carpediemracing 

I'm a 3 and a race promoter so I see both sides of this.

I rarely win money outside my own races, like virtually never. So for me payout is absolutely a moot point. Sometimes, if I do well and I can afford to do it, I'll just give back the prize money to the promoter. A year like this year, where I'm flat broke, I'll take whatever prize money gladly. In fact I wasn't sure how I was going to pay for my race entries for the next 5-8 races but then realized that I'd sold some bike stuff and that money was still in my PayPal account. That'll pay for about 6-7 races so I registered for the race this weekend. The entry fee money is gone/committed but if the promoter gives me back $30 I'll take it because that's most of another week's entry fee, or two Tuesday races.

For midweek races, which, according to someone in USAC is the most popular segment of racing now, no prize money. At our local Tues Night Worlds (USAC E series permit) they give a soda to the winner, beer if the winner is over 21 and wants the beer. Sometimes there are soda primes. That's it. No money, no jersey, and they specifically don't post results anywhere so that no one goes bananas trying to get 2nd or whatever (there have been some massive crashes there because someone went bananas for a low place).

Normally I'll register day-of to give the promoter an extra $10 (and cost me net $7 because I'm not paying the BikeReg fee - I figure I drive them 150 x whatever weeks of fees with my own races so I make them some good money) but I can't do that this year.