Costs of racing

[JointTech]

I've been thinking about this for awhile. Maybe you guys have some insight.
I was at the trophy truck races in lake elsinore this weekend. All kinds of classes of trucks and buggys.
at a min they have one truck and trailor and some spare parts.

the bigger guys have huge transfer truck type deals, multiple spare motors, tires, gas etc.

plus they all start racing/traveling on thursday so are skipping a day of work.

Im not talking about the big guys with full sponsorship.
Im talking the one or 2 steps down from that.

If they even get on TV its "on the Edge" or some show like that. not a full hour of racing like the big boys. You barely ever see buggys on TV.

Im using trophy now but the same applies for all racing.
You go to a sub-sprint/nationwide event and those guys are spending tons of cash and I just dont see how they do it.

are racers all just rich? is it just a hobby.
I see they have sponsorships of some kind on most. But seems like maybe General tire gives them one set of tires or something. not a full ride and salary.
how much can billybobs plumbing that gets the prime ad realestate be giving them?
I mean if its not on TV and theres maybe 1000/2000 people at a race where is the payoff for the sponsor?

I just dont get it. I'd love to do some type of racing but cant see any way unless its those races where your car has to be worth less than 1000. lol

[mongoose]

anybody that does tours n crap have a pretty good money backing.. from sponsors or they might own the own company etc..

most guys that run at one track have a lower budget, they might go somewhere else close once a year maybe.. down in ca there's a pretty big sprint car community.. even it being non wing cars.. and doing that is usually cheaper if staying at one track as its one night a week.. not all weekend. that being said, you wont find to many guys running a 410 on their own dime...

some sponsors give you money.. some give you product like free oil, cheap parts, contingencies (sp?), then there's track sponsors that can give you stuff if you too.. good tracks have good purses that always helps.. as for how small business etc can sponsor.. sponsorship is a tax write off..


at the end of the day.. a lot of guys and every newbie spends pretty much every spare dime from eating peanut butter sandwhiches everyday to be able to go racing every weekend. so no.. not too many racers are 'rich' racing sure isnt a money maker.. unless you're in a big series, be it v8's/f1/nascar etc.

[Ryan Hubbard]

My neighbor is running the 1400 class of truck in that series and he has about $70K in his truck by now. He is running a Ford Ranger with a CHevy 383 turbo 400, 9" drivetrain. The engine is a gm crate motor but the trans is special built for the type of racing ($6,000) and the rear end is also special built. He has been winning lately and he will make about $1000-$2,000 a race in prize money and plenty of contingency money for fuel, shocks, K&N, MSD and other companies.

I have been doing the 24 of Lemons Series and the Chump Car series for the last three years and we always spend around $2500.00 every race on fuel, tires, and entry.

Racing is not cheap, there is the old saying if you want to make a small fortune in racing, start with a large fortune.

[Marv D]

If you think your not going to spend BUTTLOADS of $'s going racing,,, your seriously mistaken. This is a very expensive hobby, any way you do it (as a 15 second bracket racer or even the occasional test and tune / run-what-ya-brung. )

Only people who 'make' money is the big dawgs that have the multi-million dollar sponsorships. THAT's the only way you could possibly go at this as a full time job instead of just an expensive hobby.

I've won $16k at one race, but you can bet I'm not quitting my day job!!

[JointTech]

how much is that contingency money?
Do they give you shocks for the season if you put a bilstein sticker on your window? Or do they tell you youll get XYZ if you top 5 and put a big ass sticker on the door?
Hows that work?
I dont expect to quit my day job. I just cant see spending 2500 a weekend for the entire summer and still be married...

I wonder why its worth it for a lot of those companies to even do contingency money. wheres the payoff? I guess all the racers and the few people at the race will see if but that doesnt convert to millions in sales I wouldnt think.

So whats the cheapest racing? i think im to old to get on a dirtbike anymore.
that protouring airport slalom racing looks fun. Only running 2 minute laps. how much could it cost per weekend?

[Ryan Hubbard]

Originally Posted by JointTech

how much is that contingency money?
Do they give you shocks for the season if you put a bilstein sticker on your window? Or do they tell you youll get XYZ if you top 5 and put a big ass sticker on the door?
Hows that work?
I dont expect to quit my day job. I just cant see spending 2500 a weekend for the entire summer and still be married...

I wonder why its worth it for a lot of those companies to even do contingency money. wheres the payoff? I guess all the racers and the few people at the race will see if but that doesnt convert to millions in sales I wouldnt think.

