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Rain. What happens at your track?

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Posted by: Wraith---------------------

At a local track of ours. We got a hour into the race, and it starts raining a monsoon. So they cancel it and say over the loudspeaker when the makeup race will be held and that "We all have your names on the waivers you signed when you enterd the gate, so you won't have to pay twice." So we all go back to the track for the makeup race and they say that racers get in free, but the spectators have to pay again. Even if you were at the rained out race. Is this common practice at most tracks. I know they are all different, but I was wondering what the majority of track owners would do. So the following week after the makeup rain race the owner puts up fliers at the local bike shop saying. "Due to the overwhelming griping and moaning of whiners complaining of paying the $7 gate fee. The rest of the races for the remainder of the year are cancelled." What a ahole.


Posted by: Jeff Gilbert---------------------

Sounds like your track owner is the type of person that would cut off his nose to spite his face. Either that or he wasn't making enough money to make it worth while and if that's the case who could blame him


Posted by: mx547---------------------

wraith, was that sprout patch or possum hollow?


Posted by: Wraith---------------------

It's the Sprout Patch. I guess you'r familiar with the area. Have you known them to do this before?


Posted by: mx547---------------------

no, i was just curious. i haven't been up there in several years. i've never been there when it has been raining. does the same guy still own both tracks?


Posted by: Wraith---------------------

If your talking about a tall, linky guy, that wears glasses. Yes.


Posted by: derekb_55---------------------

Quote:
Running a track is not fun, and I don't know if anyone does it to make big money. It's for the love of the sport.


I sit at the track and count 30 bikes in 2 hours at 10 bucks a crack and i wonder how they couldn't be making big money.


Posted by: tstorms---------------------

You forgot the most expensive thing of all, insurance. Some jack*** wipes out doing something stupid and sues the track. The deductables and policies per year are a fortune. Just ask the new track in Orange County, Ca which opened and then shut down. $10 a pop is cheap these days to boot.


Posted by: mx547---------------------

Quote:
Originally posted by tstorms
Some jack*** wipes out doing something stupid and sues the track.


generally it's not the rider that sues the track but their insurance company. they have to try to recoup their losses. usually the rider doesn't have any say in the matter.


Posted by: cp380sx---------------------

Quote:
Originally posted by mx547


generally it's not the rider that sues the track but their insurance company. they have to try to recoup their losses. usually the rider doesn't have any say in the matter.


That wasn't the case when a local track got sued. A jerk broke his back (no paralysis) and didn't have insurance so he sued the track owner. The land owner screwed up and missed the court date so the judge automatically ruled in favor of the plaintif. The track owner had to sell half his land to pay the jerk and has now closed his riding area which had been open for 25 years.


Posted by: mx547---------------------

cp380sx, i ride down in your area sometimes. what track was it?


Posted by: cp380sx---------------------

Flying P Cycle Ranch.


Posted by: derekb_55---------------------

Quote:
Have you got any idea what the costs are for these items you would need to operate a track??


The owners at this track don't have insurance (just use waivers), have some old junkie tractor with a loader and a water trailer, a river through the property, and the races are organized by the club so they pay for the ambulance. Seems like easy money to me.


Posted by: cp380sx---------------------

Sounds like you have a new career in track promotion to look forward to.

A close friend of mine owns Oak Hill MX park here in Texas. I can tell you that there is rarely a profit shown by any MX track. They are lucky if they pay for the expenses. Typically tracks are run by folks who have a passion for dirt bikes.

If you think 30 riders at $10 a head is big money I don't know what to tell you. You must be young.


Posted by: derekb_55---------------------

I understand that these 2 hours are at the busiest time on a Saturday afternoon, and that your not always going to be getting this amount of business. I also understand that $300 in 2 hours isn't millionaire material, but $150 and hour for putting around in your water truck seems to beat the hell out of manual labour for $14 an hour. I know that there is alot more to operating a track than simply throughing water on mounds of dirt. I think it would be fun maintaining a track, and if you can make some money at it, all the better.


Posted by: oldguy---------------------

Quote:
Originally posted by derekb_55


The owners at this track don't have insurance (just use waivers), have some old junkie tractor with a loader and a water trailer, a river through the property, and the races are organized by the club so they pay for the ambulance. Seems like easy money to me.

Trust me they have insurance. The waivers are standard at every track and basically don't amount to much in court.
The oldjunky tractor- You wouldn't believe the cost of a new one and you still gotta make repairs whether it is new or used- BTW last I remember they also take fuel (and don't plan on high MPG)

I reallly doubt they are doing much more than breaking even at $150/hour
You also forgot paying the mortgage, property taxes, employees, and utilities (even a portajohn costs money to empty out )
In the real world track owners are not getting rich by sitting back and having money fall into their laps.



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