HIGHWAY FREAKING ROBBERY!!!

[billryr8828]

I think that the gate fees being charged are extremely reasonable when taken from a spectatator point of view compared to other forms of entertainment. What other forms of entertainment can you get 10 hours or better from for a measely 25.00 for the weekend or 15.00 for the day? Try going to a movie and see what you pay for 90 minutes of entertainment or better yet try something like a NASCAR race where it may cost you that much to park your car and the gate fee will probably exceed 100.00 for about 4 hours of entertainment. If my memory serves me correctly the gate fees for  motorcycle races have only increased about 10.00 per weekend since the mid 80's. Personally I do not claim to have a lot of insight to the total cost involved in running a track weekend but it seems to me that the way to get the sport to grow and for corporate dollars to want to be involved then public awareness and attendance would be a big step in the right direction. From an earlier post it was stated that the track took a bigger chunk if the event is listed as a spectator event but if you increased the number of fans by a large enough percentage then the money made off of the gate would probably also end up being higher. That would just be the icing on the cake as a strong fan base would increase the number of people exposed to the sport and would perhaps bring in new racers too boot. Look at what NASCAR has become due to a very smart promotion of the sport! The corporate dollars flow because of the public interest in the sport. Granted this is just club racing but this country is so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to motorcycle racing and the promoting is the key! Turn on any motorcycle race overseas and look at the fan base and then compare the turn outs even for an AMA PRO SANCTIONED EVENT HERE yet Nascar has turnouts in excess of 100,000 for EVERY EVENT not to mention the millions watching on TV. Unless you are INVOLVED with or seek out information regarding these events people do not know that they even exist so how can they attend?

[Josef Bittner]

I agree with both groups here.  I understand that it costs a lot to run these events, and I understand that prices do go up.  But I would prefer that entry fee were raised before gate fees.  The reason for this is that I choose to race and I save up money for all the expenses.  But often times my family or friends want to come out to watch me race, and then I tell them that if they come on Sat. it will cost them $25, even if they only come that one day.  Yes, there are races almost throughout the day and there probably is $25 worth of entertainment on one day, but most of my friends and family only come to watch me race.  So the $25, or $15 if they only come sun., often dissuades people from enjoying the weekend with me.  So I would propose that the people who actually race should shoulder the burdon of increased costs.

Joe

[Litespeed]

I can't believe someone can actually complain about paying 50 bucks to get into an event when that's not even a drop in the bucket compared to the other costs of racing.  Last time I checked, I spend over 500 dollars per race weekend and could spend much more if I felt the need.  I am currently in my first year of racing, but I would verture a guess that entry fees are not the only things that cost more.  If memory serves me correct from the race I spectated at last year, tire prices have gone up more than gate entry.  I'm sure you will be complaining about the price of gas next and then the cost of internet service which is bound to go up since we are all hooked on it now.  It's an endless thing and the only solution is to go start your own racing organization, make your own tires, drill an oil well, etc.  or you can just accept it and move on.

[THE_D.O.C.]

litespeed, i was not a spectator. i am a racer. and i could care less if you think i am "whining" i was not the only one. the guy at the gate said many people were upset with CCS'S fees at the gate. my point is, don't gouge my entry fees and then gouge my admission to get in and race. THAT IS DOUBLE DIPPING! if i want to say so in a public forum, i will. don't like it? toooooo bad.

[Gixxer124]

I've been in involved in motorsports of some kind for over 20 years.  I've never had to pay extra at the gate after paying the race entry fee. If I'm not mistaken, CCS rents the track for a fee. Is this not payed for by entry fees?  Do they also charge venders to sell at the race? As for not allowing to pay for Sat. only, refund $10 at the end of the day and take back the silly bracelet. I have to travel out of town to every event, so don't compare cost with going to the movies ect...  Just my $.02

[CCS]

CCS does not charge vendor fees, the tracks do, and our gate fee has been the well within the industry standard for the entire 19 years we have been around. (Less than some, more than others.)

