*Turn 2 Blog is a regular feature on InsideDirtRacing.com. Here, site operators Michael Moats and Richard Allen take turns offering their thoughts on the dirt racing topics of the day from east Tennessee and beyond.
Richard: During each off season, I purchase a yearly planner and and then write in the schedules of all the major series and other special events from around our region and around the country. After I get everything written in, I go back over the dates and use a yellow highlighter to mark those events I might possibly attend. One thing I’ve noticed this year is that there are a lot of highlighted races.
As a matter of fact, I could just about attend a “special event” every weekend from March through November and never have to travel more than a couple of hours or so from home.
In east Tennessee, we are blessed to have so many tracks that offer high quality racing. But at the same time, I sometimes wonder what the impact of those special events might be on weekly racing programs at the various tracks that still run those types of shows.
With special events come larger purses. With larger purses come higher ticket prices. Might there be too much of a good thing?
Michael: I like the old saying of “less is more.” I think sometimes there can be too much of one thing. I look at NASCAR and see where every round of practice, qualifying, pre-race, and race is on live TV. People tend to tune out where there is a bit too much.
Regarding the local scene, I am glad there is plenty to offer for the racers and the race fans. As long as the racers have the motivation and the means, they will be there to race. It can be different for fans because they are pulling money out of their own pocket to attend these events. Sometimes, they have to pick and chose where to go and how often.
There is a stigma across the country that weekly racing is somehow not as good as something put on by the travelers. Attendance is dwindling in some places because of this. Car counts are down as well, especially in the non-late model classes. Weekly race purses are typically lower than special events, the racers need money to race. So you’re seeing more racers chase the money.
Richard: Drivers chasing money is a good point. I think we are starting to see a bit of a trend toward that, especially early on this year. Of course, no one can fault a guy for trying to add to his income. At the same time, however, every driver who elects to follow the bigger purses is a driver lost to weekly shows at whatever track he used to call home.
Another good point you make is that of the fans. Given the choice of attending a particular track every week or going on occasion to to see stars of the sport who may not race in our area that often, they may choose the latter. That, in turn, will cause some diminished numbers in the attendance of the weekly shows around the area, or the entire country for that matter.
Obviously, tracks aren’t going to reduce their numbers of special events if they are making money from those races. What the scenario we’ve discussed above may call for is tracks to get more creative when it comes to weekly shows in order to put fans in the stands.
Michael: I totally agree with that. Running the same show week after week gets dull for everyone unless it’s mixed up a bit. Throw in some different formats, run the schedule in a different order, and adding extra activities every so often are some things that can be done to enhance the experience.
One thing I have noticed in this area is the increase in the non-late model classes that qualify each week instead of heat race. I know drivers hate heat races because of the fear of tearing up equipment for basically nothing (heat races don’t pay any money). But what the drivers need to understand is that fans pay for tickets to see racing, not four or five classes of time trials. Promoters and drivers need to learn tracks outside of the southeast never run time-trials, they heat race everything including super late models.
Tracks can help out by offering some incentive money for heat races. For example, pay every driver $25 that runs in a heat race and offer $50 to each heat race winner. At least the drivers will have their pit pass paid for if they suffer a problem in a heat race.
Richard: I’ve never been shy about voicing my disdain for qualifying so I would be in favor of just about anything that would reduce the amount of it.
On the topic of weekly shows and special events, several tracks in this region that do run weekly racing programs announced over the winter that they would work together to promote some special events that could potentially also serve to benefit weekly racing. The United Crate Racing Alliance was formed by six tracks(411, Boyd’s, North Georgia, Duck River, Fort Payne & Cleveland) to sanction Crate Late Model events by having those tracks work together in an attempt to not only lift that form of racing but also benefit each track’s weekly car counts.
The first of the UCRA races was held just over two weeks ago and to say it was a success would be an understatement. Ashley Newman won the inaugural race but that wasn’t the whole story. In all, sixty-three cars were on the property at Duck River Raceway Park to take part in the action.
And just this past weekend, the UCRA boasted another 50+ car count when they staged an event won by Riley Hickman at North Georgia Speedway.
I expected the new series to do well, but I didn’t see those kinds of numbers coming. Did you?
Michael: I can say I didn’t see that coming. I will qualify my comment by saying the car count could be impacted by where Duck River is located where they can draw from several areas. I will be interested to see how the car counts fare over the next couple of races. I hope they remain high.
In the same vein, it may be time for a few of the tracks to get together and rotate a few of the classes from week-to-week. We have seen car counts go up whenever bigger purses are involved. Is it better to have 10 cars in a class at two tracks or have 20 cars at one track one week and another track the next week?!
Richard: In a recent interview we ran on this site, area Street Stock racer Chris Rickett said that tracks vary their rules from other tracks to “build a fence around ten cars when they could have 30 or 40 cars.” I think this is sometimes true.
It’s easy for someone who doesn’t have anything invested to offer up suggestions, but I like your idea of tracks rotating some of their classes. Essentially, that’s what the UCRA is doing with Crate Late Models. It seems as if that sort of system could just as easily work with Mini Stocks or Street Stocks.
As we have stated above, weekly racing may be at a time in which such creative measures are necessary for survival.
Michael: Yes, I agree with that. If something isn’t done, we’ll soon see 4 classes of late models and one street stock class as the only thing raced on area tracks.
