Vermilion County Fairgrounds Speedway 2011
 

From the Vermilion County Fairgrounds Speedway Facebook page. I thought they had a deal with the Thomas group.

"The Vermilion county fair board is currently seeking a promoter for the Vermilion County Fairgrounds Speedway for the 2011 season. Please contact fair board President Al Peeler at 217-446-1530 before January 1, 2011 if you are interested. Serious inquiries only please."

Re: Vermilion County Fairgrounds Speedway 201
 

Maybe Thomas only wants to promote just a few special open wheel shows. The fair board maybe looking for a normal weekly show to go along with the few special shows. If that is the case I sure hope that someone will promote a weekly sprint car show again. Any night is better than no racing at all.

Re: Vermilion County Fairgrounds Speedway 201
 

Hopefully Not on saturdays. It might hurt some other tracks. could race midgets weekly. There isn't a weekly midget track in the region

RACE ON SUNDAY
*A good line-up*
Midgets or Late Models (UMP Super or UMP Pro Crate)
UMP Modifieds
Bombers
4 Cyl. Pure Stocks / Hornets
:32:

i dont think there is enough midgets to run on a weekly basis, and kokomo runs on sundays, i hope they do end up stayin open, vcs is a good track
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Re: Vermilion County Fairgrounds Speedway 201
 

HERES THE REST OF THE STORY

Or the track will be demolished if a promoter isn't in place by the January 1, 2011 deadline.

Re: Vermilion County Fairgrounds Speedway 201
 

Like everyone else, I want to see Danville continue. That's why I got involved this season. My goal wasn't to be "the man", but to find him or her.....or them. And the search continues. And I will continue to help anyway I can.
Kenny Brown from Powri and I have been working on some dates for next year that involves sprints, midgets, and 600's. But we still need a full time promoter. And there has been some interest, so don't lose hope yet.
Joe Spiker from LPS attended our last show in Oct and we had a long talk afterwards.....there are a lot of goofy things that goes along with promoting VCS that no other track offers.....and I now understand a lot more of what happend last season (2009) that concerned his departure. But things in 2010 were even different yet, it isn't easy at all........but it is do able.
I personally would like to see the fairboard run it themselves since they own the track, and just hire people for certain positions. They ran the concessions and did a good enough job to sell out of everything, but they don't want the risk either. Maybe forming a club with drivers, owners, fans and crew members......electing officers and positions could be the answer. It works at Charleston IL at the 1/8th mile track. CCMMA I believe is still the club. Also the American Legion has operated Fairbury Speedway track for ever...and own the track to my knowledge.....it's all volunteer. And you have to be a vet to be in that deal.....think about that the next time you have to pay dues or a membership fee.
I realize everyone has an opinion, and your input was heard and considered. But Danville needs something fresh to be successful, not the same old stale program that has failed most years.
I don't think weekly midget racing is a bad idea, but with 200 sprint cars in our region....70 run on Fri nights, 180-200 run on Sat and only 18-22 run on Sunday. Of the 2 races we had this fall, sprint cars out drew all other divisions combined. Kokomo is 120 miles away via the 2 lane, 149 mi if you try to use the interstate. Just something to ponder.

Steve Thomas
217 766 7889

Re: Vermilion County Fairgrounds Speedway 201
 

First off I would like to thank Steve for working so hard in keeping the racing alive at Vermilion County Fairgrounds. I really do like his idea on a club. It will take some thinking outside the normal box to make this work. What if they have a fee to belong to this club? Then it would could give anyone a chance to be a part of promoting the racing. This would also make it more affordable since it would not be placing all the financial burden of succeeding on just one person. You could make it to where if there was any profits that it would be used to pay the drivers at the end of the year and to make any needed improvements.

Maybe they could also do like sports teams and try to sale season tickets. This would at least bring in some steady revenue.



I know that this would not be a simple task to even start let alone to make happen prior to the 1st of January.

Re: Vermilion County Fairgrounds Speedway 201
 

Charleston has not had a board since 03... It is fully run and promoted by the Cobble family who own the track... The Coles County Stock Car Association at Ctown was done for many years back in the 60's until Larry Martin bought it then it was gone until 2003 when they brought it back for a year and abolished again. Donnie Dow sold the track to the Cobble family the next year. Charleston is my home track... I love Danville and hope it stays open I have alot of great memories from my childhood at that place...

The Charleston track I refered to is the mini sprint/micro 1/8th track on IL 316, not the stock car track. Mike Popham is an IOW member and he could shed some light on the concept of a club owned/promoted track. Maybe have dues around $30 a year..........$5 off pit pass or grandstand ticket for club members. 6 shows you would have you dues back. Just thinking out loud.
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Re: Vermilion County Fairgrounds Speedway 201
 

I think that the club is a great idea and I for one would have no problems paying the 30 dollars as a fan. The few dollars off of tickets would also be a nice perk. They could even try to have some picnics or other functions at the track just for the club members.

