CALVERT CITY, Ky. – The top-tier Late Model division will race for a reduced payoff if there are fewer than 12 cars on hand, management of Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway announced Sunday. The new policy is effective with the next race, on Saturday, July 19.

The regular prize money structure pays $1,000 to the winner. If there are not at least a dozen cars, that will drop to the same purse as the Modified division, which pays $700 to the winner.

“It’s simple economics,” track co-owner Ronnie Jones said. “We can’t pay a bigger purse to a series that does not support our program as well as other series. Until they pick back up, we’ll cut it to the Modified-level purse.”

The field of potential entrants is slender for the most expensive of the cars that compete at KLMS, and many of those drivers travel to distant tracks to chase big prize money for special events rather than competing at their home track on a regular basis.

Seven times in 12 races, there have been nine or fewer Late Models on hand at the 3/8-mile dirt oval. In the past five races, the county has shrunk to seven cars twice and six cars twice, with 17 cars on hand for a special race paying $3,000 to win and a minimum of $200 for every car that started the feature race.

There were 27 Late Models on hand for the $10,000-to-win Bluegrass Nationals feature on April 26.

But for the regular show, single digits have been the norm. On three occasions, one or more Pro (Crate) Late Model drivers competed in both their own series and the Late Model division. KLMS has since prohibited drivers from racing the same car in more than one division.

The Modified division has been the most consistent draw, with an average of 20.3 cars per race, compared to 8.25 for the Late Models. The Crates have averaged 17.5 and the Stock Car division has averaged 14.9.

The field for Saturday night’s race program had six Late Models, but only five started the feature after one car broke in practice.