Nitromater
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
High cost of racing
- Thread starter Nick Name
- Start date
TooTall999
Nitro Member
Let's see, that was probably done around 1960- 1965. I'd like to see that adjusted for inflation in today's dollars.
Nick Name
Nitro Member
My junior dragster story.
I was friends with the McGee brothers. When Dave Grubnic worked for them, he used to grind my cams.
It seemed like every time I went to their shop they were fiddling around with Briggs stuff.
They finally decided to close that shop and each one get strictly into the junior dragster thing. I asked them why, and I can't remember which one told me;
"When a guy wants to buy racing parts he has to somehow smooth it over with the wife or hide it from her altogether".
He said "Junior dragster is just the opposite, it is like little league. Mom can't stand to see her kid lose. If he does, Mom is all over the guy, Do whatever you have to to keep my kid from being beat."
That is why someone will pay $150.00 for that piece of tubing called a header in the Jr dragster photo.
I was friends with the McGee brothers. When Dave Grubnic worked for them, he used to grind my cams.
It seemed like every time I went to their shop they were fiddling around with Briggs stuff.
They finally decided to close that shop and each one get strictly into the junior dragster thing. I asked them why, and I can't remember which one told me;
"When a guy wants to buy racing parts he has to somehow smooth it over with the wife or hide it from her altogether".
He said "Junior dragster is just the opposite, it is like little league. Mom can't stand to see her kid lose. If he does, Mom is all over the guy, Do whatever you have to to keep my kid from being beat."
That is why someone will pay $150.00 for that piece of tubing called a header in the Jr dragster photo.
I was thinking the same thing. It wasn't cheap back then either, like Big Jim Dunn says about what it costs now vs. the old days, in so many words he says it's the same, "Everything ya got!" Seriously, racing has always been expensive, especially fuel cars, that's why in the 60's you had so many 2-3-4 guy partnerships. Still, I believe all things being factored in, right now it's just out of orbit.
Percboy
Nitro Member
Inflation Calculator 2013
$7,000 of 1965 dollars would be worth: $51,851.85 in 2013, what would that get you? TF short block ?
yoda
Nitro Member
We already had Kevin... A successful run in our previous car, and this was an opportunity to build a car as we wanted to- our design, our fabrication.
-The anodizing cost 50 bucks, and he likes red, so no skin off our butts because of that.
-The wing is an experiment in construction. We created a framing structure and mounting brackets for it, as well as shaped the foam molds that the carbon fiber was laid over, and then were involved with the company that did the CF work.
Just the experiences that Emmett and I have gained in the construction of our own car as opposed to buying something that arrived complete in a crate or off of eBay made every dime worth it. We will both be able to walk away from our last junior car with substantially more engineering skills, mechanical and fabrication skills than we started with in juniors 10 years ago, and when we build our next car (already on the drawing board), you can bet that it won't be a cookie-cutter piece- it'll have the spirit that is what drag racing was founded from when it started- originality, creativity, engineering and dreams.
mw6789
Nitro Member
Currently the cost of a JUNIOR dragster, WITHOUT trailer...
Comparison cost
This reminds me a little of a friends son showing me an article of how to build an IMCA $350 claimer engine for under $2K.
mw6789
Nitro Member
I can assure you from personal experience this is the truth. When a guy comes into my shop and tells me he is building a car for either his kid or even better his wife, the cash register starts ringing. Money is usually not going to be a problem. Even better when the wife comes in and the car is for her.
coyotedale
Nitro Member
if you want a fair comparison in how much the cost has gone up, find out what it would cost to build a iron 426 top fuel motor like what you'd get from Black or Pink, but doing it with today's dollars, then compare it to the cost of a complete contemporary fuel motor with all the latest goodies you can get from AJPE and all of the other parts suppliers.
now that would be a true comparison
now that would be a true comparison
Larry jr.
Nitro Member
We all know running a dragster is very expensive, but to see the cost actually broken down, sure drives it home.
Add two Zeros to everything on the list ............would be pretty close to todays money.................then multply by two for the backup car and then multiply by four all the spairs then by four again for all the pieces that are outdated or just didn't work by mid year.
3.6 Million that should do it, to make the show every race.
That reminds me of a quote I saw on Big Daddy's trailer at a match race at Carlisle Drag-O-Way, Arkansas in 1972: "Drag racing will make you moderately wealthy, if you're a millionaire to begin with."
Randy
Nitro Member
Just like "cheap" or "affordable".
Somebody once said "drag racing today is no more expensive than it used to be 40 years ago. It took everything you had then and it still does today".
