Would you partake ?

It seems that a lot of these recent races are ALMOST like that !

I'd be willing to guess there isn't a single big money race out there in the past ten years where the winner took home the posted purse. There is always some sort of split, sometimes several rounds before the end. The flyer is made to entice people.

No, I would not. In fact if prefer the purse be spread downwards upfront, but that's proven not to work.

No ... I mean TAKE ALL ... no money for anyone other than the winner !

Look at the post of cHeEzY... Labor Day at national trails ... 50 win 10 runnerup

I understand what you asked...and I'm willing to bet there's 0% chance the winner walks away with $50k. They will negotiate payouts long before the final. This is normal with all of the races you're think are top heavy.

You’re talking about NEGOTIATIONS... between the racers in the semis OR the racers with the track officials?

Promoter doesn't care who gets paid what as long as everyone in the conversation agrees. The racers negotiate the remaining purse amongst themselves, regardless of what the flyer reads.

If you were in the finals, where winner takes $50k and loser takes $10k, wouldn't you try to hedge your bet a bit? Heck yeah you would.

IN FACT .... A long time ago ... I was in the final ... 800/100 !

I knew the guy ... had a fast Oldsmobile... we split the money and raced for 100$. I won ...

I've had other racers ask me before the finals if I wanted to split 50/50/% regardless who won, I didn't at first and did dp it later after loosing twice in the finals later
A side bet would have been nice, thanks for suggesting that

At that point to me it becomes a "business" decision. A couple of weeks ago, I was in the finals of a modified race. The purse was $1000 to win, $250 runner up. We split it different, $700/$550. So we were running for $150 & the trophy. I lost.

Around here pretty much all the racers negotiate a split.

I have been to a few $10,000 and $25,000 races and there were always deals to split the money when it got down to a few drivers (4-8). And some "teams" would agree to pay each member from the one that got the farthest. To get the high entry fees back.

I don't like them. And only entered the years I was on my best.
I have always said I would rather race for a trophy with $20 entry fee, than winner take all with a $100 entry.

I personally don't like the winner take all purses. I really don't even like the "Top" heavy ones. When you can go 5-6-7 rds and still not get your entry and fuel money back, it's not worth it to me. In the many years I've only experience a handful of guys that don't like to split. Granted most times the purse to win was under $1000 so that makes a HUGE difference to some. But did experience a high roller race $5000 to winner and one guy did not want to talk $$$. He ended up winning the whole thing. Confidence or cocky, not sure, but it was his day. I'm always willing to negotiate as the 2nd place guy usually gets the shaft and you have a 50/50 shot at being that guy.

The only time I saw a guy refuse to split was when they had a $32K No-Box shootout at Tri-State in Ohio, the big hitters were all gone by the semis except for one well known class racer from the East coast. The other 3 guys were local bracket racers, they agreed to split 18/12/2. Mr. big shot lost the semi and got nothing!

Back around 1981 or 82, there was a big money benefit drag meet for local jet car racer Tom Brown at Osceola Dragway. I knew about how much entry money and sponsor money was going to be available to make the payouts. I wrangled my way into being in charge of the payout end of the event.
I set up the payout structure so that even first round losers got their entry money back!
We had people literally in tears at the payout window when they realized they had been able to support Tom and still get paid as first round losers. The drag strip owner wasn't too thrilled with the pay out schedule, fearing that participants would realize that they had been stiffed by the track for all the years it had been in operation. The event was so well promoted that the track had to run to local grocery stores several times that day and buy all the hot dogs and buns and hamburger they could get, because they had underestimated the turnout. Spectators and sponsors should contribute the bulk of the prize money, racers shouldn't.

Mike Carr used to run Tri state Stock Super Stock and paid 100%, meaning he made 0$. The class entry was $100 Saturday and $50 Sunday, entry paid back for 2nd Rd win and routinely paid over a grand for 6 Rd race. We always had trouble getting cars because racers would rather pay $40 for the regularly scheduled race that paid $800 to win and $20 Rd money.

There's a reason why top heavy event flyers work.

Winner take all = gamblers race....

I always try to get the guys together at 4 cars or so in gamblers races or top heavy purses and at least kick some money back to the semi losers. Sucks going several round and getting nothing or next to nothing.

Just looked at the race flyers that cHeEzYburgher posted ....

National trail is keeping 30% of the Gamblers and they pay back into the semis!

Better double check that math...they're only keeping 20% which is fairly standard.

Well 9er ... oooops I stand corrected BUT what ever happened to winner take all ? ... and many moons ago the track never took a dime off the Gamblers race. Back when I was racing I never partaked in that type racing ..... it was only offered in bracket 1 .. I mostly raced bracket 2

DoC, you AlWaYs seem to be in SeCoNd place !