Time for teams to go back to mini vans and tiny open trailers! Unfortunately, the average fans just can’t afford to go anymore. My uncle went to granite city, Bloomington and Lawrenceburg but couldn’t afford another night and 4 hours out of the way for Haubstadt as much as he would have liked to. People are going to pick and choose so none of the races will have as gods a crowds as what they had in the last 5 years. If this comes as a surprise to you, I guess you don’t remember the path it was on from 2008-2016.

The price of fuel is a complex worldwide problem primarily about speculation in the commodity market, pent-up demand, and supply.

And government policy has a direct impact on supply.

JJ Hughes on Facebook put out a graph of a cost of one night of racing. In fact he was very generous on actual cost, Not including cost of a replacement nerf, rebuilding a pump. oil and rear end gear oil changes and that's a track within one hundred miles of home. Also feel like this was last months prices. But it compared cost vs payout and given only one set of rear tires was used up. They had to finish third to break even for a regular show. They had to win to do the same if more than two were used up. And all with the finish of putting the car back in the trailer with no significant damage

He continues that they race for fun and family time and yes, try to run up front with the best they can afford. They've succeeded

If you have facebook, I suggest you check it out. It doesn't include what a USAC team pays to run, Probably at least three engines with one always being freshened, carbon fiber bodys and titanium bolts. JJ and all teams need to be commended for putting on a show for us. I've seen more sprint car racers leave the sport before they ever really got started. Help them when you can. A pit pass, t shirt purchase. donation towards a tire helps. Even just letting them know you're a fan helps make it worth it to them

Please stop all the political B.S on both sides. B&## on a RACING CHAT isn't going to solve it. My guess is most doing so have never called their reps or senators offices and sent the message to the only place it counts?

We all know the problems going on, Have our own opinion of cause and fixes. But bringing each other down, arguing over the solution only makes RACING which I enjoy. (it's one of my few outs from life problems) LESS ENJOYABLE.

I can still afford to go, But less often and closer to home. The later is mostly due to parent aging but now price is effecting that too.

Any chance the slide or die ridiculousness going on with midget racing is causing folks to lose interest? Also Sunday night racing is usually not as well attended given it’s a work night.

Midget week has always been less supported than sprint week 2020 was a bit of exception with it being the first week of fifty percent attendance allowed and both fans and racers were anxious to get out. If i remember right the participants were limited to like 40 midgets and 35 sprints.

And yes, I bet the tearing stuff up is why a lot of teams are not there, some are picking certain tracks to run at, and quite honestly, The pay sucks vs a dozen other races that some teams just choose to hold out to run them. BC39, Turkey Night, Husets, Chili Bowl (Yeah the pay sucks there except the top five) Hangtown and a few others.

It actually lowered the price of a barrel of oil. Oil companies are making a killing right now. Check their record profits.

I found guys like KO working the bottom and Jay Drake and Ricky Shelton running the top (97/98 Pepsi Nationals) and Kevin Doty, Cory Kruseman, and Dan Boorse's epic battle at Tulsa in 2003 (where they all gave eachother room but ran hard!); over what's offered these days...

All other things being equal, inflation causes record profit year after year after year.