Much is made these of the fact that the midgets do not draw fans in great numbers. Some constantly want to change the rules, blame the promoters etc etc. Fact is no matter what you do or who does it this will not change. Times have changed and no sport draws like it did unless it is major league, NFL, AFL,V8 super cars. Go to a local anything and see what I mean, even one day cricket is starting to struggle, how many are at a Sheffield Shield game. Back to motor sport Indy cars at the coast needed V8's F1 in Melbourne needed V8's. Go to a local road racing track for a State meeting and just a few spectators not enough in most cases to warrant a person on the gate to collect the admission money. The midgets are struggling to get track time with many promoters not because the racing is poor but because they expect to be paid too much compared with other divisions who also do not draw fans but are simply cheaper to run. Historicly the midgets were the main game before Sprintcars became the flavour to have on the menu. Without them (sprintcars) many tracks would not be in existance but even the sprintcars struggle to draw a crowd week in week out at some venues. There is a fix but many will not like it and that is to drop the asking price, they will argue that the cars are so expensive that they need the money but my point would be that if you are depending on prize money you cannot afford to race. Another way to look at it is if you went out and bought an expensive car and then approached the boss telling him you needed a bigger pay packet to pay for your new car what do you think he might say?

How much does it cost for a round of the WSS?

Also, how does dropping the already low payout increase crowd numbers?

I agree with peterson44 in that reducing costs is very important. I believe the Speedcar governing bodies are starting to get on board with this.
For example, the latest hi-tech motors from USA are getting so expensive that you only need one competitor to get one and everyone else either has to step up their spending or get out of the game. Therefore, limiting the hi-tech side of it is very important.
Also I think a move away from the sprint car strongholds helps. Maryborough QLD for example has embraced the midgets and is a totally excellent place for them to race (much better than sprints at the same track IMO).
I am a total convert to midgets simply because they have room to race and don't totally overpower our bullring tracks like sprint cars do!

I think you're well wrong Peterson. The reason those sports have flourished is purely due to a marketing machine that is both cohesive and effective. Short track racing in this country has some of the least cohesive and quality marketing of any mass participant sport. Laying the blame on midgets isn't the answer as it is a problem across all sectors of the sport.

I've said it once already (hi Lan) and I'll say it again. In the past when the majority of the population was working class, a working class sport was both a popular form of entertainment AND a good marketing vehicle. In today's society where the middle class is dominant (even with it's quota of CUBs), a working class sport isn't going to be as popular or offer the same sponsorship returns. Realistically this is not a working class sport any longer because frankly with the costs involved for competitors that's not feasible. But, due to the poor marketing, community perception is allowed to flourish and in the eyes of the community short track racing is a "bogan sport." It's not endemic to midgets but is a major issue across the entire sport.

(And if I'm to be honest, the largest crowd I saw at TPCR last season was for the 50 lap midget race.)

I said for many years on this forum that admission prices need to be reduced and the first thing TPCR did when the new owners come in was drop the price.

I know why there was a large crowd that night AMF. Carvan Boat and Dunny Derby was on.

Taking nothing away from the awesome show which was showcase but the midget drivers but they come to see the

It's a shame because i don't think you'll see many of them again until a fireworks, monster truck or demo derby night.

The midgets but on the best racing in Australia. Sprintcars put on a good show when multi-groove tracks are available like PCR has over the past few meetings.

It does not increase crowd numbers as that was my point nothing will significantly increase numbers. Times have changed and sticking our heads in the sand will not fix it. You and many others need to understand that if you want to race it is a sport and like most sports it costs money. Look at Archerfield they now have a new noise problem which one way or another will cost money are you going to chip in? Yet you also think that the payout is low. They do not have a money tree out the back, speedway is no different to other motor sports where it costs money to operate a track. If they are unable to draw a crowd who is going to pay for you to race. I am tired of the same old argument that the sport is not promoted right well all advertising costs money, TV advertising is very very expensive especially when it does not attract a much larger audience. You and others need to face the fact that you and I love the midgets but in the big picture our family is very very small.

I don't understand your point at all!

All I'm reading is you want midgets to lower how much they ask for in prize money.

So they pay $40 x 5 (driver + crew gate entry) = $200 per team. We'll assume 15 cars turn up = $3000.

So club show prize money is being generated from the drivers and crews anyway, so to be nice to the tracks they should now ask for less prize money?

YouTube - Superstocks Teams Champs Greatest Hits
O can we please have these on the same night as Midgets...
My entertainment fix will certainly be fulfilled....

