what can I 37 do to get more cars?

[Boerneracehounds50]

any ideas from yall , they seem to be doing everything right?????????what seems to be the deal.

[hotmad55]

It's not that there doing anything wrong, the price of fuel and the cost of living is was keeps everyone at home. I don't do this for money but I do have to finish good to keep racing. It's only going to get worst form here for home town racing. JMO

[Danielsen Motorsports]

It's not that there doing anything wrong, the price of fuel and the cost of living is was keeps everyone at home. I don't do this for money but I do have to finish good to keep racing. It's only going to get worst form here for home town racing. JMO

 

I disagree, that will only affect a small percentage of teams. Lots of other tracks that are very close are doing very well and not having car count issues. Car count was pretty good the first night and it has dropped every race since. To honestly answer your question about why car counts are low would serve no purpose [edited out by Nick Holt, 5/25/08]

[dano36]

Pave it maybe?

[Nathan]

that would make it worst . I think it has alot to do with fuel prices and that they run on friday. I would love to rn heart of texas or I37 but I know there is a very small chance for me to make the races at either track when I get off at 5:00 or later.

[wolfpack1]

any ideas from yall , they seem to be doing everything right?????????what seems to be the deal.

 

How many other IMCA sanctioned and non sanctioned tracks are there close by?

 

I would love to rn heart of texas or I37 but I know there is a very small chance for me to make the races at either track when I get off at 5:00 or later.

 

Both tracks start racing at 8pm. I can leave at 5:30 from Bryan and make it with time to spare. And driver check in at H.O.T. ends at 7:30 if you need to draw.

[SassyCassie14]

that would make it worst . I think it has alot to do with fuel prices and that they run on friday. I would love to rn heart of texas or I37 but I know there is a very small chance for me to make the races at either track when I get off at 5:00 or later.

 

If you can't get there in time, just let me know. As long as we don't have more than 24 cars, if your running late and miss the driver's meeting or even your heat race, you start in the back. Since your a new driver at our track, you'll have to start in the back anyways.

You can still race.

[Nathan]

thank you cassy after I finish the rebuild on mod I will keep that in mind.

[Bobby]

When a track does everything possible to reduce its internet presence it should not be surprised that people don't think about it much. Out of sight, out of mind.

[SASPEEDRACER24]

Well all know you can do it right Danielson... Just like TOBA.. Didnt you run a track in the Houston area as well thinking Battleground for some reason but not sure... Anywho... I know from some of the people that I help that alot of it is the cost of towing the car to the track... If you look at the percentage of cars that are from outside Pleasanton either from SA or Corpus it may cost a guy $100-150 to tow to the track and back home with todays diesel prices. There isnt going to be a good answer... If you raise the purse it will help some but your going to end up taking a hit on the percentage the track makes just to pay the bills... The gas prices are the big problem and if you can find a way to offset that you might be able to draw more of those cars from out of town again. Thats JMO...

[oldguy]

If you expect to pay a purse only from the back gate then its going to go down. The purse should come from spectators. The promoters seem to think they are providing a place to race. The cars follow the money not the money follows the cars. The spectators come to watch cars but not a 6 car feature. Look at Edna's car count. Without a change in the payout and the entry fee mine will stay in the garage on the trailer. I will not pay $150 a week to come race anywhere. Raise the entry fee some more and watch the pits fill up. NOT. The cars need to come from the local area and there is no one building or buying a car with the purse so bad. It needs to be consistent also before any new ones get built. JMO

[NickHolt]

If you expect to pay a purse only from the back gate then its going to go down. The purse should come from spectators. The promoters seem to think they are providing a place to race. The cars follow the money not the money follows the cars. The spectators come to watch cars but not a 6 car feature. Look at Edna's car count. Without a change in the payout and the entry fee mine will stay in the garage on the trailer. I will not pay $150 a week to come race anywhere.

All tracks have multiple revenue streams or else they would not be able to operate. One of those revenue streams is the back gate. And, as you have pointed out, the front gate is another. But I-37 is not the only track in the "how do we get more spectators to fill the grandstands" boat and rely more heavily on the back gate to keep afloat than they would like.

