of 'coon dogs and race cars

There's probably the grand-national championship 'coon hunt, paying the winner handsomely, and there's the outside chance that owning the grand pooh-bah of dogs may ultimately command impressive stud fees, But, I don't think neither of these is high on the list of reasons for owning a prize black and tan. Nope, not even close. See, there's many-a night spent down at the river swamp listening at 'ol 'High Ball' leading the pack and reigning supreme in the local 'coon hunters' world. On those night's, down at the swamp, nobody's paying nothing. On the contrary, it costs to participate. 'Coon hunting, for example, IS just an example..........there are an infinite number of pastimes with exactly the same format.However, this truth does NOT extend to auto racing. The very same hunter, who hunts for nothing, will not even start his Saturday night street stocker........unless the purse is "right".Worse, he'll get all huffy at the hapless, shameful promoter to even hint at such an injustice. Afterall,...........he can't run his car "for nothing!!!!" It's a damaging self-inflicted mental dis-connect, that has torpedoed countless local race tracks, if not a pastime.The very notion of racing for "profit" is totally flawed, Racing for profit is a mirage, a fallacy, and an abborition that has been handed to this generation. Local racing desparately needs to take a lesson from the 'coon hunters.........race for fun........if you can't afford the rates, change the format. Change the philosophy. Create a venue that is sustainable, affordabale, and NOT profit driven. Easier said than done, of course, and we've all got to learn to think differently. It's our future, let's fix it.
updated by @bobby-williamson: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM

Interesting comparison there Mr Bobby.


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Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®

i understand what you are conveying across to the readers but i have trouble with one tiny thing and it aint got nothing to do with ole high ball its got to do with this insane thought of racing for a profit---where did you learn this at??? do we really race for a profit?? i want to race where you race for a profit--- ha ha ha ive raced for over 25 years regular and then for the thrill of it now,then too i guess,but this profit business is scary,if my wife saw that o my goodness would i be in trouble because she has always been my bankroll and banker. please be careful spreading those rumor sir

Well put but it would take a racing 101 course to get the word out that racing should not be done for profit. I will always remember Raymond Parks quote that went something like "If you want to go racing you start out with a pile of money and when your done it's gone." Spoken way back in probably 1949 or thereabouts. I didn't quote that accurate word for word but the point is racing ain't cheap and it doesn't pay unless you win and you don't win unless you spend, spend, spend and in an instant the car can get wrecked and your money is gone.Case in point; this past summer I bought a $1200 UCAR, put about $600 more into it, raced 6 times and it was nearly destroyed in the last race. I have nearly $1800 into the car and will probably lose most all of it but those 6 races were worth every penny.

The thing is, auto racing's "business plan" is flawed, revolving around somebody else's money. Sure, one can realize a profit if expenses are off-set by another financial entity (sponsor). This paradigm has been around so long, it took the great recession to reveal its inherent short-comings. Why wasn't financial realism woven into the very framework of the sport? Or, if it was forever intended to be a "sport" then the harsh realities of negative cash-flow should be completely understood. Stay out the kitchen, if you can't stand the heat.........stay on the porch if you can't run with the big dogs, stay out the water until you learn how to swim..........These axioms are (of course) self defeating, and growth limiting, but they are true, nonetheless, and have kept countless potential participants "on the porch........"My point demands re-thinking everything. We've been on a wing and a prayer for way too long, just because it's "always been done that way.........." don't make it right, or sensible. Auto racing needs to make financial "sense". Rule makers, that REALLY understand the phenomena are desperately needed. For over 60 years, the tail has been wagging the dog. Time's up.