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COTA Fires CEO

Bernie and Dorna, two money pits if there ever were some

it used to be much easier to see races on tv but the media freaks aren't going to pay their fees either
 
I worked F1 at COTA as I have for the last 3 years. It was a nightmare, but you can't blame the track or the organization for that. My understanding is they signed a 10-year deal to host F1, and this was their 4th year.

The grandstands were about 40-50% full on Sunday this year. Other days pretty much empty due to the weather and cancelled sessions.
Surely most of the tickets are bought in advance though? So even if punters failed to turn up on the day, they still book the revenue from the ticket sale.

Not sure how long the MotoGP deal runs for, but I'd expect it is a similar deal.
 
russ69 said:
I don't think so. If Scramp wasn't running the place it probably would have been shutdown years ago. The locals don't like the track but it provides a LOT of local charity so it's a sacred cow at this point.
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Hell, if SCRAMP hadn't BUILT the track it never would have existed. Originally it was just a bunch of local guys who wanted somewhere they could blast around with their sports cars.
 
Marcoose said:
They probably make some money off concessions, merchandise and camping too, but point taken, it's becoming way too expensive for J6P to attend these events. I used to go to races, games, concerts, theatre, opera, etc, and then I looked at my entertainment budget and noticed multiple house payments were being spent on people earning multiple times my pay. That did it for me.
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Yeah, I quit spending money so other people can have a better lifestyle than me. This is the first year of my life, that I can remember, that I haven't gone to a theater to see a movie. Why? For less money and time, I can buy the the movie, run it on my TV when I want to, over and over and over. Back in the day :afm199, you could do a WSBK weekend at Laguna for around $300 each, that's camping at the track, eating drinking, going into town for dinner.....Now all my entertainment $$$$$ go to maintain my vehicles!!!
 
Marcoose said:
That is fucked up.

It's like those college bowls operating as non-profit when in fact they make train loads of money.

:thumbdown
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:rofl Doode, you apparently don't know much about Laguna or SCRAMP. As mentioned by TTTom, there would be no Laguna without the sport-car club. They don't make money. In fact, Laguna lost money on MotoGP the last four years. It's government land, not private land, and the track is just run (sort-of) by SCRAMP. Any profits would go to the county, not the club.
 
TTTom said:
Hell, if SCRAMP hadn't BUILT the track it never would have existed. Originally it was just a bunch of local guys who wanted somewhere they could blast around with their sports cars.
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clutchslip said:
:rofl Doode, you apparently don't know much about Laguna or SCRAMP. As mentioned by TTTom, there would be no Laguna without the sport-car club. They don't make money. In fact, Laguna lost money on MotoGP the last four years. It's government land, not private land, and the track is just run (sort-of) by SCRAMP. Any profits would go to the county, not the club.
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I'll admit knowing nothing about Laguna. But I do know charities. Charities benefit the poor, the unprivileged, the ones experiencing hardship. A place where the well-off can burn their disposable income and (race) commercial right holders earn a comfortable living is, most definitely, not a charity and should not benefit from the taxation status thereof.

I'm not saying Laguna shouldn't exist or it shouldn't optimise the tax code. It's fucked up that tax-payers subsidise though. Same for COTA and every sporting area across America. (America is a very socialist country at the 1% level.)
 
Marcoose said:
...A place where the well-off can burn their disposable income and (race) commercial right holders earn a comfortable living is, most definitely, not a charity and should not benefit from the taxation status thereof...
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Monies are donated to local charities. Around 500,000 dollars this year. Do you prefer the charities not get the money? I'm confused.
 
russ69 said:
Monies are donated to local charities. Around 500,000 dollars this year. Do you prefer the charities not get the money? I'm confused.
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You're equating a race track where people with gobs of disposable income burn high octane petrol for the funzies, with a battered women's shelter. They don't perform the same services. It's apples and ladders. Sorry.
 
Marcoose said:
I'll admit knowing nothing about Laguna. But I do know charities. Charities benefit the poor, the unprivileged, the ones experiencing hardship. A place where the well-off can burn their disposable income and (race) commercial right holders earn a comfortable living is, most definitely, not a charity and should not benefit from the taxation status thereof.

