Car counts are down, really?

I've quit going because there are too damn many people at the tracks I frequent. I go in, pay my $40 entry fee, make 2 practice runs if things go smoothly, which they rarely do, then go in to eliminations. Since I don't get out very often, I'm often 1st or 2nd round fodder in a 100+ car field of guys who go multiple times a week and are much better with their reaction times and dial ins.

So I'm in $100 for tow rig gas, $40 for race gas, $40 race fee, figure another $20 for food and drinks and all that is for less than 60 seconds of racing while dealing with hordes of people, constant track maintanence and a lot of sitting in the car waiting to be called or sitting in the lanes after being called. Sorry, not interested any more.

Open track day or autocross are much more fun. Sure, they cost more, $200 vs $40, and I still have tow gas of $100, sometimes more, but actual seat time is vastly improved and can be measured in hours instead of seconds. Sure it isn't always racing with a winner and my odds of ever winning there are as slim, maybe less so, as they were at drag racing, but it is still loads more fun.