I'm honestly interested in some forum feedback here. I'm sure some of you know what iRacing is - the new standard for virtual racing games. It can be an expensive hobby if anyone follows the pricing structure there but you can have fun relatively inexpensively. Now that iRacing allows for private races I was thinking about the new market for virtual races for decent purses. I've saw leagues that pay fair amounts for winning the points and a $100 to $200 to win race here and there. These races always require a $5 to $10 entry fee and payout about 3 positions. Why couldn't a race payout 32 spots is what I thought about today. I'm going to research it more but I'd like to "promote/direct, whatever you want to call it" a big Late Model iRace with an actual payout that a real race driver may see. My big grand idea is to structure it like a dirt race. 120 to 160 cars could enter for a $20 entry fee. Payout as follows: 1st - $300, 2nd - $250, 3rd - $200, 4th - $175, 5th - $150, 6th - $125, 7th $115, 8th $110, 9th $105, 10th $100, 11th $90, 12th $85, 13th $80, 14th $75, 15th $70, 16th $65, 17th $60, 18th $55, 19th $50, 20th $45, 21st $40, 22nd $35, 23rd $30, 24th $25, 25th-32nd $20 If 120 entered it would almost cover the payout. I'm having to check about overhead costs such as server costs, the cost to have the racing broadcast and recorded, etc. I'm not a league admin nor have ever been involved in something this comprehensive for virtual racing. The idea just interests me quite a bit. With real racing costing so much money if we could build virtual racing up and have some big shows for decent payouts I think it would be something that may take off. If any of you follow iRacing you know they have an official NASCAR sanctioned series that the best of the best iRacing drivers compete in. They have sponsors and everything. I don't know how much they get paid - probably not much but it's a growing market out there for this type of deal. I know with virtual racing you always take a chance of unknowns getting in the way - a storm taking out your power, a computer update at a very inopportune time, etc. Anyway, my idea for the race would breakdown like this: Schedule: Thursday - Open Practice/Qualifying for heat races Friday: Heat races for 160 entrants (maybe a pipe dream folks - don't rake me over the coals here) 50 lap heat races - Eight heat races total with 20 cars each race Top 3 from each heat transfer to the Big Time 300 (24 total into the big race) Drivers 4-10 transfer to B Mains Drivers 11-16 transfer to hooligan C Main Drivers 17-20 transfer to the hauler Saturday: Hooligans races - 4 hooligan races with 14 cars in each race for 35 laps lined up by finishes in the heats. Top 6 from each of the 4 hooligans to the tail of their respective B Mains. Finishers 7-14 of each hooligan eliminated. B Mains - 4 B Mains of 75 laps each with the top 2 from each of the 4 B Mains transferring to the A feature A Main 300 lapper Top car from each heat go into redraw for starting 8 (heat winners) for the A Main. 2nd place cars in heat redraw for 9-16 and 3rd place from each heat redraw for 17-24 starting spots. Spots 25-32 filled out from the results of the B Mains. I would like honest feedback/criticism here. Because this is something that I would seriously think about doing in my spare time - promoting 3-4 big shows a year. Maybe eventually get it up to one big show a month. And maybe if I can establish myself as a good promoter that puts on fair shows and always comes through with the good payouts I could eventually attract real sponsors to help foot the bill. Bigger races for more money - with the money coming from the sponsors and not straight out of entry fees. Because, let's face it, I may be pipe dreaming to get to 120 paid entrants at $20 each. But for $20 if you made my virtual race you get your money back. If you finish top 21 you at least get your $20 back and make another $20. If I got something like this off the ground I'd have a dedicated website just for "my" big races. Each driver could send in a fact sheet along with their photo and a picture of their car and they'd all be profiled on the site before the event. Interviews would be linked on there - I'd try to keep it as close to the real thing as you can get without actually being the real thing. A $300 to win virtual race may not seem like much but one that paid out 32 spots and had a $2,500 purse I think would be "possibly" the biggest online virtual racing show in history. I'm probably never going to be a race director or a real life promoter but this is something that I think if I could execute properly I could create a decent buzz for online virtual racing. I am floating this here because I do respect many of the forum members and want opinions of outsiders that maybe even haven't ever heard of virtual racing for money. I know there are alot of what if's and many details would have to be worked out and laid out in writing for me to get this off the ground. I guess besides general feedback the main thing I want to know is: Would a $300 to win, $20 to start VIRTUAL race that cost you $20 to enter interest you as a general observer? If you had the game, the time put in practicing, would you feel that $20 was a worthy investment for the race I outlined above? Thanks to anyone that responds and gives me feedback.
