Gate Fee

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stumanarama

Member
Aug 29, 2007
306
0
what bigred said, you show up to the ER with your insurance card and tell them that you fell from your noble steed whilest trail riding,
 

wardy

2005 Lori Nyland Award Winner
Nov 12, 1999
2,681
9
never tell the insurance company your racing, riding no matter if you have the race clothes on. If you do, it stays on your equafax record for life.......then when you change jobs, or try to start your own business guess what they don't sell you insurance or the price is like 10x as much. I have paid thru the nose because of this organized blackmail we call insurance. And most politicians are lawyers ya know. "everyone rides a bike you know"

OK, back to the track stuff. Nothing in here makes me "mad", if it did you would well know it.

Fee's for racers are a necessary evil, our track pays more then almost all the midwest tracks when it comes to purse in the A classes. If your a B-C rider you also get a "show" that is included in your gate fee. :)

But the simple fact is the structure works, if it would work better a different way then I would be happy to try it. Racing costs X amount of dollars, and Riding or Pacticing costs a little less to do. The main thing one has to understand, i don't see many track owners as a fortune 500 business, and i dont think they are destitute either, I think (bias here) that we earn an honest living an get to do it providing others a place to have fun. Beats the hell out of doing my body shop business i did for 25 years.

we also realize that we won't please everyone, but try to keep the masses happy, with out race series doing pretty good this year seems they like it, if they didn't they won't come out to play.

the thing about this, we offer a service and a product, hopefully alot of people will buy it, if not then we have to change or go out of business.........

LOL i used to get a kick out of the guy at the track yellin about prices, then look at his brand new 30k 4x4 and crawl back into my 1987 rust bucket after explaining my prices.......i usually start with "well lets trade trucks and start from there"........

you see most all track owners put 85% back into the business, you know the one that riders enjoy...........

I love my job,,,,,,, most days........
 
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BigRedAF

Member
Jan 9, 2005
739
0
Wardy

You forgot to mention the $50,ooo three axle garage toy hauler that that 30K truck was hauling :rotfl:
 

Patman

Pantless Wonder
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Dec 26, 1999
19,765
1
Mr. Dirt if you are looking for a discount maybe you should take up clipping coupons in the Sunday paper.
 
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Mr Dirt

Member
Feb 7, 2008
14
0
Patman said:
Mr. Dirt if you are looking for a discount maybe you should take up clipping coupons in the Sunday paper.
Click to expand...
Let me tell you guys, I don't have a new truck, the one I drive has 275000 miles on it, I don't have a new bike.
I and I also don't live at home.
Do you?
If your going to slam me I can do the same! Is that OK with you?
 

truespode

Moderator / Wheelie King
Jun 30, 1999
7,983
251
Mr Dirt said:
Let me tell you guys, I don't have a new truck, the one I drive has 275000 miles on it, I don't have a new bike.
I and I also don't live at home.
Do you?
If your going to slam me I can do the same! Is that OK with you?
Click to expand...

I think your being a bit thin skinned.

It's like gate fees are the promoters way to personally insult you. They are just running a business. You have to make your choices on what you are willing to spend your money on.

I do live at home. MY home. MY mortgage. MY truck payment. MY bike. MY bills. MY money.

And I choose how to use all of them within MY preferences.

I have no problem paying the gate fee for any race I go to.

Ivan
 
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Mr Dirt

Member
Feb 7, 2008
14
0
The original post wasn't about new trucks, new cars, new bikes, fun haulers, insurance.
But it sure looked like it went that way!

The original question wasn't who wants to spent money or be a cheep ass.
I DO pay the gate fee and I Do pay the race fee, and I don't say a thing about it, I just pay it!

This is like being in the 5th grade he said she said by the time it gets back around it all different then it started.
It's not that I am a cheep ass, far from it as much as money I have spent in the past years for my kid to race is over the top.

The question was WHY!
Is the racer charged a gate fee if he or she puts on the show.
That was answered to the full extent, by the one who is the track (WARDEY) owner and he made his POINT!

No one on the site can not tell me that have never accepted a DISCOUNT! Or rolled their eyes at the price of a item in the store. Can you! Be honest.
(Yea blame BUSH)
Soon he will be gone and every thing will perfect.

I also never had anyone sneak in the track in the bike trailer,have you!(like the 10% in the back of the motor home)
I never have never did, or ever will,my nuts aren't big enough to cheat someone out of the money.
Maybe that's why I don't have new toys or that fun hauler, or new truck and trailer.
Maybe tracks owners need to check the back of the motor home to recover that 10% , if the driver don't like it send him or her down the road.

So is the slamming over calling me a cheep ass and I need to clip coupons from the Sunday paper.
 

wardy

2005 Lori Nyland Award Winner
Nov 12, 1999
2,681
9
i think what i tried to do here i answer a question and offer up my perception of that way a "track owner" looks at it. We get constantly accused that we make to much money and rip off the riders. -My point being that most of those who complain about the fees are the ones with the nicest stuff. Hence my opinion. MOST all the riders understand it's business and it cost money. Period.

Now to further explain it. Your a racer, you "shouldn't pay a gate fee since your the show. Well I think I made it clear but if not, your "show" doesn't sell well to the general public. Hence not enough "spectators" show up to pay the bills. In a perfect world, then i would be happy to set it up as a "rider no fees race deal". hell yea I a rider to with 2 kids and a wife that races.

