kyle_nickels
"The Okie"
Sure makes me appreciate my little ol' Datsun 510.
Cost of Racing... I need your help Eric!
- Thread starter colin_koehler
- Start date
colin_koehler
Great SCOTT!
I used to tow with a manual 5sp 3.5L V6 Isuzu trooper with 5k lb towing capacity and I got the same towing mileage as I do with my 5.0L V8 Econoline conversion van with a towing capacity of 7600lbs.
It's been my experience that with towing a little overkill goes a long way!
Mike: I ran the Cobalt XR2's which are great but since our rotors are so tiny I equate that to being the same as having normal sized brakes but a heavier car (I'm sure I was inebriated when I came to this conclusion). So I stepped up to the XR1 which are like the XR2 but are intended for cars OVER 2600lbs and they feel the same as the XR2, handle the heat very well and last longer.
When I see people say they can go a whole season on 1 set of pads and tires I have to remember to pick my jaw up from off the ground.
I'm going to try Camping once or twice and sleeping in the Van (I know I'll have to at ORP) but maybe I'll try at Portland. I'm planning on racing at the Spokane Triple and I'm expecting that weekend to cost a pretty penny. What's great about that weekend though is that I only have to pay for travel and lodging for 1 weekend but get 3 races so that helps the "cost-per-entry" equation.
the_driver
Eric Blois
Colin if you need quiet to sleep well PIR may not be a good location to try and stay in the van if its not raining the late night drags can go till midnight i think. you could also look at set up or driving style change for wear of tires and brakes lasting. you can set up cars alot of ways to get about the same feel or speed but tire wear can change more then you would think
Richard Broadhead
Flag & Com
You are correct, Driver.
But, they have an ever 'lowering' noise limit as the night goes on. By about 10:00 PM they are down to 'street legal' muffler systems only. At that point, if you're up on the hill in the woods a little you can hardly hear the cars but, you still 'notice' the motor cycles (which are totally halted by about 10:30or 11:00).
mikeolsen
40-weight Ball Bearings
When we (the family) stay at the track at PIR, it never fails: the kiddos are just about to drop off to sleep when "BANG!" one of the street racers/drag racers blowed up...kids pop up scrambling for the window or the door to see the accompanying destruction and take another hour to go back to sleep. So we've taken to increasing the lodging budget and stay at the Oxford Suites. They offer a great deal to ICSCC racers and I'm happy to throw them some business. Anyone know if that deal is returning this year?
In the PRO3 ranks, you can get a variety of answers to the "how much it costs" question. Typically, the majority of the costs to run the car for a race weekend are between $6 and $10/minute of track time. That takes into account all costs associated with driving the car and getting it to the track. Additional costs come from food, lodging, etc. A front-running PRO3 car will cost more, but that's racing, right?
Tires: three to four weekends. Brakes: four weekends-ish. Engine: four seasons, reliably...minus those pesky rocker arms...
I think we need to establish what a "season" is worth though. Sure, someone who runs four races a year will have an engine last "seven seasons" but that's not nearly the same as someone running twelve regular races, two enduros and a few special events thrown in...now THAT's a season! Just sayin...
And on a related note, I've found it helpful around the household and my CFO (aka: wife) to refer to racing expenses as "race units". In PRO3, a race unit (RU) is roughly equivilent to $100. So a set of tires is only 7 RUs...sounds so much better than the alternative! (Adjust the RU value accordingly based on your expenses.)
Randy Blaylock
Highlander Motorsports
It's "increments of" around our home. Used to be $10 when it was bicycle racing. Then dirt bikes, and the increment went up to $100s. Racing a late model or GT car, now it's increments of $1000. Of course, some of that is for steaks and cocktails. Oh, at the current rate of wear, my brakes on the ground pounder will last at least 3 seasons, rotors and believe it or not, the pads too. Endurance spec (pagid RS19 ceramics) pads, and a s**tload of cooling make the difference.
Scott Norton
Epic Win, I push limit
I agree with Randy on the brake cooling angle. You cannot have enough. I have 3" brake hose cooling my pads in front and I have ran the same rotors and pads for over 3 years half worn. Granted they are stoptechs all the way around but I run cheap (sic) Hawk HT 10 endurance pads. I brake really hard and deep (sometimes too much so) yet they still last yet work great. I do believe good cooling makes a huge difference as well as pad selection.
As for racing season costs? Those of you who know me I am ultra low budget, I barely make it to the track even with help from sponsors and some very kind/fantastic friends. I would not trade that for anything, 3 races a year or 10 I am very fortunate and would not miss those races no matter how many they may be. Trade some beers for a burger and your fed. Also the Sat bbq is fun to talk to the workers who make it so we can race.
Friends are friends, good times are not to be missed. Sleep in a trailer, tent, back of the truck whatever it takes.
Scott Hieronymus
Rhymes with anonymous
No problems towing my car for the past 4 seasons but don't buy a Tacoma for the gas mileage. I'm only getting around 17/18 empty.
I think calculating by the hour is the best way to budget your race sheet. The reason I say that is figure your actual track time..Sprint time vs. enduro time. I found it is overall cheaper by the hour to run enduro races and that is why we do. I ran SCCA (16) NASA (18) sprints and 25, 3,3,3,2,2,6(irdc), 6 NASA enduros. Even traveling to Washington, I still spent les per hour running enduros than I did in the sprints. All this racing for a total of 84k. I had more replacements in parts in the sprints. With travel to anywhere on the west coast from where I live it averages for endurance racing with my car 1000.00 per hour. Sprints were 1,600.00 per hour.
greg_coffin
Well-known member
Colin
Glad to hear you are coming out to Spokanistan. We are all pretty excited out here that we are hosting a triple play. Your cost-per-entry equation hits the nail on the head. If a racer is chasing points on a budget, doubles and triples are the way to go. I am guessing total cost per race sould be less than or equal to running three home races. The cost-per-entry alone should off-set the cost of a motel for a couple of nights.
Looking at it a different way let's use 500 per weekend at home with 200 for incidentals, total budget 700 per race, or 2100 to come out east. Cost-per-entry should savings will off-set the hotel, incidentals at 100/day should free up another 300 (three days vs 6) which should take care of the tow.
Shoot if I didn't already live here I would be towing to this race.
Of course it is still a big chunk of money to come up withall at once.
Greg
the_driver
Eric Blois
so i decided to look to see what my car was for the almost week that the 25 is for me and it came out to just under 200$ an hour.... i love my car
kfyork
GoEnzo.com
take into consideration what goes into my operation: motel 3x, food 18 meals, travel(big truck, maintenance), uniforms, full shop, pit cart, golf cart, lighting for pits(night racing).to name a few. I'm sure not all racers have that kind of overhead though. (I sometimes wish I didn't 
. The four hour this year will cost about 1,400. per hour to come and play with you guys and gals!
RM
. The four hour this year will cost about 1,400. per hour to come and play with you guys and gals!RM