Maineiac

How much would it cost to run an entire T1 season...competitively? (ballpark figure?)

Lets assume you have a prepped T1 Z06 already...no sponsors, just paying everything out of your own pocket.....what would it cost?

Lets also assume that you don't wreck during the year and dont' have to make any collision repairs to the car.

AU N EGL

here is my guess. $3,000 to $5,000 per race, depeding if it is a one or two race weekend. and NEW tires.

0EG@EnglandGreen

Consumeables : tyres, all fluids, pads, rotors, clutch

Hotel :

Travel :

Event Fees :

yellow01

Too expensive. Send me your T1 suspension setup.

:

AU N EGL

and the GT2 Le Mans team of Peterson White Lightning / Krohn racing GT2 Porsche spend $960,000 + drivers saleries to race at Le Mans, which unfortunitly they crashed out of.

So lets see, 1 million vs $5,000. No wonder T1 is called amature.

I think I stick with DEs at about $700 per weekend.

seege

Some quick math. 6 races plus the Runoffs. Average pull 500 miles per event plus 3000 Runoffs. At 6mpg towing and $3 gal gas:

$3000 tow gas
$1200 race gas
$15000 tires (This is assuming 3 races with one set each for qualifying and race and 3 races with one set for both, plus stickers for everyday at the Runoffs and a set of rains - you said competitive-so add 3 more)
$1500 entry fees
$3000 brake pads,rotors and 1 wheel bearing change
$2000 decent spares package for your trailer
$7000 Runoffs engine rebuild or crate engine, new clutch and tune.
$2000 miscellaneous testing
$2000 Runoffs testing
$2000 other sh"t that will break.


If you've got your own Motorhome: add $1000 for food and beverage. If you don't: add $3000 for food, beverage and decent
motels.

Need support? let's say $200 a day x 16 days $3200

I can't bear to add it up, but these are pretty real numbers and wrecks do happen to most folks eventually.. so there's more too.. Did I mention spare wheels, towing breakdowns, rental cars and carts at the Runoffs...

Worth Every Penny !

AU N EGL

$46,000

yellow01

I'd say the same thing if someone was going to sell me a Lamborghini Murcielago straight off the showroom floor for $50k... but if ya ain't got 50k...

That hurts looking at it. Thanks for the rollup though. Now I know for sure I'll never go that route.

wtknght1

I'm assuming you're talking running competitively at the NATIONAL level and not regional. For national competition (which means new tires every race), if you are expecting to win, you need to plan on about 2-3K per weekend.

I added everything up over the past few years and that's about what it came to. That wasn't replacing engines, clutches or anything like that. You really don't need to do that to run competitively. But, tires, brakes, rotors, gas (both towing and racing), entry and test fees, hotel, etc will definitely eat a budget up.

Here's the basics though per weekend. Again, this is for National competition...and I run the least expensive stuff out there:
Tires: $1000 (Kumhos with shipping)
Brakes: $300 (Carbotechs)
Rotors: $100
Entry fees: $250 average
Test day (if you choose to do so): $150 average
Racing Gas: $200
Towing fuel: $300 average - round trip
Hotel: $200 average for 3 days

That's about $2500. If you use Kumhos or some other tire with a contingency program, you can get some of that back. GM Performance also has contingency as does Summit Racing. You can sell your old tires to the DE guys for about $300 a set and maybe a set of old brakes or two to help as well.

Now you have to add in the cost of repairs, parts, etc and that can really get painful unless you are very lucky.

I got a break last year (and this year) when Kumho Tires sponsored me - that was HUGE for me!!!!!! But the money I saved on tires, I sunk into getting a new engine and rebuilding my diff.

Overall, you need to count on at least $3K per weekend. But trust me, it's worth every penny. Your first time seeing that green flag in an actual wheel-to-wheel race, knowing that the guy beside you is fighting for the same piece of real estate you are...and your heart is pounding like you never thought possible...well, lets just say it's something that DE stuff just can't quite match.

I still teach DE events and it's still fun...but it's not racing. Come on in, the water's fine!!!!!!!! Find out what you can do. We'd love to have you.

yellow01

I still have the goal of getting the license... I'll do it but it may take time due to cost.

Unfortunately my wife has an expensive hobby also... so it's constant give/take.

BuckeyeZ06

What Chris said is right on, both on the costs issue as well as how you feel.

C'mon in, it's more than great.

Bugeater

Chris is dead-on. Now, a large percentage of T1 guys do not run a national schedule, and at the regional level your travel expenses are lower due to mainly distance and the number of different tracks. An added bonus is that you can typically run a set of tires in 2 races instead of 1 and be competitive. Regional T1 weekends can be had for roughly half the 3K average of a national T1 competitive weekend. If you live very close to the track you could drop the cost to 1200 or so, but thats a rare (and lucky) entrant.

If your goal is podium and not winning, you can stretch the tires some more to cut costs. New tires, brakes etc or not, you still get a rush when the green flag drops!!!

FastZR1

Chris,
Thanks for the write up. It sure does sound like a good time. Sooner or later I hope.

Maineiac

Sounds like a blast!

LG Motorsports

Yes it is. And then once the needle is in, you can expect to be addicted for years to come.

And with human nature as it is, you will strive to be better and better and follow the rule,"Money buys speed".

Not just parts, but seat time. And seat time costs money. Every mile that you run costs more money but racing is the last clean wholesome fun left in America so it is money well spent.

It is also a sport that you can enjoy until you catch up with Paul Newman's age.

At any rate, Life is no dress rehersal, so go for it.

LG

wtknght1

Yeah, I've said many times that it would have been a lot easier and cheaper just to develop a good ol' fashioned CRACK habit. ha ha

plaster

So how does one go about getting sponsors, and what kind of percentage do they give you?
Any money if you actually win a race to help offset costs?
Something I am very interested in, but two grand a pop is not feasible right now.

Maineiac

How many races in a "Regional" season???

And how do you qualify for the National runoffs?....they take so many from each region??

AU N EGL

I think Lou said it best. "The best way to make a small fortune in racing is to start with a large fortune."

Sponsorship even on the professional level is very very hard to get. Most Guys pay there own way. Look at the Big sponsors names on the cars. Those sponsors, in most cases are the drivers, day job business that he owns.

Once you start WINNING at the National level, not necessarly regional races they may be some contigancey moneys or equipment. Or out right sponsorship. But that takes Winning Races.

NJCRUISER

You will need to do 4 regionals just to apply for a national license. Or you can pay for a Skip Barber course and go national right away which I do not recommend. Once racing at the national level you need 4 National races where you have finished to be eligible for the runoffs. They (SCCA) invite the top 10 from each Division to the runoffs. The NE division is the most populated in T1. Other divisions may have 5 0r 6 fierce competitors but they are all assured invites as the remaining 7 of 8 divisions have 10 or less drivers. NE is always hardfought to get entry with some 18 or more drivers going for top 10.