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Most tracks I frequent are $40 for practice and $5 for spectators. That gets the first hour open then the next 4 hrs is split 20min for minibikes and 40min for big bikes. The total available is 2.3hrs for minis and 3.6hrs for big bikes. Feels like more than enough track time for the price to me
I think if I knew there was a gate fee on top of my riders fee, I would not be upset, especially if it was explained why. But the element of surprise extra fees sucks.
They never have open practice.. I would have been up there as well had I known they had open practice this weekend, I did not catch that until today.
That track is beautiful and open again today, you can't beat the weather here this weekend either.
Sounds like you got stuck with one of those days. Once in awhile it happens at the big name tracks (around here…..Red Bud). They charge per class and to get a decent amount of ride time it takes 2 classes. Things settle down as the season goes on but what the OP described is common. Ever do a practice day or race day on a national weekend? I do think that $20/ spectator is a little steep. $80 to bring the family on a practice day is a bit much but the overall value of the sport is high in comparison to other motor sports. It has been $30-40 around Illinois for years on a practice day. With inflation I’m surprised that this didn’t go up as the years have gone by.
Shit. I'll spend $6500-7500 later this month to rent a dozer and skid steer (including fuel and paying a buddy to help) for a week do a rebuild of our track. Then another $200/month on diesel for prep and basic upkeep, and gas for the water pumps throughout the Summer. And the tractor will break at least once, and I'll crack a water line or split a hose. Not to mention the time it takes to maintain it all - at least 10 hours a month. Oh yeah, and I still have to fuel and maintain the bikes. Now, I do get to ride whenever I want, as much as I want, but usually once I'm done with prep I'm too tired. Shut up about your $50.
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Ever ride in Wi. ? Denmark is 200 for annual membership, 300 for life time. Only closed mon., Sunday closed at noon or 1pm because of the county. You get the combination for the gate lock, sign in and ride all u want. I love the layout with hills & valleys , euro layout , hills hv floater jumps. Another small track or riding area on the outside of the pits. Beginner track for mini bikes. Hard pack with clay powder on top, he doesn’t work it often. But that’s what makes it Great , a little rough. If wood chips r worked in its perfect loam. Believe it or not riders bitch about the track not being prepped. Everyone else is having a blast. Wi. Rapids is Great to a deep sand track through the woods with hills. With an easy sx track included. The endless trail loops r the big attraction. There adding more trail loops. I think it’s 25 bucks.
I agree they have some blame but can you expand on why? Did they push the race 4-5 times a year model so you can race all the big am races? Did they push the training facility model that limits participation to local races? I’m just curious what you feel they did to kill local turn outs?
Tracks charging spectators a gate fee for practice days are just greedy
What’s the last track you rode at that wasn’t Denmark? And what year was it?
Gravity park & pine ridge in 12 my bikes were stolen in 13. More injections next week 16th I think. Trucking is in the dumpster drivers, office everyone’s wages r down. Drivers wages r 1/2 of 19& 20. I hv to run 7 days a week usually 18+ hrs days 6+ weeks to get 4-5 days off. I was working a lot more weeks 1099 4 1/2 months straight . Last w2 job 9 1/2 months straight with no day off during c19 . Then 6 days off then 3 months on. Trying to save up to race but it’s not happening. Too many big injuries. So I ,ll probably just ride Denmark if I do that. A union const worker could never afford this sport now either. There laid off all the time.
My reasoning is too many classes for a non AMA local race series. I don't mind the sitting around too bad, and I understand everyone wants to race. My biggest issue in my local series is how the stack the classes together. I sign up for expert classes and they will drop us with various C classes. I always end up lapping guys on lap 3 and it gets dangerous, they can do a better job putting the classes together.
Last race I did a 14 year old C rider broke his leg on lap 1, lap 2 and 3 were spent looking for a red flag, last lap is when the red flag was issued. The dumbasses made us line up a race again, I finished the moto, packed up and left. As I was leaving the ambulance couldn't get close due to shitty parking.
Muddy Creek has been like that since I raced there in the late 90s. Sounds like nothing has changed
Can agree with this 💯 but I feel that is more the fault of MX Sports having all those LL classes so then the parents scream that the promoters need to run their classes also. You should’ve seen the outrage in D16 when they wouldn’t add a super mini class for the 4 parents that wanted it 😂. But yes agree way to many classes and most with only 5-10 entries
And then they add a 50 extra fee for a series within a series. 2 or 3 tracks get together to start a series . Another way to grab money. But you’re young you better get your racing in now. 50+ doesn’t hv any blue collar riders. There bodies r shot. A union const owner sold his co in 2011 then worked for Bolt. He knows the buisness & says a laborers pension is setup to retire at 50 because there bodies r done. At my injection apts it’s all x. Const workers or truckers. If I said I,ll race ya for 20 bucks and raced 1 kid at the local track. I would make more than racing 40a . We don’t hv 50 expert.
We have a club track complex here in Boise. Membership includes all the riding on non race days for free. 20 hours of flagging, pulling weeds etc and 200$ a year fee. Wednesday is prepped also. Entry fees cover costs and a small addition to the piggy bank.
