I think the Car Count issue is down across the board- regardless of what series or track.
The cost of Gas-Travel-entry fee's- and poor payouts are just a few reasons that come to mind, and lets not forget that Industry is in tough times meaning job cutbacks and layoffs.

Funny enough- this past year has been the best time to be racing at least as far as parts and cars go. With the US dollar being so weak... it is like all the race parts are on sale at 45% off.

The travelling series are what looks to be taking the hardest hit, and low car counts are the norm. If a travelling series starts 16 cars or more they are considered successful today. In the 70's and 80's this would have been a joke.

Here is something interesting, what is the average car count for the follwing Ontario Racing Series and are they considered travelling series ?
NASCAR WHEELEN SHOWS
NASCAR CTS
OSS
OSSCAR
VINTAGE MODIFIEDS

If I am missing some go ahead and list them with the car counts. 

Good points Wesley Motorsports and I agree with what you have been seeing with series replacement's. Almost every track you go to now has a 4forfun type class which has come in and replaced a low car count division at that speedway, lets say LLM class.
Track Owners see it as  a replacement to their programs. It adds more cars ( because anyone can go out and pick up a car for $500.00 and go racing ) and better yet it does not come with a big payout structure like they would have had to do with a real racing series like the LLM. I don't mean to make it sound like 4forfuns are not real race cars, but come on- really- they are not real race cars, even though they are for the ones that do it. Racing Series like this have been around for ever, just titles differently to sound new.
Remember Mini Stocks, Enduro's, Strictly Street Stock, Powder Puff's and so on.
They are all series that replaced real racing series years ago and still continue to do so today except mow they are call 4for funs.

Track Promoters may be saving a dollar by booking them, but the first Driver to get hurt or even worse- killed in one will change the promoters idea's...and wallet.
ALMOST Every one of those cars that I have seen are so unsafe- bad cages (if any) no fuel cells, bad seat belts and seats, bad on-board fire extinguishing systems, and so on.
On top of that they are not that far off the pace in times say with a LLM !!
I don't care if a waiver is signed by the Driver, it still always comes down to the Race Tracks call if a car is safe enough to run or not, and in court, the Driver, or Family, will win big.

On the flip side- take away the filler shows, ie.4forfun's, and what do you have ???

One track I see do wonders and making strides on creating a solid race environment both Financially and Race Wise is Barrie Speedway.
Yes they are new owners and that maybe why they are so successful because they have come to the game with a whole new look and image on how to run a race track.
Almost every night of racing has a sponsor for that night, as well the Track is sponsored form the cost of cutting the grass, to the pumping of the outhouses.
Barrie is one of the only Race Tracks that I know of in Ontario that has their own in house Marketing Director and Sales- 7 days a week- 24 hours a day.
They find ways to save and bring in more money and in turn Payout More to Racers, keep the gate fee's down- Front and Back- and put on a great show with good car counts every week.

If more Tracks can follow the Model that Barrie is setting, I think racing in Ontario can only get stronger and we will see car counts finally go up.

You mentioned the OSS, and I agree- they are one of the best series going right now. They have had good racing with good car counts, and the fans seem to really enjoy the type of racing they have by reversing the fields at the end of every 50 lap race.
I know from talking to a couple track owners that they are very happy with the OSS and both have said they would like top book them for at least a couple of races next year.
On top of that, They also have worked with the Tracks making the cost realistic to the Track Owners, which in turn keeps the gate prices down, which in turn fills the seats.

You mentioned the USA having the same problems with car counts, and I have heard the same thing, but I have also heard of a new LLM Series that runs on the same rules at alltracks in W.Virgina, Virgina, North and South Carolina, and Maryland.
Where tracks were getting 12 cars for a show they are now getting 30 cars because of the new rules. Drivers can run where they want-when they want- and make good money. Now that's a smart series on both the Drivers side and the Track Owners side.   
   

Wesley Motorsports reguarding your statements on reply 1 you are not wrong as this was stated in Sheridan Wins APC300 reply #8 .This is one of the reasons that I think the car count ended up being low this year.With only $300.00 if you finished in the lower half of the field 24th-38th.Thats is a big problem as you said it was unfeesable to come down here and if you ran into a problem $300.00 means you run for making nothing if not loseing money.I am sure Delaware & APC will try and fix this problem and hopefully  not have top heavy payouts next year and give the small guy a good chance at making good money.Your suggestion of $700.00 for the bottom feeders of the race is a good idea and if that means going out and finding more sponsors for this race to pay that extra that is what Delaware will have to do.You are right pay outs like this will bring more cars next year.

Hey Doug- Anthony here.

I agree with the starter classes of racing as well- like the 4forfuns- but it should be mandated, and I don't care what you want to call the series-  that safety articles come first and I think we both agree on that. I was at Peterborough and I saw a 4forfun car with 2 batteries over the left rear- secured by 1 bungee cord, and yes - strapped to the Gas Tank !! I don't know if the Driver had big balls or was just satisfied after the 6 bottles of courage he gulped down before climbing in !!
Again- Safety first.
I have no idea what you are talking about as far as setting up one of those cars because I have never driven one- but thinking about it, I am sure your right, more so with the fact that they are front wheel drive.... that would be enough for me.

So how do we get more money going to the racers wallets, which in turn powers the race car? I know Track Owners don't want to put it up unless they are getting more, and even if they do get more, they still don't want to payout more !!

Sponsorship is the obvious reality to any successful race team, but finding the proper amount of budget willing sponsorship is very far, and few between.

As you pointed out, running all of the different series hopefully one day leads you to the top of the ladder, and here in Canada that would have to be the Nascar CTS Program.

Great program for sure and is well run by both Racers and the Sanctioning Body...but !!

The Budget needed to run a mid pack Nascar CTS deal for the year is around $25,000 per race
(Including all start up costs- 1 car/1 motor/pit box/crew/safety equipment, etc.)
That would put you around $300,000.00 per year.
I would say that maybe, and I mean maybe- 6 teams are getting that.. the rest are just spending and spending.
That number doesn't buy you a big ass Featherlite cup hauler and 3 spare motors and a back up car- and a road course speciality car.
It buys you just enough to go racing in that series.

As racerfan pointed out from what you said earlier that $300.00 was not enough money to tow all the way to Delaware, Hell- think of the poor guys that have to tow all the way to Vernon BC and get a check for $800.00 !! 
Now that is a huge kick in the Face...and for the Guys that go- who's the stupid ones now ?? 

This is where the problem is- in any series. Yes the numbers are going to be much lower, but the outcome is the same.
If you spend $50,000.00 in racing you are more then likely to get back about 10% in prize money. If you spend $300,000.00 you might get back 10% in prize money, and $30,000.00 in winnings would be considered a good season.

That is my dilemma with the sport.
Track Owner's, Race Promoters, Racing Series, Sponsors and so on all want you to spend money to run at their track- or in their series- or in their special event- or put their brand name in victory lane...BUT...no one wants to pay you for it !!

Racing is known as the  "Rich Mans Sport", and understandably so, but try and explain that to someone that is busting his ass to run at his local track, and once, what was fun- has now become more stressfull then what it's worth.
If you can figure out the secret to making enough money to race, and still live, you are a Rocket Scientist.

Now Golf on the other hand makes sense. You buy Clubs, Balls, Beer, Greens fess, and a Cart.    Go out hit some balls...have some beers...try some different course's out, and at the end of the day if your any good you go on tour and make millions, all from your original investment of say around $50,000.00- from the time you started- till you became Rich hitting balls !!