What does it cost to race AutoX/road track for a weekend?

Track fee?
Club fee?
Race entry fee?
Practice fee?

 

I used to SCCA club race an MGB. Feeding and housing crew,
car prep, transportation, fees I figured a track day ran about
$1000/day with all things considered. My 'crew' were volunteers.
It is cheaper if you are your own mechanic.

 

One AutoX club here in miami charges about $35 a day if you aren't a member, I think a bit less if you pay the $30+ yearly membership fee. The day consists of 4 runs, plus you are asked to kinda help out around the course, they are fun events, but bring your sunblock as you'll be standing out in the sun all day!

There are alot of different driving schools. Of the "club" events, I've found Chin Motorsports to be one of the best, they normally run about $250, but you get like 5 hours of track time in 1 day. It's a bit more if you are a novice and need an instructor, but only like $50 or so, They are very well run events. BMWCCA events will cost less, but you also get significantly less driving time as most of the time they are done on the same day as a BMWCCA club race. Obviously if you go with Panoz, Skip Barber, or Bob bondurant you'll get more in-depth teaching and with some of those you don't even have to use your own car, but they will cost MUCH more.

 

Auto-x is fairly cheap to enter, and events are more abundant and frequent. If you want actual track experience, Open Track and hot lapping events provide track time in a non-competitive (no contact rules) environment. NASA holds open track and hot lapping events around the country and usually cost about $120-150 for 1 day or $250 for both days (weekends). Instructors are available at most events, tho there are much more participants than available instructors. Track time is about 15-20minutes each run, and you get an average of about 4-5 runs in a day (if there isn't many ppl, you can get more runs in and/or more time per run). If you're on the west coast, TCRA also holds track events and has amateur no-contact club racing (tho, accidental contact does occur). To do that, you need to become a member of TCRA, but it's not very expensive. Track cost is about the same as NASA events. HTH.

 

Q: What does it cost to race?
A: How fast do you want to go?

DREW

 

Actually I was looking for specifics on the following:
1. Track fee?
2. Club fee?
3. Race entry fee?
4. Practice fee?

 

go see "Track days at Lime Rock, Watkins Glenn, New Hampshire"

_________________

 

The SCCA events in Houston cost me $25 to enter and you work the 1/2 day that you dont race ie race morning then work afternoon etc etc i get 3 runs for the 25 bux but man they are FUN!!

i would goto http://www.scca.org and find a local event try it out!!

 

You should also consider what you mean by "race." Track days can be had through a variety of clubs (model specific and things like SCDA). But, these aren't "racing" in the conventional sense in that the organizers usually strongly discourage (prohibit) timed laps and definitely prohibit car-to-car competition. Rather, these events are more often characterized as driving schools and are all about car control and experiencing your car at performance levels not wise for public roads. Subsequently, these events do not require you to install non-stock safety equipment (e.g., cages, harnesses, fire suspression equip, etc.). All in all, track days like this can be had for under a couple of hundred dollars a day...and participation does not constitute a large or long-term investment.

On the other hand, real car-to-car racing generally does require specially modified cars, insurance, and a whole host of other expensive stuff. Not to mention, real racing requires an investment in driver training...obviously not just hopping in your car and driving fast.

So, depending on what you mean, I suppose the answer could be "a couple of hundred" to thousands. Not much help unless you narrow down what you want to do.

 

there's also a cost difference in the racing venues inre your Mini's consumables:

open track such as the BMWCCA or any other higher speed racing will take it's checkbook toll on your tires, brake fluids, powersteering fluids and brake pads.

Autocrossing will cost significantly less in these same categories, but will still consume brake pads/tires (maybe in a season unless you are doing the Pro's and Nationals, then tires will be your single biggest expense), but at a much slower rate.

Assuming here you do one or two a month of each class for the sake of the comparison.

Also entry fees to the high speed events are generally hundreds of dollars and to autocrosses tens of dollars for local events.

Speed costs money...t hat's why I sold the Viper and am racing the MiniC in H Stock now.

'94RT10Augs

 

I am a real newbie to Auto-X and am planning on hitting a couple of driving school/lessons/etc.

Before I do, I'd like to do my homework. What's the best reference for the different classes. I notice you said you're racing in H Stock now. I'm planning on running factory stock initially, but I have a few engine/suspension/tire mods in mind and I'd like to understand how these mods impact the class of racing.

Thanks,
Spike

 

Spikemaster,
Go to a few local events as a novice, keeping your car stock. Buy a rule book and find out what class the mods you are thinking about will bump you to. Stock class allows very little to be changed: cat-back exhaust, brake pads, shocks, plug wires, front sway bar, R compound tires. The MINI is a blast to run in Stock form. If you get serious about autox, really think about any mods, since it gets substantially more expensive to prep a car to be competitive the further you move from stock.

Have fun.. :smile:

 

Thanks Motoring.

Appreciate the feedback.

Spike

 

Remember the old adage, "If you have to ask, you can't afford it?" Well that (plus a lack of anything resembling talent) has kept me off the track for years.

Seriously, Before you commit, take a day or two course at a local track, where you can run your own vehicle (or one of theirs). Its not cheap, but where else are you going to get a chance to run on the same track that the CART and ALM (insert your own series) do? Who knows maybe you can find my lost talent (I'll even let you keep it, if you do).