Why I saw no Drag Racing on 4/14/07 (2 Viewers)

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travis1960

Nitro Member
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Sep 24, 2006
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Fairfield,TX.
The text of my snail mail letter to Billy Meyer, the owner of the Texas Motorplex. [E-mail also sent to General Manager Arthur O'Bright]

Mr. Meyer,

I am a long standing Drag Racing fan who has year in and year out gone to the great Texas Motorplex to enjoy my favorite motor sport. I have been there from the beginning supporting the track. Through the years I have watched prices increase on tickets, souvenirs, food & drinks. And I have taken it in stride as just the cost of living.
I arrived at the track Saturday [4/14/07] morning to find that there would be a $5 charge to park my vehicle. The following is not verbatim, but it is close. The conversation I had with the parking attendant:

"Why am I being charged to park?"

"You are not the first one to ask that, I don't know."

"I just drove over an hour to get here and I have to pay to park?"

"Yes sir."

"They have never charged to park before!"

"I don't know sir."

"That person wouldn't pay?" [pointing to the vehicle in front of me pulling back out onto the highway.]

"No sir, there have been about twenty or thirty that have told me they wouldn't pay to park and they left."

"Well, me either, I am going back home."

"Sorry sir."

Well, needless to say, this is the straw that broke the camels back. Until you undo this, I will no longer visit the Motorplex. Now, I am sure you don't really care that you lost a few people to this, but I will be vocal about it to everyone I know that they shouldn't patronize your place of business. And that hurts me to have to do that.
Why was I not informed of this in the advertisements for the event?
If you are that much in need of money, how about getting someone to sponsor the parking lot. Put up a big sign saying this free parking brought to you by "Brand X".
It's just the principle, we shouldn't have to pay to park in a field, period.
Is this a way to make up for the spectators lost to the NASCAR race in Ft. Worth? You know you lost spectators to them. Maybe better scheduling of the event is in order.
My plan was to come back Sunday to see the finals, but I will not be doing that either.
I was so looking forward to the Fall Nationals this year. It is fortunate for me that I have not yet purchased my tickets.


A disgruntled fan.

Travis Cockerell
Fairfield, TX.

Now, some of you may think I am being petty. That is your prerogative. Sometimes you just have to take a stand on an issue. This is mine.
 
Hope you never go to Pomona.

It's 5 bucks dude. You can't hardly go through the drive through at McDonalds for $5 anymore.
 
I feeeeelllllll your pain! It's tough to give the fans less and then charge more. I konw when our local track hiked the price up to 25.00 from 20.00 he lost a lot of fans and now the stands are half empty most of the time. It's not so bad if its a single blue collar guy but when you double and tripple that extra 5 bucks it just becomes to expensive for most families to justify and then they stop coming.
 
Man, I'd hate to see the letter you would have written if you had paid the five bucks and then sat watching the wind blow for five hours before they pulled the plug!:p :p
 
Pacific Raceways charges 5 bucks parking for the national event. Its probably in a worse field than at the Motorplex.
It sucks to have to pay but it costs alot to keep a facility open. Don't let it get you down too much, every track is probably on that bandwagon.
 
Pacific Raceways charges 5 bucks parking for the national event. Its probably in a worse field than at the Motorplex.
It sucks to have to pay but it costs alot to keep a facility open. Don't let it get you down too much, every track is probably on that bandwagon.

yea but this was a divisional race, which usually doesn't draw much of a crowd. So why run people off by charging to park, its not like Billy's runnin out of land
 
If they promised to pave/do something with the field with that money I would gladly fork over the money and then some...but $5 to park in that pile of crap.....do you get your money back if you have to be towed out after a rain storm?
 
WHOA......Pomona is a NATIONAL event !!
The Motorplex this weekend is a DIVISIONAL !! A HUGE difference !o They usually give out lots of FREE tickets just to get people to go to the Divisional at the Motorplex !!!!!
I've payed for parking at Pomona and will again.....BUT at the Motorplex for a Divisional.......NO THANKS !!!:mad: :(
 
With the high prices charged to get into a national event, Charging to park is just plain greed on the part of the promoters. You guys are just making it that much more out of reach for the fans.
 
Only 5 bucks! Cool!

Parking in downtown Chicago, $20 minimum

Weekend parking at O'Hare economy lot, $52 minimum per race weekend.

Parking at Indy $20.00 per day.

Parking at Pomona per day $25.00

Parking for a Divisional..$5...piece of cake.
 
If you owned a business would you operate it to break even? I never understand why people stress out over little things like this. How many people did you have int he car?If there were 5 heck thats only a buck.Tracks have to make money to stay open. Pay employees maintainance , Insurance etc.I gladly pay all my gate fees if it means that I am gonna have a track to go to next week.Oh and the owner has to make a good living.Why else would you be in business?
 
I hope most Decision makers understand it is not the price or you the decisions makers mind set it is all about "Value for your money" the decisions keep raising the price until people realize there is no more "value' then in a few years there is a financial problem and the decision makers wonder what happened and blame everyone but the person in the mirror
 
Only 5 bucks! Cool!

Parking in downtown Chicago, $20 minimum

Weekend parking at O'Hare economy lot, $52 minimum per race weekend.

Parking at Indy $20.00 per day.

Parking at Pomona per day $25.00

Parking for a Divisional..$5...piece of cake.
No sh!t..$5..hell I'm happy..and they'll guard your car. More to worry about than $5 dude..
 
When you are used to something being free and all of a sudden you have to pay it is quiet a surprise, even if the charge is only $5.

Charlotte used to charge about $5 to park for the NASCAR races in their lots. A few years back at Charlotte for the 600 they experienced more rain in the week leading up to the race then they ever had in a 5 or a 6 day period in Charlotte. The parking lots were a mess and cars were being turned away, those that did get parked experienced lots of mud, quite a number of cars needed to be towed out. In the end the highway patrol was directing people to park on the shoulder of the road right in front of the no parking signs, they told people not to worry as they would be towed as long as they did not stick out on to the road. After that race they paved roadways in the lots. They even sent a yellow poncho to all ticket holders. The next year, and I believe all years since, the parking has been free. Not a bad way to treat your customers.
 
Pacific Raceways charges 5 bucks parking for the national event. Its probably in a worse field than at the Motorplex.
It sucks to have to pay but it costs alot to keep a facility open. Don't let it get you down too much, every track is probably on that bandwagon.

Given the condition of that parking lot last year Pacific Raceways should have paid ME to park there. Definitely had to was the car when I got home because of all the dust. :D

Paying for the parking really doesn't bother me because a) I feel I am supporting my local track and b) I can see the much needed improvements at the facility.
 
Yeah, that 1/4 inch of dust was something else.

I've been going there for over 30 years and its always the same. Your right, they should pay us 5 bucks to park there. I guess I have to look at it like this... For big time drag racing, its a fee I don't really mind.
 
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