 

While I agree that most of the time racers end up paying out more than they're getting in, we should feel grateful that someone has stepped up and invested a pile of their own money to give us a place to race instead of locking the gates like so many tracks have done over the past few years. And if you're in racing for the money, you picked the wrong sport.

 

Instead of complaining about the purse and entry fees, why not take an active role in seeing to it that the grandstands do get filled. They get filled one person at a time. Make it a project to bring, drag, invite at least two new potential fans with you to every race. By the end of the season you would have been responsible for increasing the grandstand count by a bunch! Can you imagine if everyone competiting at the track did the same thing?

 

But getting on a public forum and announcing you're not going to race the track because it costs you money to race is adding to the problem and not helpful in any way.

 

Nick

[SASPEEDRACER24]

Just like everywhere else the drivers want to go where there is a purse... well except Boone IA... Pleasonton relys on out of town drivers more than most tracks in the area because of where they are. They also rely on out of town spectators more as well. Most of the drivers bring their families and friends to the tracks. If you think they are going to pay more to watch you race on top of paying more to get to the track your out of your damn tree...No one in thier right mind is going to pay more to watch a race when it costs them as much as it does to get to the track from Corpus or SA...everyone wants a bigger purse but noone wants to pay for it...

[Danielsen Motorsports]

Just like everywhere else the drivers want to go where there is a purse... well except Boone IA... Pleasonton relys on out of town drivers more than most tracks in the area because of where they are. They also rely on out of town spectators more as well. Most of the drivers bring their families and friends to the tracks. If you think they are going to pay more to watch you race on top of paying more to get to the track your out of your damn tree...No one in thier right mind is going to pay more to watch a race when it costs them as much as it does to get to the track from Corpus or SA...everyone wants a bigger purse but noone wants to pay for it...

 

To answer your question TOBA was a success, for 4 years it was so successful the tracks got jealous when we showed up wth 35+ outlaw bombers when they normally only had 20 at a local track if that. Our drivers traveled in some cases 6 hours one way to race. I dont think a nonsuccessful series could pull that off. So your point was what again? Some things are out of the promoters hand I am not disputting that. I said and I will say it again gas is not the #1 problem for I37 as a matter of fact it has the best geographical location then any other track in this area and the most potential of all the tracks. I37 can pull cars within a 2 hours distance from all directions to get the out of towners. They have already proved it when they had a good car count week 1. STS cant do that, the valley is alot farther and so is San Antonio. Edna has cars coming from Corpus, Houston, and as far as Boerne. So if gas is the excuse of the year then jump on the bandwagon and use it but its a small percentage and has been this year so far.

[bountyhunter]

had an uncle that owned a dirt track in geogia... he said the there where at least 4 other tracks within 45 min. from his track but he always had more cars..... he said his trick was (this is when gas was alot cheaper) cheaper pit passes for drivers... raise the spectator fees just a little, keep food price reasonable and offer the biggest payout of all the other tracks...... he said that with big purse and cheap pits you attract alot of drivers and cars, with alot of drivers and cars the spectators would come in groves.... the more cars the more action the more spectators paying to get in and also spending more for food and beer..... also he said you had to keep it going too... they had a 15 minute intermission and that if there was a wreck there goal was to get the racing going in less time than it took for an intermission ...... he actully made money at his track and only got out cause he got to old to deal with the day to day keep up.........

[SASPEEDRACER24]

Just like everywhere else the drivers want to go where there is a purse... well except Boone IA... Pleasonton relys on out of town drivers more than most tracks in the area because of where they are. They also rely on out of town spectators more as well. Most of the drivers bring their families and friends to the tracks. If you think they are going to pay more to watch you race on top of paying more to get to the track your out of your damn tree...No one in thier right mind is going to pay more to watch a race when it costs them as much as it does to get to the track from Corpus or SA...everyone wants a bigger purse but noone wants to pay for it...

