How do you Choose where to Race?

[JUNBUG]

It really all boils down to MONEY! How much you have depends on where you can go. And also who is paying more with thus involves car count.

[abrungot]

So.. next part of purse ? Paid that night, Checks in the Mail or Come get it next time... ?

What is the better incentive to come back next race?

[direct-flo]

In the class/series I run in it’s all about the enjoyment. I don’t have the late nights 5 days a week trashing on my car thing going on. I unload it, race it and load it back up. I may drive 470 miles round trip to a track. With that being said, purse money is not the motivator, a track that welcomes us and we have fun at is my motivator.

[Hobby Fan]

My two cents. I race local because it's only an 8 mile round trip pull and have had no issues with their program. Been to S.O.S. a few times and really like the facilities, "state park" like pits and that I can finish the feature and by the time I load my car the pay out is ready. Only been to I-37 once and they have the absolute nicest person at the pit entrance where you sign up. Wish I knew her name (Hunter maybe?) but she's the greatest.

 

If I was a full time racer I guess it would boil down to pay out and distance. It would be nice if the tracks would coordinate scheduling (which they seem to do for the most part) but there are only so many weekends in a month.

[CC57]

To HMP representatives following this thread:

 

IGNORE at all cost (pun) those threads stating purse $ is not important.

 

Thank you.

 

Now back to your regulary scheduled banter....

[Radical]

I chose to race on asphalt. I have always enjoyed seeing man and machine race. It seems to me like all a car does on dirt is make a lot of noise and don't get any where. Although the Mods do put on a good show. This is not to bash dirt racers in any shape or form. Just my opinion. There was only CC Speedway in my area to race asphalt. I didn't have the sponsors to back me up. I was traveling a lot back then and was financing my racing with what money I made in over time and saved on my per diem. I could not afford to run up front with the other guys. I would have enjoyed it if I could have. It was not about the money to me. It was just the enjoyment I had of being able to get out there and go in circles.

[HiTech]

ITS IN MY BLOOD ....A SICKNESS THAT CANT BE CURED OTHER THAN LEAVING THIS WORLD ,AND I PROBABLY FIND ONE SOMEWHERE UP THERE ..ALOT OF THINGS COME INTO PLAY WHERE WE CHOOSE TO RACE ...BUT ONE THING IS FOR SURE .RACE WE WILL ..I HAVE WANTED TO DO OTHER THINGS FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS ..HOT RODS AND SUCH ..BUT NOW MY SON RACES AND THAT OTHER THINGS WILL HAVE TO BE PUT ON THE BACK BURNER FOR AWHILE ..IT WOULD BE NICE IF THE TRACK WE RACE AT RAN EVERY OTHER WEEKENDS ..WISHFUL THINKING ....THAT WOULD SAVE MONEY ..........ALSO LATELY DIRT IS STARTING TO LOOK FUN .DAMN DID I JUST SAY THAT ...MUST BE LOOSING MY MIND .

[neon14]

I always like to race where there were a alot of people. It made me feel good to look up in the stands and see a bunch of spectators. It just added so much to the moment. Nothing worse than putting all this work, money, and effort into something only for a handful of people to see. And also lots of cars. The more cars the more fun the racing was. More car count usually meant more money.

[31Racing]

ill say as long as they call the shots fair, and dont show favortism ill race the track as much as my schedule allows! JMO

[lumpys]

I get the question ALOT. (dirt specifically)

 

1. Rules, in my class (I-Stocks/SS) tracks everywhere that are not sanctioned have made different rules to fit that individual track for what ever reason. Waco, TTS, SOS, Willis etc... all have different rules for the SS's. I like to race ALOT each year and being able to compete at multiple facilities requires me in TX to race IMCA.

 

2. Facilities/Program, When i moved to Tomball i researched each track locally and went to each program a few times. Willis is a circus but fun as a spectator, baytown was/is a nice place but they ended up closing, cleveland same, and Battleground opened and I rather enjoyed going there but (see #1)... Closest IMCA track was Waco and Killeen. Both have smooth programs, curtious staff.

 

3. Purse, Stephenville and Kennendale are both about the same distance for me, but if I could not race Killeen i would head for Kennendale. They pay a larger purse top to bottom.

 

In years past Ive races TTS every week on saturdays and Waco or Boyd on Fridays depending on who was racing that night. This is a Minimum 3 hrs one-way to TTs or Waco and 5 hrs to Boyd. Its also nice to be able to pull back north to visit family and compete at a few shows also. Next season Ill be moved to FT Worth and also getting more sleep....