So whats the cheapest racing? i think im to old to get on a dirtbike anymore.
that protouring airport slalom racing looks fun. Only running 2 minute laps. how much could it cost per weekend?

The contingency money my neighbor is getting is like this.

King Shocks gives him credit to buy rebuild kits for their shocks. He has to rebuild his shocks about every two races. Sunoco gives him enough credit to buy more Sunoco gas for the next race. Most of the prizes is credit to use towards their products. One thing King Shocks does is charge him full blown retail when using his credits but will charge him the racers price if he is paying cash. Kind of sucks.

[hotrod 80]

I would say i race alot . I have a pump gas race truck , I have magnetic signs for a sponsor that pays my tech cards . For $40 in 93 octane , tow fuel , food , i run both days in a weekend .

Do i make money , no , but i do bring home afew checks and that keeps me going . I have fun doing it .

[Marv D]

Contingency $ in like a NHRA national event can be upwards of $400-$500 or more. IF you win the race, and IF you had one of the proper contingency size stickers on the car, and IF you really run the sponsors part,,, you get the $ Add 4,5 or 15 contingencies and it adds up. That's why you see stickers plastered all over the non-pro rank cars.

Contingency in a sportsman race of any kind is almost unheard of except for local sponsors, or is barely enough to pay your entree fee.

[mongoose]

i wouldnt call autox racing..

but 30 bucks to 500+ bucks.. depends on how you do it.


cheapest racing? drag racing probably.. sportsman bracket.. tho again.. thats not racing imo.

[JointTech]

its racing the clock. and you get to drive fast and burn tires. close enough hehe.
if drag and autox arent racing what is?

[vin63]

When I was running Super Gas/Street (racing a two events a month schedule), I calculated that I was spending right around $200 per pass (not including the capital investment in my equipment or breakage). So, making qualifying passes and any round wins, the price gets steep fast. Even the races I went deep enough in eliminations or won to be in the share of the prize money, it never covered the cost of the weekend.

Today, I run a fuel altered/funny car, and I spend $200 just in fuel per pass. I figure I'm between $500 to $1000 per pass if I don't break anything. These days, I run this car at about five events a year.

[Marv D]

Originally Posted by vin63

When I was running Super Gas/Street (racing a two events a month schedule), I calculated that I was spending right around $200 per pass (not including the capital investment in my equipment or breakage). So, making qualifying passes and any round wins, the price gets steep fast. Even the races I went deep enough in eliminations or won to be in the share of the prize money, it never covered the cost of the weekend.

Today, I run a fuel altered/funny car, and I spend $200 just in fuel per pass. I figure I'm between $500 to $1000 per pass if I don't break anything. These days, I run this car at about five events a year.

And that my friends is what you call SERIOUSLY addicted to going really freeking fast!!! LOL

Enjoy it Vince,, I just renewed my 8.50 license for what I'm going to say is the last time. The cost of going fast has outweighed the returns in excitment for me. I've been playing with the truck in the high 10's this year and although there is no adrinaline rush,,, it's more RELAXING and ENJOYABLE trying to keep that old pile of parts rolling and consistant. Only costing tow money and $40 for entry and maybe $50 for race fuelfuel,,, plus a lot more time to sit and enjoy (not thrash for the next round). I don't know,, maybe just getting OLD,, hell I don't turn the music up as loud as I once did either LOL

Oh, sorry to hijack the thread JointTech...

Vince the word is Gila River Raceway (Firebird) will be up and running probably around October. There was a lot of hype and rumor with a seamless re-opening that didn't include new safety equipment, track grooming equipment, timing system,,, and grandstands that went away along with Charlie Allen. I think October is a realistic target with new managment wanting to do it 'right'. In fact, you may know the new managment, Bill Schneider has been in your neck of the woods (SoCal)retired for a few years and has some association with Marlen Motorsports is word I'm hearing. He used to run Byron and a few other tracks out east. Know anything about him?

[vin63]

Thanks for the heads up, Marv. Yeah, the last I heard was maybe fall, but October would be great. Is Dick Hahne still in the picture there?

Yeah, these days, I just race a few times a year more as an engineering or product development project. I always preferred the building/fabricating part of racing. Chasing after points is no longer appealing to me (a young man's or company sponsored game).

In the off-road racing world, I would probably equate the Trophy Truck class to the costs of running a Top Alcohol drag race team - at least from my experience and involvement providing safety equipment to a few of the off-road racing teams. It only goes down slight from there. I did some work for a Class 8 truck and they had more than twice the investment than what I had in my Super Gas car...yikes!

[69GMC910]

At least it isn't money spent in a bar or in the casino!
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