Is there any way, short of hiring a lawyer, that we can pry this kind of
information out of Denver?
_________________________
John Mikes
john.mikes@worldnet.att.net
http://home.att.net/~john.mikes
SCCA & Midwest Council racing
#38 Ralt RT5/VW C Sports Racer
___________________________
----- Original Message -----
From: Larry Steckel <lorenzoscribe@hotmail.com>
To: <autox@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 1999 7:36 PM
Subject: Solo looses money? Long.
> I have been an active autocrosser and an active member of an independent
> local sports car club for 26 years now. To my knowledge we failed to break
> even or turn a profit only two years during all that time. Those two years
> we had no lot to run on due to local political chicanery.
>
> We collect dues in February and March of $15.00. Run eight events per year
> with entry fees of $10.00 for members and $12.00 for non members. We give
> newbies a free autocross if they join at the event. Everyone gets at least
> four runs per event. We charge a fee for fun "educational runs" after the
> event, that are always well subscribed. We also sell decals, coffee mugs
> etc. that are donated or sold to the club at a substantial discount off
> list.
>
> On the expense side, we mail over 100 newsletters at least eight times per
> year, and post cards in months when we have no results to print. I just
> mailed out 233 newsletters promoting our big fall event. We pay a fee to
use
> the parking lot. We buy trophies, pylons, lime, equipment, spare parts for
> the timing equipment,more lime. We just had to buy a new printer for on
site
> results sheets. And so on and so forth. The club helps to defray the cost
> of the year end banquet by kicking in several hundred dollars, to keep the
> per plate fee in range of most members.
>
> And every January, except for the two I mentioned, we still have enough
> money in the accounts to cut a check for our liability insurance and still
> have enough money to operate until the membership checks come in.
>
> Granted, we don't put on ultra big budget events, or pay thousands of
> dollars for event sites, but that's all relative. You figure out what your
> costs are and set your event fees to cover your costs and put a little
aside
> each event for the annual insurance bill and unforseen expenses. Using
that
> model as my guide, I cannot understand how Solo can loose money.
>
> I can understand how a road race can loose money. Track rental is
magnitudes
> higher than almost any autocross site. There are local fire departments to
> compensate. Ambulance crews. Wrecker companies. Throw in brooms, oil dry,
> fire bottles, radios, computers, paper, timing systems, tech equipment,
much
> higher insurance costs etc. etc. etc. and you end up with an enormous
> investment before the first car ever turns a wheel on the track. And you
> have to consider the level of the entry fee versus the track you are
running
> on to determine how high you can go before you start to chase drivers
away.
> Obviously, you can charge more for a race at Mid Ohio than you can at
Nelson
> Ledges. Given your regional race track, can you set the entry fee high
> enough to cover your costs? I'll bet not in a lot of cases.
>
> So tell me how amatuer racing makes money and Solo doesn't?
>
>
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