Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Watching the nascar race yesterday got me thinking about the TMS dirt track.

How come the Woo has never returned to the TMS dirt track???  They've managed to return to Charlotte and Vegas but not Texas.

The guy running it doesn't like the outlaws. To me it's a wasted revenue for him, they could run a spring world finals there but oh well.

They haven't returned to TMS, but they have returned to Texas.   Not sure if that's exactly what you meant.   As of a few years ago they were running at least one show down in Houston.  I believe they have also run a time or two out at Lone Star in Killgore after the Hafertepes took over that track.   They ran a two day show at Devils Bowl this year and are slated to return in 2015 I think.   This is not because Lanny Edwards wants them, but they approached him with an offer he apparently couldn't refuse to lease the track and for them to run the show.  

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I've always heard the sanctioning fees and purse had gotten so high that many promoters don't really have much of a profit margin.  And I'm sure that's one of the reasons why Lanny E. told them to go jump many years ago.   

The info on Kilgore and the Hafertepes is correct, as is that on Devil's Bowl (of course).  The best info I can find is that the Outlaws were last in Houston in 2011.

The angle on the promoter's margin sounds correct.  I know that the last few WoO shows here in Houston were neither well promoted nor attended, as the owner/manager of that track doesn't really have his heart in it.  Therefore any big shows have to be at the risk of the sanctioning organization.

I wrote Eddie Gossage on this exact issue around 2007/2008 or so.  He actually sent me a letter explaining that he talked to WOO (believe it was DIRT managed then?) & was waiting to hear back from them on a proposal, but they never got back with him.  It didn't sound like he was too happy with them from the tone of the letter, but he did indicate they were welcome there.  Sounds like TMS didn't want them back there bad enough to necessarily seek them out.

My comments on the profit margin stem from what I heard about Riverside Speedway in West Memphis.   I am originally from Memphis and went back up there right after the newest owner/promoter took over the track (2006?).    He had a WoO race and the place was packed.  Of course, that one only seats about 4,000.    I went back for another one some time later and it was pretty full, but there were some empty seats in the stands.   I don't think he's had them back since then, and what I heard was that the profit margin wasn't enough to justify the amount of hassle that went with it.  Obviously that is a far different case than TMS and other tracks though.  

They were at El Paso this year also.