Drag Racing Budgets
Discussion
Hi,
i was just wondering what sort of budget youd need to run in pro-et/super comp etc for a season. i realise theres the outlay of a car to start with but how much would fuel, tyres, entry fees, engine maintenence etc cost for the season. also in terms of engine and car maintenence what is involved during a season?
i was just wondering what sort of budget youd need to run in pro-et/super comp etc for a season. i realise theres the outlay of a car to start with but how much would fuel, tyres, entry fees, engine maintenence etc cost for the season. also in terms of engine and car maintenence what is involved during a season?
Edited by 37chevy on Monday 14th November 14:53
double trouble said:
Hi
really need a bit more info,what engine combo,style of car/dragster, run for track or national championship, race abroad,what tow vehicle, see all of the above factors make a big differance to the costs
dave
hi thanks for the reply, well i hadnt really looked into it that much yet, but my preference is either an altered/dragster or something like a ford pop. Not running nitrous or a supercharger,(although trying to do 10-11 sec quarters) i was thinking of trying to do the national championship just in the uk....in terms of a tow vehicle id just have a van/trailerreally need a bit more info,what engine combo,style of car/dragster, run for track or national championship, race abroad,what tow vehicle, see all of the above factors make a big differance to the costs
dave
open trailer old fwd to pull it free standing party tent eat pod burgers is the cheapest wy to do it and although the trend is more money in the rigs than race cars these days it isnt nessacary,
we towed up to avaon park on a 4 wheel open trailer with an old high viz vest wrapped round the cutlass wheelie bars for saftey
pulled with an ancient transit, and run our first 6,
the huge motorhome /luxury trailer thing is prety pointless for a few trips to the pod each year,
and entirely un nessacary, thats the first place to trim a budget,
a couple of crew guys instead of the whole family is another, depends how serious you are about racing
we ran in super mod on a real small budget after the car we ran that on my paye weekly wage for 2 or 3 years 1 set of tyres a year some plugs and oil, if your stuffs built right first time repairs are not realy nessacary it can be down to fuel and entry with some traveling diesel and a few burgers for the crew
if you want to run a blown alky dragster of cource that wont apply...
we towed up to avaon park on a 4 wheel open trailer with an old high viz vest wrapped round the cutlass wheelie bars for saftey
pulled with an ancient transit, and run our first 6,the huge motorhome /luxury trailer thing is prety pointless for a few trips to the pod each year,
and entirely un nessacary, thats the first place to trim a budget,
a couple of crew guys instead of the whole family is another, depends how serious you are about racing
we ran in super mod on a real small budget after the car we ran that on my paye weekly wage for 2 or 3 years 1 set of tyres a year some plugs and oil, if your stuffs built right first time repairs are not realy nessacary it can be down to fuel and entry with some traveling diesel and a few burgers for the crew
if you want to run a blown alky dragster of cource that wont apply...
wicked fish said:
open trailer old fwd to pull it free standing party tent eat pod burgers is the cheapest wy to do it and although the trend is more money in the rigs than race cars these days it isnt nessacary,
we towed up to avaon park on a 4 wheel open trailer with an old high viz vest wrapped round the cutlass wheelie bars for safteypulled with an ancient transit, and run our first 6,
the huge motorhome /luxury trailer thing is prety pointless for a few trips to the pod each year,
and entirely un nessacary, thats the first place to trim a budget,
a couple of crew guys instead of the whole family is another, depends how serious you are about racing
we ran in super mod on a real small budget after the car we ran that on my paye weekly wage for 2 or 3 years 1 set of tyres a year some plugs and oil, if your stuffs built right first time repairs are not realy nessacary it can be down to fuel and entry with some traveling diesel and a few burgers for the crew
if you want to run a blown alky dragster of cource that wont apply...
yeh exactly, im not into the whole big rig thing, id rather put more money into the car!!...fancy trucks dont make you go faster!!we towed up to avaon park on a 4 wheel open trailer with an old high viz vest wrapped round the cutlass wheelie bars for saftey
pulled with an ancient transit, and run our first 6,the huge motorhome /luxury trailer thing is prety pointless for a few trips to the pod each year,
and entirely un nessacary, thats the first place to trim a budget,
a couple of crew guys instead of the whole family is another, depends how serious you are about racing
we ran in super mod on a real small budget after the car we ran that on my paye weekly wage for 2 or 3 years 1 set of tyres a year some plugs and oil, if your stuffs built right first time repairs are not realy nessacary it can be down to fuel and entry with some traveling diesel and a few burgers for the crew
if you want to run a blown alky dragster of cource that wont apply...
