DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript
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Lincoln scales back FloRacing deal, update on Bloomquist's future | Daily 2-3-2023
On this final show of the week we are talking Lincoln Speedway's decision to scale back their FloRacing deal, an update on Scott Bloomquist's future, and the Lucas weekend ahead. Let's go!
It's Friday, February 3rd, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily.
We'll start today off with the news from Lincoln Speeday last night and their 2023 streaming schedule. I've had multiple comments and messages about this one, and I know it will continue to be a talking point for a while. It's yet another illustration of how the streaming space in dirt racing continues to evolve and change right under our feet. If you missed it, Lincoln, one of the key Central Pennsylvania tracks, announced last night that they will only stream 11 events this season on FloRacing. Add in the two World of Outlaws shows which will be on DIRTVision, and way less then half of the 35 scheduled races will be available to watch from your couch or phone. And this move comes after Lincoln was live every week in 2021 and 2022, so a dramatic shift. Lincoln and Flo had previously announced a streaming agreement back at the beginning of 2021 that lasts until 2025. Clearly there is some wiggle room in that deal for Lincoln to decide what can and can't be shown. So what's changed in the previous two years to make Lincoln cut back? It's pretty simple really. Lincoln is one of many tracks who are adamant that the camera on top of the tower is keeping people at home. And this is a problem, because the deals these tracks signed with the streamers weren't lucrative enough to make up the difference in the lower attendance. For some reason, it seems to be their view that if receipts at the gate are down, it's the streamers who are responsible for making the tracks whole. My opinions on this matter have been shared heavily on this show, I've seen the data, there are plenty of examples of streaming not affecting attendance, but the tracks don't want to hear it. Their crowds are smaller, and instead of taking a hard look at what exactly they are doing or not doing to contribute to that, the easy thing to do is blame FloRacing. But even when it comes to the deals with Flo, the tracks still shoulder that blame. Nobody forced them into these streaming agreements. They made long term deals, signed on the dotted line, and now a year or two in, they've decided these deals are bad and are having buyer's remorse. So it's a double whammy for them. Down attendance and streaming agreements they don't like. And I'm sure that Lincoln won't be the last to try and scale back. They are convinced that if the FloRacing cameras weren't there, that people would show back up. It's not true, because there are many other factors at play here, but as the Mark Twain quote goes, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
As race fans though, and as consumers of dirt racing on the streamers, understand that shifts are underway on both sides. Yes, Lincoln is backing off this deal with Flo, but Flo is also backing off of some deals as well. After a couple of years of going hard into dirt racing, Flo understands now what races and what series are worth having, and what aren't. As a venture capital backed business, they need to keep growing, and I think we've reached a point where they have found the limit with what dirt racing can provide. Some more regional stuff has already quietly gone off of Flo, and their expansion plans are clearly elsewhere. They've got Lucas, the All Stars, USAC, the Chili Bowl, and the big stuff at Eldora. Those will continue to be a focus. But outside of dirt, they signed a deal with NASCAR starting with the 2022 year. Right now they are showing snowmobile racing. Drag racing continues to be shown prominently and is expanding. And you can be sure they are looking elsewhere for more verticals that can drive subscriber growth. So where does this leave dirt racing streaming with local tracks and regional series? With the niche providers. They are going to fill the void, and their promises to the tracks to get the deals are going to be a bigger cut of the revenue. It will be a commoditized race to the bottom. Who can undercut their competitors the most to get the deal. It's literally already happening. You'll still see some monthly subscriptions, but probably a return to more pay per view events. A streaming pass will cost the same as a ticket or pit pass to appease promoters. And these smaller providers and tracks will be fighting over a smaller and smaller group of consumers, because there is only so much money to go around from race fans. We've talked about this before on this very show. Big series, big events on the big providers, because that's what moves the needle. Smaller stuff on smaller providers, because for the bigger guys, the juice at the lower levels just isn't worth the squeeze. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
Thanks to a story yesterday at dirtondirt.com from Kyle McFadden, we've got some more details about what's up right now with Scott Bloomquist. A few weeks ago at Volusia, he attempted to run the full weekend with Big Frog Motorsports, but ended up out of the car following the opening night, with Chris Ferguson and Bobby Pierce sharing the ride on night two in a strange arrangement. Pierce ran the feature after he had issues with his own car. He had a provisional because of his full time status with the series, and Fergie made way for him. But back to Bloomquist. The reason he got out of the car was due to lingering numbness in his right leg, and he told McFadden that at one point in the night he couldn't tell that his foot had slipped off the brake pedal. Hearing that, it makes sense why he decided to vacate the seat for the remainder of the weekend. Now Bloomer is set for another surgery, this one on his back, to try and alleviate the issues. The hope is that the 59 year old Bloomquist could be back racing by the spring, but he also knows that he might be facing the conclusion of his long and storied career. In the piece, he said quote "That might be the end. You never know when you get surgery." In the mean time, he's continuing to help the development of young driver Garrett Smith, as he did when the 19 year old won the Dirt Track World Championship late in 2022. You can see the full piece from McFadden, along with a bunch of quotes from Bloomquist over at dirtondirt.com.
And speaking of late models, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series was supposed to be in action tonight at All-Tech in Florida, but the night has been cancelled because of wet weather and a wet facility. The Saturday show is still on as planned. Brandon Overton leads the series standings right now, and has two wins through the first five races. Ricky Thornton Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Devin Moran, and Tim McCreadie complete the rest of the top five. Recent Lucas winners at All-Tech include Jimmy Owens, Brandon Sheppard, Kyle Larson, and Davenport. Of drivers with recent multiple starts at Lake City, Brandon Sheppard and Devin Moran have the best average finish at 3.5. All of those stats are via the premium tools available with a subscription to DIRTRACKR Plus. The three nights at Golden Isles were right around 50 cars. Bubba had 39 both nights. I'd venture to say we'll probably be mid to low 40s tomorrow at All-Tech. From there, the series has a practice day Sunday at East Bay, before beginning six straight nights of racing.
Before we shut it down, I again want to spotlight a new group of channel members. We are now at 44 total, with the addition of Carla, Jim, Pelican, Mike, and Soper Racing in recent days. Thank you guys so much for the support, it means a lot me that you have jumped in. If you want to check out the membership program, click the join buttons on the YouTube channel or videos, or visit youtube.com/dirtrackr/join. $2.99 a month helps me out tremendously, and you get added perks and benefits, including a free decal.
Seven shows across the streaming services today. FloRacing is by far the busiest, with Lucas at All-Tech, modifieds at East Bay, the Winter Freeze at Screven, and Flo 24/7. Speed Sport has the USCS at Hendry County, RacinDirt has indoor karts, and there is DIRTVision Now. To see the full daily streaming schedule with links to watch, visit dirtrackr.com/watchtonight.
Have a good weekend out there, so you guys tomorrow!