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Originally Posted by cmk
I wonder how much the series is able to do fiscally to aid teams to bring extra cars.
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More purse money (or entrant start money).
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Atherton definitely discussed encouraging teams to use economies of scale to run extra cars for the health of the series, and indicated that teams responded. I hope that the series has not had to resort to 'encouraging' in the Tony George model.
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Why not? If they're cash-flow positive, they definitely have a little bit of money to burn, and they give out next-to-zero purse money to start with. How many teams at Sebring received enough money from the organizers to even cover their tire bill? I'm not saying go bankrupt, just aim to break even on the year, and if you help participants financially, they're certain to be "long-term grateful". I know this is racing and it's full of slimeballs, but a little TLC can go a long way with good guys in the sport and "healthy business relationships".
The complete lack of purse money has always been one of my long-time beefs with sportscar racing - whether it's IMSA/ALMS, ACO, PSCR, USRRC, or GARRA, and I will never understand people that think purse money is irrelevant toward the costs of competing, it's just an incredibly naive business model. Yes, I understand that the costs can't be completely covered due to the endurance nature of the event, but they can definitely help, and because they don't is one reason why car counts are going to drop down to less entrants in a 4-class race than the 1-class race held the next day St. Petersburg and Long Beach weekends. There is no semblance of a respectable business model that makes any sense unless you are a manufacturer treating the sport as one big marketing exercise, or you are just going to field a car for a couple millionaires racing for fun.
Why does everyone think Kevin Buckler is racing David Gilliland in NASCAR and not a Porsche 911 at Sebring or St. Petersburg after all? He actually has a shot at covering the costs of racing in the former I imagine is one reason.
This is Robin Miller's article from February 2007 where I took out the bits talking about sportscars. I imagine not much has changed in two years.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...l_inequalities
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But the bottom line is even sadder in sports cars.
The Grand Am series was founded and funded by NASCAR but you won't confuse it with the stock car division.
Other than the Rolex 24 Hours (which paid $100,000 to win last month), a victory in Jim France's series is worth a piddly $25,000 (unless you're not a member of the Pacesetter's Club and then it only pays $15,000).
There's quite a dropoff in the Daytona Prototypes at the big race since second is worth $35,000 and fifth brings in $10,000. "Not enough to pay the hotel bill," said one owner.
Chip Ganassi, whose budget with sponsor Telmex and Carlos Slim's deep pockets is thought to be in the $4 million range, raked in a whopping $150,000 in purse money last year for taking the 14-race team title.
In the more sophisticated American Le Mans Series, where slick cars like the Audi and Porsche are seven-figure
creations, the purses are also seven figures but only if you count cents.
The winner of this month's Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring classic will win $24,000 or, to be more precise, about $2,000 an hour which, ironically, is the going rate at a wind tunnel.
Honda is battling Porsche this season in LMP2 and they'll spend more on hospitality than their three-team lineup can earn.
ALMS also has a unique pay scale. If you are a full factory team, you are not eligible for prize money and, in 2005 at Sebring, 22 of the 38 starters got zero prize money.
My beloved USAC midget racing is also a financial train wreck. Engines can cost as much as $45,000 yet the purses have hardly increased since the 1970s and the winner is lucky to get $1,500 most nights.
At least you can go outlaw sprint car racing in Indiana for a reasonable amount of money and have a shot to win $4,000.
Grand Am sports a ton of good drivers yet doesn't draw much of a crowd but it does have the France faction to keep things afloat while ALMS suddenly has some muscle from manufacturers and some momentum. But neither sports car series makes financial sense at the moment and drivers have to scramble to make a living.
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