Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but Premium users receive great benefits. Premium benefits include:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
Thanks for the link, I have not seen this before. But some good info on there
I agree with you 100 percent. There's obviously two sides. However, there is 11 other track owners that are on board with MX sports and if they cater to Glenn Helen's demands the series will implode. There also a hand full of other tracks that would take on a National in a second if they could get a date and be thankful to MX Sports for it.
you're welcome.
what i've thought (and Cooksey touched on) is that I would have ASSUMED that these financials were sorta common knowledge within the rigs, however, if not, the mfgs could get pissed and say "Hang on - you're cleaning house financially DC...we need to talk because we're not buying tickets anymore nor paying entry fees!!!"
Or not, I suppose. The circle is pretty small.
Yeah, I understand how Bud can’t be treated any differently than other track owners.
I guess the real question is, what do these track owners make after the dust settles ? Is it really worth it, or are they just padding MX Sports pockets while they are making a small amount of money in comparison ?
I honestly don’t know much about the realistic numbers, but it seems that promoting races is very profitable. Owning a motocross track is not, for the most part. I know several owners of tracks and I’m surprised that they continue. They all have real jobs, they could not pay their bills from profit from the track(s).
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
GH don’t need the nationals they’ve got some sort of World Championship happening there every week
The creator of a piece of content reaches out and says "Hey, that wasn't supposed to be published / or it has errors, we're pulling it and republishing later". I happily pull it until it's out in proper form. It's a courtesy I would hope someone would do for me if I made a work error.
You'd be amazed how often OEMs screw up PRs and send out redos or pull stuff because it got published at the wrong time.
The financials on that link are pretty much what I've always been aware of and I'm pretty sure the majority of the industry at the higher level are aware as well. At least with the conversations I've had, most are aware what a promoter pays to hold a national.
I could be wrong here, but I believe MX sports has to pay DMG at least a million a year for the lease of the series.
Again, I could be wrong here, but has anyone ever put out an estimation of what MX Sports is actually making per year on the nationals after all costs are associated? Lease fee to DMG, staffing costs, travel costs for staff, trucks on the road, track crews, insurance, etc etc?
My understanding is Muddy Creek didn't think it was worth it any longer and now they aren't on the schedule.
I'm not clear on exactly which items on the GH graphic each party is entitled to and what their liabilities are, so if someone could take a few to clarify that maybe it would help others in the same boat. I'm much more familiar with concert promotions and the financials involved there, but most of the time with those the promoter incurred a large financial risk for the potential of a large profit. But if an event was canceled (weather, etc.), they were looking at losing a fortune due the sunk costs (venue rental, advertising costs, etc.) and no way to recoup them at an event that never happened.
Many times the promoter and performers would arrive at a "shared risk" agreement to help even out the potential risks and rewards.
That would shed some light on the situation.
My rough understanding is this:
* Gate fees/ spectators - 100% local promoter (aka Bud)
* Pit parking costs for racers/ teams - no formal charge for anyone that is signed up. Now one could argue the team season package fee or single local event registration (aka local privateer) could be viewed as a parking fee, but if you are a participant, you can park your rig for free, there is no parking charge for a rider
* Parking fees for spectators - 100% local promoter (aka Bud)
* Concessions/ souvenir sales - mostly all local promoter (aka Bud), local promoter gets all concessions (food / drink). but local promoter can put in local venders, local dealers and other personal choices, and charge for the vendor space. Prob a rev share or % share on souvenir sales from moto t's to local promoter.
Local promoters also get 100% of camping and amateur ticket sales, all VIP fees as well as whatever local sponsorship money they can solicit. I would guess many if not all of the established promoters (Hangtown, Colorado, Southwick, Red Bud, Millville, Unadilla, etc) do pretty well - you dont have to be a rocket scientist to add up the numbers.
It would seem from reading Glen Helen website that Bud was upset about the people who carry season credentials, guys like Jett Lawrence, Lars Lindstrom, and every other member of the “industry” that is there week in and week out. It’s probably 700 (??) people per weekend. That’s just a wild guess, but figure 200 riders, plus girlfriend / family, plus teams and mechanics and everyone else, it is 700-800 people. It sounded like Bud wanted them to pay again and in addition to the season card that is issued for every other event. It sounded like ~1000 passes were reserved for that and he took issue with it?
The DMG fee is still $1 million dollars. Weege mentioned it in a video on his personal page sometime last year.
That sounds like something an informed insider journalist could or would do, not a know nothing fan. A fan would just be guessing for much more of the equation than an informed unbiased journalist of the sport.
My guess is that if the DMG fee is one million, Coombs does indeed gross well north of that logically. For 11 races he gets 100k sanctioning fee alone per race according to the GH financials.
You're a good dude Michael. I was just busting your balls because it was ironic timing.
It would be interesting to know exactly how the money flows in this sport, and it’s semi-surprising that no “journalist” has taken the time to dig for this dirt. But tbh, what would the audience/readers do with this knowledge? It would, at most, fan the flames on discussion boards and podcasts… and that’s it. So it’s fairly pointless for someone in the moto media to burn bridges trying to bird dog a story no one wants to tell.
Not surprising, all of the "journalists" are too afraid of being blacklisted
But it would generate a bunch of clicks... and isn't that what drives content these days?
Yes and that in and of itself is so amateur that “professionals” (I use that term very very loosely) operate the industry in such a high school fashion.
Pit Row
Are you serious? There is actual discussion going on in here about many different topics.
It's not DC's content.... it's gypsy tales. But ok.
I don’t get your comment in reply to the ML post.
Considering how much work the owner of each track has to put in to get ready for the national, host it, and then clean up......It has to be a great event for them.
Come on it’s not like DC is posting photos in Private Jets, Island Resorts, and a driveway full of Lamborghinis and Bentleys. I’m sure he makes some $$ but it’s likely well deserved. The man does be out on the track getting his hands dirty driving stakes and fixing banners. You don’t see that in too many other sports. The likes of Dana White gets to pay himself a salary of $20m per year before including all the other $$ he makes. DC be lucky to be making 1/40 of that I’d imagine.
The new'ish owners of Swan are VERY interested in hosting a national.
Good point. Unfortunately…
I have a little bit of knowledge of one national track. My understanding is that the national basically covered overhead for the year and profit is made on local races.
It is not cheap to put on a national where as a local race only needs a few porta potties and a flagging crew.
I recall hearing a number around $40k net for the national.
Thanks for sharing. That’s a lot of work on a track for that kind of profit.
I would love to know what MX Sports makes off each race on average. It’s got to be double/ triple that, I’d think
No doubt about Davey working hard, he is in the trenches with it all from what I’ve seen personally.
Nobody can argue that … he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty.
i dont get the hate on DC and the family business, they create big events that draw huge competitor numbers, how i that a bad thing?
i mean they have to turn away riders at the outdoor nationals, how many MX events in the world have that issue,
For sure a ton of work. Certainly comes with other benefits besides cash. Great marketing, facility upgrades, LL qualifiers/regionals, etc.
I’d think so too. NBC deal may be quite the multiplier. DC made it sound like quite a nothing burger to toss away a national and Monster Cup.
Post a reply to: Glen Helen reaching out to Gypsytales for interview - UPDATE !!