I tried to fine something, anything, that provides some insight into the riff at IHRA w/ the new owner and can't find anything that's been made public. And there are people who say the WDRA is going to be run "by the same people that ran the IHRA into the ground".
I'm waaaay on the outside of this, other than the MIR / Royce Miller connection to WDRA now.
I have had a lot of casual discussions with Royce Miller over the many years I raced at Maryland International Raceway in Budds Creek, MD.
My overall impression was Royce is good for racing. I have seen the negative and positive. He definitely likes drag racing, but he is also a business man.
I am very surprised to see him separating from IHRA, as he has "moved up" in that organization since ending his running of the track in Maryland.
To me, just with the spectator fees, if you get two people to watch at $25 each, compared to 100 people at $10 each, seems pretty cut and dry to me which brings more money to the track, plus the opportunity for those spectators to spend more money of refreshments. You guys that run all the time, how many people are in the stands?
I have said for many years (decades), that bracket racing is not very interesting for most spectators, but is very exciting for racers. IMO, low admission prices multiplied times more people equals more revenue. A racer will spend money to be at the trace all day (12+ hrs), but a typical spectator (of bracket racing) is not. They would pay $5-$10 to watch the local racers for a few hrs before going "out on the town" for the rest of the night; but not $20-$25 since they are not going to stay 8 hrs.
From a business stand point, I don't know how a local track can make finances meet with just bracket racing. Few spectators at weekly races from what I have seen. The big events can draw spectators. One track here in NC has moved to only 7 points races this year, and almost all big, special races with big spectator fees. I remember before the great recession (~2008) 22 points races in Maryland.
