The price of racing.

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One thing I keep seeing in these posts is 10+ dollars per gallon for race gas. FYI (for anyone that has this near them), converting your carb (and car) to e85 will literally pay for itself in 1 race season (assuming you are a regular racer). I did this years ago, and it literally paid for itself in 1 season in fuel savings.

My local track I don't have to trailer the car (its about 8 miles away), but I do a often for piece of mind, incase I break something. When I do drive the car to the track it is just $55 for Pro...about $15-20 in e85.....I bring a cooler, so that's it.

When I travel up to Muncie (about 90 miles one way), I have the added cost of diesel (~$40 last year), but their entry fees are a little less.
 
E85 is a controversial topic and not a fuel that I for one would be interested in. VP Q16 is now 25 dollars a gallon in 5 gal pails and 23 dollars and change in a 54 gal drum format. I think I will greatly reduce my racing this year to a few specific events and instead spend my money working on my other cars which I feel at this time with the current administration is money better spent for now. Looking forward to MUCH BETTER things to come in a couple years.
 
'68cuda416 said:
E85 is a controversial topic and not a fuel that I for one would be interested in. VP Q16 is now 25 dollars a gallon in 5 gal pails and 23 dollars and change in a 54 gal drum format. I think I will greatly reduce my racing this year to a few specific events and instead spend my money working on my other cars which I feel at this time with the current administration is money better spent for now. Looking forward to MUCH BETTER things to come in a couple years.
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i am too lazy to deal with the corrosive effect attention that needs to be paid to running that stuff.
As i saw a guy mention on facebook who is a well known Mopar racer…..racing money should be disposable income you don't need to use on anything else. If the extra cost of fuel is enough to make ends not meet, maybe we shouldn't be doing it.
I agree with this, there was a time i spent every spare dime i had on racing. Was a very tough disease to overcome.
Now i have a set amount of money sat aside to my racing hobby each month. I cant spend a dime more than what that fund consists of. So i save for this, save for that, and peck away at what i want. This year it was heads, next year Dana. But i always keep enough set aside to race whenever i want to, that is the most important to me
 
B3422w5 said:
i am too lazy to deal with the corrosive effect attention that needs to be paid to running that stuff.
As i saw a guy mention on facebook who is a well known Mopar racer…..racing money should be disposable income you don't need to use on anything else. If the extra cost of fuel is enough to make ends not meet, maybe we shouldn't be doing it.
I agree with this, there was a time i spent every spare dime i had on racing. Was a very tough disease to overcome.
Now i have a set amount of money sat aside to my racing hobby each month. I cant spend a dime more than what that fund consists of. So i save for this, save for that, and peck away at what i want. This year it was heads, next year Dana. But i always keep enough set aside to race whenever i want to, that is the most important to me
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I enjoy racing quite a bit and just being around the whole atmosphere BUT I also can't ignore what it costs for a night or weekend of racing anymore.....I always buy all the food and drinks for whoever comes with me and then friends at the track, entry fees, fuel to get there and back, race gas, normal wear and tear, etc. so that's why for me at least for now I will be very selective as to what races I attend and just spend my money making more progress on some of my other cars.
 
B3422w5 said:
i am too lazy to deal with the corrosive effect attention that needs to be paid to running that stuff.
As i saw a guy mention on facebook who is a well known Mopar racer…..racing money should be disposable income you don't need to use on anything else. If the extra cost of fuel is enough to make ends not meet, maybe we shouldn't be doing it.
I agree with this, there was a time i spent every spare dime i had on racing. Was a very tough disease to overcome.
Now i have a set amount of money sat aside to my racing hobby each month. I cant spend a dime more than what that fund consists of. So i save for this, save for that, and peck away at what i want. This year it was heads, next year Dana. But i always keep enough set aside to race whenever i want to, that is the most important to me
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Methanol is corrosive..... e85 (ethanol & gasoline), not so much.

I agree, make a racing budget for the year and stick with it. Once in a while I fail at this, but usually I make it work. I just like that using a cheaper fuel means my budget goes farther....and its a long term solution to the raising cost of racing, without having to cut back on the number of races I attend.
 
I've never built a race gas motor. All 91. Just because the price of race gas. Just like flyfish said makes my budget go further.
 
aaronk785 said:
I've never built a race gas motor. All 91. Just because the price of race gas. Just like flyfish said makes my budget go further.
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True ...I recently converted my race gas 367 c. i. motor to lower compression for pump gas ( from 11.5 - 1 to 10.0 - 1 ) and when I built my stoker 408 it also was built for pump gas ( 9.8 to 1 compression ) My car is setup to run two classes : Sportsman ( 11.50 - 19.99 ) and 11.50 index (.500 pro tree ) I was considering running two tracks 11.50 index points series this year both tracks are at least 2 hours away one even further. But due to the recent rise in gas prices and tolls I am just going to run Sportsman points at my local / home track which is 32 miles away and about a 1/2 or so drive plus I can leave my trailer there in my reserved spot and can take my daily driver econo box there if I want . I love my new 21 1500 Quad Cab Hemi tow vehicle but it’s gas mileage isn’t the best.

