Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair?
 

This question is to a driver or car owner only. A legitimate question, just wandering what all of you think about Kokomo wanting a $20 entry fee or $30 the day of the race plus a $30 pit pass?

It pays $2011 to win and $190 to start. Putnamville paid $2000 to win and $200 to start for several weeks with no entry and Lawrenceburg pays $1500 to win and $225 to start every week with no entry.

Be respectful! I think an entry for that kind of payout isn't right, but what do you think?

Thanks.
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Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

No opinion on fair or not, just some numbers to think about. According to the payout on the Kokomo Web site, total purse is $7906. The Web also indicates the $30 pit pass will be charged both Friday and Saturday. If the race attracts 30 sprint cars, and everyone pays entry the day of the event the track collects $900. If you assume 3.5 pit passes per car entered, $3150 is collected each night, for a total backgate over the two days of $6300 - add in the entry of $900 and the track covers $7100 of the $7906 purse (minus insurance costs). Late season races are risky for the promoter, given weather, football, etc., covering the purse by the backgate and entry minimizes the risk and seems to be the norm.

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

J T, will you be there? If yes, good luck. If no, why do you care?

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

Mr. Stapp,

If you have a question about the speedway why would you not speak directly with the owners about the subject? When you requested favors from the speedway this season you did not seem have a problem calling them at that point...

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

First of all, thanks to Tornado for pointing out that there is an entry fee. And we should be thankful that midgets are still being presented at Kokomo Speedway.... BUT..... It appears to me that there is a hide and seek deal, "I gotcha" going on. This is October 12 and I just read a post on here about the Kokomo Klash that was written and posted this afternoon from "Jill" and I assume she has something to do with Kokomo Speedway. A lot of details but no mention of an entry fee.... Hm. OK.. I went to the Kokomo Web site. No mention of entry fees on the home page blurb about the Klash. So you have to click "more info" to find out about the Klash. Is this for fans or owners? Doesn't say. So you need to click AGAIN for an entry blank. Now I see that the deadline is October 13 and the mailing address is not in Kokomo, IN. Hm... again. Would have been nice if the promoters had mentioned something about entry fees a few days ago so we had time to deal with this or is this some kind of ploy to get more money after a deadline. And apparently they don't check their US mailbox in Kokomo because the last time I raced there my entry fee/registration was still in the mailbox at the track. Hm... again. And BTW, a few years back I tried to get in touch with ANYONE who had anything to do with Kokomo Speedway. That;s another wild goose chase that I'm not going to go into. I think contacting the Pope in Rome may be easier. My race team has entered other USAC D1 midget events and there was no added fee on the day of the show... Montpelier and Columbus for example.

Can we just go race and enjoy one of the best tracks in the country. We all have a few months to build are budget back up since this is most likely the last race unless u go out west. Now let's go Friday and watch some of the best racing around.20 or 30$ won't break you and if it does. Don't even go.
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Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

It really seems all the complaining come from the same people all the time.J.T. you seem to have an opinion about everything and you don't even race that much.We get one more chance to race at a great race track for the last time this year.If you don't want to pay then don't show up.

Brian Cripe

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

IMO, this is part of the problem. If we give them $30 this year, maybe they will try $50 next year. Having wrenched on dirt late models the last few years, I can tell you that some of the entry fees they pay are huge. We did a $4000 to win race in KY that had a $150 entry fee. There are events that have $200 entry fees. Plus they still get pit passes, some I have seen as high as $60.00 per person, per night! But, the late model teams continue to hand it over, so why would the track do anything any different? I am all for the tracks coming out ahead, but back gate promoting is something I will not support.

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

I didn't know so many race fans on IOW also were drivers and owners. And now we have another person suggesting that we stay home. Sounds like a great solution to dwindling car counts. You people have no idea what it takes to run a race team. And furthermore, several of you apparently flunked reading comprehension.

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

It was the same entry fee the past 2 Kokomo Klash events, so nothing new. Plus, it has been posted since AT LEAST early September on their website about the entry fee. For the first 2 to 3 weeks it was posted it had all the rules, purse and fees only on it, no start times or waht day what was or anything...so the info has been there and shouldnt be a surprise to anyone thats been to the Klash before....and yes the promotion team that runs the track is not from Kokomo....

Brian,

You are just a crew chief, not an owner or driver. So thanks,but no thanks. If you were paying the bills you would be more than welcome. In this tough enconomy we need to help the lower budget teams.
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Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

How much was the entry fee at Granite City last weekend Don?

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

I think it is very simple...

Using WBR's format for figuring backgate revenue, the backgate revenue is $12,600 without entry fees.
4 classes
30 cars/class (How many cars showed up last year?)
3.5 people/car (I believe this is the average that most promoters use)
$30 pitpass

Total feature payouts (20 cars) for Sprint Cars, Midgets, Mini-Sprints and Thunder Cars is $18,464

Basic Math...
$12,600
-$18,464
-$5,864

Even with the entry fees it's still a negative number.

