The most expensive part of racing a car is...racing it. In a recent IMCA press release, it was noted that there were 20 shows on tap, at one track, for an economy class this year. The ASCS Midwest series has the potential for over 20 shows this season.
One has to wonder: are we asking too much of the racers? Are we asking for too much fuel money, too much tire money, too much money to fix broken parts? This says nothing of their time? For nearly half the year, the racer is wrapped up in maintenance of the car.
In the course of 10, 20 years, we've expanded from a May-August schedule out to April-September, and even March and October specials mixed in to that.
Promoters are demanding a lot from the racers and the fans. Are they not essentially tacking on an additional 25% expense by expanding the season the same amount? The fact is even friends and family are not making EVERY show. I'm sure you're the exception and will be there hell or high water.
I'm as die hard as you and maybe more so. Fact is, I made it to...75% of the races I could reasonably expect to attend in terms of distance, money, desire to watch, etc.
So if you have the backgate/same cast of family in the stands - you're diluting your weekly crowd because eventually the schedule is so long, it will run into days where that die-hard fan just can't go. You now have to find more fans to fill those gaps and we see how well some tracks try to get in more fans...lengthen the show.
Why, for all the years of modern economic theory are these people ignoring simple laws of supply and demand ? Why when they complain of dwindling crowds, and dwindling car counts (add another class) do they then INCREASE supply? It makes no sense.
Here's a question: are classes growing because there are more racers or are they growing as racers move from one class to another? Pretty soon one runs out of classes to add.
I suppose demanding a dwindling supply of teams to show up to more and more shows, while paying them less and less is the answer.
If that's the case, thank God I don't understand the question.
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