Drawing a line in the sand
I have been racing for a long time. Sometimes I sit back and think it has been too long. Regardless, I have seen many things come, many things go and a lot of other changes along the way.
One of the changes over the past 18 years, has been the cost of racing. I am not referring to the equipment costs, although they have changed too. The entry fees are my focus today. I won't even comment on the odious "late fee". That may be for another time.
Back when I started racing in '93, entry fees typically were $15 -$20. At least that is how I remember them. Nowadays, an entry fee is often $30, maybe $35. Even $40 on occasion That is at least a 50% increase in costs. This is not a complaint about the entry fees. Many things in life have gotten more expensive over these past 18 years and I have never, until now, let an entry fee get in the way of me racing.
Certain increases can be expected. And, often times, those increases have been accompanied by technological improvements. For instance, chip timing which raises costs of a race but also provides an added feature that many racers enjoy. Or, sometimes the extra cost can be something as simple as a good race payout.
Now it is time for me to vent.
I have raced quite a few of the various incarnations of the Rolla race, whether it be the crit or the road race that came later. About the only time I have not raced in Rolla has been because I have been out of the country. The races have been nice enough but they haven't been spectacular either. They are what I expect in a smallish MO town with no real racing scene. We are fortunate to even have the race
I looked at this weekend's races in Rolla and was shocked. Entry fee's were $35. To begin with, that's on the high end of the entry fee scale. Particularly for the low-key affair that the Rolla races usually are. Maybe they are upping their game this year, but it would be a change from the past.
Second, if you didn't pre-register they tack on an outrageously high $10 late fee, making the race $45. Late fees are ridiculous to begin with, but $10 instead of the usual $5 is silly.
Third, if there is going to be a $35-$45 entry fee, give me a reason to attend. I rarely finish in the money so I normally don't let payouts bother me. It is not worth getting worked up over something I am likely not going to be involved in anyway. BUT... to offer $75 / 3 riders deep. C'mon, man!!! Does the winner of the race even get his race paid for with that kind of payout. Gateway Cup is $40 per race. Yes it is a little expensive but you get great racing, great atmosphere, announcers, etc. I guarantee, that will not be the case in Rolla
I wish the Rolla folks luck. They can probably justify their prices and I don't wish for any promoter to take a bath financially because they put on a race. But, at a time of high gas prices, in a location that nearly everyone will have to travel plus an expensive, yet small, race I, for one, will not be racing.
One of the changes over the past 18 years, has been the cost of racing. I am not referring to the equipment costs, although they have changed too. The entry fees are my focus today. I won't even comment on the odious "late fee". That may be for another time.
Back when I started racing in '93, entry fees typically were $15 -$20. At least that is how I remember them. Nowadays, an entry fee is often $30, maybe $35. Even $40 on occasion That is at least a 50% increase in costs. This is not a complaint about the entry fees. Many things in life have gotten more expensive over these past 18 years and I have never, until now, let an entry fee get in the way of me racing.
Certain increases can be expected. And, often times, those increases have been accompanied by technological improvements. For instance, chip timing which raises costs of a race but also provides an added feature that many racers enjoy. Or, sometimes the extra cost can be something as simple as a good race payout.
Now it is time for me to vent.
I have raced quite a few of the various incarnations of the Rolla race, whether it be the crit or the road race that came later. About the only time I have not raced in Rolla has been because I have been out of the country. The races have been nice enough but they haven't been spectacular either. They are what I expect in a smallish MO town with no real racing scene. We are fortunate to even have the race
I looked at this weekend's races in Rolla and was shocked. Entry fee's were $35. To begin with, that's on the high end of the entry fee scale. Particularly for the low-key affair that the Rolla races usually are. Maybe they are upping their game this year, but it would be a change from the past.
Second, if you didn't pre-register they tack on an outrageously high $10 late fee, making the race $45. Late fees are ridiculous to begin with, but $10 instead of the usual $5 is silly.
Third, if there is going to be a $35-$45 entry fee, give me a reason to attend. I rarely finish in the money so I normally don't let payouts bother me. It is not worth getting worked up over something I am likely not going to be involved in anyway. BUT... to offer $75 / 3 riders deep. C'mon, man!!! Does the winner of the race even get his race paid for with that kind of payout. Gateway Cup is $40 per race. Yes it is a little expensive but you get great racing, great atmosphere, announcers, etc. I guarantee, that will not be the case in Rolla
I wish the Rolla folks luck. They can probably justify their prices and I don't wish for any promoter to take a bath financially because they put on a race. But, at a time of high gas prices, in a location that nearly everyone will have to travel plus an expensive, yet small, race I, for one, will not be racing.
1 Comments:
You do have a point.
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