The economics of the backmarker
Steve Buckner, Race Director for the National Guard Supernationals (or someone posting as him) was kind enough to post this as a public comment in a previous post to which I gladly respond.
DAVE, I would like to know if you were in top 5 would you like to pass a guy that is 5.5 seconds a lap off the pace in the supernats. I have seen to many wrecks from drivers that are being passed. I understand your point that drivers should pass safely, but open wheel karts its not that simple. I am sorry you had issues with wrist bands,ass wipe,lighting, flagging,how tom asked everyone to sit down,and who knows what else you can think of. I hope all the people who put there life on the line for you next year will live up to your expectations. I will take your comments and all other comments good or bad and try to make things better for everyone.
I don’t really know where to start, but I’ll jump in anyway. First, I was about six seconds off the pace. If I’m that slow (which I was) and they can’t safely get around me that says more about their race ability (or lack therof) than it does about mine. No excuses. My size (6-4 255 lbs), my lack of ability on a sprint track and the fact that someone totaled my sweet rental ride arriving about 30 seconds after a track blocking incident and was not parked following that incident were factors. Where were you when that guy barreled into me under yellow at race speed? My goal was to be three secs off the pace and remain at the tail of the lead lap but that didn’t happen. Regardless, you guys readily took my US$836 for entry, tires and fuel. Had I not rented the ride it would have been another couple hundred for a 10×40 pit space.
Let’s do some math, shall we? Let’s say US$836 for 420 entries. That’s US$351,120 gross potential. I’m sure there are many expenses with the venue. I can say with certainty that I’ve worked at the Rio far more often than you (or any SKUSA principal) and know full well what the costs are associated with putting on an event at that venue. The last one I did there for a major fast food franchise was well into the millions. Now let’s add another couple hundred grand for pit spaces. Call it a cool half mil gross potential before the Guard, Oakley and the others forked any cash. I don’t think Tom is getting rich from the gig but it definitely pays for itself, plus a little more. It’s all about the risk/reward. And good for them.
Back to the black flag rule…
Let’s say that those of us that are lapped decide to shoot you guys the collective bird and not attend. In reality, that won’t happen as there is more demand than available spaces but humor me. Let’s say around the 40% of us that got the flag chose not to come back. Could you make that up in pent up demand? Could you do it more than a few years in a row? Remember, Jim got all cocky and look what happened. For those doing the math at home that would be a reduction in entry, tire and fuel revenue of around 40% or to about US$210,672 gross potential. Could you guys still do the gig and be profitable? I don’t know, it’s got to cost you a couple hundred K at least to throw that shindig. My point? Racers that are getting lapped make it possible for you guys to have the event.
Let’s touch on the flaggers “put their life on the line” so I can race and in the process feed a profit making enterprise. Do you really think that’s more dangerous than going from 78 to 30 at the braking point of the bus stop with no room once you commit? I’m not discounting the importance or danger of manning a corner stations. Seems to me more racers went to the hospital than corner workers. I don’t recall any ambulance rolls for corner workers though I could have missed it. Let’s get a reality check, it’s karting after all. Not Cup or even trucks. Except for the anointed few, no one is making any money on this. But you guys are. I’ve raced at some of the most storied road circuits in North America. Are you saying your corner crews are as good at those crews? With all due respect to your crew, some of them have no business out there. You may think that my race ability and pace are lacking or I have no business out there but I met the requirements and paid my money. When statements are made about how hard they work for so little money it says more to me about your business model than it does enabling me to give you guys a grand to let me drive my go kart around the bumpy parking lot of an off Strip casino. I look at our relationship no differently than I do my relationship with 7-11 when I want a Slurpee. You have a product or service I want, I have money and desire and pay you for that service. If I don’t like the Slurpee flavors, I might go get an Icee. Or maybe a Slush Puppy.
If I were in the top five, would I want to encounter lapped traffic? I have been in that position but only a few times in thousands of miles of kart racing over about 8 years. You see, I’m not very good and do this for fun and relaxation. Obviously, you weren’t paying attention to my on track behavior and ability to race when being lapped. Lapped traffic is part of racing. If the lappers can’t hang, you park them. One issue I noticed last week was the lack of enforcement of basic racing faux paux. It took an overly amped dad assaulting a corner worker (unacceptable under any circumstance) for you guys to do anything. And why isn’t the karting “media” reporting that incident?
Maybe I’m jaded for being in big time show biz for the last three decades or maybe the allure of racing at a casino in Vegas escapes me. I can, however, say that I enjoyed the track and for most parts the event. If you (or others) are so defensive you can’t see the sarcasm or humor in my posts, well, that’s on you buddy, not me.
Tags: SNATS Race Things