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

I think ticket prices have been "too cheap" for decades.  I know it's supply and demand driven, so it's not as easy as just raising prices to offset costs, raise purses, and draw in bigger and better teams.  However, sprint car fans tend to complain and push back against ticket costs more than any other sports fans in the country.  If I take my family to an NHL game, tickets alone cost me $500-1000 for a family of five.  MLB game---$250-500--and that's just the tickets.  NFL, Nascar, NBA, Indycar--------you name it and it will cost astronomically more that attendance of a sprint car race.  All the NHL and NFL games are sold out.  NBA games do pretty well.  Nascar and Indycar---depends on who you talk to and where the race is.  I think it's an absolute bargain to attend a WoO race for $40-48.  And it's not just the gate that's a deal.  Concessions are dirt cheap when compared to other sporting events.  I've heard sprint car fans complain about $4 beers.  $4!  I've been to events where a beer was $12-14!!!!  Bottles of water were $5.  

In my opinion, sprint car racing, at all levels, is one of the best entertainment values you can find.  I would expect a big increase in ticket prices.  If my costs are up at home, I cannot even imagine how much the costs have gone up for tracks, promoters, teams, and sanctioning bodies.  

 I'm suprised that prices did not increase last year. And to be honest, I don't like higher ticket prices BUT I understand, costs have risen for many things, so I am OKAY with paying a higher ticket price. And really, I think some of the prices that we currently pay are too low, like the Cappy Classic for example. 

Name one place where we can see 60+ spring cars each Saturday night with no fillers at $15 ??         Knoxville, and while I may be in the minority here, I think $15 is a bargin. 

I go to a lot more races than you think.  Just not any at one track.  This year I am going to my favorite track again......Knoxville for the Nationals.  Simply the best week of racing anywhere!

Love Knoxville as well, but next year the second week of July will be epic, starting with the Doty at Attica on the 11th, then to the Big E for 4 days, the million and the Royal. Pretty sweet week.

***

I wonder how much the tracks get from the streaming companies. I'm sure they know how many are streaming a race, so how much does the track get? I would bet my house it isn't anywhere near what the ticket costs.

Anyone ever heard numbers?

When my bills come due I don't look at the charges and think "this isn't enough, they should be charging me more".  The struggle is to continue going to a few races and watching them on streaming through my 70's and hopefully into my 80's.  No way in hell I'm taking on a part time job while retired and fighting a health problem.  I'm hoping that racing continues to be within the grasp of us common folks and not another playground for the wealthy like concerts and professional sports. 
 

Racing seems to be getting divided more and more into the tale of two sports.  The local weekly shows with six-eight classes that have admission under $20 and the big shows that require a small loan to attend.  I would remind everyone that the big shows are here today because us old folks soldiered through 23 second laps and jalopies for decades to keep these venues relevant.  But I digress, the bottom line for me is the bottom line.  I can sleep well at night knowing that I don't advocate pricing other fans out of the sport.  
 

One has to look at the competition for entertainment dollars and try to think of any sport that isn't accessible on TV for a decent price.  Years ago when I first got cable the pay per vue model was the standard.  $59.95 for a big boxing or wrestling match.  That gave way eventually to streaming based on a package deal such as the NFL channels while still broadcasting free games over the air.  I think dirt track racing needs to be accessible to thrive.  Streaming services, in case nobody has noticed, are running a lot of the same commercials as broadcast TV.  What they have to offer doesn't stop with the fans but they're able to cut deals with advertisers and that helps hold the price to a reasonable level.  As my wife says "why is your racing channel costing us double what we pay for Netflix?"  She is not a racing fan and doesn't see the value of DV but is fine with the annual Floracing bill.  On the flip side, there is so much content on YouTube and track websites and free replays of whole races that if the time comes a person could live without streaming and still keep up with the sport.  My only agenda is to be able to follow the sport that I have enjoyed since 1960.  Nothing more profound than that here. 

Stan, great response, but I would like to take it a step further. This is my first time ever posting here and it is my honor to be able to do this. My response will be based on owning two race tracks, a grassroots sprint car series and a brand the series has spawned. I am also humbled to call many on the business side of the sport my friend.

Like most, if not all here, I am a die hard fan. Unfortunately, we make up the miority of the supporters who sit in the stands at most racing events. Yes, the Nationals, Chili Bowl and many events like it, are made up, to a large degree, of die hards. Those events count on die hards to travel many mile and spend lots of money to keep the event profitable. I understand why many of you are willing to pay more for a ticket at the track because that is what you do. Thank you!

As Stan mentioned, many of us on the business side are concerned that the sport is becoming divided and the "haves" and the "have nots" are growing farther and farther apart. The rich are getting richer (more purse, more point fund money, another series that for sure does nothing but helps the rich and and on and on) and the poor are getting poorer. A familiar situation with society as well. The "haves" have a louder voice and resources while the "have nots" struggle with no voice and little resources. 

We are a niche sport. 5% of the population are race fans. We continue to split that into more and more "peices of the pie" as the sport "grows." There is for sure a place for the "high limit" level and events in our sport, but they make up 5% of the sport whereas the grassroots level makes up 95% of the sport. A bit confusing, for me anyway.

Thank you so much for allowing me to post this! Please do not take it personally if I do not respond.