I accept your point John and Chris. My suggestions are not without risk and higher entry fees for improved facilities might well finish us privateers off completley which is definately not what I want. It will take a wiser head than mine to sort out how the pot should be shared around.
I do think the clubs (and their members) are providing the big teams with a free lunch or two. I guess where my line of thought is taking me is the reason why there are so many teams and people can afford them is simply because these businesses are being subsidised by the clubs. They are not paying their fair wack.
I've done some figures. Say a team has one principal and the principals annual income/profit equals �60k. All other costs/equipment/mechanics costs covered within the fees. Team runs 40 weeks a year and average 6 drivers - �120k/40/6=�250 profit per driver per event. Some budget teams will be a lot less than this and very top teams no doubt a lot more but lets average out at say �150 profit per driver per 2 or 3 day event. So at race with 150 entered and 75% running in teams the total profit earned by teams is �16,875.
Now contrast this with what the Clubs receive. Entry and practice fees will total around �12,000 and they have to pay for marshalling, energy, upkeep of track etc. Given the state of most paddocks clearly there isn't any surplus being generated at all. And the club only gets to run say one event per month whilst the teams move on, generating their profit week after week.
Seems a pretty unequal distribution of the income and benefits. I don't think charging teams say 15-20% of the profits earned to have the right to trade at a karting event would be that unreasonable. That would equate to about �22-�30 per driver running in a team. Quite insignificant really to the guy spending �400-�600 per event on his karting but a hugh increase to the clubs income.
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