Doug, on 02 November 2012 - 03:35 PM, said:
Scott, There is not a class out there that fit the $200 to start $700 to win in reality. That truthfully isn't good enought to race go karts for. Lock at ARCA if you want to see something out of wack dollars wise. Problem is this, no sponsors for racers plus shrinking incomes along with a changing customer base and you have what we have. It takes a creative promoter these days to keep a track going. Bottom line here is you cannot take the top class that we have and build the rules around starting pay. Maybe for the entry classes but not for this one. If you can't afford it don't run it. Sounds harsh but that is what it is. Besides the ones who say they are racing for fun seem to be the same ones who can't compete with those who have the budgets. What is it? racing for fun or racing to win? Its a choice you make when you pick your class to race.
I picked building an OSLM Because I'm sick of running go-karts for next to nothing around here.......We venture out but because of my father being a Union Tradesman and myself in school and working. It's hard to really venture out of the state. But when we did, we never missed a big race, even if that meant getting the last spot, we still make it out of 100 or so that attempt to qualify in my class. I look at some bigger OSLM races and treat it as a cake walk compared to what I have had to go through making races in karts. It doesn't phase me at all.
One of the biggest kart races of the year this year is the Batesville Indoor Kart Nationals, the class's that Randy and I are running pay $6,000 to win, but only pay to 10th place. All other classes are $750 to win.
The CRI Pro Kart Tour races pay $5,000 to win........nothing to start.
The insane one paid $50,000 to win last year and $20,000 to win this year but pay nothing to start.
In 2010, Shay Chavous made over $110,000 in go-kart racing. Like him, there are 60 or so others literally racing for a living in go-karts.
Mike Luberda told me I am a straight up goofball for not trying to run all of these big events, because we make them, and we finish well each and every time(not bad for a ford pickup and a little 8 foot trailer). But I want to be able to have fans, I want to race in front of crowds, I want to race on the very same race tracks I grew up watching as a little kid. I want to race in the Kalamazoo Klash, the very same race that has so much history and grew up watching every single one of them up until 2008 with my grandpa and his motorhome. I wanna race Berlin one time, I LOVE!!!!! That race track, it looks fun to drive.
I'm going to get my arse kicked this first year, I know it, It's okay because I got arse kicked my first year in go-karts as well, so I know how to handle it. But in 3-5 years time we will be right there.