There is no easy fix. Tracks are:
Too muddy
Too dry
Too dusty
Too smooth
Too slick
Too deep
Too one lined
Too fast
Too many jumps
Not enough booters
Too narrow
Too rocky
I could go on. Budds Creek gives a policy of you get mud on your boots, its free (practice) . Now people show up in PA and MD and WV and seriously want their money back on race day because of "mud on their boots"!
Western PA is down to 3 tracks. Pleasure Valley, Roaring Knob and High Point. I guess Switchback is open, but it is it's own thing. Maple Shade will close the doors in 12 days.
I was at Miles Mountain Friday and Saturday ( up near Corning NY, one mile inside PA) the crowd was huge Friday for open practice. Track has old style Unadilla dirt. Then everyone left. I know some took off to Area 51. Nobody racing on Saturday and the weather was great. Sucked.
It's getting bad everywhere fellows. I don't know what the solution is. Too many classes? Too long a day?
I think the latter is the problem. Too long a day.
I go to an outlaw track called Breezwood Proving Grounds sometimes cause it's close. They get 450 people for one 4 lap race. Starts at 4. Ends at dark. If you race at 4, your done. One moto.
Ok . I know what your thinking. Yeah it's kinda dorky. And the people that go don't even KNOW what Loretta's is. They love it cause it's an easy fun track. And the get 15 guys in the A class because they pay like 400 to win a 6 lap race that last 8 minutes.
If you place in the top 3 3 times in the C class, guess what? Your booted out, no questions asked. Your points are nixed for C and you start all over.
It's working. It killed the PAMX series in western PA. Of course the promoters of the PAMX only have to blame themselves. It's now killing the MDRA series.
I think the tracks don't get it. It's all about time. Get up at 5. Drive 2 hours to the track sign up. Practice , race and leave. Get home at 7. 14 hour day.
People dont want a 14 hour day. That's the largest obstacle to MX today I believe. Time.
Unless the track promoters realize this, guys are gonna continue to just do open practice with a race here and there. Nobody has the time today to race. Too much prep during the week and a long Sunday just kills it.
Maybe I'm wrong. Sounds like night racing at Malvern is doing well too. Hmmm. That's a shorter day too.