Flying Toilet said:
Might be worth contacting a few people with cars for sale Adam and asking them there costings for a season.
haha the thought had crossed my mind, but i didnt want to sound cheeky as i cant afford to buy anything just yet!!! i just thought id ask on here as there is a fair bit of experience on here to say the least!It’s difficult to quantify exactly how much we spent this year as I try not to think about it too much, but at a rough guess it was under £3,000 for entry fees, a pair of new slicks, race fuel and general maintenance etc.
That doesn’t include the two transmission rebuilds I had or the new torque converter I had to buy. It also doesn’t include travelling to and from the tracks either as we are so close to the Pod we could walk and Shakey is only 70 miles away. We did buy a new caravan to replace our old one as, unlike Graham, I think that considering the amount time we spent in the pits waiting to run a small amount of luxury is essential
but that was an unbudgeted for item which came out of our contingency funds. We also had a one off expenditure of some £300 for a decent bolt together garage from Costco to replace the two party tents we had previously used and watched destroyed by the wind 
We take the car on the back of a transporter and tow the caravan. I find eating at the track to be expensive so we take food with us and cook/BBQ.
That doesn’t include the two transmission rebuilds I had or the new torque converter I had to buy. It also doesn’t include travelling to and from the tracks either as we are so close to the Pod we could walk and Shakey is only 70 miles away. We did buy a new caravan to replace our old one as, unlike Graham, I think that considering the amount time we spent in the pits waiting to run a small amount of luxury is essential
but that was an unbudgeted for item which came out of our contingency funds. We also had a one off expenditure of some £300 for a decent bolt together garage from Costco to replace the two party tents we had previously used and watched destroyed by the wind We take the car on the back of a transporter and tow the caravan. I find eating at the track to be expensive so we take food with us and cook/BBQ.
Miss Information said:
It’s difficult to quantify exactly how much we spent this year as I try not to think about it too much, but at a rough guess it was under £3,000 for entry fees, a pair of new slicks, race fuel and general maintenance etc.
That doesn’t include the two transmission rebuilds I had or the new torque converter I had to buy. It also doesn’t include travelling to and from the tracks either as we are so close to the Pod we could walk and Shakey is only 70 miles away. We did buy a new caravan to replace our old one as, unlike Graham, I think that considering the amount time we spent in the pits waiting to run a small amount of luxury is essential but that was an unbudgeted for item which came out of our contingency funds. We also had a one off expenditure of some £300 for a decent bolt together garage from Costco to replace the two party tents we had previously used and watched destroyed by the wind
We take the car on the back of a transporter and tow the caravan. I find eating at the track to be expensive so we take food with us and cook/BBQ.
thanks for the info...in terms of maintenence, how much/what maintenence do you do? are the transmission rebuilds/torque converter usual or just breakages??That doesn’t include the two transmission rebuilds I had or the new torque converter I had to buy. It also doesn’t include travelling to and from the tracks either as we are so close to the Pod we could walk and Shakey is only 70 miles away. We did buy a new caravan to replace our old one as, unlike Graham, I think that considering the amount time we spent in the pits waiting to run a small amount of luxury is essential
but that was an unbudgeted for item which came out of our contingency funds. We also had a one off expenditure of some £300 for a decent bolt together garage from Costco to replace the two party tents we had previously used and watched destroyed by the wind We take the car on the back of a transporter and tow the caravan. I find eating at the track to be expensive so we take food with us and cook/BBQ.
