Gas prices & racing

[raceboat61-S]

Gents,
As I cruise the various threads here on Hydroracer.net I continually read references to the current price of gas and how it is such a big contributer to the smaller turnout at our Stock/Mod/Pro/Junior races. So, let's try some "old math" to see just how big this problem may really be?
Let's say that you average 250 miles, One-way, to the races in your Region/Division. Your van, pick-up, or motorhome gets 12.5 miles to the gallon. You'll burn 20 gallons driving to the race. Last year at $3 a gallon that cost $60 bucks. This year at $4/gallon you'll pay $80 bucks/one-way. I think that $40/weekend increase, while discouraging, should not cause you to stay away from most races. Most of us can cut one race per season to make up the difference for the whole season's gas increases.
I just spent 15 minutes on Mapquest to plot the mileage to all of the away-races that I have attended in the past 5 seasons (except Wakefield). Furthest race is Whitney Point at 494 miles.....closest is Dayton at 127 miles. I'll likely pick just one race to eliminate from my choices this year. I'll save enough to go to all of the others at the same total gas cost as last season.
Without pontificating too much, there are a number of other personal choices that you can make that can save your racing dollars, too. How much do you spend on beer, smokes, and fast food every week ! Pack a lunch. Work Friday morning instead of taking the whole day off. Everybody can save $40/week somewhere.
Our racing has it's problems. Scott Reed has some great suggestions on another thread. But, let's not focus on gas prices as the biggest problem to overcome. It dilutes our engergy to solve the other more important things we need to do. Just my 2 cents! Mike Marshall, Raceboat 61-S

[pops67g]

Good point!

Any responsible adult should look at the cost of doing things ahead of time and act accordingly. $40 extra per race is relatively small compared to all the time and money we have invested in our racing hobby. How many of us have several propellers that sit in the box, unused, week after week? You know how it is, you just needed that extra mile an hour, but it didn't work for you. Buy one less and you've got the gas increase covered.

[sam]

Well said Mike

[HRTV]

Participation is down due to a large number of things not just the price of gas all though at $4.00a gallon and up in some areas it plays a major role no matter how you might try to trivialize it or down play it.

One must keep in mind that a family’s decision to attend or not attend a race is made up of a long list of factors including having enough money to sustain ones life and family after the weekend is over. Sure you might be able to set aside enough cash for race weekend etc. but lets not forget that a family must live after the race weekend is over so I for one think this is a very touchy yet important topic that should be taken very serious keeping in mind that everyone’s situation is completely different after the race is over.

I also think we should be very careful when throwing out numbers regarding what might not seem to be a large sum of money to one individual yet could be a huge sum to another, let’s not forget that we are a very diverse group of folks from all walks of life.

In today’s economy there is only one solution to the current problems that most families are facing and that is to make more money or spend less you choose!

[blueskyracer]

Not quite sure where you got the fuel prices but here in Montana diesel is $4.60 a gallon. AND THAT IS TODAY! The shortest distance for us is 250 ,one way, and the longest is 400 miles. Don't forget that food in general is way up. Milk is $4.00 a gallon and eggs are $2.00 a dozen for large. Also add the increase to lodging for Rv and or motel. Need to look at the whole picture. Plus you have entry fees that are also on the rise.

Looking at this as a new person in the first year I thought the big expense was the start up cost. After adding up the cost of our first race I was shocked. Start up was cheap. LOL I guess we have to look at the price for having fun. If the fun is worth it then who cares how much it costs. I guess people will leave the sport when the cost out weights the fun.

[Dave M]

Interesting

I have been saying this for years, it is only another 40 bucks a race, no big deal... problem is it has been that way for several years.... that extra couple hundred adds up quick. Run the numbers 5 years ago.... run them today.

Bluesky has a good point too, it is not just fuel, it is just about everything going up except cost of living wages. Fuel just happens to be one the media picks on the most so it gets the most attention. It is also turned into the largest expense of attending a race recently. Back a few years ago gas around here was less than $3.00 a gallon. Now it tops $4.00. That is a huge increase percentage wise. If one could grow their business using this as a margin, your stock would be number one.

I feel the closer races won't suffer much for most folks. It is the longer hauls, say 300 miles or more that will suffer the loss. Most folks travel 300 miles or more to the majority of the races they attend. That is if they are chasing high points, or HOC induction, or simply LOVE to race and want to do it every weekend in the summer. It is no longer a cheaper hobby to get into. We lost that selling point with fuel prices. Suddenly that $400 gas bill every weekend multiplied by four times a month adds up to more than a house payment. Suddenly that 10K Jet Ski on your local lake sounds pretty cheap doesn't it ? Or that 15K Kart at your local track every weekend is not so much more expensive....

I don't know answers, but Mike points out the obvious to us all. Costs are rising, time to budget. One more thing comes to mind, find a lake in your region close to home and get a race on it. THe more races you can have in your own state the better the chances are of growing the sport. Less travel is good for the sport right now.

[blueskyracer]

Dave makes a good point. We are working on getting our own local race. Unfortunately that means no travel for us but everyone else has to travel here. I really don't know what the solution is. Someone is going to have to pay.

It may come down to having fun testing on your own local waters and a couple of races a year. Also, when you go to a race don't keep the receits

Maybe some day wages will rise at the same rate as gas and food?

[David Weaver]

Many Good Points

We should all review our particpation in terms relative to our personal economic situations. For most of us, boat racing is a hobby or "another" hobby that we enjoy. I would not advocate a person placing his/her family's economic well being in peril in order to race anything, at any time.

