Last week, veteran sportsman driver Steve Robblee suggested one reason the car count is down at Delaware Speedway is because the purses haven't kept pace with the cost of putting one of these cars on the track. Robblee said $800 for a win just doesn't cut it when the car costs $50,000 to $60,000. The total purse for a regular sportsman feature on a Friday night is $6,000.
His math is correct.
But, on the flip side, the cost of doing business for the track has also been going up.
"I would agree with Steve," said Delaware president Brad McGonigle -- the first time in history a promoter agrees with a driver.
"Costs keep going up, no doubt about that, but everybody's cost keeps going up. And that's just not a Delaware issue and not just a sportsman issue. The car counts are down even in the (CASCAR) Super Series and the other divisions certainly are not growing. At best they're flat."
McGonigle said the cost of racing has escalated the last two years. Insurance has skyrocketed since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
McGonigle said that single event affected tracks all over North America.
"Insurance has already killed some race tracks," he said. "Anything that affects the everyday economics of our lives certainly affects the racers, the track, the sponsors.
"In the big circle of racing it's tough on everybody and nobody has the answer. But for us to be here, we've got to look at ways to control costs for the tracks and the drivers.
"We're not 100 per cent sure what to do about the overall costs other than we are aware of it and trying to figure out where to go with it. We're talking with the car builders and the engine builders. We're still in the infancy stages as far as talks with people in the industry, so it's something we've not gone to the racers with at this point."
McGonigle said increasing the purse isn't the immediate answer. He did say it's part of the overall answer.
On nights the sportsman division is at Delaware, the total purse for the four divisions is $10,000.
The purse for a Carquest Sportsman Series race alone is $10,000.
"What do we increase it to?" McGonigle said. "Last year, partway through the season, we sat down and looked at increasing the purse $20 per position. That would cost $15,000 over the course of the season, but we felt that would be an insult to them.
"How much do we have to raise it to make a difference for them to be happy? And then how am I going to cover that expense?"
McGonigle said Delaware paid out over $400,000 in purses last year.
"When a racer talks about one position on one night, it doesn't sound like a lot of money, but when you add it up over the course of the season, it's a heck of a lot of money," he said.
Money doesn't grow on trees, so where does the track get the money for its purses? From the paying customer.
McGonigle said higher purses would mean higher ticket prices. A regular Friday night Delaware adult ticket is a bit cheaper than a London Knights' ticket -- $1 * -- with discounts for seniors, youth and children.
"Raising purses might be the answer for the drivers, but it's not the answer for the track," McGonigle said.
"To recoup those dollars somebody has to pay and that domino affect is huge."
Delaware has introduced an engine program in street stock and a tire program in street stock, truck and open wheel modified. The track can't introduce such programs in sportsman because that division is controlled by CASCAR.
"These programs are not the full answer, but it's a start," McGonigle said. "But it's going to take more and more small things like that and take everyone working together and sharing information on where the big costs lie and what can we do about it.
"And that's at all levels."
Everyone in racing is worried about the survival of the sport. It requires a proactive approach by everyone.
"We cannot ignore the problem," McGonigle said. "Some people have the attitude if you ignore the problem it will go away. To a certain extent that's what got us in this position. It didn't go away."
Tracks are also at the mercy of the weather. Delaware has already experienced two rainouts, including a costly one on the Victoria Day weekend when the twin 100 qualifiers for the Mopar 300 were washed out on the Friday night.
"This year is an example of why we have to be cautious of every penny right now," McGonigle said. "We've got to be able to open the gates next spring, too. A standard business approach is to cut expenses. The promoters' newsletters I get suggest cutting purses but absolutely no way will we do that. We're not even giving that a thought."
What it's going to take is everyone -- racers, team owners, sponsors, manufacturers and tracks -- sitting down and giving this some serious thought.
