Originally Posted by
DieterDrake
If you think we deliver less as compared to other races then you should REALLY consider not coming. Nearly 2500 participants disagree with you every year, incidentally.
Don't worry about that, after Catskills this year (Which I was admittedly cajoled into by my teammates saying "But it's the last Catskills!") I was able to wash my hands of it. Off to Nittany for next year!
I don't expect anything of anyone. If they want to participate, then the entry fee is X, which is generally what 2500 people are willing to pay and no more. If you aren't willing, then there is no fee - I'm not forcing anyone to do anything. This is the best form of "speaking up".
Great, you have your business model. But you seem to be expecting the racing community to thank you for it, applaud you, and no complain when they feel it wasn't worth it.
Look, I get it. You want to heckle me for being successful at what I do and for expecting to get paid for it. There's a certain crowd out there that feels empowered to do this with some regularity, meanwhile fantasizing for lower entry fees and high prize payouts. Great. I don't care. Those days are all but over, though. Don't blame me. It's not my fault. I'm just responding to market conditions and proactively taking steps to minimize costs for a business that only gets one or two weekends a year to get it right.
Uhhhhh.....You seem to be exhibiting a persecution complex. People don't dislike you for the fact that you wish to make money, it is HOW you do it. You charge more and deliver less. You do realize that every other business has to deal with the same complaint if they do this?
I try not to recommend to other promoters what they should and shouldn't do. It's really none of my business. Most of them take it the wrong way anyway and think I'm trying to take over their event. [sigh]
This was a non-answer to my attempt at being constructive. The original argument was that if promoting was profitable for the promoter then maybe we would see more races. My question was: "What is it that would make race promoting more feasible for you, if that is more profit, then so be it", perhaps it is less complaints? Earlier registration? Higher fees? Sure in the end all of the above would probably be good, raise the gross and lower the costs but there is a point where it goes too far.
Honestly if your events qualified as premium in their execution and I had to pay premium for it, then I wouldn't be as vocal. But it is a premium cost, without the event being executed in a corresponding way.
I feel like everything boils down to this: Races aren't profitable, Dieter Drake is the example of someone who tried but couldn't make it work and got burned for it. Maybe all other races should do the same and raise prices by 50% and then tack on the USAC insurance fee in order to keep racing alive, I don't know, it isn't up to me it's up to the promoters but then they need to decide if increasing prices will lower the participation rate enough that it doesn't hurt them. But they can't then complain about the participation rate or complaints if they make a change like that.