This is not a slam to Lawrenceburg speedway or MSCS. I was on the phone with a wing racer this evening asking me how I had done last night. He ask me what I made for my 15th place. I told him to guess he guessed $600. I laughed and said how about $230. He went on to tell me that the Hoosier fall classic at the same track paid 500 to start, and around a $1000 to run 10th. Both races paid $10,000.00 to win. I think 10th paid around $500 last night. I just do not understand because in my opinion we put on a much better show than the wing cars. We had more cars in the pits and would assume around the same # of fans. I also know of three teams that got into the wing show for free through the All Stars. So where are we going wrong. It just drives me crazy. Sorry for all the spelling and grammer errors.

Last year the same race paid the same $10k to win and, I assume, about the same throughout the field. They had 74 cars. This year the purse was the same and they had 71 cars. If you were the promoter, Kevin, would you change anything? As long as the name drivers, the drawing cards, show up for those purses nothing will change. Sadly, though, I am not sure where some promoters would get the extra money from to pay a higher purse.

A little less on top, pay more through the field, and you would get 90 cars!!! There are roughly 125 to 130 traditional sprint cars in the midwest, so I don't think 90 is unrealistic if they know the purse is spread out. I believe they would also run just as hard for the win.

I have heard that the All-Star two day weekend was a 10K loser. A contributing factor was the need to also run the big Mod show which had been rained out the previous Saturday. The all knowing 'Burg politicos responding to some aggressive letter writers and phone dialers strongly influenced the move back to wings for the Fall Classic in '07. It has been speculated that the '06 move to non-wings combined with the ISW no rain rainout were contributing factors, to say the least, in the decision to change track promoter/operators.

That said, I'm just a fan, and as such I give the Rudisell regime all :thumb: for their tireless efforts in staging racing at The 'Burg this season. You wouldn't believe how hard and how long those folks work to put on the show. Now I worry about this decision to stretch the legendary 1/4 mile to 3/8. I'm open minded but apprehensive.

I have complained about pay out for a while now. Todays regular shows pay around 1200 to win and around 150 to start. Now back in the early to mid 80's when my dad had his first sprint car they paid 1000 to win and not sure what to start. Don't make much sence me.

IMHO the payout isn't the issue. It's the cost of racings gone up ten fold in that time till now. Some of it's self inflicted, KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES' Rigs, Shocks, Motors. Keeping up with inflation from 1980 till now. A regular show should pay 4000 to win 500 to start. A ticket should be 28 dollars and pit passes should be 50 dollars per.

That doesn't happen because:

The other is TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING! I bet we had 25 SPECIAL NON WING SPRINT SHOWS THIS YEAR in Indiana and close to 130 regular shows that some were as good or better than a SPECIAL.

People's wages aren't keeping up with inflation either. There were more 50+ grand jobs available in the 70's than there are now and we are loosing thousands a week in every major city.

Winged racings in just as much trouble if you ask me. The purses are higher but all the cost are higher as well. THE HFC was the first Winged race Id seen in awhile and quite honestly, IT LOOKED LIKE A ROLLING JUNKYARD as the teams were using everything they had in motors and drive trains.

Sadly it's coming to the time that without a big corporate sponsor, You might as well run Paragon. at least you got some chance to compete against whatever level of investment you can make.

Chuck

I think my post is getting taken wrong hard to explain not in person. You always sound negative on boards. I applaud Lawrenceburg and MSCS for giving us a $10,000 to win race. I wish more tracks would do also. MSCS has quite a few big dollar races. My question is why wing races are able to pull higher purses. What are we doing wrong in the promotion of non wing racing not being able to pull off these higher purses. Yes non wing has some big paying events. But the only non wing race that has paid well throughout the field was the Mopar Million. Every non wing race drops off rapidly, where wing races do not. Late Models run on the short tracks all the time paying great through the field. Im my opinion we have a much better show than both. For some reason we are not getting non wing sprint car racing enough promotion. We have to make the Darlands, Stanbroughs, Cottles, Jones and Claytons like Steve Kinser and so on. We have the best form of racing going and we need to make it the best show on dirt. Make the outlaws second and Late models 3rd. I wish we could get someone to take an organzation and take some chances and grow this thing nation wide. If I ever hit the lottery there will be a new non wing sprintcar series traveling the US nocking the outlaws off there podium.

if i hit the lottery i will happily help you (after i get my own sprint car together, ha). this has always bothered me, when i talk to people who arent familiar with sprint cars all i ever hear is "the cars with the boxes on top?". AHHHHH i hate that. ill take any type of sprint car race over any other form of motorsports any day, but non wing racing is gonna always be my choice. im an old school kinda guy, id give anything to witness sprint car racing in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. ill end up drivin myself crazy tryin to think of how/why non wing racing can reclaim the spot it once held.

Well there was at least one special run that paid pretty good though the pack this year. The Hewitt Classic at Kokomo. It wasn't ten grand to win but I bet the purse was just as big.

Chuck, who knows most racers would rather have it spread thoughout the pack than all up top (They even voted it that way for the Mopar Million) Earl said I can do it both ways. All or nothing or everybody gets a good payday.

P.S. Does anyone take the time to ask these organizations to a. Raise Purses? b. Put less up top and spread it though the pack? c. Can you get that turnout of fans marketing a 4000 to win race 500 to start? Sadly sad but true its that $10,000 to win advertisement that catches the fans eye but the REGULAR SHOW is often as good or better.

From what was posted on Kokomo's website earlier in the year the sprint purse for the Hewitt Classic was a $14,105 for 20 starters in the feature. The winners share was $3,000 then it went $1,500, $1,000, $800, $700, $650, $600, $550, $500, $475 (10th), $465, $455, $450, $440, $435, $430, $425, $420, $410, $400 (20th).