It is interesting reading, but as a member of a region that has been squeezed by MO like a grape, I'm not sure how sympathic I am. It has the ring of "what goes around, comes around". Offhand does anyone know the Mid-Ohio track rental fee? And what out the required food catering, etc, etc, etc.
I don't have a problem with Mid-Ohio making money, but I got the sense that MO explicity looked at the published "profit" regions were making and priced their fee to be just exactly tight enough that the region wouldn't make a dime. Meanwhile making the region feel like if they dropped out this year they'd be out for good. Very much the Wal-Mart method of dealing with vendors. Put them in a position of needing you to survive and then squeeze every single drop.
Here's a question: Presumably Mid-Ohio was aware of the motel pricing issue prior to losing the Runoffs bid. As in, aware for several years. Why did they wait until AFTER losing the bid to bring up the issue? From the outside it appears Mid-Ohio didn't care until it caused them to lose business. They thought they had a slam dunk proposal, who cares about the racers.
Maybe I'm being unfair to MO?
Jim