The Cost?

The cost....of racing. My dad and I were getting a conversation going with this, after talking about how NASCAR whined when the Superbird dominated, so they banned it, and like he said, it's all about the money. Now I said, it is because of those big corporate sponsors and teams that caused it and was saying that you could kind of blame NASCAR for that, with all the safety stuff they added. F1 has gotten a lot but always kind of been high dollar. They got A LOT of money in the organization.

He kept on saying that all racing is expensive with all the facotrs involved, and yes I agree, but what about the SCCA and Grassroots? I mean yeah the Pro Racing can get up there, but there aren't big company's dealing with them for the most part. The Jetta TDI cup and Spec Miata, are still great racing with low prices.

Then he said about RC and car modeling, now I love both, probably modeling even more because good freinds and great feel of accomplishment and improvement but he doesn't like RC becuase of the money factor and yes I can back him up on that, I spent good money in those little things, but what happens when you get good?

It's like what I told him, look at the $2000 challenges, racing for under $2500! If you can find them. but I said, apparently these guys did and the cars they picked aren't for the most part really desirable and a 240Z price is nothing like a 69 Boss 302, becuase thankfully, Barrett Jackson hasn't gotten to them. It's bad when even the announcers and one of them being with Road and Track for years saying that this car shouldn't be getting that high of price but since the people have money it doesn't mattter what it is or how old it is, it doesn't matter, it's from the 60's so it's worth a quater of a million dollars, when a 1969 Jaguar XKE or a TR3 or a Mercedes 300Sl can't even bring 100,000, maybe sometimes. Other than the RM Auction...

I race in spec e30, which is among the most cost focused road racing series.

I budget $800/weekend (2 races), and got into my car for $8.5k (and have since dumped probably $5k into it). That said, it's all worth it. What racing lacks in cheap, it makes up for in fun :)

I'm also building a car for the 24Hrs of LeMons. When it's all said and done, we'll probably be at $4k total on an E30, fees, equipment, tires, gas, etc. It adds up fast.

Iaz is typical of the budget racer, and will get you very far.

If you want to run at the very front and do it on a consistent basis, it costs big $$$. It always has.

I roadraced an ITC class 1991 Honda Civic in 07 to a track championship at Waterford Hills . I think I did it about as cheap as you can do it . I had bugeted btw $350.00 and $450.00 per weekend . I was still able to run up front with ITA and ITS cars . I guess you have to be able to take care of your equipment and stay out of trouble on track . There is also such a thing as luck too . I have also raced some SCCA events also and those are the events where the costs start adding up . Higher entry fees , more expensive towing costs since we are usually hauling down to Mid-Ohio or where ever , hotel and food costs .

I like what laz and snibberbot are saying, but racing in any form still requires a healthy supply of disposable income. There's nothing wrong with having disposable income, though!

SCCA and other autocross events is probably the best way to race without spending a lot, but there will always be wear on the vehicles and so on, and then you will want to start changing things to do better...Its a sickness.

<a href="">I'll take it a step further than a sickness, I like to think of racing as a terminal disease. Even at the vintage level it can easily consume you. Having good friends and family to assist in the work and share the excitement will make it all worth it.

Dougie

Vintage is likely the most bang for the buck but still is a major expense and more so if you decide to get very competitive. There is still a very real grassroots feel about group in the middle of the pack.

Cheers Ron

Hillclimb racing also seems reasonably affordable. We have a friend who races one or two mid 80's RX7's with his brother. They have two cars, but occassionally split driving duty with one if the other is banged up/not ready. For the looks of the car, they obviously don't have a lot of money into them.

Of course, autocross is really the cheapest, since all that is required is a helmet (and some clubs have crusty loaners) and a car you're willing to flog around for a few seconds.

which is all I want to do, rally/rallycross/ autocross/hillclimb, proably most likely around my area hillclimb/rallycross/and some autocross.

Hey Nick- Outside of stage rally, the driving events you're talking about can be enjoyed pretty inexpensively. They can get expensive if you're competitive and start spending your way to a win.

Entry fees for an autocross or rallycross event are usually well under $100. A local SCCA autocross is 25 dollars, and rallycrosses are 40 dollars. Hillclimbs usually cost a little more, but can still be an approachable motorsport activity.

