Weather – Fuel Prices – Economics 707
5/8/06
e all deal with the three items I mentioned in the title. We might not like it that we have to but it is what it is. I noticed something happening that I have not noticed before and I thought it was worthy of an article and why these events occurred. NO… this will not be a bunch of my ideas on the economy. Jeff limits me to how much I can ramble on about what I think of the economy but it won’t fit in this column.
First, the weather has been difficult this Spring to say the least. The NHRA moved the date of one of the largest Lucas Drag Racing Series events at Indianapolis due to the threat of nasty weather. Then IHRA cancelled a Mr. Gasket Pro-Am event at Cordova Dragway on a Friday morning before the Saturday/Sunday event. It takes a lot of courage to cancel major events like that but I think it was the right thing to do. Weather would have wrecked both events, so technically it was a good decision. But why are they doing it now when a few years ago it was a subject nobody really worried about?
Fuel Prices: We all know how these are getting out of hand. I think the NHRA and IHRA plus the track operators are starting to realize the racers have to try not to waste money (fuel) towing to an event that looks like it will be cancelled due to weather. They may not have the money in their budget to make the trip for the rescheduled event. In our house we start looking at weather patterns on The Weather Channel about three days before the events. As it gets closer we pretty much plan our trips by the weather forecast. I am not sure how many racers do this, but the NHRA, IHRA and track operators must think there are a lot of racers doing it that way now.
One more thing I want to interject here. The tracks need to improve the ways they let racers know about weather cancellations. Get better phone messaging equipment or better yet – have a real person answer the phones, let local radio and TV stations know and get it up
on the web-site ASAP. How about a dedicated “Weather Phone” and a special number that is setup to take calls only when weather is threatening. That way the tower can still receive regular business calls.I am not sure if fuel prices will go down before I retire from racing, but until then I will have to plan my racing trips with more care. I don’t have to tell you guys what it costs to tow 500 miles round trip to race and watch it rain. At 8 to 10 miles per gallon and nearly $3.00 per gallon, the high entry fees are looking cheaper every day when compared to the fuel costs.
Economics 707: Maybe it should be Economics 101 but my wife always tells me racers share one thing in common when it comes to money and that is “RACER MATH." Of course she has plenty of “proof” over the last twenty-five years so I guess I’ll have to admit she's an expert on the subject. I go to a race and pay the entry fee, lose first round and of course I buyback. When she asks about buying back I just tell her that “common sense story” all racers have. “We are already here, spent the money on fuel and food and paid that plus the $75 entry fee to race for $2,000. I lost and it just 'makes sense' to buyback, it’s like racing for $2,000 with no additional expenses except the $45! See, isn’t that a great deal since the other option is we load up and go home with nothing." She always agrees (sort of) and we buyback but she usually mentions that I have a bad case of “Racer Math” when we do it. All I know is I can’t win a race that I am not entered in and if it means a buyback, so be it.