Being a race promoter...

Look for details in the near future and I'm not going to put out the track name until they officially announce it.. But the bad economy and the way Mother Nature has been at the start of this year, another track in the greater region here is going to stop weekly racing and only run a few special events...
 
If i was to guess i'd say it's Belle-Clair. They almost didn't open in the first place and that big hit they took a few weeks ago when there was only about 400 fans in the stands is hard to recover from. Hope i'm wrong.
 
I do know a bit about it since we are in the office every week. And see and hear all the ins and outs all the pros and cons of what race promoters face each and every week. We are not bench promoters thinking owning a race track is all peaches and cream. So I will finally tell you after years of listening to all the gripping yes you are right I do know a thing or two about it from being with them every week during race season. And as far as You want actual figures that frankly wouldn't be any of your business to begin with unless you are volunteering to pay all the losses for this year. I guess if you want to start you could post all your income tax reports and income on here for everyone to see.
 
You guys will all get a kick out of this then. My little brother and I went kart racing at Coles County Speedway in Mattoon IL this past weekend. Gates opened at 7am so we headed up there at about 4:30am and get there around 7:15ish. We pay for our pit passes ($30 a piece for a 2 day show) and go sign in for our classes ($75 for mine $85 for his). They put some karts on the track to roll in the track. They give them the green and the track starts to chunk up, so they pull the karts off. Then it starts raining. Now keep in mind hot laps were at 9am and they did start on time. They work the track and work the track but it keeps raining. About 7pm I go and ask if there is a rain date. Im told you will have to ask Will, who is no where to be found. I then ask if I can get my money back since it doesnt look like the races are going to be ran and no one can answer if there is going to be a rain date. Im then told "No you cant have your money back because the races have not been cancelled yet". So I understand this to some extent. At 8:30pm they finally cancel the races. I go get my entry fee back and go to return my pit pass and am told that since i entered the pit area I do not get my pit pass money back. Now keep in mind I never even unloaded my kart because of the spitting rain in the morning. I finally find this Will character and he tells me tough luck on the pit pass deal. I asked him if I could use it at another one of his races and he looks at me like im stupid and says "No why would I do that".

Basically what im trying to say here is that we all dont have it too bad. Being a race promoter is a HUGE gamble. Were very very lucky here in the STL area that we have guys like Don Hoener, Scott Kuhn, Kevin Gundaker who all try and work together to give the fans and drivers what they want. I compete in POWRi and we have Kenny Brown who has done an oustanding job growing the series. Were spoiled with all our tracks, so folks next time you start to complain just take a deep breath and take a look at how good we do have it.

Thanks

Tyler Robbins
 
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