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

I hope in the long the everyone benits from the new ownership, including Knoxville in the long run. Short term it will pull a few cars away from Knoxville. At the same time it will give other drivers more opportunity at both tracks to get more exposure, potentially increasing 410s in the midwest. 

I'm guessing McCarl, based upon what TMAC said, Zomer, Heskin, Garner, the DUDE? maybe others will head north. Henderson will hopefully stay since his owners based out of Newton. That's still leaves quality cars at Knoxville. Do I want to see all those guys at Knoxville, of course I do, but it's not going to keep me away from my weekly racing at Knoxville. 

If I'm a fan around Husets I'm giddy. To me Chuck is doing all the right things, upgrading the facility, increasing purse, and getting exposure to his new venture. 

And like TMAC said on Winged Nation it'll force everyone else to take notice and step up their game. 

As a Knoxville fan I'm a little nervous. This will force Knoxville into being more proactive in their marketing, which I think they've done in the past 5 years. I'll still support my favorite race track on the planet and will be there every Saturday night cheering on my favorite drivers. 

Keep It Real

$300 for a general admission season pass for every sprint car race outside of the Gold Cup. Or $600 for every event at the track before hand is an insane deal. Plus, a credit will be given for every rain out towards the next year's season pass. 

For years everyone on here has bitched that things needed to be done to the track. There are MILLIONS in upgrades and there are still people doubting him. I find it funny that most of the doubters are Knoxville regulars. No other track in America is offering this kind of weekly purse for 410s or 360s and you can do it all at one track without the travel between Saturday and Sunday. 

This is chump change to the investors and the possibility of a profit is there if it's managed right. 

The wind has changed, people. I'll remind you again on Saturday, May 21st when its 25K to win for an NSL show. And it's 3K to win at Knoxville. 

BIG J

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

You fail to mention that general admission at the gate now costs you $30 to attend both nights for weekly racing (was $15 for Sunday shows this past season) and you get less bang for your buck (for the fans).

As for the season pass thing.  You get a credit toward the next season, but what if you don't want to renew?  you end up getting nothing for rainouts if you don't (Knoxville used to be this way too, that is why they went to the punch-card so if it rains, you can use the punchcard for others in your party and use it all up before the season ends).

2 classes of cars were ELIMINATED from the program and the remaining 6 classes were split into 2 nights (again, not sure if this is good for the FANS that like to watch a relative race in the lower classes and like watching the Sprints, if they are now on 2 different nights what do they do, spend twice as much $$$???). 

You may want to take a good hard look at that those big event purses, they are EXTEREMELY top heavy IMO.  The Rock and Roll Gold Cup pays $50K to win and a quick drop off to $10,000 for 2nd and only $1500 for 5th and $1000 for 6th?  (and people thought Earl's purses for the King's Royal and HBO were top heavy).

 I find it exremely hard to believe that they will get more than 35 cars for that show in the Winged Class and probably less than 30 for the non-winged, especially since it will have drivers headed back toward home after the Nationals (can teams from PA, OH, IN, CA constitute another week of motels for a $550 to start race??  (if McCarl couldn't get that many for his $30,000 to win non-wing shows (that had a ton of other extras for the competitors) during the biggest racing week fo the year, I find it hard to believe that Huset's will either).

Is it possible to make $$ if it's managed right?  Yes, but with all the things Chuck is touting they are going to do, they will have a HUGE payroll to pay on any event nights (full service concessions).  All these upgrades also cost $$ and have to be depreciated over several years on the tax return.

As for the chump change for the investors, you may be correct, but even Billionaires like Mark Cuban and Warren Buffet expect a return on their investments and don't invest in something that will lose them $$$, you don't think the Millionaires invested in this venture don't expect a return on investment??  If you think they don't, you have no idea how the world really works.

If he runs Huset's like any other business in America, it will have to turn a profit by year #3 or it won't be considered a viable business (which is why 99.9% of race teams aren't considered businesses, they never turn a profit, they are considered hobbies by the government).

