REDLINE MULDOON SEZ: Vintage Car Racing..The Race Promoters Golden Goose Because The Owner/Drivers Will PAY To Race.
24 July 1997
Steve Earle, impresario of the Monterey Historic Races each of the past 26 Augusts probably planted the vintage car racing money tree when he found out that well and semi-well off vintage race car owners/drivers will actually PAY you for the privilege of performing in front of big crowds that YOU have charged 40 bucks a ticket..and there is no purse or pay out of any kind. You are deemed to have the privilege of beating the hell out of your $100,000 Lotus or Cobra...in a "gentlemanly" fashion of course and while most vintage car racing associations such as VARA and SVRA will welcome and accept their members race entries at Monterey you sit and wait and hope you will be accepted. You hope that there are not too many 356 Porsches or Morgan Plus fours already applying and that will negate your "$300 request" for acceptance.So much for Monterey. It_s a helluva show and gets the best cars. The whole vintage racing movement looks as if it has come of age as the Chryslers, Fords and Merrill Lynchs are investing in title sponsorships. Chrylser has their name on 12 classic/vintage car events in 1997 There are races with full fields and neat cars at Lime Rock, Ct, Sebring, Fla, Pittsburgh and Michigan and the next one on the Chrysler calendar is Tustin Thunder at the Marine Blimp base in Tustin, Ca Aug 1-3. It will be a gala event and all the money goes to charity. Money. Entry fees.
That's the racers plight. How come an entry for a race event at a sneak meet...no spectators to speak of, at Willow Springs Raceway or ButonWillow or even the Las Vegas sports car course costs around $150 and an entry to a BIG spectator event wherein the promoters are charging 100,000 people 15 bucks, 300 vendors $700,ea selling a ton of 10 buck programs and have a piece of the concessions...they hit the competitors $275 an entry. Seems like it ought to be the other way around. Pay the drivers...the guys who are spending around $1000 each to get their cars race ready, motel rooms, food for crew, parts, etc
No big complaint when you know all the profits go to good charities But that_s not the case with other northern California and east coast vintage races. 50,000 tickets sold at $40.00 each, $200,000 title sponsor, $30,000 from TV rights, a piece of the Conce$$ions, 15,000 programs at $15. a pop, program ad revenue is $30,000 and THE RACERS PAY TO PUT ON THE SHOW.
I dunno
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