The State of Dirt Track Racing

by Dan Bennett

  I can't ever remember a time where I've heard and read about so many dirt track race tracks changing promoters, changing owners or going out of business.

  I stopped going to the local track when they decided to run 4 divisions in one night. I came to see my beloved Late Models, got there at 6:30 pm and left at 11:30 without seeing the Late Model feature. At the time I left they still had several more heat races for the lower divisions, so its not like I left just as they were gonna run it. That and I had an hours drive home.

  What's with these promoters, if all they are interested in is selling pit passes then tear down the bleachers and add more pit space.

  I guess that I could come later, but then I would miss the Late Model Trophy Dash, Heats and Consis. 

  I started looking on the internet at other tracks and I see some tracks with 5, 6, and even 7 different divisions.  Then I look at the points standings and even though they list 20 or so cars in each division, you can see by the points that it appears they only have 10 to 12 regulars. 

  I don't understand why promoters have to have so many divisions, each division has a pay-out and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to compute that many of these divisions don't even pay there own payout. It's one thing to have a loss leader to draw the fans, but do the promoters actually think people will drive an hour, one way, to see 10 or 12 of the lowest class of cars competing ?   Ten or 12 cars in one class will not generate much of a purse, especially if you deduct their portion of the overhead costs: insurance, electricity, etc.

    Maybe the promoters might ask us fans just how long we want to hang around, for me, 2 to 3 hours is plenty enough time.