. Bet there's fifty staff, for just scoring and getting program run. I doubt they make pennies.

I got no doubt Hahn makes a good $$ on the thing. But the Chili Bowl lost the first couple of years, help build the careers of several racing stars and has gotten thousands into racing in the first place. As for the fans, ITS A WINTER VACATION, SIX, Count em six nights of racing for one low price. Hahn took a chance and worked it for a decade before it became world renouned.

Now I guess them were crockadille tears from Bell on how he's wanted to win it all his life, Now it's chump change?

Racing's bigger than the racer, You can't have the famous racer without the race to begin with. And the Wild West shootout will take ten years to get close to CB's popularity.

I've seen numerous boycotts by racers over the last 50 years, please tell me how well those worked out.

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Originally Posted by B99:
I've seen numerous boycotts by racers over the last 50 years, please tell me how well those worked out.

Exactly. USA and NST were just that and remember WoO going bankrupt, not once, but twice?

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Brands matter more than individuals or teams. The Chili Bowl is a brand. The Tulsa Shootout is quickly becoming a brand. Both events will be fine, with or without stars that are trying to intimidate the promoter into raising the purse with social media.

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Ray3 beat me to the finacials...Emmit says it cost 1million to put on show....I figure Ray3 is short on his numbers.... but he did that so those that think the CB is the end all wont poke holes in his numbers....I come up with a net of close to 5.5million. Just a 10% purse would be $550,000 and the 2022 purse was? THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMMMM!

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

I remember when Emmitt has non wing sprint races out at lakeside and a few other tracks and several IN teams would go out just because they had mad respect for Emmitt. Now he's the bad guy.

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Just skimmed most posts but did not see where anyone made any comments about EH? Did read couple where people tooks shots at Larson and Bell, but its the internet and thats the type integrity you get! Facts are facts and numbers are facts...But as long as fans buy tickets why would EH care who shows up, a few names not attending is not going to change a thing! EH "TAKE THE MONEY ABD RUN!

Kyle said it's not as big of an event anymore.

And I agree. I went once. It seemed like a standard USAC show with a lot of cars.

For me big event wise Knoxville Nationals and Kings Royal are top dog. They're hard to beat in the open wheel dirt car world.

But I have a way better time at Midget week, Sprint Week, or Smackdown than I did at the Chili Bowl for a fraction of the cost.

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

follow the money see who makes a offer to buy the CB

Originally Posted by SteelCore:
Kyle said it's not as big of an event anymore.

The denial on this subject is unbelievable!

The Chili Bowl isn’t as big of an event?

How many cars are showing up for midget speed weeks?

How many PURPOSE BUILT cars are entered for speed weeks? How many rental rides are being offered? There are 340 participants willing to devote an entire week to being in Tulsa Oklahoma in January so that they can SAY they raced at the Chili Bowl. How many come to DuQuoin for the indoor show? Gateway? Speed week?

This kinda talk is delusional.

If Kyle Larson and C Bell want to start up their own big money winter race, then good luck to them! If they think Emmett (and by the way, that’s how you spell his name) is underpaying drivers, then buy the series and pay out a fortune. The racing won’t get any better.

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

I can't believe the people on here that take positions against the racers. For years when the Chili Bowl purse came up in conversation people would say "Until people stop going he won't raise the purse." Now some very influential people have stood up and said I'm not going until he raises the purse and everyone is against them. If this was a local Indiana track everyone would be chastising the promoter. The double standards people have is just ridiculous. I applaud Kyle for taking a stand. Takes a lot of character to stand up for what you believe in especially in the face of such scrutiny. He could have easily made a side deal with Hahn for appearance money, took it and nobody would be the wiser. He didn't do that and instead is trying to make it better for everyone.

I also just love how people flat ignore the financial numbers. Ignoring something doesn't make it go away. Hahn is making over $4million in profit and you guys are still against the racers getting a bigger piece of the pie?

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Originally Posted by Ray3:
All I see there is excuses. The purse is abysmal for the Chili Bowl. He says several times that Bell and Larson don't call him. Only reason Hahn wants them to call is so he can make a side deal with those guys and continue paying everyone else peanuts.

Breakdown:
Entry Fees: $150X394 cars = $59,100
Pit Passes: 394X6 people per car = 2364X$375 (multi day pit pass) = $886,500 this is probably extremely low.

Just in those two revenue sources we are at $945,600.00. By his own admission it costs $1 million. We are almost there and we haven't sold a single ticket yet.

Let say he sells 10,000 tickets for the week. 10,000X$365 (week long ticket) = $4,380,000

So just rough numbers before any sponsorship, no TV rights and no fuel sales....

Total reveunue = $5,325,600.00-$1,000,000(costs) = $4,325,600.00 in NET PROFIT!

Also don't forget to add in the figures for the Tulsa Shootout. I would think that the income for that would be pretty substantial with less expenditure with very little paid out to competitors but a hell of a lot coming in from them. Granted the public attendance is probably not as high as the CB though. It is also quite possible the $1m he quotes covers both of these events as well?

Re: Could Christopher Bell & Kyle Larson Boycott the Chili B
 

Originally Posted by wobbler:
...Granted the public attendance is probably not as high as the CB though...

Grandstand attendance at The Shootout isn't significant. You can generally sit anywhere you like to watch the Mains. If you're talking about revenue for The Shootout, it's like any micro race, it's all back gate.

I also tend to believe that Emmett's "million dollars" comment was rhetorical. I think he has significantly more than $1,000,000.00 in expenses to put on both events.