Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: hosehead

With diesel going at nearly 4 bucks per gallon, will sprinters stay closer to home instead of traveling with a series? Will occasional fans still choose to spend their $$$ on racing, or will it be down to die hard fans only? I for one have limited my travels for the year, Knoxville Nationals and some WoO events closer to home to go along with some local weekly shows. It could be a long summer for everyone involved in racing.

checkered48,

I have been pondering lately, exactly what you mentioned here. I wonder how this summer will play out for grass roots / blue collar racing groups? Only time will tell , I guess? Don't mean to sound like gloom and doom, but I am (usually) pretty realistic about the big picture. If they can power an atomic powered aircraft carrier on a brick the size of a house brick for umpteen years, why cant someone in their basement make a car that would do the same? :-) As they say, I guess if costing a few bucks more to fill your gas tank is borderline, then you are living too close,anyway. Hope '08 is the best season yet for ALL the sprint car associations!

Take Care

"With diesel going at nearly 4 bucks per gallon, will sprinters stay closer to home instead of traveling with a series?"

I don't know, my d*mn crystal ball is broke but it's got to have an impact.

Stan Meissner (Check out the photo gallery and blog)

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On my last trip to Cali we paid $4.05 gallon for the hauler

Methanol was up $1.50 a gallon (to $5.00) from what we paid last November at Trophy Cup

Brian 

"TURN AROUND; MATE !"

Gas prices will not stop me from traveling. I don't care if it does get to 5.00 a gallon. If need to will try and find over time, if I can't then will cut else where if need be. I know for sure I will make it work, so planning on pevely, then nebraska all before Knoxville starts up.

Jeff

I think it has to have an impact. but considering the reported cost to compete in sprint car racing - I don't see the impact being too critical. but yet do see it as a critical problem. for the guys whoa re racing on a budget and have other expenditures - it will be crippling.

but far worse I believe will be the effects on fan attendance. visually it may be subtle - but considering when after a certain # of fans the rest are profit - the impact will be seen there. it's just foolish to think such high fuel prices won't affect stuff. but I do think it will be hardest for fans who are on a budget.

in direct relation - this will be the 1st time in a long time I won't be headin to Devil's Bowl for the ASCS races. the fuel prices - coupled with an opinion that it will be worse soon than projected - have impacts. but even moreso - is the 25$ admission. I'll pay that next weekend in Oklahoma City - but 4 some weird ass reason don't feel this weekend worth the overall price of what it would cost. I could go down there and shell out a few hundred - or I could get some much needed rest - and spend time with family and watch college basketball tournaments all weekend - for free. It's no doubt disappointing - and if not for having other things to do I would shell out the dough. but for what I'll curse myself for the next 3 days - I'll pat myself on the back for it everyday afterwards. In the past when it cost literally half as much to pull off trips - even if I had stuff to do I would still go. but with the higher prices and them still rising - hard as hell to not think twice.

my situation may be irrelevant to most - but I believe many will have the same decisions. With having so many other things to do - I could save dough and hit the races I really want to - Knoxville, STN, Chili Bowl. I think it will be like this from now on. and honestly it's hard not to consider moving to regions where the racing is more consolidated to smaller areas. Like Ohio and Indiana. Central PA as well. things that drivers and fans never woulda really considered before - they will know and in the future I think. I'm amazed by how many more cars there are running the series than in the past when it was more affordable. WoO, All Stars, and ascs all 3 look to have more cars than recent past. I don't think this trend can possibly hold - but it's definitely something to appreciate in the meantime.

I think everyone will have much different takes on this.........but - GO SOONERS! lol.

www.myspace.com/sfsfantasyleague 

OKCFan12@yahoo.com

Geez you guys have it good and you don't even know it. We pay 1.50 per litre for petrol and diesel ($5.25 US Gallon) here in Australia, then the Outlaws races at Parramatta recently had ticket prices around the 80 dollar mark.

My traveling this year will be about the same as last, maybe more hopefully.  Even with a Hybrid car getting 42 MPG, I'm still complaining!  When your weekend trips are usually 3-5 hours to the races, $4 a gallon this summer is definately going to make a lot of fans stay home and go to more local racing to fuel their need for racing.

My extra tax return in May has already been allocated to fuel cost for racing this year.  So much for economic stimulus LOL  My share is going to help the Oil Company's profit MORE!!!  What a joke

I use to go every Saturday to Knoxville, Last couple years I have only went to about 50-70% of the races at Knoxville. Taking the motorcycle is even pricey! $25 dollars round trip.

I'll be cutting back. Had planned to go to the Nationals this year for the first time in 6 years but I'm not going go be able to go with 3.45 a gallon let alone 4/gal price. Still heading to the Royal and depending on how I'm doing come Sept. I'll be at the 4-crown. I try to hit about 20-30 races a year. I think it'll be closer to 15 this year.

This makes it that much more important for the promoters to start their racing at the advertised time, run a good, entertaining show and get over at a reasonable time.

There is now one more excuse for fans not to attend a race.

Save your butt, get a colon screening TODAY

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Duane Davis

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IT will definetly have an effect on travel. CARPOOLING and sharing the cost of fuel, will help and

something we need to be thinking about.....

Lets Go Racing.....

Once again, the liberal media goes to every length possible to tell us how bad our lives are or are going to be.

My racing buget remains about the same as last year, including the annual Kings Royal and an inaugural trip to the Knoxville Nationals.

Now if alcohol costs start to rise.......

______________________________________________________
"The Posse has been handing it to the Outlaws longer 
than the World of Outlaws has been winning the 
Knoxville Nationals. Quaker State skills are never on 
trial." - Kevin Eckert

I truly thank the "Liberal" media, if not for them, I would have thought my life was pretty good, but what do I know?

lol

Save your butt, get a colon screening TODAY

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Duane Davis

Laser Engraving 
641-751-7777
101 N Center
Marshalltown, Iowa 

Inaugural? I thought I met you last year at the Nationals Smitty! Must have been the Royal.

Still with the cost of travel I'm still going to Cali twice more before Skagit Speedway opener

And who knows what will happen after our season is over; I know I have three races down there (Cali) on my schedule maybe more. Then there is "Best of the West" Series that I'll be at

Brian 

"TURN AROUND; MATE !"

Wow, where do some of you people work that it doesn't matter if gas goes to $5 a gallon? I have a pretty good job, and $3.39 a gallon here in PA will probably discourage me from doing much traveling over three or four hours each way, other than the traditional major races I hit every year.

People will travel and do what is important to them. Racing, hunting , fishing and Vacations will still happen no matter what the cost. I know the people i am around don't matter what the price, thats life. Be glad we don't live in europe.

Lets not get stuck on STUPID

I've had smoking friends say a million times "if they raise the tax on Cigarettes X number of cents I'm quittin'." Guess what? Yup - without exception - they're still smoking. You gotta live man! Gas will continue to go up it's just the way it is. Now like Smitty51 that whole alcohol cost going up thing would definitely be a concern but the real crisis we should all be talking about is the fact that the price of HOPS has nearly TRIPLED in the last year. This is SERIOUS people! Not for those of you that aren't into quality beers (primarily craft brews like Sierra Nevada, etc.) or happen to be home brewers but speaking for myself I'm worried sick. But it's nothing that 4 or 5 Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywines won't cure (regardless of price) :-)......

well for us average joes out there it will make a big impact. i'm trying to figure out how i can hit 4 maybe 5 woo shows this year. were if gas was lower it would be over 8. i don't like doorbangers but atleast i can afford them.