Real Cost To Arrive-And-Drive TAFC & TAD? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Jay
- Start date
vegasnitro
Nitro Member
I would be surprised if that were true. One constant lament in Division 1 Alky Funny Car circles was they were spending twice the money as Uncle Frankie and he was still beating their ass. He ran out of the same trailer for 20+ years, got new pipe only when he needed to and didn't tear up parts as badly as some (TBone). He was also notorious for just running hard enough to win ... It wasn't always set on KILL ... it just seemed like it.
Most tracks don't let Racers camp out at the track...
MM
Nitro Member
Really? Like where?
Someone will disagree with me, but I find these threads interesting. It seems you have the teams who want to run hard but also want everything first class, first class food/accomodation/flights. Everything top notch. But then you get the guys who want to run hard but travel modestly, eat modestly, use modest accomodation.
Then you get those who don't run hard but do everything first class and those who don't run hard and do everything modestly.
Neither the first class way or the modest way is bad, but the logical thing for me would be however you do it prioritise your spending to where it will be most effective. You could have a big money first class operation and yet barely qualify.
I was reading an article the other day about racers who take a huge big tool box to the races with every tool imaginable in it, "Prepared for everything as they say", yet 70% of the tools in the toolbox don't fit anything on the actual race car. The article sounded really logical to me, makes alot of sense only taking what you absolutely need.
Then you get those who don't run hard but do everything first class and those who don't run hard and do everything modestly.
Neither the first class way or the modest way is bad, but the logical thing for me would be however you do it prioritise your spending to where it will be most effective. You could have a big money first class operation and yet barely qualify.
I was reading an article the other day about racers who take a huge big tool box to the races with every tool imaginable in it, "Prepared for everything as they say", yet 70% of the tools in the toolbox don't fit anything on the actual race car. The article sounded really logical to me, makes alot of sense only taking what you absolutely need.
You talking on Track Property, or across the street?
vegasnitro
Nitro Member
Joe, I don't know of any track that won't let you stay in the pits in your toterhome or RV if you are a paid entrant. One of my favorite things to do at national events is wander through the pits about 11pm on Friday night ... You would be surprised who is still there and not leaving.
Looking back in time the majority of the KICK ASS CARS where tuned and driven by the same person.
RG, back in the 90's Dale Van Gundy showed at in Dallas one year. I met he and his crewman (Those two were it!) They didn't even have a spare motor, just a spare set of Heads! That is about as Low Dollar racing as it gets!
I met Spiro Kontos at Indy 2 years ago, he hired Randy Anderson that year as his CC, and he said the savings in Destroyed Parts was incredible!
many do camp at the track now with the nice toters. Bartone is certainly the one who spent the most Bob M likely because of paying and flying in the CC. Pete I would venture that even the 650k you say he spends was not the norm even for him. Not doubting he told you that but doubting he told you the absolute truth. The couple teams I know that travel a bunch due to their geographic location (furthest travel distance to make a 14-20 race schedule) spend a pretty good percentage less than that with three or four fly in crew. Manzo may have had a high paying sponsor and his yearly cost would be high due to all the testing he did on a weekly basis but his cost per run would have been less that a number of teams.
Dean
Dean
Just an addition to what Marc said. While it is nice to have 7 nationals (good solid tracks) now to claim for national points the cost for travel has gone up do to the added travel and it sucks imo. only three regionals in the divisional for TA really loses the chance for any small dollar team to keep and run a TA car.
The only positive is that NFC has become a great class and has grown by leaps and bounds
Dean
The only positive is that NFC has become a great class and has grown by leaps and bounds
Dean
Thrill
Nitro Member
We can talk about the amortorized cost per run, cost per race type of deal where you spread expenses over x number of runs or races. Many times cash flow can be the killer, especially in the beginning of the year with recert expenses. Updates to parts, new parts, restocking, etc.
If you drove, tuned and worked on the car yourself with a volunteer crew that rides in the truck to the races, you might get by on $2500-$5000 a race, depending on travel. And that's a no frills, stay at the track type of deal. Many times trying to get a few more runs out of a part can prove disasterous.
It's not hard at all to spend $8500-10,000 a race, especially with travel and airfare. Especially with some modest damage (spread across the season). Kick the rods out, easily will cost $5k plus. We broke a crank at the end of 2012, killed block, pistons, rods, ti flywheel, clutch components, ring and pinion and cracked the chassis.
The teams with big name crew chiefs (not me) and a bunch of fly in crew help (getting paid too) and a full time guy are probably spending over $20k an event.
If you drove, tuned and worked on the car yourself with a volunteer crew that rides in the truck to the races, you might get by on $2500-$5000 a race, depending on travel. And that's a no frills, stay at the track type of deal. Many times trying to get a few more runs out of a part can prove disasterous.
It's not hard at all to spend $8500-10,000 a race, especially with travel and airfare. Especially with some modest damage (spread across the season). Kick the rods out, easily will cost $5k plus. We broke a crank at the end of 2012, killed block, pistons, rods, ti flywheel, clutch components, ring and pinion and cracked the chassis.
The teams with big name crew chiefs (not me) and a bunch of fly in crew help (getting paid too) and a full time guy are probably spending over $20k an event.
FastJackFan
Nitro Member
New to the board but this has been a very interesting read, wish there was more open discussion about things like this in the sport of drag racing.
