>Sorry to disagree Dennis, but I think you have tried to make
>a wrong cause-and-effect connection. Folks here in the
>central Shenandoah vally and all over western and southside
>VA can afford to race at the local .4 mile dirt track IN
>SPITE of NASCAR. The NASCAR affiliation is not wanted here,
>because they have no low level classes that are any where
>near affordable. The local track owners all over this area
>create their own low $$ classes which allow the lower income
>guys to go racing for about a $1000 investment.
>
Ok, my bad, I mispoke. I should have used the term circle track racing instead of NASCAR. Circle track would encompass all the sanctioning bodies, just like rally encompasses RA, NASA, CARS, and SCCA. The point is still the same. Circle track racing is promotion oriented, even the little backwoods dirt track races. This promotion allows for local sponsorships and race purses, which in turn allows average guys to be able to afford to race. I "consult" (read drink their beer) for a local late model asphalt team. They have a $30,000 car, $20k of which is in the motor, that they race every thursay all summer long. I think each race costs them about $500 in tires, fuel, misc., etc... The team owner is an average middle class guy, yet he can afford to run this car because he gets enough local sponsorship and race purses to cover the costs. Is he getting rich? Heck no, he probably loses money each season, but it's not enough to drive him out, and he's having a ton of fun doing it. But he wouldn't be doing it if no one showed up to the races. And that takes promotion.
Dennis Martin
[email protected]
920-432-4845