Of course, no one "likes" an entry fee... but I'd say it's "fair".

Oh BTW... it's my website, I'll post wherever I want. ;)

For once im glad mr.stapp posted this....I truely had no idea there was an entry fee and no matter what the math is i think its bullcrap....charging the entertainment to entertain....and people wonder why this sport is dying
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Thank you Mr. Simon.
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Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

Paragon Speedway proved years ago that sprint car owners will race for nothing so what is the surprise? And yes I still own a car and would gladly let Brian Cripe drive it any time you want to race against him. ....Pesident of DHRT

I really don't understand this disagreement. People get on here and b**** all the time cause midgets are dying. So Kokomo, one of the few tracks who run midgets without usac is trying to give us midget races. So they have to come up with a way to pay that extra purse. So we can watch midget races. If they don't break even. Then we might lose the klash. Which is one of my favorite races of the year.make up that 20$ somewhere else. Like pack a cooler. Just an idea... if it was 100$ I could see the b****ing problem. But 20-30$ will be the cheapest thing you have to pay all night... I hope this 20$ won't stop many people from coming.
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Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

Didn't they have entry fees in the good ole days? The reason the sport is hurting is because the cars cost too much. If you compare racing to other forms of entertainment it is not cheap. When racing thrived it was cheap entertainment. That is not at all the fault of the racers. They are paying what they have to to race. JT maybe you can remind Mr Moore that there was no entry the night your buddy didn't pay him at Montpelier.

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

Since it was earlier stated that this race is promoted by someone other than Kokomo staff its not fair to voice complaints under the veil of "kokomo isn't fair". This would be the promoters option to charge any sort of fee. If you're going to disagree with this decision then you need to direct it at the person/company behind it.

Just pointing that out, this would be a promoters choice, not the tracks.

Sacha

Lmao no sheet metal or door classes to pad the purse you wanna run for big u gonna pay big to do it jmo
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Simple solution..don't go?
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Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

Sacha I dont think you understood(or I dont) the promoters of Kokomo dont live in Kokomo, they live in Illinois. But as far as I know the same people promote the Klash as the rest of the season there.

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

Oh - you're right then, I didn't understand. I thought it was someone other than the regular track promoters.

Sacha

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

AMEN enough said! Anyway come enjoy a great race on Friday night I am sure it will be a good one I know I will be there.

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

To all the guys *****ing about the entry fee, come on. Its $30 or $25 or $20 bucks. If you own a racecar and thats to much, then you are in the wrong sport. We are racing 600 minisprints and paying the $20 dollar entry fee and racing for $511 to win and $50 to start and I am fine with it. We are here to have fun and i am not going to let $20 stop that. The race I saw last year was worth the $30 pit pass and the $20 entry fee. And yes I am the car owner and paying all the bills. Racing is always going to be very expensive and we are about as low budget team as you can get. I can't wait for Friday, lets go and have some fun at the best track around!

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

There is no doubt this race is set up to be a house game provided the weather cooperates, but the fans, owners and drivers have proved willing to support this event at this particular track at this time of the year. With that history, there really isn't any basis to gripe about it now.

That is why the time to make a stand on issues such as this is before tradition sets in. I was on this board trying to take a stand against the entry fee at Farmer City a month or so ago and kept our two cars away from that event to take a stand... but I think we were standing alone.

But to answer the original question - is the entry fee necessary? Probably not.

The weekly sprint payout at Kokomo is $7405. Admission is $12 with pit passes $25 and no entry fee. This year's payout for the Klash is about $8100 or about $700 over the weekly payout. Admission is $20 with pit passes $30 and an entry fee.

The website thanks All Star Performance for bumping it's purse from last year for the Klash, which I assume means the vast majority of the increase over last year is due to the generosity of the sponsor. (Seriously, thanks All Star for stepping up to support the event and participants)

So what did last year's Klash payout look like? Let's go to the Wayback Machine and see: http://web.archive.org/web/201010171...net/klash.html Last year's Klash sprint payout totaled $7660. $500 less than this years purse (thanks to a sponsor) and only $245 over the weekly payout.

So assuming a sponsor picked up $500 of this years purse bump, with the $8 grandstand ticket increase it takes all of 31 people's extra admission to cover the extra cost of the sprint purse over the weekly purse.

My quick math on the Modified payout shows that this year's Klash payout is about $1300 higher than the weekly payout (almost a 50% bump over the weekly payout). So the Modifieds are getting a much bigger bump both in real dollars and as a percentage than the Sprints.

But what is even more interesting is that finishing positions 4-9 actually pay more during the weekly show than they do at the Klash. Finish 4th there weekly and you get $625. Finish 4th at the Klash and take home $500.

This really is not meant to be a huge gripe about the event. It's a great event at a time of the year no one else is racing. Yes, it's set up to be a house game if the weather cooperates. You know that when you go. The time for fighting it has long passed no different than the $8 beer at the ball game or $5 bucket of popcorn at the movie. Promoting races at this time of year are a crap shoot with the weather at best, so it takes some built in cushion to justify taking the chance.