I hope Huset's is successful (the FANS in that area deserve a first class facilty).  At most, I can see 3 to 4 teams that ran Knoxville Regularly in 2015 headed to SD every Saturday (or staying there):  McCarl 24 (sponsors are located there). McCarl 17a (sponsors are located there), BWW82 (team, driver and owners are based there) and Lunstra 3 (car and owner are based there).

I highly doubt Garner will be in SD as the motor supplier and tuner lives in Newton (Parker Machine), Same goes for the 1 car (hopefully Henderson is still in it next season). 

The ?? marks are the Muddy #2 car (my guess is it will be up to Forbrook where they race and if Lasoski remains driver, he doesn't exactly seem to excel at Huset's (McCarl has always been way better up there than he is IMO)) and Brown (my guess is he'll be in Kville most weeks as it makes more sense from a logistics standpoint--and sponsor standpoint with FVP and Casey's).

I think both tracks can succeed and will succeed.

I have been a Sprint Car fan for over 35 years, we've seen the next coming of Jan Opperman 30 times, the next great promotor 30 times or more, and someone that has come in and going to change Sprint Car Racing for the better at least 10-15 times (whether it be a car owner, sponsor, promotor, official or racing organization).  To my recollection, with the exception of Kyle Larson, no one else is still even in the racing business.

Only time will tell if Huset's is successful.

I don't get all the hate.   Racers want and need better payouts.  Here's guy trying to do that.  Yet many here are bashing every little thing about it.  You know what I don't see?  Actual racers bashing it.  Just people who will probably have nothing to do with it anyway.  Local short track racing needs to make improvements.  Think outside the box.  Simply opening the gates isn't growing the sport.  This guy appears to be doing that.  Give him a chance.  I hope it works out.

Do we know that the Huset's/Badlands Gold cup is paying $50,000 to each class?

If you read the very bottom of the Gold cup event in the Tickets/Events section, it says Dates, Times & Payouts subject to change.

So if the fans don't show, does this mean that the winner in Winged/Wingless will still receive $50,000 or not.

I'd like to know how wingless sprint cars are involved in this event.  Why not the 360's instead.

Or someone may remind u again on May 21st when the NSL doesnt show up.  Time will tell.

Plenty of cars to go around on Sat nights.   If knoxville raises their pay or matches Badlands then we can stop trying to figure out what cars are going where.   I think Change is good!

If Knoxville is racing 410's on May 21st, the NSL will NOT be at Badlands and we will have a shining example of a promoter throwing darts at a schedule and hoping it hits. 

305's are the herpes of sprint cars

Because they wanted to run a non wing show I think.  If you want to be a promoter, buy a track.

Knoxville will not set idle and do nothing.  They make enough money on  410-360-stock car nationals to up  the purse.  They may not want to do it but they will.  Drivers do not decide where they race, the car owners do.  I do not think NSL owner is going to send Danny L. to Badlands every week.  Terry M. will go to Knoxville if they raise purse,  Badlands is a long drive.  I would think Badlands would run all classes of sprintcars one night and stock cars the next.  I think alot of this is a wish and a prayer.  We shall see.

I wouldn't doubt if some drivers (like McCarl) will be under contract/receiving appearance money in addition to the purse won each night just to counteract any attempts from other tracks to raises purses to prevent cars from heading to Brandon on Saturday.  Highly likely, but probably will never be made public unless it's leaked.  Either way, I have no problem with this.  McCarl already hinted in an early interview that he can be bought, this is how he makes his living, so he will go where can make the most money.

Also, I don't think you can rule out Lasoski running full time there either, even in Tod's car.  Some people really don't like the owner of a series, also fielding a car in said series.  This would be a chance to address that.  However, NSL car counts haven't been as great as expected this year and losing a full time, quality car wouldn't be best for his series.  I predict the NSL to actually do more co-sanction shows next year with an increased purse (similar to the NSL/IRA shows) where car counts were averaging 40.