Reducing the price sounds like an easy solution, but I see it in practise at Avalon and it does very little for crowd numbers. There they charge $30 for WSS/National Titles etc. $25 for SRA Sprintcars or National series for Speedcars, Dirt Mod's & Super Saloons. And if there are Sprintcars or National series running, they further reduce the price to $20. Despite this, the $20 nights still by far attract the smallest crowds. Seemingly just of friends/family and the hard core regulars.

There needs to be a long term strategy put in place by the sport as a whole. We need people to want to come, because the "product" is highly desirable. Well presented cars, big fields, hard fast racing, drivers who are heroes etc.

If price is the only method the sport uses to compete in the saturday night entertainment market, then it is always going to lose out to a night at home in front of the TV.

Have UK/NZ style Stockcars ever been raced here? I was never a big fan of them while I was living in Auckland and London, but they are very popular.

I dont think we have ever had NZ Style Superstocks David.Not that I can ever remember.But you know as well as I do. They draw massive crowds ... ...

Same old argument or not, those are the facts. Why when Dave Lander is promoting can he fill a track for midgets and yet when Archerfield or Parramatta try they can't? The simple answer is promotion. Dave Lander is a guy who gets promotion, advertising and all the other marketing aspects.

To try and belittle our arguments with grandiose sweeping statements predicting the end of the sport is daft. You're dead right, times have changed and in this day and age marketing is KING. Without it you will go nowhere. This naturally means there needs to be investment in the sport. Look at the mainstream sports-Swimming, AFL, Rugby League, Cricket, V8 Supercars. Over the last 30 odd years they've invested millions in marketing to the point where they have large TV audiences AND have networks fighting for broadcast rights. A modern example is Netball which in the last couple of years has hit the mainstream big time, to the point where some of ONE HD's netball broadcasts rated higher than some V8 Supercar races on at the same time.

I'm not suggesting that short track racing is going to be the next netball, that's daft and you could be guaranteed that the ecomentalsocialists will stop that. However if NASR did it's job properly and promoted the sport there is no reason why crowds can't be increased drastically.

If you want a quick way to get spectators to at least one race, the answer lies in the Agricultural shows. It's an idea stolen from the USA, but is an idea that works. Starting with the 6 mainland capital shows-the Sydney Royal, Royal Queensland, Royal Adelaide, Royal Melbourne, Perth Royal, Royal Canberra build up a big money race series. As one offs, noise dispensations shouldn't be too much of an issue, and you can be guaranteed to get lots of spectators. It's then up to follow-on marketing to get the on flow to the local tracks.

This sport isn't dead, it's only going to die if we DON'T market it properly.

Brisbane races them

bis_100130_Stock Cars

Peterson you are arguing two very different things here - prizemoney/track time vs attendance figures.

Did you know in the 90's Speedcars were paid more money (34% more in fact!) & had many more people on the hill at PCR? You only have to watch the old youtube videos to see the power of the promotion & perhaps as AMF suggested, the different populace at the time. You can't suggest the two are inter-related.

I don't know if you have a connection with any of the teams up there in QLD, but not every team has a whopping budget. Some are in fact family-based; staying involved for the pure love of the sport and despite what you suggest, yes some teams are week-to-week campaigners who DO rely on the prizemoney. To suggest prizemoney be reduced even further will do no better than increasing the back gate fees. It makes it harder for those without the bigger financial backing to be there putting on a show & providing bigger fields.

Unfortunately it is a catch-22 situation; accepting less $$$ could see further reduction in car numbers or quality of competition whilst asking for more $$$ to retain the quality could potentially mean a loss of dates. Each club must work out the happy medium with their promoters to make it the most effective for all concerned.

On your last point about buying a car & then asking for a pay rise from your boss to help pay it off... Take it the other way - You currently earn $50k & buy a car knowing you can afford it based on your income... What do you say when your boss comes in tomorrow & says he has to give you $33,000 a year instead? Sell? Park it as you can't afford to fill it? That sell/park option not only hurts you as the competitor, but also the other competitors who are suddenly racing less cars & receiving less $$$. It hurts the division who now can't provide a full field. It hurts the promoter who not only has less back gate income but also reputational damage if you promote a show & only 5 cars show up. It hurts the fans who paid $20 & watched 5 cars... See my drift?

Thankfully I believe the Sydney club & the new PCR owners are on common ground - promote, entertain, help each other get the Speedway & racing back to a level where more mainstream/corporate sponsors will come onboard & greater numbers come through the gates. Midgets here are 100% committed to putting on a cracker of a show each weekend for that very reason, be it with the fastest to the rear racing, fan give-aways, etc. Sometimes it takes more than selecting the easy option (cutting back funds!) to make long-term improvements.