[supertx]

I think with fuel cost you have to look at traveling expense to start.I think you need to look at what you can afford to race no need to try to run a sprint car and you really can't afford to run a hobby car. I also think that you need to run at your teams experince level no matter how much money you have your not going to beat the guys with the experince day in and day out. Even at the lower level of racing the cost is not cheap you need to run a race team as a business. People say that you can't make money racing is not true you just can't make all the money off the track purse I know several teams that make money every year t-shirt sales sponsors etc.etc. I believe that you need to race what you like and where you can get the most media time.

[Ford27]

Purse

Tow distance....purse

Fairness

Facilities

And oh did I mention purse

[radracr]

When I first started racing it was asphalt. Then I went dirt. Then I moved to Houston. Once my finances got on track I built the car for dirt, but kept asphalt in mind (Street Stock). Then the rules seemed to come into play. Then, most importantly my wife and daughter really liked the asphalt track we were racing at. We don't have a sponsor so everything comes out of our monthly budget. This year was a terrible year at the track but we continued to manage to show up because we enjoy the facility and most of the racers we race with. The track puts on a good show and treats the racers fair. Sure, not everybody will be happy, but that's a given. It is the closest track to us. Plus, it's all highway to get there. Purse wise, the show money covers the bare costs at the track. Sure, I'd like to say that I make money doing this but in reality this is a hobby. That's why I have a 'day' job.

 

So, how do I choose?

 

Wallet,

Rules (I like to think that I can 'interpret' the rules and build a better car. Besides, if you can't comes to grips with the rules right off the bat you'll never be happy),

Asphalt or dirt,

Distance,

Track reputation (this includes the officiating, how the track treats everybody, and how it markets itself. Also, I like to think I'm part of the bigger picture rather than just a numbered car on a track.),

Purse (there is no way I could convince my wife to do this if the purse wasn't reasonable)

 

One last thought, I'd really love to run a modified again. But when I put pen to paper I would get a couple of races into the season and realize I couldn't afford it anymore. But I can afford a street stock - I ran used tires all year long. Not one new tire. Try that with a modified. And be competitive.

[NickHolt]

...People say that you can't make money racing is not true you just can't make all the money off the track purse I know several teams that make money every year t-shirt sales sponsors etc.etc. I believe that you need to race what you like and where you can get the most media time.

Interesting that you brought up "media time" and your point is very valid.

 

Lone Star Speedzone has between 15,000 and 18,000 unique visitors a month between the front page and the forums. A "unique visitor" means that no matter how many times a person get on the site, that IP address is only counted once that month. I get on here probably 500-600 times a month, but I'm only counted one time a month in that unique visitor number.

 

That's a lot of eyeballs. But, strangely, I have a hard time getting tracks to submit anything to the site for publication! It's free. All they have to do is send it. I've written to every dirt track in Texas and a couple do send stuff to either Jay Hallas or me, but the vast majority don't send a thing.

 

And the same thing is true about individual race teams, there are a couple who take the time (or pay someone) to send LSS stuff about their team. Austin Wayn Self Racing, WD Racing and Trey Mitchell Racing come to mind (I'm sure there are more, but those are off the top of my head) all send me stuff from time to time and it gets published for those 15,000 folks to see.

 

You know, people complain to me all the time that I never write about them. Well, I'm not the PR department for their team. I have enough to do trying to keep this place meaningful. Teams need to find someone to write good solid press releases and send digital photos to Lone Star Speedzone so you can get the exposure you desire. You probably have noticed that Turner Motorsports sends us stuff all the time. Usually twice a week. And it gets published for free. Why Texas race teams don't take advantage of this well-read site is totally beyond my comprehension.

 

Well, maybe part of it is that most teams don't have someone on board with the sort of writing skills needed to put together a well-written release. Having written hundreds of press releases for USRA, SAS and others, I can assure you that it is not as easy as it seems. I guess that's why writers, including me, charge to write them for folks.

 

It takes several hours to research, compose, edit and release a press release that media outlets will actually use and I do not write them for free. But if anyone wants to pay, I'm willing to write releases for teams similar to the few I wrote for Self Racing over the past couple of seasons.

 

Nick

[thumper]

I agree with neon14.Playing to a big audience is the greatest reward especially if you run well.The purse is also important and so is honesty.A dishonest promoter ruins things for everyone and I have dealt with many.Fortunately most of the promoters I have raced for were sincere honest people.

 

When people pay to watch you perform,you are in the show business,period.If your show is good and well promoted,the large audience is there.If your show stinks,there is little audience to play for.Our vanity is our biggest enemy.Our audience is the most valuable item in racing.

 

So I like to race for an honest promoter who guarntees his purse and has a full stand.