With that said, in order for our sport to survive and thrive, we must do our best as racing particpants to attend the races and support the clubs. Inertia is the enemy of our sport. If it is too expensive for you to race this season, please try to support the sport by volunteering at some races.

I hope many are able to "do the math" and figure out ways to attend as many boat races as financially reasonable in 2008. Could that mean sacrifices in other areas? Absolutely!! How much does that cable or sattelite service cost per month? Could I drink less beer or quit smoking? Can I put off some elective purchases for year? Can I sleep in a tent or in my car one night instead of the hotel? We have an unbelievable quality of life in the USA. For many of us, what we consider necessities are really luxuries.

So, I suggest that we all consider where boat racing fits within our priorities and where we might be able to cut-back in order to continue supporting the sport that we so enjoy. I worry that if "I come back when times are better" that there may be nothing to come back to.

[BP125V]

very good points.....

Mike and David. Obviously there are many ways for a person to spend a little less during the year in order to have enough money to go racing. It's not like we did not know last fall that gas prices were going to be high this summer. It's called having a budget and some discipline. Heck, a lot of racers spend more on drinking during a race weekend than they do on entry fees....

David makes another excellent point that I would like to elaborate on. Boat racing is not like MLB or the NFL, NBA etc. They are businesses and have such deep pockets that a recession or high gas prices will not affect them in the long run. But boat racing, on the other hand, being a participant/volunteer based sport that cannot easily weather such hard times. Now is NOT the time to stay home, now is the time to go racing. If a club has a few members start staying home it will spiral into more members staying home as those still racing will have to do even more work and carry more of the financial burden. A good race is our best promotional tool. If drivers stay home it will be IMPOSSIBLE to attract new members.

One final thought. It's not like gas was free last year and it jumped to $4.00/gallon this year.

Bill

[dholt]

For the past several years, I have been advocating a reduction in classes for a variety of reasons.

Now, with the current ecnomic climate, I believe this change is even more vital.

We all agree travel prices are up. That includes food, lodging, fuel...everything associated with getting to and from a race.

So...some are attending fewer races to save money on travel.


We can also agree on a couple other facts.

1. Revenue from race entry fees is the primary way clubs survive. The more races they put on, the more entry money collected.
2. Racers want to race. The only way to get a lot of racing now is to travel to a lot of different race sites.


So...how do we satisfy these two facts in a world where travel expenses are going through the roof?

By offering MORE racing at each event...charging more to do it...and DECREASING the number of events.

We all want more water time...and an increase in racing at each evert coupled with increased entry fee would still be FAR LESS expensive than driving hundreds of miles the next weekend to yet another race.

Right now, most clubs charge $25 for 2 heats (1 complete race). So, if you race 1 class, that's $50 for 4 heats (2 races). Now, what did it cost you to get there? Gas, food, lodging. What if you would get 6 heats (3 races) You'd pay $100 without blinking. That extra $50 is a whole lot less than what it would cost driving 300 miles the next weekend to get anothe race in.

Multiply that out over two races. You could get 6 complete races in just 2 weekends...instead of driving to 3 weekends of racing to get the same amout of races in.


Now, my friends, the only way to increase racing at each event is to decrease the number of classes we currently have. That's Stock and Mod.

Think about it. If you're trying to sell a new guy on racing, which sounds better?

1. You can go to a race...run 6 heats in a class with 8-12 boats in it...wherever you go...there will be boats to race against.

2. You go to a race. You'll get 4 heats. But there may not be enough boats in that class to even race. Or there may be 3-4 boats. Better call around first.


I just witnessed the latter happen at the Stock Divisionals. BSH, 25SSH and 25SSR all had less than 3 boats. DID NOT even race. Veterans weren't happy. What if you were a new guy? Think you'd be chomping at the bit to stay in the sport?

[14J]

I agree with Dana's thought process. Throw in a wind delay on an already overburdened schedule and now there is a risk for even less water time.


With current economic pressures we need to attract people to races by providing the "best bang for their buck"

[HRTV]

Promoters resort to stunts to bolster flagging attendance figures

Here is a good article.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24394078/

[sam]

For the past several years, I have been advocating a reduction in classes for a variety of reasons. ... I just witnessed the latter happen at the Stock Divisionals. BSH, 25SSH and 25SSR all had less than 3 boats. DID NOT even race. Veterans weren't happy. What if you were a new guy? Think you'd be chomping at the bit to stay in the sport?

So, who takes responsibility if we loose 100 veterans and only gain 90 new guys?

I suggest an inclusive scheme rather than exclusive.

What is needed is a reduction in the number of heats, not classes ... Maybe we need a regatta rule that says heavily populated classes run first in the better weather and less populated classes take their chances and or get combined later in the day if at all.

[Robert M Keogler]

Pre-Registration

Why would it not be feisable, to get Drivers to pre-register
48 or 72 hours prior to a race, so that you would know in advance what classes would or could be run.
Then post classes to be run 24 hours ahead of the event.
This is just an idea, I haven't Raced in years but still love the sport.

Bob Keogler

[14J]

So, who takes responsibility if we loose 100 veterans and only gain 90 new guys?

I suggest an inclusive scheme rather than exclusive.

What is needed is a reduction in the number of heats, not classes ... Maybe we need a regatta rule that says heavily populated classes run first in the better weather and less populated classes take their chances and or get combined later in the day if at all.

With all due respect why is it whenever someone mentions class reduction or consolidation there is this assumption that we will lose the masses. The classes that would even be part of such a discussion can’t even put 4 boats on the water. Who are we really hurting? Call me crazy but I’d rather see bigger numbers in fewer classes, last I checked this was boat “RACING”.


Troy