How much are you spending or making at the ARRC?

[RSTPerformance]

Ok, I came to a realization today (why it took so long I have no idea)... People spend a ton of money at this event. Last year we brought one car with a budget of $1,000.00 for everything including hotel, entry, and gas (yes we had used tires and ate the free track food). We went over by about $100.00 with cell bills included. This year we are bringing two cars, buying new tires and crew is flying in so we are planning on spending a quite a bit more. I will tally up the budget details later and post for people¡¦s laughter!!!

But, the point of my post was to give this one tidbit of amazement I had.

The Hotel Bill:

The Inn at Chateau Elan features 276 French-style deluxe guest rooms at an average of $184.00 a night. They are sold out. That is over $50,000.00 a night!!!

For me, we are getting 3 rooms for 4 nights. That would have been 736.00 per room times 3 is $2,208.00. That doesn't include taxes or tip. That is a lot of money and is only one of the numerous line items in ones budget for this trip!!! Who wants to sponsor us so I can be relaxed after that long haul from NH?

Unless someone sponsors us we will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express (oh wait sponsorship is welcome for the Holiday Inn Express as well) across the street at $85.00 a night. The first night we will be sharing a room cause we are to cheep to get all 3 rooms for a half a night. This means our total will be $935.00 (ouch, that is a lot), but the crew is worth it . If anyone else would like to put us and/or our crew up in the hotel across the street let me know ļ

¡§Why don¡¦t racetracks have their own hotels? You would think they would sell out most weekends???¡¨

Raymond ¡§My bro took tourism management, why am I thinking of these things¡¨ Blethen
RST Performance Racing

[apr67]

Raymond.

These are things better to calculate after the race.

I'm using my RV, so I figure gas down/back and Gennie use will run me $500 (from South Florida, about 650 miles each way).

Plane ticket for wife. $90

Broken SpecMiata parts. Priceless.

Alan

[Andy Bettencourt]

Simple travel rules to live by:

Step 1:
Pack all your clothes and determine how much money to bring.

Step 2:
Take half your clothes out and put them away and DOUBLE your budget.

Simple really!

AB

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Andy Bettencourt
New England Region, R188967
ITS RX-7 and ITA project SM
www.flatout-motorsports.com

[OTLimit]

Raymond,
The Admiral Benbow is cheaper, and just across the highway. Of course, it's more on the line of a Motel 6, but hey.

Because of all of the sessions Chris is running, and bringing pretty much all new tires, this is going to be a pricey 5 days. Including my airline ticket for the way down, entry fees, tow gas, race gas, food, (and probably 2 hotel rooms for Sunday night, because we haven't made it home the last two years without stopping) I should still be able to keep it under $2500. Wish me luck.

It would be interesting to see if everyone confesses to how much it really costs them, 'cause we all know that many of you are fooling yourselves.



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Lesley Albin
Over The Limit Racing
Blazen Golden Retrievers

[gsbaker]

Originally posted by RSTPerformance:
...This means our total will be $935.00 (ouch, that is a lot), but the crew is worth it .

Ray,

You can rent a motorhome for $500-$600. Sleeps up to 7 and you can probably save some $ on food with the kitchen--and keep the Coronas cool in the fridge

http://www.cruiseamerica.com/rv_rentals/av...ble/default.asp

You can pick one up just outside the Atlanta airport. And I'll bet with a little practice, you can get the lap times under 5 minutes.

I'll throw something in the pot to help with expenses.

Gregg

[joeg]

Holiday Inn Express??

Way too classy and expensive. I always search out the NOTEL MOTEL chain in areas where I race.

[OTLimit]

The CruiseAmerica deal is actually worth looking into. We did it for two or three years; you just have to know how to deal with the generator, because if you've got it, you're going to use it.

It was more cost efficient than getting 2-3 hotel rooms, as long as two people are willing to deal with the sofa/table beds.

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Lesley Albin
Over The Limit Racing
Blazen Golden Retrievers

[Festus E. Simkins]

I typically budget between $600 and $1,000 for the average race week end. This includes entry fees, travel, motel, food, incidentals while at the track. It does not include car prep and tires. The closest track I race is Memphis 3.5 hours. The Burb gets 9-10 MPG towing. The last time I went to the ARRC (several years ago) I doubled the high end and came in under budget. It's about 450 miles from my house to Road Atlanta.

Drive well.

