What is the typical entry fee in your area?

[gran racing]

Over in the Northeast forum we've been discussing the possible increase in entry fees at one of our tracks, Lime Rock Park. All of this discussion has gotten me curious; how much are the typical entry fees in your neck of the woods? Is this for a single or double race weekend? Approximately how much track time do you get - broken out by race, practice and/or qualifying? All of this is based on 2004 numbers.

Lime Rock Park: Average entry fee $225. Typically one 20 min. of qualifying/practice and a 20 lap race.

------------------
Dave Gran
NER ITB #13
'87 Honda Prelude si

[Mike Cox]

This weekend at Sebring: (long course)

15 minute practice,

15 minute qualifying,

3 regional races: two 6 lap races and a 30 minute SARRC race

works out to be about 90 minutes of track time for $160.00

[pgipson]

Next weekend (3,4 & 5) at Phoenix International Raceway
Friday Test Day -- $180 (time not defined yet, but will probably 3 or 4 20 min sessions)
Saturday Regional -- $200 ($185 for early entry) 3 sessions 10 min prac/ 20 min qual / 30 min race

National -- $210 ($195 for early entry) 4 sessions 15 min on Sat. 15 Min Sunday morn 15 min Qual 30 lap race

[chuck baader]

One point you are missing is the relationship between track rental and entry fees. At a track such as Barber with a 10k/day rental, entry fees will be much higher. Promoters and clubs must make a profit or there is no reason to hold a race. Personally I am just happy to have a place to race...entry fees are just a small part of the raceing budget.

------------------
Chuck Baader
#36 ITA E30 BMW
Alabama Region Divisional Registrar

[Bill Miller]

IIRC, a MARRS race at Summit Point is $180. That's 2 20 min. quallifying sessions, a 5-10 min. hardship practice on Sun. AM, and a 16 lap race (usually 25 - 30 min.).

IMHO, the LRP races are rip off, ~30 min. less track time for $45 more. It's the main reason why I don't go to LRP, even though it's only 3 hrs away. Not to mention that I think Summit Point is a much better track.

------------------
MARRS #25 ITB Rabbit GTI (sold) | MARRS #25 HProd Rabbit
SCCA 279608

[JeffYoung]

Stuff in the SEDiv is pretty consistent. $200 test days (probably 4 30 minutes sessions, so this is a great deal). SARRC sprint races are usually $150 to $200, and entail a 10 min prac., a 20 min qual. and a 30 min rac. ECRs (enduros) are usually a bit more ($225 maybe), and involve a qual, maybe a practice and a 1.5 hour race. VIR and Barber are a bit more than CMP and Lowe's, and Roebling is usually the cheapest of all (track is actually owned by the local SCCA chapter).

[lateapex911]

Barber charges 10K a day???????

This upcoming season Lime Rock wants 10,500 MORE than that! Per day!

Which will be $41,000 for a two day weekend.....an 80% INCREASE.

That's right....41 Thousand dollars. More than a lot of peole make in a year!

This year it was $11,500 per day, 23K for the weekend.

And the showers still suck, and the paddock still floods. But I understand the rates drop for December through February...good deals can be had...

Barber is a first class establishment....something is outa wack here.....

------------------
Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[David Ferguson]

I dare say that things are probably a bit cheaper in Alabama - land, payroll, taxes... You could move there.

[dickita15]

interesting thread, keep it up.
remember though the the gross track rent is only one factor. some tracks are a la cart and some include more services. other factors in the equation in how much track time you get are track lenght and car counts. if we gor 180 cars at lime rock instead of 300 we would get more track time but the entry fee would have to be higher.
in 06 40 miata's showing up for a national will change both the schedule and the mopney side.
dick patullo

[gsbaker]

I heard a couple of years ago that a weekend rental of Sebring was $14K.

I throw this into the pot with low confidence. I don't know if this number is right, if it is for full course vs. partial course rental, 2 day or 3 day, etc.

Gregg

[Mike Guenther]

USA International speedway in Lakeland, Fl is $2500 per day plus an additional $350 for the safety crew. Its a 3/4 mile banked oval. A lot of NASCAR teams use it for practice all year. Brian Vickers was there yesterday. The Hooters cup races there 3 times per year (this weekend is the season closer). The owner told me he would give me a break on the price if I wanted to get a few friends together for practice on a day not already reserved. Anyone want to go roundy round racing?

[gsbaker]

Mike,

I know a driver who would love to join in for the Lakeland rental, especially if you could get it down around $500.

