Amateur Motocross Pricing Itself Out?

Just have fun 

Cheaper, intro models, shorter race days for people. I thought about trying to race years ago (grew up trail riding, never raced), but once I looked at the money it would take, and then considered the time (all day to ride 30 minutes), I decided against it, and I can guarantee others have as well.

Gotta start buying Suzukis lol

Skip Loretta's.

Starting early this year. Coming soon, "sandbagging in the C class" and "former pros in the vet classes". LL season never disappoints.

Racing is as expensive or as cheap as you want to make it. 

Compared to sport bike racing and almost any car racing our sport is dirt cheap.

Off-road is where it’s at grassroots wise 👌🏻

As far as racing goes, I hate to say it but mx and offroad dirtbikes is about as cheap as it gets.

It is nice that in the stock car world payouts are generally a standard throughout the classes, though not nearly enough to cover the operating expenses. Additionally, the regular payouts haven’t changed since the mid-late 80s and the cost of racing has gone up 10 fold since then. 

Do you really want anyone and everyone in the sport?

I got into Vintage racing because 20 years ago it was an affordable way to get a fix.  A non-running complete vintage bike would run you around $1 per cc.  Cost $10 to get into the track.  $25 entry fee for the first class, $20 for the second, ride as many others as you want/can for free.  Gates opened at 8 AM, Practice at 9, Races usually from 10-3 PM.  Didn't need to camp or hotel.  At the time, I could practice at a fully prepped Cycle Ranch track for $10 a day.

Fast forward to today.  Vintage bikes are going for about the same as a used modern bike in the same condition.  Basket cases are running 2 grand. Thanks to Mecum and Kaplan everyone thinks their bike is worth a mint😂.  Races are now 2 day affairs.  Gotta figure in lodging and food.  Entry fees have doubled, no more free classes, and garbage fees (memberships, series fees, parking fees, vehicle fees, etc) abound.  Races start at 9 AM and go until dark because more classes mean more entries...even if half the classes only have a single rider. 

I get the problems with insurance and inflation.  But what used to be a $100 single day at the track is now a $500-800 weekend away.  I don't have an answer, but I definitely agree that there are problems brewing.  I never thought a day at the track would cost me more than a day at a really nice golf course, but here we are.

I commented earlier that tracks and costs were out of control and that people needed to dial it back. I got cussed like a dog for it. Enjoy your reaming, how dare you care that normal people get to enjoy the same things we have loved. 

Sick em @LungButter !!

Our local track 15 min out of town . You can race as many classes as you want for 50 bucks.  Yet people around here bitch about the added 10 bucks at the gate.  Haha.  200 to ride the season.   Wi. rapids probably the best sand riding park in the country.  Deep sand with hills threw the trees, a sx track ,  hundreds of acres of cool trails threw the woods .  Like the bikes cut a 5 ft deep lane in areas, a tunnel of trees.  On yt a kx250f rode wo in top gears on the faster trails.  Crazy kid.  Wed it’s 10 bucks, Thurs to sun 20.  2 exits n of town is a hot spot sand track , free riding.  A lot of people around here ride alot .  I won,t be any time soon tho.  Doing laundry I see I had a msg. The f, ers did it again my insurance denied the epidural back injection.  It’s a disaster that co denied it . So the insurance I told them to use will deny it also.  I tried to cancel my insurance but I hv to call market place.  U know how f, d up they r.  I did hv a nerve blocker injection today on my shoulder. My arm & hand is numb so that’s weird.  I hv a epidural injection on my neck too scheduled where my back injection is.  My destroyed everything Real good . Trying to raise the dough to race .  2 1/2 inches shorter in the 1st 2 to 2 1/2 yrs working for the 1099 Chicago Russian mob.  It’s like entering the center of a f14 tornado. The 20 to 42 hr straight running in massive shit & mainly in the north east for months straight 7 days a week.  Calls to Eastern Europe to get 3 14 hr shifts in a row.  You better hang onto your ass because your going to run. Then you hv no ass left it’s kinda of funny . You literally hv no ass cheeks you run them rt off.  Haha . But this pain now is NO way worth it.   I had a massive amount of adventures & Super Crazy fun times tho.  Dabro- good, times that Serbian . Haha

Because operating costs like property taxes and insurance coverage are not on the same sliding scale as the price of ground beef like you seem to think. You consistently have the most uninformed idea of how running a motorsports facility is done. 