37chevy said:
thanks for the info...in terms of maintenence, how much/what maintenence do you do? are the transmission rebuilds/torque converter usual or just breakages??
Just breakages, the Glide broke twice in the space of 8 weeks and the knock on affect was a new torque converter. We identified the problem, patched it back together and it ran fine until the end of the season. We've just had it refreshed for minimal cost and it should last a good while longer now.The only maintenance we've done on the engine is the usual oil changes, lash, plugs etc. It's been in use for two seasons now, so we've just sent it off for a refresh and because we're changing to methanol we've also opted for a few upgrades.
You can make Pro ET as cheap or expensive as you want. Rick Denny drives his car to the track towing his caravan, mine is 100% a race car, it's really up to you how much you want to spend.
Miss Information said:
Just breakages, the Glide broke twice in the space of 8 weeks and the knock on affect was a new torque converter. We identified the problem, patched it back together and it ran fine until the end of the season. We've just had it refreshed for minimal cost and it should last a good while longer now.
The only maintenance we've done on the engine is the usual oil changes, lash, plugs etc. It's been in use for two seasons now, so we've just sent it off for a refresh and because we're changing to methanol we've also opted for a few upgrades.
You can make Pro ET as cheap or expensive as you want. Rick Denny drives his car to the track towing his caravan, mine is 100% a race car, it's really up to you how much you want to spend.
thanks for that, really useful. a mad stab in teh dark question, and i realise it depends on what is being done, but how much does an engine refresh usually cost?? are there set times to do it??...The only maintenance we've done on the engine is the usual oil changes, lash, plugs etc. It's been in use for two seasons now, so we've just sent it off for a refresh and because we're changing to methanol we've also opted for a few upgrades.
You can make Pro ET as cheap or expensive as you want. Rick Denny drives his car to the track towing his caravan, mine is 100% a race car, it's really up to you how much you want to spend.
oh also is race fuel advisable? or would standard fuel be ok??
37chevy said:
thanks for that, really useful. a mad stab in teh dark question, and i realise it depends on what is being done, but how much does an engine refresh usually cost?? are there set times to do it??... oh also is race fuel advisable? or would standard fuel be ok??
Sorry can't answer that cost question. It really does depend on what needs to be done and who's doing it. As to times, there are lots of people on here much more experienced than me who could answer that, but for us two years seemed to be the right time. Whether you use race fuel or not depends on the compression ratio/ignition timing.Miss Information said:
Sorry can't answer that cost question. It really does depend on what needs to be done and who's doing it. As to times, there are lots of people on here much more experienced than me who could answer that, but for us two years seemed to be the right time. Whether you use race fuel or not depends on the compression ratio/ignition timing.
just out of interest how much fuel do you use in an average weekend? also how often do you replace the engine/trans oil??oh and how much are entry fees usually? i tried looking on the SPRC site but the entry forms have dissapeared now!....do you get your entry fee back if the meeting is rained off or not?
best advice I can give is don't go into this on the assumption you can limit the budget. Racing will eat up cash, lots of perople buy a car and just do not realise what it takes to get a car down the track.
MSA License and SPRC memberships, £60-£70 annually
4 wheels trailer £500 min for carvan lash up, £2000 for decent branded secondhand transporter
You need somewhere to kip. Tents just ain't an option IMO. Van's, Motorhomes, Lorries all cost money to run, tax, store, MOT, repair, insure etc. I've had them all and I think a cheap £3-400 caravan stored at Shakey or Pod is the best option.
Food, sounds funny to include it but we had to stop buying food at the track because it's so expensive. Makes me laugh when people complain about fuel costs yet they can afford £50-60 at the burger van over a weekend ?
Racewear. Buy the best you can, expect to budget £1000 or more if buying new. Don't buy belts second hand, read your rules and see what needs to be SFI tagged.
Fuel. There is one simple way to bracket race. Build the biggest cu in motor you can with a glide behind it. Build it to run pump gas, forget nitrous it's a variable in bracket racing and another cost. If you build a motor with a small displacement or from an odd combo or to run race fuel etc then you've created a money pit. You don't need it at this level.