But the fact of life is that it won't work that way, and unless something changes drastically I doubt it will.

nothing "personal" about this annalogy.

wardy
 
C

Chili

Lifetime Sponsor - Photog Moderator
Apr 9, 2002
8,062
17
First of all you best make sure you have a cell phone available at all times because with skin this thin you're likely going to need emergency care to avoid bleeding to death at some point.

It's pretty clear to me at the tracks around us that without the gate fee a lot of these tracks simply wouldn't make it and would close. Is it really a "show" if the only people that see it are the other racers and their immediate families?
 

whenfoxforks-ruled

Old MX Racer
~SPONSOR~
Oct 19, 2006
8,129
2
Merrillville,Indiana
You start out in c class or whatever, eventually you get good and in the money classes you get rightfully paid! What gate fee? Do you watch the guy going fast, or the guy who got lapped? You pay your dues, I paid mine and then some! Gary, I do not have an opinion on your speed yet. You have a 450, you will be fast! Another frigging snowstorm makes riding at dirt further away,
 
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cantrell24x

Member
Oct 24, 2001
96
0
What if holding races and owning a track was not a business?

Someone mentioned a non profit club owned track.

What if there were a group of like minded clubs that held races and formed a series? Each club member paid dues money and labor. Each club held a set number of races and practice days. Clubs could swap events every so often so that members got to race on their own track.

I think insurance was listed as one of the major costs involved with holding races and owning a track.

In many states this would be a non issue if the costs were covered by club members. I think most states have recreational land use statutes that prevent lawsuits if the land owner(s) are not charging for access to the track.

If two or more tracks adopted this method the work and money that club members spend on their track would be offset by free access to the other clubs tracks.

I am sure there are issues I haven't thought about or do not understand but I think if people were motivated it might work
 

oldguy

Always Broken
Dec 26, 1999
9,411
0
I was the one that mentioned it and non profit does not mean we can take a loss each month. Insurance is still a major cost, We also still have equipment costs, a mortgage on our property, property taxes, and grounds improvements. Just because we are a non profit we still depend on the income to survive. We have kept our costs down because club members do all the work but to eliminate the gate fee for the 600 or so racers each month would mean we would have to recoup over $4200 somewhere each month.
Unfortunately we have decided to participate in an expensive sport
 
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cantrell24x

Member
Oct 24, 2001
96
0
I guess it would not work in everyone's situations. I wasn't thinking about the track being mortgaged.

It certainly wouldn't work with the hollywoodish style MX has taken on in the past decade.

Again I really know nothing about running a track but if you are seeing 600 riders there is a possibility of half of them joining clubs.

Three tracks 100 members each it might work.

I am actually stealing most of this from the off road series I grew up racing.

Club members donated or leased land, did all the work paid all the dues provided all the equipment and worked the races. It was an absolute blast and preparing and working a race with friends was nearly as much fun as racing.

The key to lowering insurance cost is not charging riders. Here is a link to Mississippi's recreational land use statute.

http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/dawson/recreate/ms_rec.htm

Trophies and pro class purses are another issue. If it were my track kids and beginners would get reclaimed used trophies. Everyone else would get glory.

Spectators are another issue. Do we really need them? I know people say we need spectators because they provide the money. But take them away and leave just the racers. Hopefully racers that are interested in competition and fun.

Please don't get the wrong impression I am a capitalist but capitalism has its boundaries. You wouldn't want a for profit neighborhood watch.

I could go on for a while but I have figured out that I am weird and most people do not feel the same about racing as I do.
 

whenfoxforks-ruled

Old MX Racer
~SPONSOR~
Oct 19, 2006
8,129
2
Merrillville,Indiana
Someone else, donates 500 acres or so, at least one big caterpillar bulldozer, a couple track drive bobcats, a watering truck, a 4 wheel drive tractor and disc, a dump truck, a pay loader would be nice, plumbing, a starting gate, fenced in and insurance. Give me a call when you are ready! And I have the perfect person to guard the gate.
 

IndyMX

Crash Test Dummy
~SPONSOR~
Jul 18, 2006
5,548
2
Amo, IN


Must be talking about me??? :)
 
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thorman75

"Team Army"
Member
Dec 9, 1999
673
0
In 1994 My son David crashed bad at Redbud. Broke the Ulna and Radius in both arms just above the wrist, L Clavicle and cracked C1,2,3 in his neck all at once. Well about a month later I received a letter from my then employeer's insurance saying they wanted to know exactly where he was and what he was doing as they have a right to sue to recomp their losses. Ow Boy, so I got on the phone and called Gene Ritchie(who Ive known since 69) to warn him. He said not to worry as Michigan has "NO Fault" insurance and they cant touch him. He said go ahead and tell them what happened. I never heard another thing and neither did he. BUT be warned if you get caught lieing on a insurance claim it is reason for termination and possible legal action(fraud). At the time I had about 20 years with the company they would have loved to fire me.
 
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cantrell24x

Member
Oct 24, 2001
96
0


Or maybe 40 acres for a track and 10 for parking, A small dozer of any brand, No bob cats, one tractor with a disc, A front end loader for the tractor, a well and some pvc, a rubber band for the start, no fences less insurance and you don't lock the gate.
 
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