Frankly, Kokomo is one track that probably deserves to have a house game once in awhile and for people to support them when they do. They have earned it.

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

I can go down the list of people posting on this topic and about 80% of you are the paying $12-15 to get in after driving there in you Honda Civic that gets 30+mpg...For you fans you may have $100 in Gas, Food, Tickets, and maybe some Drinks... I bet you would be PISSED if you got only to find out they charged $30 to park you car....

:)

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

I saw the post,didn't read alick of of it.I WAS TOLD THERE WOULD BE NO MATH.SHUT UP AND RACE OR DON'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

The Kokomo Klash has been on my schedule for several months now. Before we have a bunch more people ready to tell the racers to stay home if they don't like it, I can well afford the entry fee for this race. My point in my first post on this thread apparently went way over the heads of most of you on here. Frankly I don't have time to rummage through every track's web site for the particulars of a $1200 to win race. I was on the road last week for 5 days in St. Louis, arrived back home Sunday night, addressed several business issues on Monday that were put on hold because I was away and spent the last two days preparing a race car for the Kokomo race.

A flyer was being handed out by USAC for the Kokomo race in the pit area at the Gold Crown event. I have it in front of me as I type. Nothing about an entry fee or a late fee. The flyer has a web site mentioned.. www.usacracing.com. Nothing about a Kokomo web site. "Jill" posted on IOW today the particulars of the race. Nothing about an entry fee or a late fee. I'm glad that some of you have all the time in the world to visit track web sites. Congratulations. I don't and since this is a race under the USAC D1 Midget deal, I would expect it to be conducted like other D1 events that I have participated in this summer. Yes, I paid an expected entry fee for those on the day of the race. I assumed that since it's a USAC event that the Kokomo race would be conducted in the same manner. Clicking through several pages on a web site to find out about an entry fee and late fee is not my idea of being upfront and specific of what to expect at this race. Plain and simple... If there's a late entry fee or deadline, be upfront with it. BTW, I have never heard of a late fee tacked on top of an entry fee for a run of the mill $1200 to win race.

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

Some times even a music teacher can't follow the beat:15:

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

AERO take it easy on the music man u might ruffle his strings.:5::5::5:

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

So in other words you are saying you were "too busy" to do your due diligence, you got surprised and now you are complaining again. Looks like your fault to me. Just sayin.....

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

Here's a simple solution to all of this. Hoover and all the IOWheelers endorsing all the fees should meet Friday afternoon at the Kokomo Pit Gate shack and pay all the late penalties. You know... the late fee not mentioned on the USAC flyer handed out at St. Louis. Oh.... yeah... the IOW blurb written by Jill that conveniently left out all the entry fees and late penalties. OH... don't forget the three page computer exercise to find the mention of a late fee on the Kokomo web site. Bring plenty of money guys. SURPISE!!

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

gone to kokomo klash last to years aways had entry fee early or pay more day of race,big deal im just glad we get to race one last time before winter,also we have sprints and mod seems to me mods always have entry fees for all big races we just pay it and go on seems like anytime theres one for sprint cars everyone complains,no seems to mind paying entry fees to run sprintweek,and and JT do you pay the entry fee or your car owner.also for someone who dont race that much you sure do alot of complaining. good luck if you race at kokomo.

Haven't raced as much this year due to money is tighter. Raced 22 times last year at 15 different tracks. I think some of you miss the point of starting this post. It wasn't to have a pissing match, it was to just see how people felt about the entry fee. Didn't know there was any crime in that. Its not like I can't pay an extra 20 or 30 bucks, its the principle of it and what if all tracks suddenly decided to do it every week. Would that be cool?
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Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

:5::5:i think if weekly tracks started doing it then we all could complaine or boycott, but as this is a special event dont see a problem,but on the other hand if you go out to eat and they have a special its always cheaper,but at a race race track that means its gonna cost you more ummm just something to think about.

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

I had quite a few race fans at the Gold Crown asking if we were going be at Kokomo. It takes a tremendous amount of time and patience to prepare a race car for a race. As of this writing, I'm still not done with it. We will be at Kokomo tomorrow but if I have to spend hours researching on a computer for unknown web sites and hidden fees or whatever, you can plan on one less midget race car showing up in the future. You people that have come on here throwing out trash need to decide if you want owners like me preparing race cars or spending our time on a computer researching this nonsense.

Don Moore
Moore Racing Enterprises LLC

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

Don, c'mon now... researching?? It's not that complicated.

You are going to race at Kokomo Speedway.

You visit the tracks website... http://www.kokomospeedway.net/

You take a quick glance at the front page... when you see the big banner that clearly says... 2011 Kokomo Klash Click for Details... You click on it.

The next page clearly shows all the details of the event.

That hardly sounds like research.

Re: Is the Kokomo Klash Sprint entry fee fair
 

My point exactly :8: Sorry Don I'm not paying your late fee just becuse you didnt do your homework