Entry fees vary so much as you have 4,3 and 2 day meetings, plus a charge fo £40 or so for power. You get entry for you and 3 crew. If you're cre can stump up for their tickets then great or of you can flog the crew tickets cheap to other racers it helps. see SPRC for detail of costs
Maintainence, build it right and as strong as you can afford, run it soft and it won't need much. Valve lash once a meeting, plugs once season and fluids as when. Don't be afraid to filter and re-use oil, but always use new filter. Expect 200 runs from a properly built pump gas BBC before you need to check the bearings and lifters. Well built glide will need band adjustments, fluid level checks and decent coler.
Tyres, depends on power levels, how many runs you make and vehicle weight. Look after them, rotate them side to side every 10 runs, only burnout enought to get optimal traction.
Pricemoney and sponsorship. Enrole in the Pro RT sponsorship scheme, run the Eurodragster decals for Perfect light and dial in. Anything you need for racing, pick up the phone and ask for it for free in exchange for advertising space on the car. If somebody helps you out, go above and beyond to return the favour, write to local newspapers, send them photos, email updates, invite them to races etc.
As said in the begining, it'll cost a lot more than you think, if you can share the cost between a few of you ad share the driving that should make itmore affordable. Good luck getting to the track
MSA License and SPRC memberships, £60-£70 annually
4 wheels trailer £500 min for carvan lash up, £2000 for decent branded secondhand transporter
You need somewhere to kip. Tents just ain't an option IMO. Van's, Motorhomes, Lorries all cost money to run, tax, store, MOT, repair, insure etc. I've had them all and I think a cheap £3-400 caravan stored at Shakey or Pod is the best option.
Food, sounds funny to include it but we had to stop buying food at the track because it's so expensive. Makes me laugh when people complain about fuel costs yet they can afford £50-60 at the burger van over a weekend ?
Racewear. Buy the best you can, expect to budget £1000 or more if buying new. Don't buy belts second hand, read your rules and see what needs to be SFI tagged.
Fuel. There is one simple way to bracket race. Build the biggest cu in motor you can with a glide behind it. Build it to run pump gas, forget nitrous it's a variable in bracket racing and another cost. If you build a motor with a small displacement or from an odd combo or to run race fuel etc then you've created a money pit. You don't need it at this level.
Entry fees vary so much as you have 4,3 and 2 day meetings, plus a charge fo £40 or so for power. You get entry for you and 3 crew. If you're cre can stump up for their tickets then great or of you can flog the crew tickets cheap to other racers it helps. see SPRC for detail of costs
Maintainence, build it right and as strong as you can afford, run it soft and it won't need much. Valve lash once a meeting, plugs once season and fluids as when. Don't be afraid to filter and re-use oil, but always use new filter. Expect 200 runs from a properly built pump gas BBC before you need to check the bearings and lifters. Well built glide will need band adjustments, fluid level checks and decent coler.
Tyres, depends on power levels, how many runs you make and vehicle weight. Look after them, rotate them side to side every 10 runs, only burnout enought to get optimal traction.
Pricemoney and sponsorship. Enrole in the Pro RT sponsorship scheme, run the Eurodragster decals for Perfect light and dial in. Anything you need for racing, pick up the phone and ask for it for free in exchange for advertising space on the car. If somebody helps you out, go above and beyond to return the favour, write to local newspapers, send them photos, email updates, invite them to races etc.
As said in the begining, it'll cost a lot more than you think, if you can share the cost between a few of you ad share the driving that should make itmore affordable. Good luck getting to the track
Might be worth considering pooling up with some mates and sharing the costs/jollies in the old Hot Rod Gang tradition.
Could be a few people thinking along those lines but not got enough interested bods handy, so maybe shout out/advertise?
Or 'buy' into an existing team/racer operation.
Could be a few people thinking along those lines but not got enough interested bods handy, so maybe shout out/advertise?
Or 'buy' into an existing team/racer operation.
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