A very good article..

I read the whole article last night and seems to be very accurate. Prices of bikes and racing has almost priced itself out of reach for the average guy. The economy is struggling. Money for hobbies is hard to come by. I think it's more a picture of what's happening in the world than just what's going on in MX. What's puzzling is how much some folks are spending on toys. Like I mentioned in another post how much money is spent on campers and tow vehicles. I am amazed. So is the theory about two classes of people in the US becoming more real. I think so.
 
This article pretty much says it all. I don't know what the solution is. I'm turning in to a pro practicer myself and I don't like it one bit.
 
The answer is simple but we are leaving it up to the promoters to make the decision for us. One that they will NEVER do for the fear of lost revenue.
Reduce the number of classes.
Less classes ==== More seat time ==== more racers coming back to racing because they can get the bang for there buck ==== Higher profits for the tracks === More investment in the facility ==== even bigger turnouts ==== continual improvement and the process NEVER has to repeat.
 
ck1racerx said:
The answer is simple but we are leaving it up to the promoters to make the decision for us. One that they will NEVER do for the fear of lost revenue.
Reduce the number of classes.
Less classes ==== More seat time ==== more racers coming back to racing because they can get the bang for there buck ==== Higher profits for the tracks === More investment in the facility ==== even bigger turnouts ==== continual improvement and the process NEVER has to repeat.
Click to expand...

Isnt one definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over expecting a different out come?

Like I posted in another thread......give less events with more and watch the turnouts increase as well as overall profit.
 
A few good points in that article. But honestly IMO, racing has always been expensive. The entry fee's have not doubled, the gate fee's have not doubled, the price of fuel nearly has (depending on time of year and oil wars). I believe the cost of living has effected the downfall of MX both locally and nationally.
 
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ck1racerx said:
The answer is simple but we are leaving it up to the promoters to make the decision for us. One that they will NEVER do for the fear of lost revenue.
Reduce the number of classes.
Less classes ==== More seat time ==== more racers coming back to racing because they can get the bang for there buck ==== Higher profits for the tracks === More investment in the facility ==== even bigger turnouts ==== continual improvement and the process NEVER has to repeat.
Click to expand...

Chris, I get your point, but even when there's good promoters like the Hands they still have had low turnout for their races. Not too many classes and the quads race on a different track, done by 3. Still think low turnouts have to do with all the tracks practicing on Sunday. Too many options aren't always a good thing.
 
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SCHAFFERNOCKER said:
A few good points in that article. But honestly IMO, racing has always been expensive. The entry fee's have not doubled, the gate fee's have not doubled, the price of fuel nearly has (depending on time of year and oil wars). I believe the cost of living has effected the downfall of MX both locally and nationally.
Click to expand...
Wow...there actually is a guy with some sense about him on this board. ;)

However, to the rest of ya's, I so wish you would quit talking about how to save the world with SO much certainty and actually do it. From my calculations we should have almost a dozen new track owners with the perfect track, prep, # of classes, etc. BTW- I'm not holding my breath any of you will open the "perfect track" ever. Just continue to think you could... My opinion only I am certain.
 
SCHAFFERNOCKER said:
A few good points in that article. But honestly IMO, racing has always been expensive. The entry fee's have not doubled, the gate fee's have not doubled, the price of fuel nearly has (depending on time of year and oil wars). I believe the cost of living has effected the downfall of MX both locally and nationally.
Click to expand...

Yep! Pretty much spot on.
 
Scoob said:
Wow...there actually is a guy with some sense about him on this board. ;)

However, to the rest of ya's, I so wish you would quit talking about how to save the world with SO much certainty and actually do it. From my calculations we should have almost a dozen new track owners with the perfect track, prep, # of classes, etc. BTW- I'm not holding my breath any of you will open the "perfect track" ever. Just continue to think you could... My opinion only I am certain.
Click to expand...

LMFAO.....

The problem is attitudes like this. If all the tracks are doing such a great job then why the decline?

From the Urban Dictionary

insanity
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Working a job and expecting to get rich is insanity.

