Racing on the cheap

[emwavey]

Looking for suggestions on ways to cut expenses during a race weekend. With fuel prices going up, and me being new to racing, I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to make it to more races.

Currently I'm looking at September to finally make it to another event.

Sharing a room
- or -
Camping (tent)
Bring food: PB&J sandwiches
Toyos
...

-dave, who's sticking to his "race on cash" ideals from here on.
8)

[dave parker]

Dave
Unfortunately, you are right on the target:
Camp at the track
Bring your own food
Less expensive tires
Are realistic things to do when trying to participate in a VERY expensive hobby.
Sadly racing, no matter what your racing is expensive.
Wait until you have kid(s) and a mortgage!
Good Luck.
dave parker
wdcr ITC#97

[Knestis]

Damn - I forgot to have kids!

K

[Russ Myers]

Kirk; I'll sell (give) you mine. He's 19 and has had all of his shots.

Russ

[ddewhurst]

Dave, the hot ticket is to get good sponsors. Example I have three very good sponsors.

Pops/SIF/Stewart garage

Pops is what my two sons have called me forever.

SIF is Sons Inheritance Fund.

Stewart is my middle name & I have a two car garage at home.

Your on the cheap list has many things covered. Have ya tried a surgar ma ma? In 38 races I have spent three nights in a motel & that's racing in 4 states other than the state I live in. It's colder than smell in the CenDiv in the spring & fall.

Where do you live?

Have Fun
David

[This message has been edited by ddewhurst (edited June 27, 2005).]

[MMiskoe]

The best way to race cheaply that I have seen is to do it on someone elses nickle. Haven't figured out how to do it myself however. If you figure it out, let me know.

Sometimes, depending on the group, you can get more seat time per dollar in an enduro than in a sprint race.

Another thing is to find a non-racing car club & become an instructor. No racing to be had, but sometimes they will let you bring your own car for a couple of sessions. Don't kid yourself, you will not have time to do any work on it if you are instructing, quite likely you will move from one car to another w/o leaving the pit lane for well over an hour at a whack (think 3 or 4 consecutive 20 minute sessions). Plus you have to be able to climb in a car w/ someone you don't know driving..... But there's free track time!

[JeffW]

I run a Spec7 (IT, maybe next year)w/205/60-13's. Spec tires are Toyo, Kumho, and the Yokohama rear tires that the SRF guys barely use. The SRF guys have a couple choices... pay the landfill disposal fee or let a poor guy take them away. (After I'm done with them, I give the used tires and empty beer cans to Dennis Weaver to build another EcoHouse.)

If you run the same size as the Wreck Pinatas, plenty of used tires available.

[emwavey]

Originally posted by dave parker:
Wait until you have kid(s) and a mortgage!

Ah ha! That's the deal... have to get rid of the mortgage. Can't give away the kid, I've become pretty attached to her.

Yeah I think the VIR trip (back in May) took a bit more cash then I was originally thinking. Adding up the four nights in a hotel, plus food and having just thrown quite a bit of money into the truck, left me in the red.

On the flip side, I spent two nights at Pocono for the SCCA track day (June '05) as an instructor, shared a room, drove pretty conservative at the track, and mostly brought or had food provided. I figured I spent less then 200 bucks for the entire weekend.

Since I have some tread left on the Toyos, and still have fluids (oil and brake), brakes and spares, I'm hoping my next race weekend will be closer to the 400 - 500 dollar range including entry fees... if I'm lucky.

Thanks for helping me explore the "cheap" boundaries.

-dave
8)

[mgyip]

Dave - Those of us who comprise the "No Class" corral (a few of whom you met at VIR) are trying desperately to race on the cheap. We share resources to reduce costs - at Slummit Point, most of the herd camps at least one night or (like myself) goes home instead of going to a hotel. When we're on the road, I generally share a room unless Gregg screws up the reservation and I end up with a single but that's another story.

Regarding food and drink, Mo is our appointed chef so we all throw money into the pot (so to speak) and Mo buys whatever she sees fit to feed the group of us for the race weekend. Compared to spending $5 for b-fast and $5 for lunch, we can spend $15 each for the ENTIRE weekend and eat like kings.

I've considered male prostitution to offset my racing expenses but the market for short, round Asian men just isn't what it used to be...

Haz-Matt

[zooracer]

oh, and rule out being competitive...

[Knestis]

I don't know - I think Matt might be very competitive in the short, round, Asian male prostitute market.

Oh, wait...

K

[Wayne]

Originally posted by ddewhurst:
SIF is Sons Inheritance Fund.

I made the mistake of telling my son about this concept. Oddly enough he is not so enthusiastic about working on the race-car anymore...

[jhooten]

Tell him what I told mine. Your inheritance is sitting in the driveway, if you want it to be worth something when you get it you better help keep it running good now.

[emwavey]

I did the whore thing for a few years in college, but didn't seem to work out too well then, and I don't think the wife would appreciate it too much now... she's so narrow-minded.

Thanks again for the warm welcome at VIR into the "no class" crew. I'd be very happy to retain my status as the latest stray into the folds, and would be more then happy to throw a few bucks Mo's way.

Hopefully I'll be back out for the last MARRS race.

------------------
-dave
nerdsracing.com
8)

[Tom Donnelly]

Use VISA/MasterCard as a sponsor. Race for 10 years, extending the credit limit. File bankruptcy, lose the house in the divorce. Get new cards with higher credit limit due to bankruptcy. Race for another 10 years. File bankruptcy again. Repeat process until you finally hit a wall and save money on the cremation/burial.

It could work.

Tom Donnelly
ITS 240z

[PFM Racing]

Originally posted by Knestis:
Damn - I forgot to have kids!

K

Yeah, me too, it really helps the racing budget.

Go and get a graduate degree, they give you lots of loans!


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Jennifer Rudder
PFM Racing
http://www.pfmracing.com

[joeg]

Maybe not, Tom, with the darn new fangled--PRO-CREDIT CARD COMPANIES--bankruptcy law!

[Jiveslug]

Originally posted by Knestis:
I don't know - I think Matt might be very competitive in the short, round, Asian male prostitute market.

Oh, wait...

K

Dude, I almost spit out my double decaffinated half-caff wanilla chai latte (with a twist of lemon)! Thats comedy gold, ladies and gentlemen.

[Bill Miller]

Originally posted by Jiveslug:

Dude, I almost spit out my double decaffinated half-caff wanilla chai latte (with a twist of lemon)! Thats comedy gold, ladies and gentlemen.

Ahhh, if only you knew Matt!!!



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

[Tom Donnelly]

<font face=\"Verdana, Arial\" size=\"2\">Maybe not, Tom, with the darn new fangled--PRO-CREDIT CARD COMPANIES--bankruptcy law!</font>

Dangit, back to using my "I will race for food sign". Hmmm, student loans?

Tom Donnelly