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really enough of them to keep up,
which was great for the races that
were going on. I think for the most
part, tracks and promoters saw
this handful of races that were so
successful and everybody felt like
there was money to be made, and
now there are too many people with
their hands in the pot. But like I
said, that’s all cyclical. The strong
will survive and the weaker races
will go away, and it’ll probably cycle
back again.
I don’t even know if it’s good or
bad, but it’s nice from my vantage
point to see the purses, particularly
in big dollar bracket racing, begin
to match the investment. We kind
of got to the point, especially 10- or
15-years ago when I was basically
bracket racing for a living, I basically made it a point that I wouldn’t
leave the house if it didn’t pay at
least five grand to win. Well, at that
time I might have had $100,000
in my whole program, and that’s
like tripled. The purses over the
last couple of years were essentially the same. From my standpoint
it’s great. I’m sitting here with a
quarter-million dollar operation.
It doesn’t make sense to race for five
PACKING THE LANES Sportsman racers are showing up in droves to compete for rich payouts and a bounty of prizes at bigor ten grand anymore so it’s nice to
money bracket races across the country. Drivers are finding that races like the Spring Fling event at Bristol offer more track time
see those 25-granders, 50-granders,
and opportunities to win money than sanctioned national or divisional events.
and multiple “million dollar” races
for me, but long-term for the good
to four days of racing. If you have an off day, it
out of it, almost like that B&M series. Something
of the sport, I don’t know that that’s necessaridoesn’t ruin your whole weekend. You’re able to
like that I think would be cool. But yeah, I don’t
ly the answer. We’ve kind of priced the average
come out the next day and race and make up for
think there are too many. There can never be
guy, especially the average young person, out of
it. One of the hardest things as a racer is when
too many. I think it’s fun. But if it could be more
the sport at a level that is really supposed to be
you make a mistake and you have to sit on that
organized and maybe offer a more complete in- grassroots. I don’t know how you turn that back.
mistake for a while until your next race. It eats
centive package – that’d be cool.
Selfishly, I think it’s great, but I don’t know that
into your head and it’s easy to lose confidence,
Luke Bogacki: Yeah, it’s definitely oversatu- it’s the best thing long-term.
but if you’re able to come out the next morning
rated right now, which I believe goes in cycles.
Michael Beard: The market will kind of take
and redeem yourself and get back in the winner’s
Up until the last couple years, there weren’t
care of itself. There have already been some
circle, you’re right back on top of it.
events that have failed or are not returning to
A lot of the races they’re doing now are a minithe schedule anymore. Competition is good for
mum of $10,000 to win. They’re offering a lot of
the marketplace. Now, there are certain regions
races this year upwards of $25,000 to $50,000.
where you’re seeing too many all close together
For a local guy or even a traveling professional
both in terms of the schedule and geographically.
s portsman racer who’s doing this for a living, if
There are still a few markets out there that are unyou can get that fifty grander, that takes care
tapped. The competition makes us better. When
of a good amount of your expenses for the year.
we started out with our Loose Rocker Promotions,
Troy Coughlin, Jr.: No. I think they need to
we started out at a fair level. As the car counts
go to like a PRI (Performance Racing Industry
grew, we raised the payouts. Car counts grew
show) and sit down and discuss dates and form a
some more; we raised the payouts some more.
series. Don’t let it take away from the promoters.
There’s been some guys, like Kevin Pollard, with
They need to communicate and respect each other.
his recent MoneyTree Triple 10s, he came out of
They kind of do now, based off of each other’s
the gate swinging with an incredibly cheap deal
dates, most of them, but I think they need to
with huge round money and everything; the total
create a series and segment it. Make a division
package. I’ve noticed some other races trying to
“It’s nice from my
vantage point to see
the purses, particularly
in big dollar bracket
racing, begin to match
the investment,”
Bogacki says.
June 2016
DragIllustrated.com
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