Your 2002 season budget

[johng]

This thread got me thinking.... thinking we're little fish basically. So I started thinking about those who raced a full season this year, and wondered what your costs were. I imagine they'll be a little more down to earth, but still quite high once you tally everything. Anyone want to reveal their budgets? Since I'm about a year behind where I wanted to be and didn't race a full season, I still spent a significant amount in a very short time buying and building my new car. No solid numbers from me yet - it's bedtime and I'm beat. I'll try to sort through all the paperwork tomorrow.

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[Conechaser]

I'm not a member on the other forum. But i saw them interviewing a driver in the SWC series that races a porsche. He was the rookie of the year and viagra is his main sponsor. He said their budget was 'only' $350k for the year. He only has a skeleton crew that goes to every race. What he does his put the word out to the local PCA club where the race is asking for 4-6 volunteers to help them out that weekend. He mentioned the AUDI team has a mulit-million dollar budget. O, he also mentioned he bought his car preassembled, he said the upfront cost was greater, but the car lasted all season w/ no problems, and that in the long run it would work out cheaper.

[Lord Quaalard]

$500 a season, I'm a tight wad. 15" tires rule.

[Evan55]

You could definitely pick up a competitive GT car used for $100k.

well hot damn, Im going to grab one of those on the way home

[Crack Monkey]

I added up my 2001 season a few months ago and posted it here (I'd link it, but the craptastic search doesn't find it).

The total was somewhere around $16,000, which inluded building the SRX-7, buying my gear, getting licensed, and running 8 race weekends (with test day on Fridays) and 10-15 autocrosses. The cost for the races/testing only was somewhere around $8000.

The figures did not include the tow vehicle or trailer.

[CivicSiRacer]

My budget was under what I projected, of course not including entry fees to the 30 or so autocrosses and HPDE at VIR.

My budget was $2000. Sponsorship was around $1000 which included rotors, brake pads, Azenis, wheels, shocks, coilovers, and that was about it. My car was already pretty much done at the end of 2001. Thanks to other sponsors.

**EDIT** I was planning on going with polyurethane bushings and a camber kit, but never got around to it.


[Modified by CivicSiRacer, 10:58 AM 11/15/2002]

[madhatter]

I for one am very curious what a full season wheel to wheel budget looks like. I know my autocross budget only ran about 300 bucks including tires, brakes, new suspension, gas and entry fees, once I subtract the price of the car. I am not so deluded as to think that I can get away with that for long, though.

and yes. I am a cheap bastard who got lucky on some purchases.

edit: didn't see CivicSIRacers post. Thanks.


[Modified by madhatter, 10:56 AM 11/15/2002]

[carl_aka_carlos]

well....since I'm just another hack autoXer my budget will be alot lower than you wheel-2-wheel racers.....including my new suspension, I've spent around $3500.....that's koni's, springs, sleeves, 3 sets of wheels, two sets of tires, and entry fees, travel costs, hotels.....I do know what one of my buddies has invested in his EP RX-7 alone.....$35,000, and he told me he figures spending about $1000 a race weekend.....which is why at this point in my life I've elected to put my road racing plans on hold until I am more profitable (read: until I make more $$$)....right now I'm happy seeing how far I can go dodging cones

[uncleben]

edit: skip ahead over a year, now it's the eve of 2004, and I've spent basically $12,000. Put that in your go-fast pipe and smoke it. Man, I was pretty dumb/nieve when I wrote the below post thinking I'd get out of this under 7 grand

at least I won my championship

----------

While I haven't started my actualy competitive season (next year) I'd say in 2002 I've spent on the average of $300 a month JUST on autocrossing and tires and about 5-6 track days in the ITR.

For next years season, since I will be racing in a competitive monthly race series AND I am buiding a car (see sig) I decided to start a little log book of how much money I am spending on my Civic. It's scary, I'm starting to think I shouldn't have started keeping track. I started with a $500 wrecked beater and have since spent a total of $2,200 (including the car). I've kept track of every expense, down to oil and sparkplugs. And the car isn't even fast yet! Haha, and to think I had the chance to by a couple people's full prepped Civics for under $5000 a couple months ago. And I figure I still EASILY have another $4,000 to go just on suspension/cage/wheels/etc.

Oh well, I better stop thinking about it before I change my mind about this whole racing business!


Modified by uncleben at 12:37 PM 12/31/2003

[Superhatch]

You will have to wait till this summer, but I will be posting the cost breakdown of building my Midwest Honda Challenge car.

-Jake

[Watkinsm3]

I'll leave out general maint on the car but it went a little somethin' like this... (this is an all autocross season)

2002 season :
Event entries : ~1500 (about 60 events averaged out at $25)
Tires : $3200 ($2400 in hoosiers and $800 on Azenis)
Mods : $5000 (LSD,wheels, clutch flywheel...blah blah blah blah....)
Hotel Expenses : $500
Total : $10,200 (I probably forgot something too...)

Damn that's depressing all of a sudden. 10k to play in a parking lot all summer long. I'm hoping for next year the car will be more constant and I can just toss money at tires.

[Backmarker]

FWIW,
My back of the envelope estimate for a full season in the ECHC ran ~$8-10K...

