325
350
375
400
425
450
475
500
525
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
900
950
1000
1200
12775
Payout for laps lead. Tracks and promoters if they want and to raise top payout money can sell or add to the pot a fixed amount for leading a lap. Just $10 per lap if the winning driver leads all laps in a 25 lap race would mean an additional 250 payout for the top spot bringing the winners payout to $1450. Tracks a couple of times a year could have a money race attracting additional racers by simply raising the payout for leading a lap. It would also give the less then top dollar car which often gets a chance to lead the first lap a little extra thank you at the payout window.
Tow money 300, only transfers get an additional 25 per transfer in the C or B. No more payout for a transfer is needed because only racers who think they have a chance or are there for seat time or just the love of racing will put their cars in C or B mains anyway.
If a racer wants to start and park for C or B money only for the coin, they ain't going to do it anymore. There going to run a C or B main because they want to race and for no other reason. Sometimes the B or C IS the expected feature for some and has a lot of meaning for a win or seat time. Getting rid of any B or C payout schedule and moving the money towards tow or non qualified money will get rid of some of the start and park bull shit fans don't appreciate. Yes it takes something away from drivers but again it's more then made up with by good tow money.
If you don't earn a transfer spot be it C to B or B to A, you go home with tow money. Making the A main makes passing worth 25 and 50 more for an additional spot and is enough for most racers to have something to race for, in addition to their place on the pecking order. There's no need to pad the winners of any transfer feature because the real racing is to see who will be last to make the A main and if you figure your already going to make the A then it's for starting position.
Cars and drivers are so close on the top end of the food chain now a days buying equipment out of a catalog and paying to have engines built, there's no need to jack up lop spot money for the winner. Those paying top dollar to go racing are there more for the win then top payout money. 300 tow and taking care of all half deciently, who make the A main will bring in cars and FANS.
Take care of the racers and the front gate will take care of itself !
If you look at this payout schedule making the top 10 pays $600 which is more then most any other track. So though top payout isn't up to the rest most all who get into the top 10 will make out better then at most any other track.
The $300 tow money is your promotional investment to bring in cars and fans. If it doesn't bring in cars, which it will, then it doesn't cost the track a dime. The rest is up to the track to make racers feel welcome and if racers show up, SO WILL THE FANS.
Next is to offer a little payout to the fans. Tracks need to throw a couple of hundred or more upfront into their 50/50 and promote it as their thanks and payout to the fans.
Also no alternates or other add on's to the A main. You either make the feature or go home and cars already making the feature but not able to start are not replaced. If two cars can't make the feature then the feature goes off with 18 cars.
Also I would like to see all cars taking their position after a yellow, no go to the back unless your on the lead lap and no free pass. If on a restart the first laper in line is between 1st and second place it gives the first lapped car in line a chance to get their lap back after the restart. It also demands the second place car has to get around the same cars the leader went around. With the payout and the number of cars I expect to show I suspect it will not be all that uncommon for the first lapped car before the caution to get a lap back. The leader and second place know that with stiff competition each lapper gets tougher and tougher to pass which is another reason to not put lapers to the back. Better all around racing for the fans instead of watching the top 4 or 5 cars continually lined up to race each other. The way it is now a caution after 10 laps in you may as well pull all but the top 5 cars off the track and pay them per their spot after 10 laps. That ain't exciting racing, may be good racing in many eyes but not in mine.
To keep some excitement and racing interest it should be mandatory that at least twice a year a driver is black flagged and sent off the track for rough driving or stupid move or slide job. It ain't always just a racing incident but at least sometimes it's stupidity and ignerance. Does anyone remember a driver being black flagged for rough driving or a dumb slide job?
My thoughts on this are to ONE, draw cars and TWO provide great racing for us fans. If these ideas can do both then with many fans in the stands the only next logical step to improve the SHOW which is what tracks sell is to move feature car count back up to 24. I'm accepting the 20 car feature is the way it is today and looking for and hopefully providing a way for it to get back up to 24. I'm trying to do it without bitching about how anything is now and thinking about drivers first, fans next and letting the ideas if ok take care of the track and it's owners. ... and yes there's proly a bitch about something in this post.
Another idea i'd like to add in is if a driver spins out and keeps going keeping the SHOW moving instead of stopping to bring out a caution, IN ANY CLASS EXCEPT SPRINTS. Throw the driver an extra $10 bucks in his pay out for his efforts. You can call it a little bit extra for taking care of the SHOW and keeping things going.
No B main if there are just 21 cars, tag the 21st car onto the feature for feature payout money, 22 and there's a B main. B main no more then 10 cars and 10 laps each to keep the chances of racers tearing up equipment down for B and C mains. With only a 20 car feature field let racers who need or want seat time get it in B and C mains while still allowing the top 4 or 5 depending on what the track wants to do to advance to the feature.
As car counts increase, which they will, the track can add on 4 additional starters to the field for 325 start money each. It will only mean an additional $100 payout to put 24 cars in the feature and it will reduce the needs for B mains and keep the over all SHOW moving better for fans.
Fans don't need an intermission to watch drivers draw pills, there there to watch racing so only announce the results of the pill draw without fans having to hang around watching drivers draw pills. If you want that added to your show for the fans, do it on a special or money show and not regular night of racing.
Pill draw for heat starting spot or qualifying during warm ups or regular qualifying by one or two laps how ever the track wants to do it with top 4 reversed for heat position.
No more then 8 cars in a heat race.
And lastly but maybe what might be the most important change for drivers.
6 drivers to the pill draw for feature position with the top 4 picks picking their starting position in order for feature. Who ever picks the 1 pill is first to choose where they will start in the feature and on back to who picked the 4 pill. 5 and 6 pill draws start feature in positions 5 and 6 along with the rest of the field who's order will be set by how ever the track wants to do it. With the payout schedule I offered and the ability to improve your payout by passing, there's no need for more then 6 drivers to go to the pill draw.
