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

High limit racing has me thinking: 

What would you rather? Go to 15-25 Sprint shows with average level competition, average car counts, at 15-20 bucks a head and kids get in free?

-Or-

Go to 5-6 Sprint shows with the best of the best competition, average to above average car counts, at 40-50 bucks a head and kids in the 20 dollar range??

I would go to the 5-6 race option. Good question IADIRT. 

Gary Allbuagh

at $40-$50 A TICKET i WOULD BE GOING BY MYSELF, MY WIFE WOULD SAY HECK NO.  i WOULD GO TO BOTH TYPES OF SHOWS AS MUCH AS I COULD. tALK ABOUT INFLATION,  i HAVE GONE TO iNDY 500 FOR $15.00 YEARS AGO.

we've transitioned into plan b this year in particular.  part of it is not having a favorite driver running up front or running most of the races.  i wanted to be there if ryan smith won a race in the 72 so we went to everything and missed his win at lincoln anyway.  kids aren't putting up with late nights like they used to.

$20 for kids is too much.  nascar still lets them in either free or $10-12.  

My son and I are the only ones that go.  My wife and daughters don't want anything to do with the races. 

Give me the 5 to 6 sprint shows with the best competition.  That is why I travel to Eldora and Knoxville as much as I can.   The best of the best go to those tracks for the Kings Royal and the Nationals!  

I also go to about 20 to 25 regular/weekly shows around PA.  Lincoln, Selinsgrove, and Williamsgrove.

Williamsgrove - Just when the outlaws or Allstars are there. 

Let's go Sprint Car Racing!

Knoxville - Best Track In the USA!
Eldora - 2nd Best Track in the USA!

Or

Stay home and watch what's on dirtvision. That's been my choice the last few years

Money is definitely an issue in attending races, but you have to factor other things like travel, expenses with traveling, work schedule (for most), weather, etc..  

As far as caring about fans in attendance, I am sure that the track is making some money off of the streaming service, but I would bet they need the fans in the stands to really make it financially.  If there are few fans they lose the gate price, refreshments, souvenirs, and alcohol (if available).  Make no mistake, that is a huge chunk between being profitable and being upside down.

I will take the regular shows. Most times that where the best racing is. I don't care if the Out Laws or anyone else is a half second faster that dose not equate to better racing. My kids are out of the house now but all have always been race fans. I would never go to race if I couldn't afford to take the whole family. We might be spoiled here Pa. with decent car counts and kids under twelve free and 12 to 18 half price.

This is fascinating to me. No right or or wrong just an opinion. I wanted to reserve my opinion until I had a few ppl post theirs. I actually prefer more races at cheaper prices. Knoxville weekly, sprint invaders, MOWA, IRA, etc. once you get to know the drivers the racing is typically as good or better and they are down to earth working people. Don't get me wrong I go to probably all 25 cheap races and the 5-6 big money races each year but if I had to pick one or the other give me the local shows. 

I have changed my posture the older I get. Back 10 or 15 years ago, I was all about quanity vs quality of the races. As Longtime stated, I was fortunate that the tracks in Pennsylvania and New Jersey admitted kids under 12 for free. It was a fairly inexpensive to take my wife and three children and we viewed it as a cheap form of family entertainment. Now that they are out of the house, and my wife lost interest in racing I tend to go to "Special Shows" and have no problem paying $5 to $15 more at the gate. I just find the touring series and bigger paying races more exciting with a better atmosphere over a weekly show. I know the bigger names will be there and I kind of like going knowing large crowds will be there. It feels more like an event to me.I went from attending 20 to 25 races a year to 10 or 12 BIG SHOWS.

I love Knoxville and it's my favorite track, so if I lived around there, I'd probably go with the 25 cheap races plus the Nationals.

But I too have gone to quality over quantity now. There's nothing like a sprint car crown jewel, the atmosphere is right up there with all the bigger motorsports events I've been to, albeit on a smaller scale. 

I would trade 20 local events for a Kings Royal, and basically any number of races for the Nationals. 

Dsc, that is exactly how I feel. I had the opportunity to attend this year's Knoxville Nationals with my 32 year old son (it was my Christmas present from him). It was the third time I have been to the Nationals, but his first. There is nothing that can compare to those four days of racing. I would go every year if I could, We are now making plans to go to The Kings Royal next year. I took my son and his buddy about ten years ago and the time is now right to go back.

