Originally Posted by pgray:
The USAC National Midgets completed their 3rd event for 2008 on Saturday evening in Kenly , NC.
This is a traveling series of 30 events in 9 states from California to North Carolina. Thousands of miles will be logged requiring a substancial budget to sustain travel costs alone.
The purse payout for Kenly last evening ( and the previous event at Anderson a week ago ) was as follows :
First - $ 2,500. ... to Kody Swanson
2nd- 1,200. ( Dakota Armstrong )
3rd- 700. (Cole Whitt )
4th- 600. ( Darren Hagen )
5th- 500. ( Tracy Hines )
6th- 425. ( Bobby East ) 7th- 400. ( Brad Sweet ) 8th- 375. ( Kevin Swindell ) 9th- 350. ( Brad Loyet ) 10th- 330. ( Dave Darland )
11th- 300. ( Mike Murgoitio ) 12th- 290. ( Brad Kuhn ) 13th- 280. ( Josh Wise ) 14th- 270. ( Chase Barber ) 15th- 260. ( Jerry Coons , Jr. )
16th- 250. ( Chad Boat ) 17th- 240. ( Levi Jones ) 18th- 230. ( Chris Windom )
19th thru 26th ... all received $ 225.00
( Brent Beauchamp , Stephanie Mockler , Ricky Ehrgott , Zach Schiff , Brady Bacon , Caitlin Shaw , Josh Butler , and Mario Marietta )
Payout versus expenses to participants is an embarrassment to all parties involved. And this clearly shows that the sport survives only by the will of the team owners.
Paul Gray :Steer www.paulgray28.com
Paul, Somebody posted a late fifties early sixties payout for a USAC or AAA national Sprint car race and the payout today based on the inflation caculator was actually close to being the same return as it was back then.
You used to build your motors for a couple grand, Your own car. A set of tires would last you 7-10 races. hell your whole car probably cost 4grand back in the sixties.
Now you got motors your forced to pay 40g to compete. A chassis thats junk after one good roll. Tires that last three races tops.
It's not all USACs fault but what do you want? it's been proven people won't travel for non series and your not gonna get a $30 front gate for the shows.
While I certainly understand where your coming from. It certainly isn't the only form of auto racing suffering the high cost vs return syndrome.
Best of luck in 08
Chuck