 

To answer your question TOBA was a success, for 4 years it was so successful the tracks got jealous when we showed up wth 35+ outlaw bombers when they normally only had 20 at a local track if that. Our drivers traveled in some cases 6 hours one way to race. I dont think a nonsuccessful series could pull that off. So your point was what again? Some things are out of the promoters hand I am not disputting that. I said and I will say it again gas is not the #1 problem for I37 as a matter of fact it has the best geographical location then any other track in this area and the most potential of all the tracks. I37 can pull cars within a 2 hours distance from all directions to get the out of towners. They have already proved it when they had a good car count week 1. STS cant do that, the valley is alot farther and so is San Antonio. Edna has cars coming from Corpus, Houston, and as far as Boerne. So if gas is the excuse of the year then jump on the bandwagon and use it but its a small percentage and has been this year so far.

 

LOL Considering the first part of what I said regarding you wasn't a question I can see your defensive ego is just as I had heard it was. No wonder TOBA folded but to give you the benifit of the doubt why did TOBA fold again or are you going to blame all the other tracks for that? And how about that track you tried to run... Didnt turn out too well either... Anyhow what was the cost of fuel the first week vs. now? Answer 2.80 unleaded avg 3.25 avg diesel... What is it now 3.82 avg.unl. vs. 4.60ish for diesel... I agree the track made some mistakes the first two weeks they opened... The new owners made mistakes and they are learning from them...Now they have to work on some to get it right but the cost of fuel isnt going to help any... Fuel prices have gone up nearly a dollar and a half over the past 3 months. Don't believe me there are plenty of sites you can look it up on. If you hauled from Corpus each week thats prob about 200mi round trip give or take. Lets say your diesel 3500 dually pulling a enclosed trailer gets 12 miles a gallon that would be what about 17 gallons or $80 in fuel to get to the track and back home. $40 for you and your car to enter $25 for 1 person to help you...Thats $145 before you even eat or drink.. If you want to compare that to Corpus I believe Owen charges the same amount but he has alot more dirt cars in his area that come every week because they dont have to travel nearly as far to run corpus as they have to if they were to go to I37.. You have been a vocal critic of the track ever since you didnt get your way on some things and you have been doing your best to bring them down just like you flamed out on TOBA and other adventures... I for one am tired of reading your constant whining and potshots on I37 because you didnt get your way. Have a nice day or how did Gov Perry say it again... Adios ...

[rebelracewriter]

I will have to agree in part with the fuel cost issue...if you check the reslts from earlier races you will see most of the MIA cars were not locals.

 

Maybe finding a sponsor for fuel for one class each week would help. (Which I believe has been discussed at I-37 and know it has at other tracks with car count issues) Even if it's just 5 gallons of racing fuel for each car....every little bit helps.

 

Yes there are those that will go out of their way to race a different track, but comparing I-37 to Edna is apples to oranges...different rules, bigger purse and schedule adjusted to local factory shifts. At this point, I-37 can't up their purse, but they have at least stablized it with a published payout.

 

In driver's I've talked to, track conditions have also played a part. Heavy, rough conditions caused several guys to loose motors or break enough parts they can't afford to fix. Recently the track has done their homework and the track has been better staying dry/smooth.

 

Then there's those with "issue" problems...this happens at EVERY TRACK....someone thinks they got a bad call/deal, doesn't like class rules....whatever. Leave your freaking EGO at home and support your local race track.

 

Now as for rules....I don't can't keep up with every tracks rules......but it's been explained to me that I-37's and STS's rules in one class basically come down to right rear bead lock????? If that is indeed the case, beadlocks are inexpensive and not performance enhancing items that coud easily be changed to get more cars.