[joeg]

That's more realistic; but tires and car prep can make that much bigger.

Cheers.

[tac911t]

VIR just completed a hotel overlooking turns 5/6. I think there are 80-85 rooms for ~$150.00 a night. Plans are for 2 additional hotels and maybe condos.

[oanglade]

Race entry fee and gas money to go back and forth the 15-20 miles between the track and my house.

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Ony Anglade
ITA Miata
Sugar Hill, GA

[CaptainWho]

Originally posted by OTLimit:
The Admiral Benbow

The name of that place has changed. Unfortunately I don't know what the new name is. It also looks like the new folks have at least repainted since they took over.

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Doug "Lefty" Franklin
NutDriver Racing

[ITTdriver]

The "former" Admiral Benbow is a truly scary motel. Try the Comfort Inn behind the "Aweful House". It's much better and not much more.

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Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are sports. The rest are just games.
Hemingway.

[ITTdriver]

Atlanta Region has put together a Friday party of legendary proportions!! Food!! Adult beverages!! and a live band!!! Best of all, it's free for competitors and crew!!!
Sponsors are Rd Atl., Zander Radio Systems, and Late Model Stock Car Racing. Come to the party and thank the sponsors for supporting us.

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Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are sports. The rest are just games.
Hemingway.

[Anubis]

You can also go hunting down in Gwinnett, not super close to the track but not haul at the same time. Think rooms in that area are 50ish/night.

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Lance Snyder
Atlanta Region F&C

No more the small one, the weak one, the frightened one.
Running from beatings, deflating.
I'm becoming more than a man. More than you ever were.
Driven and burning to rise beyond Jesus.

[moto62]

Well, now that I think about it, between now and when I get back to Connecticut on Sunday after the ARRC, I would have spent close to $2500. That includes tires, entry, gas, hotel, beer and food. The way I see it, a trip to the ARRC......priceless.
Ray

[gran racing]

Ray, if you took beer out of the budget how much would it be then?

The event is as expensive as you make it. Do you have to stay at a hotel? If I went, I'd be camping. Food? Between track food and other stuff picked up at a local grocery store then grilled. Besides, you'd be eating if you were home anyways.

Tires, entry fee, gas, and what ever I brake. For a typical race weekend, the entry fees would be about the same. Tires - would use newer ones for the ARRC but this would just be a matter of timing the new tire purchase. So really about the same. Gas down there...that adds to the cost. Beer would definately add up too.

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Dave Gran
NER ITB #13
'87 Honda Prelude si

[gsbaker]

Hey, what about Bill's home brew?!!!

What a guy! Not only makes it himself, but drags it all the way from Wisconsin (where they know beer) so we can sample it!

All together now,

ALL HAIL BILL!
ALL HAIL BILL!
ALL HAIL BILL!



Gregg

[moto62]

Originally posted by gran racing:
Ray, if you took beer out of the budget how much would it be then?

I'd save about $1000......and Bill's homebrew will make up some of the difference. ALL HAIL BILL!!! I hope you're bringing a tankers worth of homebrew.

<font face=\"Verdana, Arial\" size=\"2\">The event is as expensive as you make it. Do you have to stay at a hotel? If I went, I'd be camping. Food? Between track food and other stuff picked up at a local grocery store then grilled. Besides, you'd be eating if you were home anyways. </font>

Normally we try to be frugal at best when running races at home but since we're travelling so far away we may as well make the best of it. Also we have learned not to depend on things like food at the beer party. Could be chips and dip and that aint gonna cut it. Obviously, our expectations will be greater for the party at the ARRC but it's better to be safe than sorry. The same goes for the hotel vs. tent thing. You can make this trip on probably half of what I budgeted for but at least I'll have have some room for anything unseen or misfortunes. Last year was my barely prepared, go on a shoestring budget. This year, we will be wayyyyyy better prepared and hope to have a ton of fun.
ALL HAIL BILL!!! again
Ray.

[Greg Amy]

<font face=\"Verdana, Arial\" size=\"2\">The Admiral Benbow is cheaper, and just across the highway.</font>

That's the place I used to stay at when I attended the Runoffs in the late-80's, early 90s. I don't recall is being a bad place, but of course those were the days when I usually spent my weekends camped out in the bed of my 6-cylinder Dodge 1/2 ton short-bed "tow vehicle". I was pleased as punch to have *any* place I could call "warm and dry"...

I am *so* glad I got a formal post-high school education... GA