I was born and raised in the Danville area so I grew up going to Danville and Sprigfield Speedway.

The million dollar question is how would someone even go about heading up this effort to see if its realistic or not?

Re: Vermilion County Fairgrounds Speedway 201
 

Who pays the losses of the club?

The concept is great but I'm not sure it really works when you have a significant nut to crack. The racers will want paid, the power company will want paid, fair board will want paid, insurance company will want paid etc., regardless of whether it was a good night or bad one. Who's writing the check on the bad ones?

I'm not that familiar with track turnover in Indiana, but just here in Central Illinois we have had Jacksonville, VCS, Farmer City, Lincoln, Kankakee and probably a few others that have changed hands within the past two years -which indicates that they likely weren't making enough to keep going.

So, I put together a little chart. My numbers might be off (in fact they might be way off). But my assumption is that a regular night of racing costs $20,000. Assuming you run a $1,200 to win class, a $500 to win class, a $250 to win class and a $100 to win class, your purse is going to be in the neighborhood of $12,500. My guess on insurance is $2,500. Assume track rent of $1,500 and then I'll throw in another $3,500 of Wages, fuel, maintenance, equipment repairs, security, ambulance, utilities, advertising etc. So lets take $20,000.

I'm not figuring concession profit into this because I'm going to call that the absolute minimum fair profit for running the business, taking the risk, investment of time, interest on loans, headaches etc. My guess is that a track hopes to make money on beer and soda and break even on the food and cost of preparation. My guess also is that 1,000 beers and 1,000 sodas is a really good night. So figure the profit on those after sales tax deduction and lets let our promoter at least stick that in his pocket because it's not going to be enough to make a bad night into a good one in most cases anyway.

Now, lets charge $12 in the grandstand and $25 in the pits.

Take a look at the chart attached as an image below and tell me where VCS falls on a typical night of racing. I have no idea and that's why I ask. But unless you are one or two spots away from the green, I think you are going to have a pretty big hill to climb.

Of course it can be done, but suddenly attracting 200 more paying fans than the guy who tried before you isn't easy. It usually takes some time and expense. Can you afford a lot of time in the red trying to build yourself to the green? Most people who try don't have a lot of time to waste in the red.

Another interesting thing I found when running these numbers is how much more green the chart becomes at $15 admission for a regular show - even by losing some fans due to the higher price. I know people think that $15 is too much to spend for a regular night of racing... and I tend to agree. But looked at from another perspective, assume that after rainouts a track actually races 15 times a year. Assuming that you go every week, the season is going to cost you a whopping $45 more. Yes, that's real money.... but if that $45 a year is the difference between your local track being open or closed, wouldn't you find the $45 pretty well spent at the end of the day?

Again... I might be WAAAAAYYYY off on all of this because I really have no clue on the numbers.... so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I'm just throwing it out there.

Attachment 3174

Re: Vermilion County Fairgrounds Speedway 201
 

Only off about $3,000. I spoke with Kankakee promoter Tom Smith a couple of times last year and he said with exect figures the payout for all 5 divisions put together for 1 night takes about $17,000 + for the payout and if you include track lights comes out to about $18,000 thats what I know about Kankakee not sur on the other tracks but the money figures are probably in the same range at other tracks as well.

Re: Vermilion County Fairgrounds Speedway 201
 

Nathan, it takes more than just prize money to put a show on at VCS. $20,000 is about the nut you have to have each night there. You have to rent the track, rent the pit area, rent the concession stand, make a deal to get access to the river for water, pay a flagman, announcer, scorers, ambulance service, push trucks, wreckers, track prep, advertising.....and that's if you can get volunteer help for corner works, pit stewart, a line up person, ticket takers, sign in helpers etc. And to get started in 2011, you have to find a scale, water tanker to haul water from the river, water truck to spray the track, grader, sheeps foot and the rest of the equipment. And the policy from K&K each night for insurance was $1100.

And as the promotor.....this is a full time job during the season. Where is his salary for the blood sweat and tears, and risk if your come up short. If you cleared $1000 a night, 15 shows = $15,000. And a rain out really turns your numbers upside down. Perishable food and track prep...out the window. Dizzy yet Nate?

Bloard, Danville is about the most unemployed town in Illinois, yet as I took ticket money at the gate on our Oct 9th show, rarely was there a car came in with only one guy. Most were familys, or dads and sons, and many couples. So asking for more than $12 on a weekly show could be suicide.
Again, all this is possible but it takes a lot of work, and a lot of help and organization.

Kenny Schrader told me in August if I help promote even one race, I'd never sign into another track with the same attitude. Boy was he right.

Steve