Are you watching Pay-Per-View racing events?

[slothead]

The short tracks I used to love going to back in NY have finally begun their racing seasons, but without spectators. To compensate for no money from front gate admissions (there are hefty fees for pit crews) the tracks are streaming the weekly races on DirtTrackDigestTV (or FLORACING.org).

DirtTrackDigestTV is $21.99 per event, and I think FLORACING has a $150 subscription fee and also a $20 a month plan.

I haven't purchased an event or plan yet, but know tracks can't put on events or pay enough for good teams to show up without income. I don't want to see tracks I supported and enjoyed watching races at for decades go under during the Covid-19 pandemic. All race fans of local tracks know they are constantly under pressure from people who dislike racing for a variety of reasons, as well as developers who want the land for housing or commercial projects.

Now that I can watch live short track racing remotely I should be putting my money where my race-fan mouth is. I'm wondering what other race fans are doing.

[SpeedyNH]

i have a subscription to Lucas Oil TV. but other than that, no.

[slothead]

You're ahead of me. I need to purchase a race at Albany-Saratoga Speedway or Orange County Fair Speedway to support them. $20 - $22 seems like a lot but I'd spend at least that much at the gate and concessions if I was there, not to mention gas and tolls. Now if I only had that 82" flat screen TV I was drooling over this spring!

[SpeedyNH]

i just use my 22" monitor online connected to my laptop. Lucas costs me $100 a year. i originally bought it about three years ago so that i could watch the chili bowl, but i knew that it had a ton of other dirt stuff too.
i occasionally end up on travel for work in a place where the TV sucks, so it has become my savior. when i compare the cost vs. hours watched, it becomes a bargain.
no local track stuff on there unfort', unless a big series goes there. but you get to see some pretty cool tracks in the process. sometimes on travel i find a good one. the absolute best locals were in North Dakota- three dirt tracks that all ran sprint cars once a week. one only about half a mile from my hotel in grand forks, two others an hour away each. if i didn't have to work, i was there! the WOO even came to GF once when i was out there.

[williamg]

I PPV'ed the Freedom 500 put on by Cleetus McFarland of youtube fame.
I wanted to PPV the burn out rivals but couldn't.
He put them on youtube later so it's not a big loss.

Pretty fun action put on by amateurs. Good bunch of guys having a ball doing what they love. Drag racers, drifters, motocross guys all racing against each her. A circus like racing atmosphere all for fun.

[slothead]

What I'm sensing is even though some local short tracks have begun holding races without spectators they most likely aren't bringing in a lot of money from Pay-Per_View streaming. Maybe the pit gate money is helping them break even but the tracks that host weekly big block modified races with hefty purses ($2500 to win a 35 lap feature) have to be hurting.

I just hope we don't lose some good tracks this year.