Its not about absolutes, with me anyway, its about trying new things to get it working better. What it boils down to is giving people a burning desire to come race. Racers are out there, millions of them, they need a new and exciting reason to race. So far very little has been done to entice them. The pieces are there for the taking in the OMA, they need to band together and become one organization instead of 5 tracks. Put all there best attributes together and make it all work for them as a whole.
 
Read it and replied with the e-mail posted below. But didn't get a reply.


Loretta's has hurt the local seen. The contenders only travel to qualifiers, then spend the rest of the time practicing or at training facilities. Also because it promotes so much sandbagging for the C class wizards, they dont race local because they don't want any move up points.
Forget about the money C riders bring to MX Sports, drop the class at the qualifiers and the ranch. This will bring up the local rider count, cut back the sandbagging, and also promote more riders to the B class.
Also local tracks need to get sponsors to pay A class purses, let them race free if they preregister. Chillitown MX in Ohio does this and they have full gates. Next race for them 10 July, check it out. It works.

Thank you
Richard Greathouse
(+50 class)
 
Maybe I misread the article, but I didn't see poor prep or a bad job by the tracks as part of the decline. Sounds like people just want to do other things. Mountain bikes, utvs, just practice. I think a missing factor is the change in mind set. Everyone has become increasingly a "I need it now" and "on my schedule". I think technology has changed people. We are changing into a population that doesn't wait, everything has to be done quicker, like now. Instantaneous gratification. This change in thinking will eventually extinguish traditional things that require patience and waiting. Stamp it.
 
Want to through out an idea here related to the subject.
Right now the MX business model is focused solely on the racer and their friends/family that come through the gate and pay to attend. In most cases, this is not enough income to cover all the related costs to promote a race, so tracks offer practice days to suppliment profits or raise race day prices or offer more class options etc.

What about more focus on the spectator opportunity? Spectators would increase gate and concession income, motivate a larger racer turnout because of the croud aspect, and convert some of them into racers. Other local events like dirt track, drag racing and even truck nights have a significant number of spectaor non protisipants attend. What can be done to encourage more people to come and watch this exciting sport at a local level?
 
. Other local events like dirt track, drag racing and even truck nights have a significant number of spectaor non protisipants attend. What can be done to encourage more people to come and watch this exciting sport at a local level?[/QUOTE]

To go along with this we have raced some dirt track races that are pretty much set up as spectator shows. There is a series promoted with races in ohio, Indiana, illinios, new York and pa I believe. We went to one last weekend and the stands were packed. Not sure how this could be used in the moto world but I get what he is saying. It was cheaper to sit in the stands than it was to buy a pit pass. From a riders stand point it was $20 cheaper a class to pre register.
 
Drew was always able to stuff Columbus and Huntington Arenas in the winter with the exact same talent as what is on display each week around here. The format has to be set up for the spectators. If a local race actually ran on a schedule then you could advertise to the community that the race starts are 2 and is over by 5.
Change the gate fee from $10 per person in the morning to $8 starting at 1pm. Run the second moto as "The main event" and you may be about to grab a few more people to watch.
Again, just an idea
 
Why does the local level racing have to offer all the 100 classes that Loretta Lynns offers? Just because those are the classes the AMA or MX Sports has on the books, does not mean we have to offer those on the local level. I totally agree, some of the guys that race LL or try to race LL only go to qualifers, regionals, and practice non stop. Some of those are the ones, that we need at the local tracks on the weekends.

Last year New Vienna ran a short quick 3 race series in October. I wish someone would try something like that, but honestly, go to a much different class structure. Give it a try.......what could it hurt? I know people like to win, but if you have a large gate, the moto is long, and you have to work your ass off for a 10th place, and battled all moto long, is that not more gratifying than racing 6 guys stung out over the whole track for 8 laps?

I guess I don't get the mentality of practice.......practice for what? If you never go race and drop a gate? I went to East Fork last week. Did 3 sessions, and really was bored at that point and ready to go. Some are racers, some like to practice. I choose to race.
 
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