Interesting article about short-track ownership

TexasRaceLady

TexasRaceLady

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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/17/s...long-haul-at-a-short-track.html?smid=tw-share

More than two years later, the racetrack has made no money. Ann Young has had to dip into her family’s savings to make repairs, secure permits, update licenses and sometimes pay the drivers’ purses. Some racetrack staff members and volunteers have moved on to other jobs, or left because of disagreements with management about personnel and rule changes, the details of which they aired on online discussion boards.
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It's not as simple as "build it, and they will come"
 
It should be pretty obvious you need very deep pockets to own a racetrack.
 
I would love to see Eldora's books. That place packs them in.

Winchester is suffering and that makes me sick.
 
Is the problem a lack of money or a lack of interest?
Sadly, I think it's a decline in interest. Young Americans seem to grow up more interested in spending their free time on video games, TV, and the internet than going out of the house.
Some of the past success of small town tracks was the relative lack of competition for things to do. High school football on Friday night and racing on Saturday night.
But nowadays small town America has the same endless deluge of media to consume from their couch as big city America. So many sports to watch on TV. So many cool TV shows to watch. So many movies. An endless amount of content on the internet.

The never-ending Great Recession is, no doubt, a huge factor, but I wonder if these cultural changes are more of a threat to the sport.
 
StoneTown said:
Is the problem a lack of money or a lack of interest?
Sadly, I think it's a decline in interest. Young Americans seem to grow up more interested in spending their free time on video games, TV, and the internet than going out of the house.
Some of the past success of small town tracks was the relative lack of competition for things to do. High school football on Friday night and racing on Saturday night.
But nowadays small town America has the same endless deluge of media to consume from their couch as big city America. So many sports to watch on TV. So many cool TV shows to watch. So many movies. An endless amount of content on the internet.

The never-ending Great Recession is, no doubt, a huge factor, but I wonder if these cultural changes are more of a threat to the sport.
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I'd say cultural changes are a large part. And it's hard to get those people interested. I actually had an interesting conversation about this with Franklin County's old promoter (Whitey Taylor) who knows more about running and promoting a racetrack than most people will ever even dream of knowing.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
I'd say cultural changes are a large part. And it's hard to get those people interested. I actually had an interesting conversation about this with Franklin County's old promoter (Whitey Taylor) who knows more about running and promoting a racetrack than most people will ever even dream of knowing.
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What did he say?
 
Had a short track in my town for years when I was a kid. Land was sold & now it's a trailer park. At least something about it is still mobile...
 
StoneTown said:
Is the problem a lack of money or a lack of interest?
Sadly, I think it's a decline in interest. Young Americans seem to grow up more interested in spending their free time on video games, TV, and the internet than going out of the house.
Some of the past success of small town tracks was the relative lack of competition for things to do. High school football on Friday night and racing on Saturday night.
But nowadays small town America has the same endless deluge of media to consume from their couch as big city America. So many sports to watch on TV. So many cool TV shows to watch. So many movies. An endless amount of content on the internet.

The never-ending Great Recession is, no doubt, a huge factor, but I wonder if these cultural changes are more of a threat to the sport.
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yep ya go to the track, and look around and quite a few are clacking away at their phone and not even paying attention. We are down to two small dirt tracks, the one I go to is supremely run, but I think 1/2 of the fans are related to the drivers, the track operates with a lot of entry level classes. little four bangers bumper to bumper mini stocks. today's version of what used to be street stocks, but more of combo racing and a demo derby. It is pretty good sometimes. all the classes total 73 cars on a 1/4 mile dirt track.
 
Let's face it -- it is cheaper, easier, and much more comfortable to race on video games in the living room of the house. No sweating, no getting dirty, no physical exertion.
 
StandOnIt said:
yep ya go to the track, and look around and quite a few are clacking away at their phone and not even paying attention. We are down to two small dirt tracks, the one I go to is supremely run, but I think 1/2 of the fans are related to the drivers, the track operates with a lot of entry level classes. little four bangers bumper to bumper mini stocks. today's version of what used to be street stocks, but more of combo racing and a demo derby. It is pretty good sometimes. all the classes total 73 cars on a 1/4 mile dirt track.
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yep. closed cast system..... no changes.......else base leaves. don't want new fans.

"we been doin it this way fer xx yrs......blah...blah ..blah......"
 
hawg dawg said:
yep. closed cast system..... no changes.......else base leaves. don't want new fans.