[Danielsen Motorsports]

You call it what you want, Mr. lack of information. I call it moving on, season was completed, points fund paid and trophies given out at an end of year banquet just like each season prior to that. My only goal from the start was to set out and prove how drivers and teams should be treated and thats exactly what we did. The tracks we raced at across East Tx. had to step up and respect their weekly local drivers instead of continueing to take advantage of them. Alot of teams took that experience and used it to start new adventures. Because of that 4 year period alot of things changed for the drivers in those areas for the better. I have a bunch of great friends because of it. Those that have anything negative to say are those that didnt take advantage of something special at that time in that area. Everything comes to an end, nothing last forever. Just because it ended you assume it went bad! Well over the last 15 years lots of things have changed or ended and they werent bad either. Of course its easy for someone like you who has very little of the correct information, has never taken a chance or risk, most likely buying a pit pass is all you have every done. . Step up and be a leader at some point instead of a follower. I say grab a rock instead of a pebble and throw something bigger if thats all you got, trust me alittle back and forth on the internet doesnt hurt anyone and I can take anything you want to dish out. Anyone stepping into to lime light must be whiling to take the good and the bad. [edited out by Nick Holt, 5/26/08]. I have stated if nobody wants to be the bad guy then I was willing to so the issues could be brought out and possibly fixed for the future of racing. Others obviously just stop racing at the track and said nothing which is their way of handling it. I didnt get my way? What way is that, do you even know what issues my team has with i37? Of course not! All we wanted to do is run every week with mulitiple cars in multiple classes, that was it period. You combine that with purchasing pit parking, registering both cars and sponsoring trophies then it shows we were ready to support the track and put our money where are mouth was to do it. How about you have you done half what we did so far this year. Just curious! We did all this on the first night! Of course that didnt include our families and sponsors in the stands and our 7 pit passes that night. My point being dont tell me we havent supported them from the start because we did and were ready to continue. [edited out by Nick Holt, 5/26/08]

[sprintsrule]

Danielsen Motorsports,

Buying trophies and pit passes followed by bad mouthing is NOT supporting. The track had new owners and the people going every week can see the improvements and can see how they are working hard and learning from their experience. Your week one or week two experience is not how things are going now. Please stay out of a legitimate thread if all you have to base your opinion on is something that happened two months ago at the very beginning of their tenure. You are not helping racing in general by bad mouthing them. Have fun wherever it is you are running and talk good about them. Unless you have recent experience at I-37, your opinion is not very useful. All I hear is good things about the new owners and management. The price of fuel is hurting them but it is not just the expense of towing the cars to the track. It is the cost of everyday living that is increased by the rising price of fuel. We are in the process of getting two cars ready for I-37 but the cost of everyday living has slowed the process. We should be there in a couple of weeks and I look forward to supporting the management team in place now. Please understand this is not a bash against you but you are not adding anything of use to this thread.

[SASPEEDRACER24]

That was fun... I feel so much better now...Guess that bright glare of the limelight got me. I dont have to prove to you where I race what I race or how much I pay to race... Call it what you want but I have fun doing what I do, be it race or help another driver or track. Unfortunately I dont have a big pile of money to make into a smaller one maybe you do and more power to you... Say what you want about me but its easy to see what kind of person you are when you dont get your way or when someone has a different opinion to yours...

 

Now back to the matter at hand... Untill fuel prices stabilize or even go down some its going to be real hard for the budget racer to race period. Now that the track has decided to run the track rather dry but smooth it will be a little better for the guy that doesnt have the huge motor and also gives the guys that have alot of car controll more of a chance... If the track conditions stay as they are the guy who didnt come because he felt like he was getting out cubic horsebucked will have more of a shot now... I have seen time and time again drivers want more payout to come especially the mods. Unfortunately the costs for a mod have gone through the roof hell even the cost for a pure stock has gone up. Pretty soon the full blown mod is gonna go the way of the sprints if things keep going the way they are...So is that the tracks fault? Is it the tracks fault that someone decided to spend x amount of more dollars to buy that enclosed trailer when they could have put that money into their car or budget? Is it the tracks fault when someone runs a $15k car in a claimer class? The track isnt there to support a racers hobby/habit...They are there to provide a place to race and be a venue for entertainment...

