Tracks charging spectator fees

Whatever they have to do man.  With our track on practice days we allowed every rider to bring someone that way there was someone to get them home after a crash.  Also not going to charge Mom and Dad that bring a couple kids.  Now if some dude brings 5 of his buddies and their chicks to just hang out and watch then yep fork it over.

It's fair... got to support the tracks however it's possible. Remember, when the tracks loose money, they close, so we have to appreciate their existence.

I think location adds context. California is not the easiest or cheapest place to keep a high profile motocross facility open and running. 

 

I will never understand how a group of people that buy $80k trucks, $70k trailers, $10k bikes, $5k worth of aftermarke parts, $800 helmets and $30/ gallon race fuel somehow draw the line at $40 rider and $10 spectator fees. 

Out of the entire moto economy, the track owners have the slimmest profit margins while putting in the most passion and love for the sport and the local moto community. 

you can't finance gate fees

Operating a business in California is not for the faint of heart, especially a motocross track of all things. If charging spectator fees helps to cover operating costs and keep tracks open, I don't see the issue at all. 

Shoot, my non riding buddies used to come and watch and drink beer. They had zero issue paying $10. Much cheaper than a night out 

Charging a fee for spectators is BS, even in California.  

Then turn around and defend LLs 

Here comes the cope. If the government started charging breathing fees many of you would support it lmao 

Does LL charge a spectator fee? It's been a while since I went.

I'm fine with it.  It would be tough to bring a family of 4 but motocross is one of those sports.  We need to help these guys stay profitable to keep their facilities open.  

Bro, when did they stop?

Everything is taxed, they may call it something else or bundle it in with other stuff, but the air you breath is taxed one way or another.

Look up in the sky on a nice sunny clear day, those stripes you see are the interest fees covered by Big Pharmacy.

They charge $80 per vehicle to park 

Didn’t they change it last year where you can only be in a certain area?

WTF? How stupid of a take is this?

Why would they not? They have to pay insurance to have those people on the property. They should be contributing. 

Then why do local tracks do it on race weekends etc? It is nothing new, nor nothing big.  Support the tracks. If they are charging $25 per spectator, that is a different story altogether.  

Nooooooo they would never that’s a conspiracy where is your foil hatttttt

Ok, at SX I paid $30 for parking then $130 x 4 totaling $550. To go watch a lower level of racing but still much higher than a local race, its $80, which is 15% of supercross. To go watch a local race its $10 x4, which is 50% of the amateur national and much lower level of racing. 

MX Sports is no angel, but it doesn't seem totally absurd. It'd be interesting to compare it to Arenacross pricing. I'd rather go to LL than AX. 

I personally don’t like it, but I understand it. We’re a family of 6 with 3-5 riders depending on the day, some days a kid will choose not to ride.  Our ride days get real expensive real quick. With tracks adding spectator fees for a 5 year old and momma to sit and watch is kinda a bummer.  Even when I just take my son to ride I get charged a spectator fee.  

Operating a motocross track is no different than any other business model. 

You must provide an attractive product at a realistic price. You “support” your church, your local ministries, orphanages, children’s centers, civic centers, NFP hospitals, schools, etc. 

If a business can’t support itself then it folds. I understand we need to have a slightly less wooden approach to moto tracks. The “club” model seems to be more suitable for this sport. Otherwise, you’ll pay to park, pay for your wife to come, pay to pee, and so on while you broskis cry “supporttttt” like they’re a high school indie jazz band. 

And bathrooms.  And clean up after them.  Provide garbage service.  The list goes on.

Race day, absolutely spectator fees. Practice days, that's pushing it. Some of the tracks in eastern PA now have a gate fee and a practice fee. That's stupid and just plain greedy. And for what, (3) 20 minute practice sessions for the whole day because of all the classes! We should just drive up and hand the track owner $120 for no reason and then go home. And we wonder why off-road is killing it and moto is dying on the vine. 

You should have typed that slower so freeh and Owen could sound it out and understand it better. 

A fee to attend a race is fine.  A fee to attend an open ride day is not, imo.  

As someone else pointed out those spectators are potential sources of liability for the track operator. I would probably allow one parent per minor, but otherwise I don't see a problem charging someone to enter onto one's property.

Spectators (parents and "trainers") are probably the biggest liability at the track.  As someone that helps out running a track, I can tell you that it is a constant battle to keep spectators off the track.

I run an off-road racing series. I have a gate fee that every person pays ($10) and a race fee ($60). The gate fee goes to the landowner to at least help with the sting of having 100+ people rip up their woods. Thankfully, most of them are into motorsports and love it. 

The race fee goes towards Insurance ($$$$), porta potties, medical staff, ribbon, arrows, stakes, banners, canopies, chainsaw maintenance, sign up and scoring equipment... Not to mention literally hundreds of unpaid man hours getting the races ready. 

I could only imagine what the numbers would look like if I had to maintain a water truck, dozer etc. But I have a feeling it would always start with a negative sign. 

People love to bitch about $10. Start your own track, and let Jimbo and Billy Bob in for free to leave their Twisted Tea cans everywhere. 

Same song and dance from him on basically every thread about running a track for the last year or so. Every track should be $10 to enter, perfectly groomed, and a national level facility/amenities. If it’s not that, the track owner is operating off pure greed and we’re a bunch of idiots for going along with it.