"we been doin it this way fer xx yrs......blah...blah ..blah......"
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yeah they have been, they have a bunch of four wheelers with push bars, shove the dead ones to the middle or out the back gate quick, no ten minute Nascar Caution, they might go two or three 1/4 mile caution laps before the action starts again, so they run a bunch of races and classes fast, you have to be ready to go and lined up when the race is over, soon as the last car is gone they open the gate and the next bunch is out there and lined up. He is staying alive that way, decent rest rooms and food, nothing fancy, I like to go, wish it was closer, it's an hour drive.
 
StandOnIt said:
yeah they have been, they have a bunch of four wheelers with push bars, shove the dead ones to the middle or out the back gate quick, no ten minute Nascar Caution, they might go two or three 1/4 mile caution laps before the action starts again, so they run a bunch of races and classes fast, you have to be ready to go and lined up when the race is over, soon as the last car is gone they open the gate and the next bunch is out there and lined up. He is staying alive that way, decent rest rooms and food, nothing fancy, I like to go, wish it was closer, it's an hour drive.
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boom..boom ..boom is way ta do it......if ya got good car count.
sounds like he's got it down right.
we had beer crowd on 1 side......family / religious /etc on other side.
didn't wanna give beer crowd too much pause between races....
........else they start argument / fight bout last race ! ha!
 
We have three tracks here in CT. I don't know the books but having gone to Stafford Speedway most of my life.. the big weekends for the mod tour are mostly packed to the gils but the weekly racing on a Friday night is nothing to write home about.

Waterford is worse, almost closed a few years ago.

Thompson has big events, but car count is diminishing and the owners now are focusing more on rebuilding the road course then the oval, which may effect next year's scheduale. As in not running any events.
 
Jack Arute has made Stafford into a first class operation:) Although it's one of those 'you can't get there from here' places due to no major highways nearby, it's a trip thru the countryside.
Waterford is barely hanging on last I knew. Thompson is doing 'ok', I heard they're now encouraging Seekonks Pro stocks to come over and run with their Granite State Pros next year.
When Mrs V goes so will Seekonk. The kids and grand kids see all that acreage making each one of them millionaires.
 
Times are changing. I was surprised when my grandson was old enough to drive, he did not go for his license for several months. He plays several sports and is interested in electronic technology. According to him, many kids simply don't have the desire to drive. A recent article in a local print media said high school kids today do not rush to drive as they did in the past. Cars are not the big interest to them. It is possible the reduction interest in cars by the youth of today are an indication why racing in any form is on the decline.
 
Whizzer said:
Times are changing. I was surprised when my grandson was old enough to drive, he did not go for his license for several months. He plays several sports and is interested in electronic technology. According to him, many kids simply don't have the desire to drive. A recent article in a local print media said high school kids today do not rush to drive as they did in the past. Cars are not the big interest to them. It is possible the reduction interest in cars by the youth of today are an indication why racing in any form is on the decline.
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Lot of hoops to jump thru in Oklahoma from 16 to 18, you wouldn't believe how many. If you are 18 you can pass the test, get a unrestricted license and drive anywhere, so a lot of kids are waiting. It is so different in so many ways, most kids live in urban areas where they don't need a car. I worked on a farm and got to drive a P.U. a little bit as a gofer when I was 14, loved it. Back then it was how much gas you could pull thru a motor and how big it was. Step boy wanted and got a Ford focus for the economy. better than a grey mini van he wanted when I asked him what he wanted to drive when he was little. I thought he would say Mustang or Camaro like I would have said at his age. Doesn't have any interest in racing, so if he is any indicator, racing is doomed.
http://www.dps.state.ok.us/dls/gdl.htm
 
Same here, StandOnit --- kids are waiting until they can get the unrestricted license and then opting for more efficient cars.
The muscle cars around here are driven by men in their 40s and 50s. :D
 
You can't work on a car like we did as kids. No more points, plugs and condenser and you're good to go. Today you need a computer to even begin to diagnose why that *&^%$# check engine light is on.Then sometimes special tools.
High schools here have eliminated auto,machine,wood shops and give the reason as liability issues.
There's no place for a kid to learn today. Can't hang out at the local gas station that had a race car and watch, maybe get a chance to sweep the floor and touch the car. Or sit in it.
 
the problem is the younger generation just isn't interested. a couple years back I took my mustang to the drag strip. The people there are all driving subarus and imports. There are a few muscle cars there but not that many. The people that would come to the races are more interested in import cars and video games. There really just isn't the interest in oval track racing there used to be.
 
I think folks get tired of performing for nothing . Lets face it ,racers put up an ever increasing amount of money from their own pockets to race for very small prize money . Yeah , the 1st place guy might break even , but the rest of the field don't . Kids aren't stupid any more so fields aren't full , and when fields aren't full , attendence drops off . It's a downward spiral , lots of tracks closing will help . Better cars racing at fewer tracks will produce a better product and more attention to it .
 
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