[B99]

Originally Posted by openwheelfan1 I follow a page on FB called Sprintcarstats which posts interesting results from races from many speedways from years ago. In addition to the final feature results they also occasionally post the winning payout. They recently posted the results from Lawrenceburg Speedway from May 9, 1990. Bill Rose won and for winning received $800. I looked at several different “then vs. now” dollar calculators and while they vary slightly, all indicated that $800 in 1990 would equal $1760-1775 today. The point of all this? Racers complaining that purses have not kept pace over the years would seem to be valid as per Lawrenceburg’s website, they pay $1500 to win in 2022.

Kind of a narrow view, don't you think? So using your logic you would be paying what $40 a night for a ticket to a weekly show, and $75-100 for specials such as USAC or WoO.

There are weekly shows that used to draw 2-300 people, now are lucky to draw 800. Not everyone wants to sit in the sun, or rain, and get showered in dirt.

There are also fewer "promoters" these days, the guys that would do what it took to get people in the front door. Now we have a lot of race "organizers", who do a great job putting together weekly shows or event, but don't really "promote" very well.

You don't take into account racers themselves, many of whom never promote themselves or the sport outside of some message board, social media posts. Generally, they aren't out in the public to promote their local track or a big event. A few do, but far fewer than in years past.

Racers and race teams have also increased their own costs with NASCAR haulers taking a UMP modified around for what, $6-800 to win on a weekly show? Is that really necessary? I don't think race fans should have to pay more at that gate to support team's choices in equipment. And I think open trailers with a race car draw far more attention than some large trailer with graphics on it.

Social media and message boards can and do have as much of a negative effect as a positive effect on the sport. It doesn't take too many "keyboard jockeys" to damage the reputation of a track, promoter or event. Social media has given a voice to people whose only audience previously existed in a bar or coffee shop.

Simply putting it solely on the promoter to pay out more and charge fans more, seems very short sighted.

[diversified]

I lived in Findlay, Ohio back in the 80's and remember Millstream Speedway had a weekly Sunday night winged sprint show that paid $2,000 to win. I can't recall gate prices but $8.00 or so seems right. The place was usually packed and they normally had a great field of cars since nothing else ran on Sundays and they drew sprint cars from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and occasionally Pennsylvania. The ran the "wedge" outlaw dirt late models and street stocks as support classes,and you were out of there early enought that going to work on Monday morning wasn't a problem.
You could expect to see Rick Ferkel (he lived in Findlay), Duane Lieber, Fred and Jim Linder, Mark Keegan, Hank Lower, Rick Hood, Johnny Beaber, Jack Hewitt and Kenny Jacobs on any given nght, plus Blaney, Doty, Haudenshield...man I miss those days!!!