[hotmad55]

It's not that there doing anything wrong, the price of fuel and the cost of living is was keeps everyone at home. I don't do this for money but I do have to finish good to keep racing. It's only going to get worst form here for home town racing. JMO

 

I disagree, that will only affect a small percentage of teams. Lots of other tracks that are very close are doing very well and not having car count issues. Car count was pretty good the first night and it has dropped every race since. To honestly answer your question about why car counts are low would serve no purpose [edited out by Nick Holt, 5/25/08]

Dude,

 

I have know idea who you nor do I care. All these people asked for was some help, not a pissing match. May be I should have been a little more clear, not only is fuel to get to the track high but racing fuel is just as high. I go through 2 to 3 brums a month and thats just at home and at 230$ a brum thats no fun. Come on guys forget about the past and lets think of the future.

[SASPEEDRACER24]

I have know idea who you nor do I care. All these people asked for was some help, not a pissing match. May be I should have been a little more clear, not only is fuel to get to the track high but racing fuel is just as high. I go through 2 to 3 brums a month and thats just at home and at 230$ a brum thats no fun. Come on guys forget about the past and lets think of the future.

 

I assume your running alky. I fogot how quick it burns relative to gas isnt it something like 3:1... I have heard of some guys going back to gas but mixing racefuel with Super unleaded 1:1 and getting good results... Just have to make sure you mix them together before putting them in the fuelcell to mix properly. Just a thought...

[Danielsen Motorsports]

I'll agree to disagree. Like you I dont like to be told want I am about, what I support and what I dont. You seem to be the same, that I respect. My opinions are just that and because we live here if I choose to state em thats my business if you dont like it thats your business but dont act like you know what my accomplishments and failures are because again you dont know any of them. I dont rate my accomplishments in life with what happens at a dirt track. Maybe its just like we dont know all the facts about i37. I maybe wrong for not giving them a third and forth chance like others have that is something I will have to possibly deal with. But a question was asked and in my opinion the fuel prices play a smaller part then what some are making them out to be. I think it can easily be used as an excuse if they are not happy about something else. Face it drivers will race for anything anywhere if they are happy and respected. I base that on other tracks across Texas where people race at that I chat with. If i37 is learning from their mistakes then that is wonderful but very few people outside i37 are hearing about their progress. Maybe that is a starting point by putting up for the world to see exactly what kind of progress they are making. That might make some of us feel better about eventually coming back at some point. But like at the beginning when a question is even asked you get jumped on as if the questions are attacking them directly. Please remember when questions get asked and not get answered then thats when doubt starts to loom then soon frustration to follow. It wasnt long ago where lots of questions were being asked by lots of folks. Instead of handling them the msg board was simply removed which did nothing but make things worst yet again my opinion. I hate to be the one to say that there really isnt enough cars to run any off or just hope they go away when they ask those questions. Every driver should have a voice it doesnt give them the right to slam the track but constructive critizism should be welcomed and considered. So enough of all this good luck.

[The Shrimp]

The original question was how does I-37 get more cars? I will say I had all intentions of running the full season. Then 2 things happened, they started cutting pay and the track surface. Well I am glad to hear that both of those issues have been resolved, and I will be back to support.

I think the management team at I-37 is learning quickly how to take care of there drivers. I have been contacted more than once concerning my attendance and my concerns. So to the I-37 management good job keep it up and keep listening to others and don't be afraid to try different things.

I will say that there was a comment made earlier that needs to stick. The back gate should not be relied on to pay for everything. You have to find a way to put butts in the seats to help pay for bills, improvements etc.

Some good and bad points were made in the little arguement that happened earlier in this post, know the good from the bad.

And see you friday, God willing, and if my wife lets me(j/k).

[Racer26]

I have not been there for three weeks but it is due to working a lot of hours. It's good to hear the track is finally running it dry. I'll be back after this is over, pending the price of diesel and alcohol of course. It's expensive just running STS.

 

 

"So is that the tracks fault? Is it the tracks fault that someone decided to spend x amount of more dollars to buy that enclosed trailer when they could have put that money into their car or budget? "

 

Mark,

To each his own. When I can't afford to pull it anymore I'll sell it to another racer who can.

 

Shrimp,

I wasn't going back after the pay cut but they made it right and actually contacted me with the new scale. The heavy tracks have been an issue but it looks like they have that under control.

 

Overall I feel there getting better each week and are working well with the racers.