Of course, he is a roundy-round driver, so don't expect to catch him.

Gregg

[racer_tim]

ThunderHill Regional = $200
Laguna Seca Regional = $275
Sears Point Regional = $235

Laguna Seca National = $345



------------------
Tim Linerud
San Francisco Region SCCA
#95 GP Wabbit
http://linerud.myvnc.com/racing/index.html

[bldn10]

"At a track such as Barber with a 10k/day rental, entry fees will be much higher. Promoters and clubs must make a profit or there is no reason to hold a race."

With all due respect to Chuck and the Alabama Region:

$20,000 to Mr. Barber and 300 or so entries at $325 a pop - you do the math!

------------------
Bill Denton
87/89 ITS RX-7
02 Audi TT225QC
95 Tahoe
Memphis

[chuck baader]

Bill, the 10k/day is the tip of the iceberg. You must consider ambulances (2), extra fire crew and equipment, medical, food for workers, (and a non SCCA race will have to pay for corner workers: 85$/day X 2 days X 22 workers), tropies, transportation, hotel rooms, adnausium. Try organizing and running one of these races: as you said, "you do the math"!

------------------
Chuck Baader
#36 ITA E30 BMW
Alabama Region Divisional Registrar

[JohnRW]

Originally posted by chuck baader:
Bill, the 10k/day is the tip of the iceberg.

Amen, Chuck. I've chaired Regional and Nat'l races, which means responsibility for the finances (making sure the 'P&L' is more 'P' than 'L')- the track rental is only 30-50% of the expenses side.

McDonalds burgers would be 11 cents each, if you just had to pay for the meat and the bun.

[RKramden]

Originally posted by chuck baader:
Bill, the 10k/day is the tip of the iceberg. You must consider ambulances (2), extra fire crew and equipment, medical, food for workers, (and a non SCCA race will have to pay for corner workers: 85$/day X 2 days X 22 workers), tropies, transportation, hotel rooms, adnausium. Try organizing and running one of these races: as you said, "you do the math"!

$85 for a day is cheap for worker pay. Lime Rock (if you go to them for workers) is either $175 a day or $150 a day (I've heard both) They end up putting the workers on the payroll, and the workers end up making far less after taxes. The track does nothing for any benifits, so they make out like bandits.

Way up at NHIS, the going rate is $100 cash, sometimes $125, they buy lunch and beer.

The highest I have ever been paid was $150 per day, but with a 1099 form. (This fall, 4 days in a row. Thanks Chevrolet.)


On the rest of the numbers, the last time I "did the math" (and I hope that all those who ever say "you do the math" get shot!!!!) it came out that track rental at Lime Rock (Which does include Ambulance and Wreckers) was just about 1/3rd of the cost of running the event. Insurance was right up there. Worker care (not pay), including the beer and food that the drivers and crew are invited to, and all the other expenses (sanction fees, golf cart rental, printing costs, postage, etc.) made up the final third of what it costs to run the race.

[Edwin Robinson]

Originally posted by JohnRW:
Amen, Chuck. I've chaired Regional and Nat'l races, which means responsibility for the finances (making sure the 'P&L' is more 'P' than 'L')- the track rental is only 30-50% of the expenses side.

McDonalds burgers would be 11 cents each, if you just had to pay for the meat and the bun.

Are you telling me that the pickle costs 88 cents?!?

Typical Rochester math.

I've got a bunch of pickles to sell you John!

~E.

[gran racing]

Yes, I understand that track fees are impacted by many variables. How much it costs for land, materials, ect. I'm not looking to get into a economics theory debate here talking about how track rental is lower then one area but so is median household income.

But it is interesting getting a feel for what other racers pay for an event.

------------------
Dave Gran
NER ITB #13
'87 Honda Prelude si

[ddewhurst]

Supply & demand............

This past summer the Milwaukee mile was asking $50,000/weekend for their newly resurfaced track inside the mile/using part of the mile. At the same time the mile was talking about co-sanctioning Kart races with the Badger Kart Club. Now I see there is a double Regional SCCA date for year 2005 at the mile. I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO GET $50,000 FROM BADGER KART CLUB OR ANY LOCAL REGION OF THE SCCA. There is not a $50,000 demand for the Milwaukee mile road course.

Nuff said
David

ps: I have heard that Road America gets approx $25,000/weekend & the Blackhawk Farm gets aprox $17,000/weekend. (If I am wrong with the $27 or $17k plus or minus a couple k someone will correct my numbers.)