Something’s definitely gotta change, $20/spectator is ridiculous for a practice day, but I’ve seen just how much more expensive it’s gotten to pitch in my fair share to help maintain my friends private track in the last few years.
Yeah I hear about the tracks arguing ovr the yrs. If you ever added up the gross revenue for a race , you,ll know why. The fantasy promoter, the state is lucky to hv him involved. But add up a Fri practice 35 a reg double header 50 for both sx& Mx tracks . 2 classes @ 35 each day, reasonable gate& camping 10 per day= 240.00 240.00 x 400 riders = 96,000. 300 riders = 72,000. Not ripping on him just showing gross profit of a track. 98 700 riders 20 per race , 10 gate fee & 5 camping per night. Sat, sun race 2 classes = 66,500. Tracks had at least 200% payout for 125,250a in 98.
The spectator fee is pretty ridiculous to me. With that said, serious question. Is mid day prep really that big of a thing? I mean, this is motocross and part of my joy doing it comes from the track getting beat up and searching for new lines/learning from it so when race days to pop up for me I don’t have any issues with it. I’d be more upset about the track getting refreshed midway through the day.
Pit Row
This is why you can never take anyone that says California sucks seriously.
I bet they don't wanna hear how we get year round riding, no split practice, no spectator fee tracks at $28/day at cahuilla and $32/day at Pala on a 5-ride pass. Then put our bikes away, get real actual Mexican food instead of whatever the hell the Midwest thinks it is and still be on the beach in the same day 🤣
They aren’t getting 400 riders at single classes. They are getting 400 with racing 2 classes so your math is off by a factor of 2. The only ones making money are those holding LL regionals, qualifiers and tracks like Baja, Freestone, Millville, and Redbud that either have the reputation or hold the big amateur events parents feel obligated to attend.
I didn’t know your tracks were so reasonable. Something to look forward to this winter maybe. Speaking of winter we had a storm this past week. It’s still cold consistent 83 & muggy is the 3rd week of July. May is crappy out yet snow storm on the 11th last yr. June is better but not muggy. Short season here unless you like riding in the cold.
240 is the bow race. The other double headers 225.00, 2 classes each day per rider ovr 2 days plus a fri practice day. Not a bad revenue day. I see some leave after sat on the results. My calculator could b ovr heating , I,m working on my taxes.
I couldn't imagine racing or even riding these days with all the expenses between bikes, upkeep, equipment, track fees, etc. 20-25 years ago when I was racing my home track was Hangtown so I was out there 2-3 times a week. A guy named Dave Matson took control of the track and every morning it was freshly groomed, jumps all perfectly trimmed up, watered and beautiful. Practice was $10 for my 85, if my dad wanted to ride his 250 it was $20. I believe spectators were either free or just $5 for adults, under 18 free for sure. Around noon he would shut the track down for watering for like 30 min. We rebuilt the clutch and top end on my 85 and supermini every month, fresh tires, race fuel, new boots & gear every 6 months or so, etc. Everything was comfortably affordable for my parents on 1 salary while my mom was in nursing school. Raced every other weekend.
Seems like nowadays you need to be upper middle class just to even afford the basics of riding and still struggle if wanting to race. The cost of bikes and upkeep absolutely blows my mind. It's virtually a car payment now to get a new bike and some dudes are getting new bikes every damn year or 2. You never had to finance a bike before just straight cash and now it really is like buying a vehicle. Then max out the cards just to get gear, some standard parts, bars, suspension, etc. I hate to be one of those people but things really did seem much better before 4 strokes. Bikes were cheaper to buy and rebuild, able to do everything yourself with even just a basic set of tools. 4 strokes might be much easier to ride but you're paying for it. To me it's kind of insane how even the pros on 450's aren't trying to make more power, they're all about controlling that power and even slowing them down. My personal and possibly very unpopular opinion is no amateur or weekend warrior needs a 450, that's just unused power and way too expensive. It's like spending a fortune on a race car only to never drive it outside of a downtown area.
Yeah you're right. California is not a total corrupt dump of a state because..... *checks notes*
The dirtbikes tracks are an alright price and the illegals cook lunch. Incredible lol.
I always go surfing after riding motos all day👌
No doubt in my mind that cheap MX, and “Real” Mexican food are what make a state great!
Might wanna tell that to the thousands leaving the state every month.
Until you have eaten a burrito wrapped in tin foil from a crew of concrete guys, you haven't had real Mexican food.
Sam Gammon gotta get fat! Wait...he already fat....gotta stay fat!!
I agree ban 450,s from am racing. Most vets buy them because there ovr wt. in the 90,s I rarely saw a ovr wt rider . And when there was 1 people laughed look at that fat guy. Different sport now check an Ariel pic of a track it’s all big motorhomes.
Out of curiosity I compared price of riding at local Carolina Adventure World and they are $25 to get in and $25 to ride.
I have seen people getting in free as ”spectator's” and they were out there riding so thats probably why all have to pay now
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