Racing On A Budget

There’s an old saying in the world of motorsports. How do you get a million dollars racing? Start with two million. And having spent a good amount of time staring at my dwindling bank account after a race weekend, I can confirm this is less of a joke and more of a reality.

When most people hear "motorsport" they think of Max Verstappen climbing into his 200mph carbon fiber spaceship worth more than the GDP of a small island nation. While that type of racing may not be accessible to us mortals, it’s not the only way to go racing. On the other side of the racing world, the side that doesn't require a second mortgage on the house, is Hobby Stock racing. Hobby stock racing is an incredibly popular dirt track series with most cars looking like they’re freshly used by the military for predator drone practice. If you’ve been looking on Facebook Marketplace and seen a rusted out old car for under $1200 that you can’t imagine anyone stepping foot in, that is your Hobby Stock.  No fancy carbon fiber anything, aerodynamic pieces, or even a windshield. Just an old beat up sedan ready that was junk yard ready 3 owners ago.

I once spoke with a racer at Ventura Raceway about his season budget. He me one the most racing budget plan I’ve ever heard. He said: "At the beginning of the season I filled up the tank with gas, and before the last race I had to refill the car again with gas.” That was it. That was his entire season cost. One tank of gas and a $50 entry fee. No new tires, replacement parts, data systems, or upgrades, just a fuel bill.  I would image that at least 90% of people reading this have spent more money on their commuter car in the last three months, than this man spent in an entire racing season. 

As you can imagine, he didn’t win the championship. Not even close. But I guarantee you, he had the most fun a human has ever had, looking at everyone else’s tail lights