Money, Money, Money!

[David Bogard]

I do not know how the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series can sustain this type of money? The 2020 schedule is out and there are 56 races. Now, get this. .  . just adding up the winner's purse for these races came to $875,000! Oh, there's more. Of the 56 events, 9 of them pay $30,000 or more to win!

And that's just the largest of the touring series but there are many more events and series across the country (UMP, MARS, etc) How can a "regular" person ever go racin' these days at the higher levels of Dirt Late Models? Money is going to kill this sport in the long run.

[Dirtman]

What's new? Money is the biggest factor of my getting out of racing way back when. As soon as the big money people started buying all the store bought stuff, I didn't feel like I could compete the way I wanted to.  And, to be honest, I wasn't the best mechanic around either..
Rett

[Marty W]

I experienced the same thing, only on a much smaller scale. I used to race R/C 1/10 scale off road in the formative years of the sport (1980s). Then the factory boys came along with their very sophisticated, and expensive machines with custom machined parts. It became very tough to stay competitive without spending a lot more money, which I did not have access to in those days, so I quit racing.

[Dirtman]

In the early 70's a  friend of mine, Jimmy Lord, wanted to leave the dirt short tracks and go USAC stock car route. By the time he got some "good stuff" it was almost a year old. First, Don White, Jack Bowsher and lot of the bigger money guy got the goods, then some of the middle of the pack, then Jimmy. Happened to a lot of guys, who were good, fast racers, but didn't have what it took parts wise....sad but true...

Rett

[Brian Conn]

I experienced the same thing, only on a much smaller scale. I used to race R/C 1/10 scale ................... It became very tough to stay competitive without spending a lot more money, which I did not have access to in those days, so I quit racing.

    Same here in the 90's......10th scale on road...carpet oval and dirt oval...ran Associated

   Whens the last time any of you bought a pit pass...even for a weekly race?   Anyone have an idea what it cost for a drivers registration per night at a local race?  Never mind the touring series, it seems that drivers and pit crew are funding, for the most part, the weekly payout at your local track.


  I have no idea where this sport is headed.....local racing.....at some point in the not to distant future there wont be any G.M Metric frames ('78 thru '88  Regal, Culass, Monte Carlo) ,Chevelle frames or '70 thru '81 Camaro sub frames to be had.....is the answer with in pickups?  Ford Ranger, Chevy S-10, Dodge Dakota ......all still very plentiful.   
  Will every thing , other than a Late Model, be a 4 cyl. Pony Stock?  The salvage yards that don't crush everything as soon as it shows up are full of vehicles that are 4 doors and on a front wheel drive platform which has no appeal to me at least.