Dsc1600 / bgtexpress we have differing opinions and that's okay! Personally I would not give up weekly Knoxville for Nationals each year. I know mind blowing right? I get my spot in the stands, my family, ROOM, great food, and usually as good or better racing. Both is where it's at but I love some of the lower level racing. When it becomes a hassle to park, costs me an arm and a leg to get in, and then no one else in my family goes it loses a lot of meaning for me and I think ehh who else is racing. Knoxville with the NASCAR truck is a different apples to oranges example but I wasn't gonna pay that when I can go watch taxi cabs do the same thing 20 miles the other direction for far less dollars which is exactly what I did  

This is where I am coming from. There are nights when I, my wife, our three adult kids , their spouses and all of the Grand children are there.

For years when I was I guess "younger" I was more in line with the 5-6 shows/weekends (probably a little more) option. Mostly just because its about 2hrs to any track from my house which really isn't a big deal but with all other things that go on in life like starting/establishing a career, managing another business on the side, getting things done at the house, other hobbies, etc it was just easier and justifiable to go to bigger races and get more bang for my buck as I normally said. 

When Covid hit, I decided to simplify my life drastically and take a lot of things off my plate since I was more financially secure and free time meant more than money. Now I somewhat do a mixture of everything especially since my son is probably a bigger sprint car racing fanatic than I am. Typically if there is a race we go to it no matter how big or small and I typically account our race travels into my budget every year and prioritize it over most things. A day or weekend at the races is usually his an I vacation or weekend getaway.

Like Nick, I'm a mix myself over 10 WoO (Ohio, Indiana Missouri) over 10 All Star (Ohio, Pa,) 5 USAC (Indiana and Ohio, counting tonight and tomorrow) 5 non sanctioned Posse, 11 non sanctioned Ohio shows this year, but I wouldn't trade anything for Doty/Royal week. We are up to 17 family members and 3 connected camping lots for the week each year. Husets is where I wanna add next year 250k to win is gonna be huge and I will trade a couple local shows to head out there for 4 days 

Last week of Knoxville regular season was my parents, my wife and our three kids all there. Racing was decent that night with even better weather and will go down as my favorite night of the year by far. Kiddos were entertained and well behaved too which helped. can't replace those nights. 

Those trips to some hidden gems and some po dunk tracks are of my fondest memories. I understand Quality over Quantity when time is limited and budget is not but for me all things removed trip I might have better memories from no name races than all time classics. To name a few: Moberly whenever they have sprints because you just have to see it, 81 Speedway in Park City KS while going to Cow Town and touring Witchita, I-80 and letting the wife go to the strip mall and eating at Parkers BBQ, Sunday night run with dad in the Camaro up to Angell Park for a simple IRA show and beating it back for work on Monday, Bloomfield fair races with Sprint Invaders and getting the homemade pie and ice cream under the grand stands, heck Eldon Fair Sprint Invaders and having Dominic Scelzi drop in and win, and I can honestly go on. All of these shows would be considered no name type events compared to Nationals, The Royal, The Open, ETC but darn they were awesome. 

I'd pick 15-25 regular shows on Friday or Saturday night. 

A

But I definitely take the 15 to 25 average shows.With average competition average car count? Which I'm assuming? Would be 25 to 30 cars? Careless about going to the show with big names. And 40 for $50 price range. Can't afford that. What I would do is save my money up? And head out to Indiana. For Midget Week. Or sprint week. Definitely feel that would be something worth the money. Where you get to see 2 great classes of cars racing on the same night? Well, I hope this High limit thing works. I just can't get that enthused about it. And I also hope the Woo Decide to let their drivers race at it. There's no reason they shouldn't let them if it doesn't interfere with their races. But for me, it's all about seeing. More races and not. And not having to payout a bunch of money out of my pocket . I feel I see just as good of races with local guys. As I do with the big names. And by the way I will. I won't ever Watch a race on flo or dirt vision. I'll go sit in the stands and support the race track that way. Because I feel TV is gonna be the death of dirt track races.    Glen Murra