Dude if this is where you tell me that property taxes on 15 acres are $50k a year get bent lol 

I agree with the original post, my kid stopped racing this year due to cost.  He went to college instead (much cheaper.  There really isn’t any rides out there barring the pay rides with smaller teams.  Manufacturers ought to help out more B/A kids out there instead of a few 85 superstars.  

what do tracks charge for renting a transponder?

If you think Mx is expensive go check out jet ski racing. It’s annoyingly expensive. They run a 2 day weekend with Saturday and Sunday being seperate “events”. It’s $100-$120 per class and in a lot of classes you’re doing good to have 3-4 skis on the line in your class. Everyone gets a plastic trophy. 😕

Run 2 classes both days and it’s $400-$450 in entry fees. And most rounds are 5+ hrs away. I’m thankful to be back into motocross and have more affordability. 

Not even half of what I’m attempting to imply. A majority of these properties have appreciated at a much higher rate exponentially in the last handful of years, along with rising fuel costs, equipment maintenance costs, payroll costs, and the biggest killer of all, insurance. The handful of companies left still willing to write policies for any motorsports park have all the industries in a strong hold with no resolution or break in sight. 

The Covid boom has died down and most tracks in my area are back to their normal attendance rate and those costs have not come down as attendance has dropped. Not to mention ever so stringent environmental laws and urban encroachment. It’s a ridiculously tough job, and a second job/hobby for most so I don’t blame them for throwing in the towel when you throw away all your personal and family time just to barely break even. There’s plenty of tracks for sale, step up and be the change you want to see in the world. 

Thanks for taking the time to write that then cause the one liners aren’t doing anything. All great points. 

Allowing kids to run in 4 different classes only makes the days go longer. People don't want to sit around all day for 2-3 motos meanwhile rich Jonny is getting in 6-8 motos a day. The average Joe then leaves the sport.

My view is the rich will win as 95% of those kids don't have more talent. What they do have is more seat time (see 4 different classes) which is the biggest thing as an amateur.

What's the rundown for fees? Camping fees parking fees premium parking fees entry fees etc. It's the add on fees which I hate the most.

Running 4 different classes is a pure cash grab for the promoter. I should be 2 classes max.

If the motos weren’t 4 laps people probably wouldn’t run 3-4 classes a day. 

My kid raced the South Central Regional this weekend. He "qualified" at the Area a few months prior. Yet we still had to pay $60 last week to reserve our spot on top of the entry fee. Did him qualifying not reserve his spot? Blown away by that. Butttttt we have met the best people in moto and my kid has made best friends, so that's why we do it. Finished inside the top 10 one moto, but didn't get it done in the other motos. I think we will try Mini Os this year, I hear its the best amateur event to attend. 

No bro. 

What you said was that because you saw other businesses making record profits that track owners were too.  

This discussion isn’t about track owners. 

Don’t twist your own words to play the victim. 

 

What do you mean by that? 

Are you insinuating that the ‘wrong type’ of people are kept out of mx because the prices are high?? 

You’re very wrong… criminals often have more money than most! 

A timely post as my son wanted to give a one time try for LL this year. I haven’t sat down and added it up for fear of losing my friggen mind but yes it’s absolutely stupid the money involved. I cannot fathom how or why families do this every year with the amount of coin it takes but to each their own I guess. If it were up to me I would hit practice days and skip even our local races next season. No stress, lots of seat time, and I find it more relaxing. Unfortunately at 16 he still wants the gate drops 😂