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I always build my engines to run on pump 93 for a few reasons, with my work schedule I can't race every weekend, I like to drive my car (a lot) on the street and most stations in my area have 93, and finally, cost. I'm sure I'm giving up some ET and MPH by knocking off a couple points of compression. But it's pretty cool to run 10.0 at almost 135 mph one day and drive to the car to work a couple days later with the only changes being adding the exhaust and air cleaner.

I was out tonight and saw diesel anywhere from $4.30 to $4.50 per gallon and I don't think this is the highest I'll see it. My guess is there will be some diesel tow rigs parked this summer.
 
Its getting real expensive here in UK as well, SPR is charging £250 (around $325) for an entry to a proper sanctioned meeting. What we call "lifestyle" meets are cheaper. I think my mate has a real good set up which is affordable now, but only once he spent the money to change the car to go from 12.5's with the mild 440 to 10.3's with a big 589 wedge motor in the 3800lbs '69RR. He then had a built727/Dana/caltracs/mono's/shocks/converter/slicks/cage fitted, all at a total cost of around $32000 which included the complete all fresh motor built/dyno'd and everything else including all the labor and get it running by the Mopar shop, all he had from old set up was the carb. I thought that was quite a good deal.
Its a street/strip brkt car, runs in our version of Nostalgia Super Stock, its only on 10:1 runs on pump super unleaded fuel (E5) @around 98 oct. He only lives 4 miles from the track and drives/races in full street trim apart from the slicks of course and a few changes in shock/caltrac settings. Only does 3>4 lifestyle meetings a year though as won't pay the $325 to go sanctioned racing, bit of a waste to me but there you have it, goes to quite a few shows etc.
 
Paid $188 for two cans of VPc12 last weekend…. Used 50 gal of diesel to get to/from track. We actually carried 20gal of 3.70 AZ fuel with us to minimize the amount of 5.99 CA diesel we’d pump. Go to Vegas next week so at least I can get there and back on one tank :)
 
A body said:
Paid $188 for two cans of VPc12 last weekend…. Used 50 gal of diesel to get to/from track. We actually carried 20gal of 3.70 AZ fuel with us to minimize the amount of 5.99 CA diesel we’d pump. Go to Vegas next week so at least I can get there and back on one tank :)
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I think outside of maybe a few special races i'm gonna sit on the sidelines and wait out this nonsense. I have plenty of parts to make progress on current projects and even if I didn't I feel that smarter money is just sitting out for the time being.
 
5 gallons of 110 previously $62.00 now $98.00 out the door. Im testing this weekend with last 15 gal I have. Testing bigger carb. local E 85 is $3.50 But will go up. going to test some today.
 
I agree with most here on different variables. I would like to add one. SPONSORS!!!!! Local business or even just an individual may what to see their name on the side of your car or being announce over the loudspeaker during runs. Instead of an individual race, it could be a group event. Could also bring out more spectators, as I see fewer and fewer showing up. Bring back the fun!!!! and make it affordable.
 
Sponsors I don’t want. If I can’t run my car on my dime it’s time to quit. I pre-entered my first race of the year and put the 200.00 deposit down. It’s 295.00 more if and when I shoe up at the gate. Just for the heck of it I added 160 miles plus 160 miles and divided it by the appropriate 8mpg I get in the motorhome and said ya I can afford this. 3rd round win pays 200.00 so hopefully over the 3 races I can go a few rounds.
 
pittsburghracer said:
Sponsors I don’t want. If I can’t run my car on my dime it’s time to quit. I pre-entered my first race of the year and put the 200.00 deposit down. It’s 295.00 more if and when I shoe up at the gate. Just for the heck of it I added 160 miles plus 160 miles and divided it by the appropriate 8mpg I get in the motorhome and said ya I can afford this. 3rd round win pays 200.00 so hopefully over the 3 races I can go a few rounds.
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My statement was meant for those who are having difficulties in the sport of auto racing. I would rather fly alone to NY, but with a plane full of others make it affordable. Some as you, can afford to do what you want, but many can not. I just was adding a suggestion.
 
Going to tnt this Saturday. Going to dial in my t ram. Hope I get some runs in. I need several. It's going to cost but what doesn't. Probably be a 5 or 6 race season and I'm fine with that.
 
aaronk785 said:
Going to tnt this Saturday. Going to dial in my t ram. Hope I get some runs in. I need several. It's going to cost but what doesn't. Probably be a 5 or 6 race season and I'm fine with that.
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Good Luck Aaron.......hope you get it dialed in
 
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