What Does It Really Cost.... (1 Viewer)

[Pete]

....per pass (actual cost)for a F/C? I don't mean hospitality setups, just a tried and true rig with a couple motors and volunteer crew. Too many team owners add up a years worth of expenses and divide by the number of runs to get their figure.....so lets be realistic.
I have some of the answers I needed from other classes, just was curious what a Bode or Palmer team member can assist with.

nitro: $600
clutch: $800-1000
tires: $1000

 

[jackass]

Depending on who you talk to.. i know some that spend roughly $5k per pas.. some of the lower budget guys... and i know some that are up to $10k a pass...

from my figuring and talking to several low budget teams a good effort would still be arounf $40k to $60 per event.. thats making all the Q-passes feeding the crew and getting them there and a place to stay.. but then again some can do it for less.. buty the key is how compeditive you want to be or can be....


Billy

 

[Just Paul]

Big Jim Dunn said it the best...

Something to the effect of- "Drag racing costs the exact same it did back in the 70's.... It took all I had then and it takes all I have now."

 

[Ramos]

With getting semi to race and crew. Racing on a budget. Used blocks cranks and heads.$13200 a pass.

 

[Randy]

You have to average in limited life stuff, too, like bodies, carbon fiber brakes, etc. In one run you can trash a perfectly good $60,000 body like Wilkerson did today, or Ashley and Robert did at Reading.

 

[ssman]

You have to average in limited life stuff, too, like bodies, carbon fiber brakes, etc. In one run you can trash a perfectly good $60,000 body like Wilkerson did today, or Ashley and Robert did at Reading.

Both Robert's and Ashley's mustang bodies were repaired at Aerodine Composites in time to be put back on the trucks before Vegas. I can't comment on the price of those repairs but it was alot less than a new body cost.

 

[Treeshaker]

To be "realistic" you MUSTadd up all your expenses and divide them by the number of runs made to determine a per run cost whether you are a poor part time team or a mega team. And you must include all costs.

Too many teams fail because of poor planning. They just add up the costs on a good clean run and think that is the cost to run the car. They forget about all the small things that are involved. And the more events you attend, the more the small things turn out to be very big things.

The biggest help to a small team would be to help them create a business plan and budget, then help them maintain the team. A poorly managed team will spend everything they have without concern for longevity, no matter how big the amount. I have seen teams that prosper on small investments and survive for years and teams squander millions and be out of racing in a short time.

You can run a pro car for as little as $3,500.00 a run but with that budget the first hiccup and the team is done. It takes an $8,000.00 per run budget to survive on the circuit full time, and you need to be very careful of every dime spent. To be halfway competitive, it takes $15,000.00 per run. To be in the hunt you must be prepared to spend $25,000.00 to $40,000.00 per run.
These are all inclusive numbers. You might have a streak that you run for less, but you have to be prepared for that streak when it costs more per run.

 

[clwill]

Virgil's numbers correlate nicely with what one of the top 10 FC racers told me the other day. They (like everyone) are looking for a major sponsor. They want $130k a weekend, or $3m a year. If you do the math on the runs, that works out to Virgil's $15k or so. Add in the associate sponsors, plus the economies of scale across a multi-car team, and you get to his $25k+ number per pass.