[uncleben]

Total : $10,200 (I probably forgot something too...)

[Mark sans]

Wow - a competitive team requires Al's annual budget... every week of the year!

Actually, I put a single HPDE weekend into perspective last week and realized that even in a street car on street tires, I was over $500 for a weekend ($300 entry; $50 hotel; $70 food; $40 gas (avg. drive + track); $25 brakes (20% of a set of Carbotechs); $25 pre-event oil change) - and I always spend more than this b/c of nice dinners, , etc. Nor does it include other maintenance to the car, tires, rotor wear, upgrades, etc. It really isn't hard to spend a few grand a year just to drive your car.

But $450,000? WOW. On the other hand, I am VERY impressed w/ a the report of a sub-$100,000 effort that reached the podium. With travel and the cost of things for those cars, that seems like an outstanding value.

[Jon Nelson]

Midwest Honda Challenge? I must have missed something.....

[XR4racer]

A budget is an amount of money, set aside(available) for a cause... I don't see massive, compounding debt as a "budget". So basically I can't tell what was Last year's budget, this year's budget, or the years before.

[ITR764]

You could definitely pick up a competitive GT car used for $100k.
well hot damn, Im going to grab one of those on the way home

elgorey, if you don't mind grab me one to and i'll pay you back...

[RacerBowie]

a rough estimate of what it takes to run a decent season if you don't make any changes to the car (yeah right) is between $750 and $1000 per weekend, depending on tire wear and tracks run.

I spend about $800ish per weekend running hoosiers, but I camp at the track every time, so no hotel bills, and I get 15mpg towing with the powerstroke. (Note: I don't count the truck payment in the racing budget, nor trailer maintenance....I should, but it is just too damn depressing)

Toyos make life a touch cheaper, but so does not drinking beer....those 2 things both boil down to how much fun do you want to have doing your hobby. (to me winning is more fun so the added cost of the hoosiers is usually worth it.)

This ain't no po' man's sport. It never has been, and never will be, no matter how hard we try to make it.


[Modified by RacerBowie, 12:18 PM 11/15/2002]

[bulldog_RS20]

First year excluding car, trailer, towing and lodging costs, tool, fuel and beer...

3 test days/schools - 375
3 novice entries - 480
(@ 160 per)
5 senior entries - 800
2 sets o'tires - 1100
brakes/rotors - 260
1 distributor - 390
1 front axle/bearing
replacement w/labor - 280
1 rear bearing - 90

total - 3775.00

event average (11) = 343.18

Greg ~ who's budgeting an additional 3k for repairs/upgrades for next season

[Neo]

Total : $10,200 (I probably forgot something too...)

Gulp! ~$10k for an autocrossing budget! And 60 events for the year? That's more than one per week! Yikes, I'm lucky if I can make one per month...

My '02 budget for autocrossing only looks something like this (using rounded figures for simplicity):

$250 entry fees (10x$25)
$300 tires (Azenis )
$300 mods (new GCs)
-------
$850 total

I got REALLY lucky this year when a local H-Ter loaned me (i.e., for no charge) his 15x7 SSR Type Xs to use w/ the Azenis. Otherwise, my budget would been about $600 higher.

[civicrr]

I spent way too much. It is somewhere in the area of $10k. This didn't include oil or fuel. It doesn't include my 2001 PSD truck that I wouldn't have if I wasn't towing or my trailer or spares parts. It also doesn't include the stuff I got from sponsors. It did include a engine build - you can only get so many used motors before you give up on them. Sparco seat, about 10 RA-1's, NASCAR bars, fire system, guages to monitor my expensive engine.....This crap is depressing! No wonder why I have no $$$$

Hopefully, I won't be buying anything other than maintence stuff.

[CivicSiRacer]

yeah Matt is a psycho autocrosser.

But what happened at the last event Matt? You let a first year newbie get ya? Referring to AJ Nealy


[Modified by CivicSiRacer, 12:52 PM 11/15/2002]

[Evan55]

A budget is an amount of money, set aside(available) for a cause... I don't see massive, compounding debt as a "budget". So basically I can't tell what was Last year's budget, this year's budget, or the years before.

*sigh* Im with you on that one

Evan
-who doesnt even road race yet and is already spending waaay too much of visa's money.

[MaddMatt]

60 events? This year?!?!? There's still 7 weekends to go?

How to remain active in motorsports when unemployed:

front sway bar bushings: $25
un-bent control arms: $60
1set 15" Azenis: $300
1 set 14" Azenis: $200
entry: ~$100 (only a few autocrosses, track schools free )
hotel: Not much, VIR only 1 hour from home (probably ~$150)
trailer rental: $200 (trip to Savanah)

Damn, I spent about a grand and I did even try hard....

[vwong]

For 2003, I won't be running with San Diego region, that means I can concentrate on only the Prelude. My budget is probably around $3500, that's including the entry fees for regional events; hotel, food, and gas for 2 NT's, 2 ProSolo, and the National at Topeka; a set of tires; a set of brake pads (probably not, I think my current set will last me for the entire 2003 season); and revalving of my shocks. All regular maintenances are not included in this budget. I still have about $500 from my sponsor. Most likely that would go toward the Integra and be ready for 2004.