You are shooting for a Series, in an aggregate competition to qualify for their Finale
NASCAR pays prizes, not Atlanta Motor Speedway, you are competing for the Series, what do they give you? You paid them too.
Prizes are a DONATION exactly as you said, a gesture of thanks for participating in the sport, they are not there to support an individual effort or bankroll your hobby. There has to be a ROI or why bother?
Is the prize meant to bankroll a single individual down the road, or to market and support their business ? if the only return on their donation is a picture of the box, and a lost sale because it was sold at discount, what is the point ?
If you want a Pay Out, push the series to use their money. The MD is actually working a job, that when you add up the hours, your $300 fee does not pay him a minimum wage. He is probably doing 18 hour days when the match is in full swing. He is marketing, soliciting prizes, managing the shooters, building practiscore tables, dropping steel, asking for ROs to volunteer. Then herding cats, listening to bitches, and after when you all go home, he is cleaning up, putting away, sending out thank you notes, (The competitors can;t be bothered to do)
Come on now Rob you been doing it longer than most, granted, you like the payouts more too, but still, its asking for a prize and to be paid to shoot a round of golf on the weekend.
The idea of the prize table was to defer costs and promote businesses, not enrich competitors. I have hosted some of the biggest prize tables in the sport, it's not easy managing it all, which is why I don't bother anymore and give my money all back as cash to the winners.
You slide in, shoot his work, take a prize and go home, and you want him to reward you.
Sounds like a choice job,
