Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Neither do most tracks that I know of.  And history has proven that fair boards can be as much of a hindrance as they are a help to the overall success of a track.  How many fair boards are supplementing purses in this day and age?

Has there ever been a successful speedway under the direct management of a Fair Board? I mean a long term success.

I'm not really knocking Fair Boards here. There's typically just too many, uh, let's say, "differences of opinion" amongst the Fair Board members - and few, if any, race track promoters - and, heck, let's face it, they probably get paid nothing to be on the Fair board. You get what you pay for.

Cases in point:

1. Port Royal Speedway - a storied history under fair board management but went down hill fast until RESURRECTED by a racing promoter.

2. McKean County Fair Raceway - the track closest to me. Best years were when the Fair Board leased it to a race track promoter and kept there hands off of it. Fair board gets back in, place is now closed.

I'd venture to say that without Ralph Capitani, a racing guy, Knoxville wouldn't be what it is today.

Oh, and back to the topic - this Lernerville purse thing has been festering for a long, long time.

I don't get it. You admit the track has problems but then you bash people for wanting a purse change that would bring cars back? Your point about never going to Port makes no sense either. Both Matus cars went to Florida with the ASCoC this past winter. Both Port and ASCoC pay 100$ in tow money to non-qualifiers so it obviously has nothing to do with tow money. Brandon Matus was at Port once this year as well.

If you want it closed move forward with the boycott. Tracks are stuggling to break even. A couple good tracks close every year. So either race for low pay or don't race at all. The future is not bright for a lot of tracks.   

Hasn't Angell Park been a success under a fair board? I always thought it was the exception to the norm to host big events and have that much history all under a fair board.

I've never been there and only learned about the track after the WoO went there after Chuck's Gold Cup or whatever it was called,so all my info is from Google. I guess you can't argue with me now!!!!

Even though I may not know you, I 
care what most of you think!

I know nothing about this ordeal beyond what I've seen on this thread but I'm leaning towards agreeing with you. It's easy to sit back and say "give me more" but have you done your part to earn it? Again, I'm not talking specifically about any teams involved because I don't know what's going on behind the scenes and perhaps whatever it is, warrants such a reaction from the teams refusing to race but I know here in Central PA, drivers and teams have always been very good at doing their part to promote the sport. Maybe those teams could get together with Lernerville management and figure out a better way to promote their track and attract more sponsorship money to increase the purse not to mention maybe get some more people in the stands. Maybe they already did that and were told to piss off....I don't know but in most scenarios, things tend to get better when people work together toward a common goal rather than throwing fits and essentially giving up. Either way, I hope it gets resolved. Of all the tracks in the state of PA that run 410's weekly, I personally think Lernerville has the best racing. It's as perfect of a sprint car track as you'll find anywhere. I'd hate to see it close. 

I get it about wanting more money.  They are comparing other tracks and since Sharon stepped up their payout, they feel that Lernerville should as well.  Sharon is not offering the top 3 divisions every Friday night.  In fact, there are no sprints this weekend if I am reading the schedule right.  Might have something to do with being able to have a higher payout.....every now and then.  I will be at Lernerville this Friday and am looking forward to seeing who is there.  

I wonder if they have approached management.  Not sure if we know that or are they just spouting off on social media.  Yeah, they have the freedom of speech to do that, but the honorable way is to approach this face to face.  I hope they approached it that way.

So many factors, the track is trying to keep Don Martin's tradition of the top 3 divisions every friday night which has been going on for what seems like forever and there may not be enough of the pie to go around.  It is probably very challenging to raise the purses in 3 very expensive classes of cars and balance that with the ticket income. Tracks are struggling and trying to survive.  From the drivers side, they want more money or for the payout to be closer or the same as other tracks relatively close, Port Royal, Sharon, etc.....

Great point made earlier about what kind of difference it would make if you raised payout in the top 3 spots.  Guess what, the top drivers are going to take it and there is not going to much difference on back.  

If they raised ticket prices I am sure that will chase away some people and where does that leave you.  I would gladly pay the $20.00 price each Friday night instead of dropping it down at some other alternatives.  Don't get me wrong I'm not looking for it to be $20, but I would because I am a diehard and love dirt track racing!!  I would still be there as I would rather witness someone test man and machine on the weekend after working their tails off all week to prepare the car.  And I know they would galdly give me an autograph and talk with me if I approached them in the pits.  Pretty sure dropping the same amount at some other choices would not offer those same rewards.  ............any way you slice it, it's a tough predicament!!!  I hope both sides can work something out for the good of all!!

I don’t think anyone wants Lernerville to close, they just want to race for a decent purse. As far as doing their part to support the track they’ve been the only class to have a full field pretty much every week the last few years, while the Lates and Mods usually only had 10-15 cars.

I think another issue was them only starting 20 cars and running B-mains to send 3-4 cars home with just tow money instead of starting a 24 car field.

i do agree with above they should be in communication with the track if they haven’t already. Talking stuff over always tends to lead to better results. 

Sharon is not running sprints this week, instead running the BB mods 2k to win. That said PPMS is running sprints the weeks Sharon doesn’t, for a slightly better purse than Lernerville (2k to win, 9,500 total purse). 

According to Brandon Matus they did approach the track to negotiate a higher purse, and the track was not interested so the boycott was the last resort.

