Ok,explain.Not sure I understand how higher purse scares racers off.And before you haters jump in,this is a sincere question.So,sincere answers appreciated.

I can explain this for you - from the low budget to mid budget teams, they see the bigger win money posted and no USAC sprint race and BOSS idle as well. As racers, they know that guys like Ballou and Thomas and more would be showing up. I thought there would be 30 cars and almost left my car parked. Glad I didn't though. So big money brings in a few big names but often chases away just as many (sometimes more) low budget teams.

Or like us as a low budget team you need a week to regroup, save money and fix the things wrong with your one car.

Running the 30+ races we will this season is not possible without a lot of money out of our own pockets. Running races where placing from 10th on back means you lose money in the deal just to get the car to the track only goes so far. As I have calculated it, it costs us about $500 (and that's re-using tires that you probably shouldn't) to show up and unload at any one race.

Sponsorship is always appreciated but realistically is almost non-existent in non-wing sprint car racing today. Keep in mind, I can come up with less than 15 non-wing sprint car drivers that don't have other 40+ hour jobs they work through the week. So when fans see 40+ cars show up for a race I would hope they have some appreciation for the efforts and money teams are going through to try and give them a good show.

I'm not sure the words "scares them off" is right, but it does not make financial sense to race every weekend possible for us low budget guys and promoters are busy trying to make sure their big money race doesn't overlap someone else. Which means about every week there is a "big money" to win race or two. Understand why the promoters do it, but I doubt every race will get 30+ racers with so many available and so little money paid from 10th back.

The very real possibility of losing $200 to $400 a week is simply not that attractive for us to bust our butts and try to make every big race out there that pays "big money" to win.

On the positive side....there are some like the BOSS series that typically try to do more for the low budget teams and the non-winning teams that keeps us coming back.

Just my opinion...don't know if everyone looks at it the same as I do or not.

There were up to four 300 to start possitions unfilled.
Yet show up to a 40 car show and you more likely to get 100 tow money and that's it. Even if your good in some cases.

Im a fan of all racers, But sometimes IMO you are your own worst enemies. You want to run for more $$$, OK, I understand. Track puts up more $$$ enough for three our four big shoes to show up. The grandstand is near full of people paying more money to see you race for more money and you don't show.

Sat nigh was a good show for me, Great when you include the Mod Feature. But I can see where people driving long distances not to see a consi would think it's no more special than a regular show. I mentioned some that would normally be there or planned to be there. Add another Justin Owen found rocker problems on his motor and was waiting on parts.

Ok,to clarify the one reply closest to answering the question,are you saying low budgets avoid big money races because they feel too many high budget teams will show and if don't make feature,not enough pay out to justify the trip?

For this particular race, as I said we are busy saving money and fixing our car (needs the front of the chassis clipped and we would welcome you chipping in to cover the costs if you'd like ). So no we did not go to a race we would have typically raced at the track we consider our home track.

But from an overall perspective

Lawrenceburg is our teams favorite track of all we run. It's not an issue with this track....it's an issue with all non-wing sprint car racing. You are asking teams to lose money for your entertainment and then squawking about low car counts.

You don't know how many cars are going to show up until after you have already paid and unloaded. And $300 to start is only $50 more than a regular show. It's appreciated when it happens, but it's still show up and race to lose money unless you are in the top 7 or so finishers.

We are considering racing winged next year as the tow money is more as well as starting an A main event pays more than double that of non-wing racing. We will likely be less competitive than we are even now...but at least our return on investment will be more.

Like it or not we don't have deep pockets and simply have to choose what races we can and want to afford to race.

Pretty much sums it up in my opinion, at least for this low budget race team.

It's about the $$$$$. Or lack there of.

Ah, there's two ways to look at this. I want to run for a higher purse, not a higher win amount. Only one guy walked away with $3k. I'd much rather support a track that pays well from 5th to 15th than 1-5th. (Lawrenceburg does this so I am not complaining here.)

$3k to win probably scared off some cars because USAC guys were going to show up. I still expected 30 cars. We're also at that part of the season where stuff is breaking down. In the last month I've had a fuel pump go bad, destroyed 7 tires, and broken two headers during the main event. And I finished every race. That still cost us $2200 for maybe $1200 in pay back. This part of the season, everybody's cars are starting to get banged up.

Just about a month ago we counted 125 total sprint cars at 6 different tracks.

This weekend we counted approximately 70 at 4 different tracks.

2017 Lawrenceburg Speedway

Standard Payout (highest in state)
$1,500 to win
$225 to start
$8,275 total (20 cars)

Dick Gaines Memorial
$3,000 to win
$300 to start
$11,200 total (20 cars)

King of the Midwest Sprints
$2,500 to win
$250 to start
$11,225 total (20 cars)

I might be wrong but I would have to believe that people that run sprint cars aren't doing it for our entertainment, they're doing it because they want to race sprint cars. 2 cliches apply 1. The only way to make a small fortune in racing is to start with a big one. 2. Local racing legend Bill Davis always had painted on the back of his cars "thanks fans for making racing possible" Both remain true