Payout Changes Need To Come Soon

[dirttracker2]

I am just wondering if anybody can tell me without anybody getting upset or mad why the Jayhuskers have the payout they do? I have been a loyal follower of Jayhuskers for the past 10 years and I have seen a steady decline in cars and some classes all but gone. I don't know why as racers you know the guys and gals risking their life and limb why don't you demand more money from the tracks. I am not picking on any one track but one of the Jayhusker tracks host modifies and 305 cars and pay them a total purse of over $ 10,000.00. What is the average payout to all classes on any given night for all classes at Jayhusker race? It is a wild guess but I would say pay out isn't more than 2500 to 3000. I understand we race because we love it but what are we going to do when we are racing with 2 or 3 cars in the A main. Don't say it's not going to happen look at the 750's. I have suggested a couple of times they get a legends class going to run the 750's and some of the older 600's but nobody wants change. So I am going to shut my mouth and just set back and watch what happens. I have made a lot of friends around the track I am afraid if the payout the driver receive and some other changes don't happen soon there will not be any racers left to race. Really I am not on the war path just saying what I think. See you all at The HIGHBANKS.

[07 Henderson]

AMEN you nailed it on the head me personal ill will not go back to jayhuskers untill things change i will be at the non points races but that is it
Oh and by the and trying to get jayhuskers to change thats imposible all they want to do is bitch and whine about this and that
Just alittle rant

[Chad Boone]

Here is how the payout is reached. The money we have total each week is dependant on how many people in the pits are with each class. So if we have a total of 20 cars and say each person brings 3 other people then $15.00 for the driver goes to the payout the other $5 is insurance and all the rest of the pit crews $ goes tward the purse(if I remember right). So on this night it would be $1500.00 payout and this is where the jayhuskers differ than most organizations they spread that over everyone that entered a car instead of only paying the top 5 like most tracks. This can be good as it might help a person that doesn't have a strong car to keep racing longer but the people who spent a lot on cars might not be happy getting $90 for first and everyone that might not of even finished get half that. I have a lot of fun racing and 5 years ago I raced quads on the pro level in kansas and would race for around the $150.00 to win but would put a lot more at risk as far as body damage than this sport. So i am happy to be racing here but at the same time wish there was more money to help pay for some fuel and other things along the way. If the stands were packed with people then it would be a different situation but for some reason most races I go to cannot pull in a good crowd at all (except for fair races and concordia) which puts a damper on being able to pay more which is totally understandable. As far as the belleville races that is a track that packs the stands and makes hundreds of thousands when them stands are full and we still race for the same money so I feel it will never get better on the payout so I just suck it up and go have fun!!!

[minisprinter413]

dirttracker i know what you mean about the 305 show if they would have made it a 600 mini sprint show with that kind of purse we probably would have had a 100 or more cars show up to put on one hell of a show. as far as the modifieds go i see why they want to do that show there are a lot of people in and around beloit that put time and money in that track that race the big cars. there are not many people from beloit that have micros so they are trying to please some sponsers and home town people with that race. i still think that jayhusker is the series that races there the most and they should have tried to do a show to please the jayhuskers as well cause they are basically the ones that keep all these tracks going. if it was not for jayhusker the little tracks that we race on would not run anything. i still say if there was a track halfway close that had a decent payout and raced everyweek jayhusker would probably die. kam in hasting does not pay anything out but they normally have a good turnout just cause 90% of the cars that race there are from hastings and nobody has any tow money in getting there. if they had a good payout and raced the gokarts on a different night you would probably see a lot more cars there from weaverly and jayhusker racers up there on friday nights. but they only payout two races a year and that is for a two day show they put on. dont get me wrong i like that jayhusker pays everybody but it would be nice if we could get a little more at each race. i think when we go to bellville we should get more because we are hardly getting out entry money back and it probably less than our entry money. just my thought sorry if i make anyone mad.

[malaki99]

All I hear is a lot of people complaining about the system. Maybe you have all been married for too long and have adopted the methods of your wives. Bitching won't change anything. If you want better payouts, you figure out how to make more money at the races. More money from the gates, more money to the racers. Also, payouts might increase if everyone paid for all the members of their party that they bring into the pits. A lot of people spend a lot of time to make this circuit happen. What a slap in the face to hear this wineing and bitching for all their effort.

Let me say it again, if you want better payouts, figure out how to bring more money to the track. You could start by doing some fan recruiting of your own. Stop being a part of the problem and be a part of the solution for a change.

[Chad Boone]

"Also, payouts might increase if everyone paid for all the members of their party that they bring into the pits." as stated by malaki99

Just in case you didn't know which it doesn't sound like it. All the people in the pits pay $20 for a pit pass not just the driver. In this series the track is not really taking a risk. Yes there is a lot of time to work the track and water to be put on, but the people that do this love racing and most do if for free just to be a part of racing which is great. The front gate and concessions is what pays the tracks, some races they loose money others they make plenty to cover the previous losses. The pit gate is all that pays the racers so there is no way to up our pay unless we have a 100 car count which doesn't happen. If the track would have nightly sponsors of say $100 per class to go tward payout that would be about the only way we would get more money without having to pay more out of pocket. That is the way this sport goes.