Facts are facts, 410s are the highest division in dirt track racing. I understand the other two classes are top shelf classes as well but if they feel they need a purse raised because the sprints get their purse raised then they should just race elsewhere for a comparable purse. $1200-$1500 is par for the course in SLMs, but $1500 is 2nd place money in 410s pretty much anywhere other than Lernerville, and that is $100 more than they are paying to win right now. The purse for 360s at Selinsgrove is significantly better than the Lernerville 410 purse, and the purse for 358s at Williams Grove is now better than the 410 purse at Lernerville as well. The drivers are not being greedy, they need to be able to offset some of their costs too and the purse Lernerville is trying to pay is straight up theft.  

Agreed! I don't know what they pay for the BBM's and SLM's but it obviously should be less than 410 sprints. If you are going to have 3 headlining type divisions, you need to charge more in admission to pay them all a fair purse. Either that or be happy with 11 car fields. $20 to me seems pretty reasonable for 410's, SLM's and BBM's. It's very costly to put any of these cars on the track every week. You can't expect them to keep showing up for peanuts. Hope they get it sorted out. Lernerville is the best dirt track in PA.

A

I have never understood how a track could run 3 headline divisions.  If everybody is a headliner, then nobody is a headliner.  I can understand that they don't want to boost one purse at the expense of driving away the other classes, but I also can't understand how you expect to keep 410's coming back for that kind of payout.  maybe the time has come to change the schedule and run 2 of the top 3 classes every week and split the rest of the purse money between the other classes.  Example-  Week 1: LM and 410 plus Pro Stocks, Week 2: 410 and BB Mod Plus Pro Stocks, Week 3  LM and BB Plus Suppport division of choice.  Pay the Same purse as now.  I know as a fan I would rather see 25 LM and 25 Sprints rather than 11 LM, 11 Sprints and 15 BB Mod.  If you can draw extra cars in each division the back gate comes out the same, it's a better show, and the racers are happier.  Also don't put all the money up top.  The guys outside the top 5 depend more on the purse money to make it back to the track next week.  If you are in the top 5 you probably already have some sponsors and decent help, the guys in the back are less likely to have sponsors and likely have to buy pit passes for there crew.  (No one is lining up to wrench on a 12th place car, and crew help is hard to find these days.)

Thanks. That made me laugh.

Running 3 divisions is what has made Lernerville stand out from all of the other tracks.  Don Martin put Lernerville on the map with those 3 "Headline" divisions and his way with all people involved with the speedway (drivers, fans, employees, etc.). He was really one of a kind.  Ask anyone who came in contact with him.  Lernerville was made a great place and contiues to be that way in my opinion.

That being said, have you ever attended a regular Friday night at Lernerville?  For those that love the track and the variety of good close competition, there is no better place.  Honestly, the sportsman (stocks) put on a great show just as often as the so called 3 headline divisions.  

For a long time, these features were filled.  It is only recently that they have been tailing off In numbers.  Is it because of the payout?  Maybe.  Is it because of the cost of racing?  Maybe.  Is it because of drivers retiring?  There are probably several reasons for the lower turnout in the divisions.

Hoping for a resolution to satisfy all!!!

Angell Park Speedway is run and owned by the Sun Prarie Volunteer fire department.  Sadly,for a variety of reason APS is not what is once was in terms of weekly midget racing.  The track is still well supported for the 10 or 11 special  events it has yearly.  Coming from a family that owned a midget, APS was known for good racing, some favoritism, and not a terribly strong weekly payout.  World of Outlaw midgets, MARA( especially the MARA Skoal Dash series), and some NAMARS shows often had higher payouts.  Just my 2 cents.

I know this is a Sprint Car board, but if you look at how many $10,000 to win Late Model races there are on a given weekend and how many $25,000 to win races there are over the course of a season, I think you would have a time making the case that Late Models are a lesser division.

Sharon benefits from a stipend from Menards that covers the $3,000 winner's purse. That money came about as a result of Ryan Blaney running the Menards colors. The Blaney family was able to cash in on that. Good for them.To their credit Sharon did a good job making Menards happy resulting in more money this year. Now let's say Lernerville matches the Sharon payout for regular races.  That would mean there would be only 6 regular shows for the sprints, with a couple specials mixed in. Take a close look at the results from last week's FAST special show at Sharon. The DNQ list is filled with way more locals than you will find in the finishing order. Most of the 33 cars that showed up at Sharon were not our local drivers.  If Lernerville emulates the Sharon purse, the late models and big block modifieds have go and be replaced with crate sprints and crate mods. Do think Lernerville fans will support that kind of show after seeing three headline divisions every week? I don't think so. With the commercial expansion going on in the area of Lernerville. The land is far more valuable being divided up and sold. That would be a dam shame.

Mike, you are so right. The land that lernerville is sitting on is becoming more and more valuable each passing month. Thompson is a wealthy business man, and a smart business man. Those 2 when you add them up equals a unstable situation.  

That or pickup a sponsor to sponsor a division. 

Just my opinion....

All the problems/issues started when the dictatorship WRG/WoO/DirtCar/UMP/RUSH got their claws into Lernerville.

Fact is once they became involved with all their "rules" and "fees" the car counts have been on a steady decline which has driven loyal long time fans away to other tracks.

IMO  I think the new owners need to entertain other options other than WoO and it's other subsidies......