The cost of the month of May (the facility)

[JLMannin]

I had a conversation with a fellow Champcar fan and I pondered a question that I would like some feedback from the offcamber community.

Being that we are mot delisional place fans, we will remember that the crowds at practice and qualifying pre-split were quite significant - pole day 200k+, last day of practice ~80k, first week of practice 15 to 30k per day, ect. In other words, a lot of people. The prices for practice and qualifying were qite reasonable, IIRC. A lot of people = a lot of services the speedway has to provide or pay for: traffic control, law enforcement, ticket takers, garbage clean-up, water and sewage fees, ect.

Fast foward to the irl era, and with the exception of race day, the crowds are all but non-existant (likely a tenth of what they were, day for day). Crowds that much smaller require less services on behalf of the facility itself.

So, my question is this: it it possible that the month of may is actually more profitable to the speedway now as compared to the CART era? I know gross receipts are way down, but I am not asking about gross here, but rather operating income per dollar spent by the facility.

[Methanolandbrats]

No. Sales of shirts, beers and s***** food to a full house would have easily paid for utilities and the couple bucks they toss to the old gomers in the yellow jackets.

[jonovision_man]

I had a conversation with a fellow Champcar fan and I pondered a question that I would like some feedback from the offcamber community.

Being that we are mot delisional place fans, we will remember that the crowds at practice and qualifying pre-split were quite significant - pole day 200k+, last day of practice ~80k, first week of practice 15 to 30k per day, ect. In other words, a lot of people. The prices for practice and qualifying were qite reasonable, IIRC. A lot of people = a lot of services the speedway has to provide or pay for: traffic control, law enforcement, ticket takers, garbage clean-up, water and sewage fees, ect.

Fast foward to the irl era, and with the exception of race day, the crowds are all but non-existant (likely a tenth of what they were, day for day). Crowds that much smaller require less services on behalf of the facility itself.

So, my question is this: it it possible that the month of may is actually more profitable to the speedway now as compared to the CART era? I know gross receipts are way down, but I am not asking about gross here, but rather operating income per dollar spent by the facility.

I don't think so... too many empty seats on race day, and you also have to consider more than just the ticket price no matter which day you're talking about. People buy food, they drink, they buy merchandise, etc. More people, more money.

And that's not even taking into account the free-fall in TV ratings, it's just not possible that they'll be able to demand the same dollars for delivering the ratings that NASCAR draws every race.

jono

[chop456]

Also factor in the money they've had to pay for advertising in order to get those 113 people to show up. Not to mention the money paid for teams that wouldn't otherwise be there.

Well done, Tony. :tony:

[Spicoli]

Also factor in the money they've had to pay for advertising in order to get those 113 people to show up. Not to mention the money paid for teams that wouldn't otherwise be there.

Well done, Tony. :tony:

Well done indeedy.


Locally, there is no facking buzz. Yeah, you got the CoorsLight & Bud "Welcome Race Fans" banners on the booze stores and bars, but notice they don;t even say "500" anymore. Also, Lord AllthatIsF'dUpinRacing has purchased an outstanding amout of ad space in both print and rasio/TV. Nobody can get this pig to move. There's actually more buzz about the sold out Mini-marathon that takes place tomorrow. In years past, I would have (pre-EARL, hell pre-2003) had a table full of invites to events at "the track" by now. The last 2 organizations whose events I attended (one in 06, one in 05)have cancelled their events due to complete lack of interest. In fact, my office got a call from the Speedway last month looking to sell me some "Suite Rentals for my Important Business event" nonsense.

It is also (TF) being reported that smokers are getting free tickets in their Marlboro mailers. :shakehead

[RichK]

When Tony was handed the keys to the Speedway in 1989, longtime racing writer George Moore wondered aloud: "Now we'll see if this place (IMS) is bulletproof."

We all laughed. You can't screw up the Indy 500.

Well those of us who revered Indy aren't laughing anymore.
-Robin Miller

[eiregosod]

^^^

if Tony just added the BY400 & the USGP but had left CART/Indycar alone, then people would say that IMS is bulletproof.

[cart7]

I've got a friend in Martinsville whose sister used to run a concession stand on Georgetown Rd behind J stand for years.

After the split, business on the anything other than race day dropped significantly.
As the years wore on, she was losing money opening the thing for anything other than raceday. It basically became a break even deal with all her revenues collected on race weekend covering the loses for the rest of the month.

After 2001, her little contract was up with the local homeowner (As I understand it, IMS has complete control as to who can set up what in front of the speedway in May). She only wanted to put up the stand for raceday weekend, BY400 and the USGP weekends only. For the rest of the May she would tow the thing to local carnivals, there was more money to be made than selling to the paltry number of folks who showed up for pole day, practices and bump day. IMS insisted you put the stand up for the month of May or you get nothing at all.

She hasn't been back.