Payouts - Are they Outdated?  

This is a classic case of "it is what it is". A lot of tracks are barely making a profit, or are losing money. $4000 to win is hardly a  big paying race these days, some tracks pay more than that to win a weekly show. To raise the purse you'd need either a lot more people in the stands weekly, or raise ticket prices, which a lot of people are complaining are too high already. All competitors  are losing money unless they have sponsorship, no real solution to this.