In truck and tractor pulling, which I have been involved in since 1984, the track is the one taking the risk as they pay all purses and rely on lots of spectators to make thier money and the pullers get paid no matter what. I am talking $3500.00 per class for 4 classes plus the track pays insurance, it is not provided by the organization like ours. At these events it cost $20.00 to hook and 4 are allowed in the pits for free and the hook fee goes tward end of the year points fund.

Of course there is no way to do this in our sport here but there has to be something that can be done to make a payout higher without comming out of our pockets which make it sorta pointless. I will race regardless and keep spending money till the bank repos my rig which at the current gas prices could be anytime:)!!

[D.L'Ecuyer]

I disagree that the track is not taking a risk. Most of the labor to prep the track is donated time, but most of the personel on race nights are paid. Plus there are advertising, fire dept., ambulance, water, electricity, and fuel just to name a few expenses. The tracks DO pay for the insurance also. Then the track hopes the cars and fans show up. Thanks for your time. Dennis

[todle]

The last year I have been able to see alot of different aspect of this issue because I help promote and operate Beloit, own a 750 and race a 600. Guys honestly the cars that bring in the fans get paid more. Face it I've been racing in this series off and on for 18 years and we don't draw a large crowd to the small tracks. Beloit is doing some experimenting with some different classes this year to see if the crowd is larger but may not be successful. I honestly feel that if the tracks were able to pay more they would. June 7th at Beloit we barely broke even and every race we review the grandstand to see if we can put more in. Keep in mind we have 4 people with their name's on a $13,000 loan at our track and every track in this series is ran with volunteers. If it weren't for the donated time from all these people there wouldn't be any small tracks to run on. I'd love nothing more to pay more and to get paid more but lets face it guys how many fans would show up to Belleville on a Saturday night if all they were running was Jayhusker? If we want to get paid more we're going to have to find a way to draw a larger car count and crowd.

[Brian Williams]

Personally I think that if the Jayhusker tracks had bigger payouts and advertised their payouts they would have more cars show up. I will guarantee that if Beloit would advertise a big payout to a 600 show like what they have set a side to pay the 305's and the Modifieds they would have a big car count. I know all the tracks have expenses and they need to make money to. What I don't understand is why so many race tracks that run the big cars have such nice payouts weekly. I have heard the excuse time and time again that the bigger cars cost more to run. Ok that is bull. I see the same racers show up to the Jayhuskers races every week so the interest is there. I just wonder if the race tracks are doing everything in their power to bring in the extra money for bigger payouts. I honestly think that if Jayhusker has a whole would talk to other Racing series and see what they are doing they maybe able to get some good ideas to boost revenue. I know jayhuskers have been around a long time but sometimes changes need to be made. One thing that would help the Jayhusker as a whole would be when they have meetings in the winter more than just a handful of people show up.With the price of fuel going up I can see less people showing to race and watching the races and that is going to hurt all. If more of the tracks would have 1 big show a year and bring people and racers to the community to spend some money they may see more money come to the racetrack from local businesses.I don't have all the answer just saying what a lot of people are thinking.

[todle]

Mini sprints have been around for quite sometime and how many tracks run us? Come on guys we are not modifieds, sprint cars, midgets, or late models. Minneapolis gets over 140 cars a night and thousands of people every weekend we had 27 cars at our last show among 3 divisions. I agree something needs to be done but increasing the amount that tracks are required to pay is not the answer, it might be the nail in our coffin.

[RevHoney]

This is just my opinion, take it or leave it.
At this point more cars will not help. Bigger crowd will. Sponsors could careless about how many cars are there. If you want more money for payout get more people to come to the races. The bigger the crowd the more sponsors you'll have, the more sponsors you have the more cars you'll have, the more cars you have the bigger the payout will be.

I really dont care about the payout. Sure it would be nice to get more. But what I care about is all of the empty seats in the stands. Its sad really.
I can remember when my family first starting going to the Jayhusker races as spectators. Clay Center, Concordia, Fairbury and even some time Washington was completely packed. You could hardly find a place to sit.
Lets face it...the cars dont make the show...the crowd does. Without them we have nothing and thats exactly where we are heading. How to change that? I dont have the answer, but changing the payout isn't...or even a new class.

I'll end with saying this, I love racing at all 5 tracks. Every week is different and a challenge. But I think the biggest killer for Jayhusker, more so the crowd, is racing a different track each weekend.
Look at Beatrice or Minneapolis or any of the major tracks around here...I honestly believe why they have such a good crowd is because of their consistency of being at the same track every week. I hate to say it...I really do. But I think its true.

Just my 2 cents.