Copied from local newspaper

Thu, November 4, 2004
Track steers around losses
Race City adopts driver user fees, drops payouts for local oval classes
By TY PILSON, CALGARY SUN

In an effort to put the brakes on mounting operating losses, Race City Motorsport Park is making major changes to the way it will do business for the 2005 season. Track vice-president and COO Ray Kuntz said the track will no longer provide payouts or run the local oval classes. Instead, each class will have to rely on sponsors or other means to fund prize money.

"We're restructuring our race operations and we're restructuring our organization," said Kuntz, adding two full-time employees have been let go and he will leave at the end of 2005. "There have been lots of rumours flying around out there, but there will be a racing season in 2005.

"It's going to change for the racers. Some dramatically, some not so dramatically. For the fans, it won't change a lot. There should be very little noticeable change from (the fans') side."

Starting next season, racers will pay a fee to use the track more like a rental arrangement.

"We've seen what was working and not working over the last few years," said Race City owner and president Art MacKenzie.

"We're going to a business model now more similar to a golf course or a racquetball court, where basically the competitors are paying a user fee to come and use the facility."

Race City will still run the major shows the track hosts -- the big rigs, CASCAR MOPAR 500 weekend, three national drag events, the jet cars and the Parts Canada Super Bike Tour -- but will try to be hands-off wherever else possible, which includes the drag strip and roadcourse.

IMCA Modifieds president Bruce Hampton doesn't think the changes will have a negative effect on his oval class, or on the local racing community.

"I don't think it will have that big an impact," said Hampton. "I think, really, it's the only way the track will survive. Since 9/11, insurance rates have gone way up and the weather's been bad the last few years which hurt. It all adds up. It's not financially feasible (for the track) to keep doing things the way we did before, I guess."

When it comes to the local grass-roots racing, money isn't the motivating factor to strap into the seat, said Hampton.

"The few dollars they do get isn't why a person races or not anyways," he said.

"They do it for the love of the sport."



There was more in the next days paper but I can't find a link to copy the full text.

"This time Ray states that in the past Race City has charged Racers a fee at the gate then returned this fee plus some at the end of the day."

Gee $20.00 payout out of $50.00 entry (40% of gate fee) doen't equal PLUS SOME must be some new golf type math he is using.

 

I love bracket racing, dont get me wrong, BUT I would not show up and spend all this money keeping my program running "for the love of the sport" I think it'll have a grave effect from a sportsman standpoint. Maybe the trophy guys and some street class guys run for fun, but I garuntee not one Mod./Super class racer in their right mind would tear up their equipement for no payout!!

WOW

 

Even at our "big events" the fast classes car counts are down because the payouts are so poor.

The local drag racing club has their own payouts with 100% going back to the winner/runner-up and it pays much better than what the track pays.

We're starting to wonder about this "like a golfcourse" idea. I'm not going to pay green fees to go play on a course that's full of weeds, ruts, etc. You pay green fees to play on a well maintained course. If we're going to have to pay a "user fee" to use the track, they better start investing on some improvements or nobody will show up. When golf has a spectator gallery, the players are rewarded for finishing high up in the ranks because they're providing the entertainment and the spectators are paying to see it.

How about having your local sports team (hockey, football, baseball etc) pay to use the facilities then if they win, they get payed for playing. That's how we're treated except now we're not going to be paid.

Our dragstrip isn't in the best of condition and the really fast cars hate it but the oval track is in even worse condition. Everything needs a complete repaving and the gravel pits turn to mud when it rains. The trouble with our dragstrip is that the strip is also the straight-a-way for the road course. The superbike riders even hate it because they say the transition coming onto the track is around the 100-200' mark on the track and they hit the VHT which they don't like.