The price of racing.

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aaronk785

aaronk785

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This might be my last year of racing. With prices the way they are its just getting to expensive. Everything to race has went up substantially. Gas prices, tires are up, all engine parts, it's just gotten crazy. Some things have went up more than 50%. Hope it changes in the future. But it isn't good now.
 
It's why so many run Sportsman class. They go a few years before even freshening up a stock long block - easy to find small block. Rarely does the Sportsman class oil down the track. A true 350 HP in a 3,000 lbs car with 4.56's. A stock 727 will go several years without refreshing in this kind of car. Very little heat to 28x10 slick helps their life too...
 
318willrun said:
It's why so many run Sportsman class. They go a few years before even freshening up a stock long block - easy to find small block. Rarely does the Sportsman class oil down the track. A true 350 HP in a 3,000 lbs car with 4.56's. A stock 727 will go several years without refreshing in this kind of car. Very little heat to 28x10 slick helps their life too...
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And... I'll add the cost of safety equipment that's not needed. Helmet and factory seat belt is good to 11.5.
 
318willrun said:
It's why so many run Sportsman class. They go a few years before even freshening up a stock long block - easy to find small block. Rarely does the Sportsman class oil down the track. A true 350 HP in a 3,000 lbs car with 4.56's. A stock 727 will go several years without refreshing in this kind of car. Very little heat to 28x10 slick helps their life too...
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Still racing and not spending a bundle. Like pettybludart a member here on the forum, he built his 66 Dart years ago (back in 2014 If I remember) with a 408 and is finally freshening it up this winter. It has run 10.90's all day long for years.

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aaronk785 said:
This might be my last year of racing. With prices the way they are its just getting to expensive. Everything to race has went up substantially. Gas prices, tires are up, all engine parts, it's just gotten crazy. Some things have went up more than 50%. Hope it changes in the future. But it isn't good now.
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That's why i'm such a big fan of street/strip dual purpose cars......you get sooooo much more enjoyment out of your car.
 
My challenger runs 10.50s and I just adjust the valves once a year. Very low maintenance. Just freshened the engine after 8 years. But tires 600.00, oil and trans fluid change 150.00, new water pump 250.00, new helmet 270.00, 70.00 in fuel to tow it. 40.00 in fuel for car and that's just 91 pump. Thank God I don't run race gas. It all just adds up.
 
I try to keep on step ahead when possible. I knew tires were not only hard to get but jumping in price so I bought a new set of slicks and two sets of front tires. I didn’t call on alcohol yet but I know it will be more than the 165.00@54 gallons I paid late time. I have enough for 6-7 weeks on hand.
 
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I guess that's why I'm building my dart as a street strip car. Much more fun and cheaper. Drive to the track, race in sportsman and drive home and cruise a bit. It was alot cheaper when my local track was still open also.
 
aaronk785 said:
My challenger runs 10.50s and I just adjust the valves once a year. Very low maintenance. Just freshened the engine after 8 years. But tires 600.00, oil and trans fluid change 150.00, new water pump 250.00, new helmet 270.00, 70.00 in fuel to tow it. 40.00 in fuel for car and that's just 91 pump. Thank God I don't run race gas. It all just adds up.
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It is brutal, no doubt, and to be honest I may end up with 1 dedicated race car but the rest of them will absolutely be street/strip type deals. I also constantly look for deals online but obviously not much out there in the way of tires, race gas, and maintenace fluids. Some of this can be blamed on the gross inflation that we are seeing and the incompetence at the helm with Biden destroying everything in his path but we still have a very long almost 3 years to suffer yet to get the chance to vote his *** out of office.
 
aaronk785 said:
I guess that's why I'm building my dart as a street strip car. Much more fun and cheaper. Drive to the track, race in sportsman and drive home and cruise a bit. It was alot cheaper when my local track was still open also.
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It was a shame that Manhattan closed but it was a mismanaged disaster after Errol passed away.
 
It's still cheap compared to other hobbies.
In the 90's I was spending a couple hundred bucks a week pulling the kids on tubes and skis around the lake.
25 bucks and car expense would get you a day at the track.
 
When I do, I do it for fun anymore. Not a points chaser or a NHRA racer.
Around here the cost for me is about $300+ for a test and tune night.
That's total.80+miles round trip,fuel,tow rig,entry,and you maybe get 3 passes total depending on head count.
Kinda takes the fun out of going. Years ago if your car was up to it you could round robin and get a dozen passes or more. Haven't been out in awhile. maybe you can get more than 3 passes.
 
If I go to TnT, which would be Friday night, the total cost is about 70 bucks. THat's gas down, entry, order of fries, make at least 5, maybe 10 passes, and back home.
 
318willrun said:
If I go to TnT, which would be Friday night, the total cost is about 70 bucks. THat's gas down, entry, order of fries, make at least 5, maybe 10 passes, and back home.
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Can't complain about that, anything you can do for under a $100 is a bargain.
 
fishmens67 said:
Can't complain about that, anything you can do for under a $100 is a bargain.
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My problem is I rarely get to go on a Friday. So Saturdays are bracket days, so TNT usually only gets 2 runs, and it's 5 bucks more. Still, a good time, though. It the reason why I don't get to do much tuning at the track these days. I hope it hooks and get a clean pass, make one change (shift rpm's, timing, etc) and see if that change made a difference. Then I'm done. LOL
 
When I was running my 70 Dart, it was a mostly street car, but I was never shy about taking it to the strip any chance I had. I drove it to and from, about 110 miles round trip from my house. Ran as many passes as I could get in time trials, then eliminations, usually going 3 to 4 rounds. Last time I ran that car was 2010, and it cost me about $200.00 for the day, all expenses involved. The only change I made was putting on a pair of drag radials, I stopped uncorking the exhaust once I put the full 3 inch system on. With a mild 360/727 combo and 3:23 tru trac it would run 13.80s all day long. Most races I beat myself by redlighting. Best reaction time ever was .008. Most were .020 range.
 
It's definitely getting harder to race on a budget. EVERYTHING is going up but your pay check. Just the price you have to pay if you want to play unfortunately.
 
Well, one thing for sure... it isn't a need. If it's not in the wallet, then it won't be on the track. Out of our classics, our '77 shorty van gets the most miles in the year since we bought it. It won't be any different this year. It's never been raced or been to a track since we've owned it. That changes this year as it has a race lined up in Sikeston, Mo. LOL
 
It’s 60-65.00 for me to race locally for 1000.00 payout. 25.00 buyback if you lose first round so hopefully you at least get into the second round win 25.00 per round money. It’s not much but it helps.
 
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That is why most of us all do No E.T. racing now. No tech needed. Safety equipment exp. never gets checked. Race each other for our own earnings etc.
 
Its expensive and getting more so. I travel significant distances to run the class. Shortest is 2 1/2 hours. Longest 16 hours. The biggest cost is fuel for truck. Car is not high maintenance. The way I see it there will come a time were either financially or physically I won’t be able to do it. Until then, I going to collect good memories.
 
6PKRTSE said:
That is why most of us all do No E.T. racing now. No tech needed. Safety equipment exp. never gets checked. Race each other for our own earnings etc.
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Aaaa You may want to reword that. I don’t think MOST guys do NT racing. You are in a minority.
 
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