Hillclimbs are $125-$150 around here. You sometimes only get about as many runs as you would at an autocross, but it's way funner.

HPDE or race weekends are now around $300 and up, but the seat time you get is vastly greater. If you do a time study on expense vs seat time, track events almost always win.

I considered vintage before going with NASA. The thing that kept me from going vintage was the limited number of events and the confusing array of clubs and their individual rules. I also wasn't sure I wanted to race an old car vs something a bit newer and more reliable.

EXACTLY guys!

Way funner I just want to compete in this http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7539677723711324141 as it is local and I went to all of them but would like to go to maybe some others....

My main goal is to write for Grassroots

I'm a NASA and vintage racer. Love 'em both!

All my NASA and vintage stuff can be viewed on ~This Link~ (Note: The Escort's for sale--turnkey NASA racer with log book, spare wheels, spare motor, etc--$1800)

Just an FYI that the 2009 Hershey Vintage Hillclimb has been cancelled

But they are expecting to be back at the site in 2010.

I ran the '03 Hershey event....you can see my #11 car at that event ~Here~

And not to take anything away from this fine forum, but the PA Hillclimb Forum will get you lots of hillclimb-specific info for the eastern US. ~PA Hillclimb Forum~

I took some pics at the '08 Duryea event.....you can see them ~Here~

G'luck whatever you do!

Yeah, I know, that sucks so much. They said that right now they can't have official spots becuase of the work, and at the 08 one, I was at the top looking around and they were doing some work and the hillclimb was kind of in the middle of it all os the 2010 one will be great and have no more construction!

I need to go to the Duryea hillclimb sometime, I think I went before but don't think so.

Those pictures are awsome! thanks!

I love your avatar

Oh, that Union Jack Bugeye is my hero! That things is just fast and loud! When I get the Bugeye that's in our garage just sitting there, it will be just like that, I want it to go and sound like that and look good to. That would be me and hopefully will be soon! I talked with the guy a couple of times at the event, great guy and he even gave me his number to cantact if I ever need questions or help and even helped me with better understanding and rebuilding of a Sprite and the event, even though my dad was listening, I think he needs to hang around me more and go to this forum. See that's the kind of guy I look up to and are my heros, willing to take the time, instead of just working on the car, to talk with some kid that is interested in his car and wanted to ask questions and talk, it was a fun conversation!

NickF40 wrote: EXACTLY guys! Way funner I just want to compete in this http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7539677723711324141

Cool video. I could watch that all day.

The MG (TC?) at 5:38 sounds absolutely mental

It was, it was loud!

I could watch these and all the other videos on Vintage racing

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9111974280332242125&hl=en here's another good one. The majority of the cars are LOUD! I love it!

Gotta love the sound of those Saabs! Those Porsches, especially the Brumos painted 914, is really loud.

SOVREN here in the NW puts on a great hill climb event at Marys Hill Loops in the Columbia River Gorge. This 2+ mile climb provides spectators with a wonderful view of the gorge, the Columbia river, surrounding rolling hills, and cars. Here's an Audi A4 making the climb.

Dougie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj4bJPkbEiw

I race a 63 Spitfire, mostly with the SCCA but I've run with other groups as well. With the spit, I can race 2 different groups each weekend, Historic and H Prod by just changing from treaded tires to slicks. I try to only do double race weekends so I end up doing 4 races, two in each class.

I pay a double entry fee, usually $300-325 a weekend per class, but the extra seat offsets the fixed costs like gas for the motorhome and beer for the crew. It also is easier on my home schedule, I can get in a ton of racing each year with minimum time away from the home front.

I raced go karts (paved ovals) before I went car racing and the cost per minute of seat time, if I exclude the cost of getting there since the kart track was 10 minutes from my house and the nearest road track is an hour, works out in favor of the road races. Plus the fun factor and safety factors make road racing a no brainer way to feed my addiction. mike

Racing is expensive no matter what. I raced with a local club in Alaska where entry fees were cheap, $150 a weekend. I would still end up spending about 1k an event. 20 gallons of race gas at 8 dollars a gallon(in 2004), at least 4 slicks at 50each used, a new set of race brake pads 100. That doesnt include routine maint or getting to the track. Did you think it was possible to spend 20k on a 1979 vw rabbit? Believe it I did.