Be Glad You’re Not Buying Fuel for a Nitro Car

[mikebcurve]

Be Glad You’re Not Buying Fuel for an NHRA Car

There’s nothing funny about paying $45 a gallon for nitromethane for a funny car—and burning 14 gallons on every run.

www.autoweek.com

 

[mick]

the prize money must be huuuuge, like for a pro golfer, right
hey, at least matt hagan seems to be paying attention to LIV golf

 

[Nunz]

Kind of a weak article if you ask me. Nitro has never been cheap, I think the bigger story is the cost of gas and diesel fuel, which affects everybody hitting the road, including every type of motorsport. That is having a much bigger impact on fans and race teams than the cost of nitro, IMO. Autoweek has had many good articles about drag racing, this one kind of felt like they just discovered it. I don't know, maybe I just need to drink my coffee, lol.

 

[twostep]

Kind of a weak article if you ask me. Nitro has never been cheap, I think the bigger story is the cost of gas and diesel fuel, which affects everybody hitting the road, including every type of motorsport. That is having a much bigger impact on fans and race teams than the cost of nitro, IMO. Autoweek has had many good articles about drag racing, this one kind of felt like they just discovered it. I don't know, maybe I just need to drink my coffee, lol.

I tend to agree with this assessment. If on average a FC or TF qualifies and goes 2 rounds, that works out to about $5000 per race, or roughly $120K per season - which is about 3-4 percent of the funds needed to support a top-tier fuel team (per car). I'd have no way of knowing but I bet I'd be stunned to see the expense of transporting all of Team Force's equipment to a season's worth of races. By the time you add up fuel, the cost of maintaining all the trucks, drivers' salaries, insurance...If it were less than $500,000 a year I'd be surprised.

 

[Chili]

I tend to agree with this assessment. If on average a FC or TF qualifies and goes 2 rounds, that works out to about $5000 per race, or roughly $120K per season - which is about 3-4 percent of the funds needed to support a top-tier fuel team (per car). I'd have no way of knowing but I bet I'd be stunned to see the expense of transporting all of Team Force's equipment to a season's worth of races. By the time you add up fuel, the cost of maintaining all the trucks, drivers' salaries, insurance...If it were less than $500,000 a year I'd be surprised

For example, it cost Terry Haddock $2500 one way in diesel fuel to go from Texas to Epping for one rig. So $5000 round trip.

 

[twostep]

Geezus.....^^^^^^^

 

[mikebcurve]

Yea, I thought there were other tidbits of info worth reading. Rereading it I realize it was probably written to a less than casual audience. Sorry

 

[Nunz]

Yea, I thought there were other tidbits of info worth reading. Rereading it I realize it was probably written to a less than casual audience. Sorry

No need to be sorry Michael, you shared a recent article, I didn't mean to shoot the messenger!

 

[kegs]

For example, it cost Terry Haddock $2500 one way in diesel fuel to go from Texas to Epping for one rig. So $5000 round trip.

I don’t know this for a fact but I would assume he drove rig to Norwalk and flew home or didn’t go home at all. Regardless crazy expensive.

 

[Chili]

I don’t know this for a fact but I would assume he drove rig to Norwalk and flew home or didn’t go home at all. Regardless crazy expensive.

They did not attend Norwalk so I’m under the assumption they headed home unless they had a match race somewhere in between. Haddock was originally from the east coast and did get some sponsor help for Epping which I’m guessing was the only reason he attended.

 

[scratch]

Kind of a dumb and generic article.If the truth be known,the Fuel Racers have to buy from NHRA themselves,at a $400 dollar a drum markup.
I just looked at my ticket for my 53 gal drum from DSR last week and I paid $1450.
I dont think the pros can bring in their own Nitro.

 

[MidnightbluS10]

Kind of a dumb and generic article.If the truth be known,the Fuel Racers have to buy from NHRA themselves,at a $400 dollar a drum markup.
I just looked at my ticket for my 53 gal drum from DSR last week and I paid $1450.
I dont think the pros can bring in their own Nitro.

You don't understand how their group pricing works, I assume?

Amd/or you've been reading the nonsense posted at yellowbullet. Funny, there's a thread there claiming this same nonsense by someone who doesn't understand.

 

[Dragracer]

Kind of a dumb and generic article.If the truth be known,the Fuel Racers have to buy from NHRA themselves,at a $400 dollar a drum markup.
I just looked at my ticket for my 53 gal drum from DSR last week and I paid $1450.
I dont think the pros can bring in their own Nitro.

Pro cannot bring their own nitro. They order it and it is delivered to their pit. After the race the remainder is measured and the amount used is charged and the remainder returned. They cannot transport nitro unless they have a special license from Department of Homeland Security. A few years ago DSR was fined by GRAHAM "DIM" LIGHT for having drums of nitro in his trailer even though they were not using them, only transporting them. But that's a whole nether story about Dim Light.

 

[Nunz]

Pro cannot bring their own nitro. They order it and it is delivered to their pit. After the race the remainder is measured and the amount used is charged and the remainder returned. They cannot transport nitro unless they have a special license from Department of Homeland Security. A few years ago DSR was fined by GRAHAM "DIM" LIGHT for having drums of nitro in his trailer even though they were not using them, only transporting them. But that's a whole nether story about Dim Light.

I think it was for 100K too.

 

[scratch]

I do not know anything about the 'Group Pricing",please enlighten me.I may very well be off base thinking that the NHRA profits from Nitro sales to the Pros.
I am just a lowly Heritage Series Funny Car racer.

 

[Dragracer]

I do not know anything about the 'Group Pricing",please enlighten me.I may very well be off base thinking that the NHRA profits from Nitro sales to the Pros.
I am just a lowly Heritage Series Funny Car racer.

NHRA profits on everything sold at their meets including nitro.

 

[Ramjet]

NHRA profits on everything sold at their meets including nitro.

NHRA is not really "Cutting a Fat Hog" with the Nitro deal. Not only do they have to get someone to take the fuel to and form a race legally there is a big insurance ticket. They would also be liable if they knowingly let people bring their own fuel in without permits. NHRA is not going to inspect every trailer to see how the Nitro showed up on the property to cover their own rear ends. You have to have a signed paper that you have been trained how to handle the fuel just to get it. The supplier has to have permits and insurance to drive the fuel down the road & park and dispense it and that makes the price go up also. Calculate how much Nitro - Methanol - and Race Gas they have to bring to a race and think about the paper work and insurance involved. Sombody has to pay for that. Also the Sponsor names on those Rigs and cars can't take a chance on Sue happy people looking for a payday if anything ever happened. Government regulations are so crazy now you can't even leagally go exchange your welding tanks in your own truck without them being secured and placarded much less Nitro. A bottle of Argon is THREE times what it was less than a year ago and it doesn't burn. Everyone gets away with it but it is at their own risk.