Motorcycle entry fees are 1/3 what car entry fees are, and that is due to the "gate" charge. (Spreading the cost out over 500 people makes it easier than the 100 racers footing the bill.) Car events that include 3-4 "crew" passes are $185 - $250, and if you go into the Pro classes, entries there are $1200-$3500 and they include up to 50 gate passes.


Our insurance increased $750 per event, from $3500 to $4250, that is 20%, from 2001. Track rent at all but 2 tracks increased by 10%, one track in the Mid-West went up 20% from 2001. Staff costs have gone up, 5% on average, some places as high as 20%. Brad, you are mistaken when you say there is no way our costs have gone up that much, (heck, our costs rose the minute PACE acquired CCS). You get no "poor little guy" breaks when you are a publicly  held corporation. We did not whine about it, we figured out what it took to make ends meet, and adjusted accordingly. Our fees are well within the industry standard, so if we are "gouging", they are too.

We like our customers to be happy, and to make them happy we must stay in business, and to stay in business we must at least break even for the year. We even want you to be happy Brad, that is why I suggested that if you were unhappy, you should go find happiness somewhere.

Relax, you will live longer.

[Kevin Norris]

If i reimbursed you for your $50.00, would you shut up and promise never to come to another CCS event ever ? I am willing pay extra at the gate to not let whiney pessimistic dorks like you in.

Regards,

Kevin

[Gixxer124]

Motorcycle entry fees are 1/3 what car entry fees are, and that is due to the "gate" charge. (Spreading the cost out over 500 people makes it easier than the 100 racers footing the bill.) Car events that include 3-4 "crew" passes are $185 - $250, and if you go into the Pro classes, entries there are $1200-$3500 and they include up to 50 gate passes.

Were talking about club races. If you compare to the same level car races, I raced for $1000 to win for $50 entry. My crewmembers payed $15 ea. (I'd much rather race motorcycles for a piece of wood though.)  I just think the gate fee is a little high. It keeps spectators away.

[RickyRacer]

Enough already!! I can't believe you're complaining about $50 for a weekend of racing. I spent over $800 two weeks ago at NFMP. And I didn't even finish my races.  This week I'll be at Moroso and I need to spend another $550. I estimate I'll spend about $6,000 for whole year of racing.  And it's all my money, No real sponsor yet.

So why don't you give it a rest!!
 >:(

[THE_D.O.C.]

don't like the thread? stop coming in here.  ::) now let's say each racer races an average "and i'm being generous" of six races a year. takes one persone with them, and is charged five dollars a head extra. times 175 racers in a region. that is 1750 .00$ extra per region, per weekend. how many regions are there? lets say six."i think there are more" 10,500.00$ extra, per weekend. now you mean to say on my modest calculations, that your budget went up 63.000$? not including liscense fees, and higher entry fees per race? lets say each competitor races four races a weekend."some a lot more" at an average of 30.00$ extra in entry fees, times six regions, that equals an extra 315,000$ extra in entry fees. don't forget my calculations are modest. 378,000$ total in increased revenue? wow, i noticed you guys were smiling more this weekend. now i know why. :o ::) ;)

[CCS]

Nice math Brad, but you assume too much. You know what happens when you do that.

Last years gate fees at Summit Point and VIR were $25/$15, so there really in no increase there over 2001. (You don't get out much, do you. Gate fees are not the same at every track, so you could only count 8 events anyway in your guestimations.) The average "club" weekend has a price tag of $35,000.  Using the $42 entry price average our 577 entry average nets $24,000 in income. Gate of 600 people (average) equals $12,000. Percentage wise a $1000 profit on $35,000 doesn't even equal 3% profit (we'd make more on a flippin' CD without the risk if we were really "greedy" like you think). Then throw in one 400 entry event and you must have 8 average events to just break even after the loss. (And everytime it rains, you can kiss the 600 gate passes goodbye, then it becomes more like 200-250.)

Zeal without knowledge is a dangerous thing.

[THE_D.O.C.]

whatever kevin. hows about we peek into those books and see just how those poor losses are calculated? ;)