I'm not saying Laguna shouldn't exist or it shouldn't optimise the tax code. It's fucked up that tax-payers subsidise though. Same for COTA and every sporting area across America. (America is a very socialist country at the 1% level.)
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Marcoose said:
You're equating a race track where people with gobs of disposable income burn high octane petrol for the funzies, with a battered women's shelter. They don't perform the same services. It's apples and ladders. Sorry.
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What??? If a charity gets money from you or from SCRAMP how is that any different? End of the day they get money. Laguna Seca doesn't profit much at all. Have you ever been there? Notice how everything feels like it's 1963? They can't even afford to install bathrooms man.

Just imagine if General Electric put profits info charities...at least then their defacto tax exempt status would be going to good use, yes?

Stroker Ace said:
Tax the churches. Leave the tracks alone...
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Racing IS a religion...it SHOULD be tax exempt. Lol.

=fast4ward;9241332]I worked F1 at COTA as I have for the last 3 years. It was a nightmare, but you can't blame the track or the organization for that. My understanding is they signed a 10-year deal to host F1, and this was their 4th year.

The grandstands were about 40-50% full on Sunday this year. Other days pretty much empty due to the weather and cancelled sessions.
Surely most of the tickets are bought in advance though? So even if punters failed to turn up on the day, they still book the revenue from the ticket sale.

Not sure how long the MotoGP deal runs for, but I'd expect it is a similar deal.
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Contracts were signed then paid for through Texas grants. Grants that have come into question as to whether they are legal or not. COTA gets hundreds of millions more than any other group gets from those grants...without that money COTA is done, F1 and MotoGP leave. Easy as that.Projections were $1mil profits from F1 weekends after all said and done. That pays water and electric for the weekend...but theres 51 other weeks of the year things need to be paid for...
 
Marcoose said:
You're equating a race track where people with gobs of disposable income burn high octane petrol for the funzies, with a battered women's shelter. They don't perform the same services. It's apples and ladders. Sorry.
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Lets say SCRAMP is a for profit company. At the end of the year, everything over their costs is profit, and it goes back to the shareholders.

SCRAMP is a non profit though. It DOES make some money (not a lot), and that money goes back to LOCAL Monterey Charities, like the SPCA, Shelters, and other good organizations.

I volunteer for SCRAMP as an Assistant Director. Our volunteers are taken care of, we feed them and give them free tickets to the event.

Really, its an awesome organization, and we try to do a lot despite being shackled by the county supes.
 
russ69 said:
Monies are donated to local charities. Around 500,000 dollars this year. Do you prefer the charities not get the money? I'm confused.
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Marcoose said:
You're equating a race track where people with gobs of disposable income burn high octane petrol for the funzies, with a battered women's shelter. They don't perform the same services. It's apples and ladders. Sorry.
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OK , you don't want the local charities to get 500,000 bucks. I see your point, vote libertarian and those tax benefits will go away.
 
Marcoose said:
You're equating a race track where people with gobs of disposable income burn high octane petrol for the funzies, with a battered women's shelter. They don't perform the same services. It's apples and ladders. Sorry.
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Nor does the money come out of the same pool. Texas has a major events trust fund that distributes money to help offset the costs of holding these major events. Before the track was even built the promoters had secured a commitment of $250,000,000 over 10 years to offset the $25,000,000 a year fee they have to pay DORNA.
 
Caddywumpus said:
Lets say SCRAMP is a for profit company. At the end of the year, everything over their costs is profit, and it goes back to the shareholders.

SCRAMP is a non profit though. It DOES make some money (not a lot), and that money goes back to LOCAL Monterey Charities, like the SPCA, Shelters, and other good organizations.

I volunteer for SCRAMP as an Assistant Director. Our volunteers are taken care of, we feed them and give them free tickets to the event.

Really, its an awesome organization, and we try to do a lot despite being shackled by the county supes.
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I'm not disputing the hard work you and your friends put in, Kyle.
 
I did a buss fromlaguna at their last event race ends at what 5? I did t get home till like 1am
 
russ69 said:
Monies are donated to local charities. Around 500,000 dollars this year. Do you prefer the charities not get the money? I'm confused.
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That number seems extremely optimistic. I would doubt them having that kind of money since CART, LeMans, WSBK, AMA were all pulling in people, oh, about 13-14 years ago. Although, there are a lot more motorcycle track days, which I am grateful for ( I have missed 5 there, just this year.) So, maybe we are makin' it happen. :party
Caddywumpus said:
Really, its an awesome organization, and we try to do a lot despite being shackled by the county supes.
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I've been a fan of SCRAMP since before I could ride or drive - legally. But I am a sucker for puppies and OHVs.
 
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