Annual Budget for DE
02-03-2015, 09:12 AM
#46
Nordschleife Master
02-06-2015, 11:27 PM
#48
Rennlist Member
Runner: Good advice and feedback from the group for all things to consider. It is a slippery slope and the more you track it seems the more you want to do. Money and time may be the limiting factors. Without long term maintenance implications, the factors that I keep track of (no pun intended) are:
- Registration fees. Are you doing 1, 2 or 3 day weekends. This can run as high as $525+ for 3-days
- Garage rental. Can be as little as $100 or $250+. This is a nice to have.
- Gasoline. I can use as much as $50/day depends on speed and length of track. Don't forget the gas to get to/from the track whether you drive your track car or trailer it.
- Tech inspection. Can do yourself, or some dealers comp if they sponsor event. Otherwise about $90
- Lodging. If no mobile home hauler, the price here can be low end $69 to high end $199
- Pictures. Nice to have, but most all tracks have a photographer who'd be happy to take your $$; about $60
- Tires. I run track/street MPSS and run about $1200-$1400. I can get about 12+ days on a set
- Brake pads. Depends on how hard you brake, how often you go to the track and whether or not you replace your self. Low end maybe a couple of hundred or less; high end $1400+ for ceramics
- Track insurance. Nice to have, depends on the value you place on your vehicle. Too broad a range, but I would guess as little as $300 to over $800+
- Food. Oh, yeah, its nice to eat. Some hotels offer free breakfast, but there is lunch and dinner x number of days. You can figure out what this cost is to you.
I think these plus some of the other items folks here mentioned would get you in the ball bark on what to spend. As others have said I try not to think about it, but also, can't be totally ignorant to it either. And, yes, the Mrs. will always have input (or shall I say comments as to the expense). But, she knows it keeps me out of other trouble.
- Registration fees. Are you doing 1, 2 or 3 day weekends. This can run as high as $525+ for 3-days
- Garage rental. Can be as little as $100 or $250+. This is a nice to have.
- Gasoline. I can use as much as $50/day depends on speed and length of track. Don't forget the gas to get to/from the track whether you drive your track car or trailer it.
- Tech inspection. Can do yourself, or some dealers comp if they sponsor event. Otherwise about $90
- Lodging. If no mobile home hauler, the price here can be low end $69 to high end $199
- Pictures. Nice to have, but most all tracks have a photographer who'd be happy to take your $$; about $60
- Tires. I run track/street MPSS and run about $1200-$1400. I can get about 12+ days on a set
- Brake pads. Depends on how hard you brake, how often you go to the track and whether or not you replace your self. Low end maybe a couple of hundred or less; high end $1400+ for ceramics
- Track insurance. Nice to have, depends on the value you place on your vehicle. Too broad a range, but I would guess as little as $300 to over $800+
- Food. Oh, yeah, its nice to eat. Some hotels offer free breakfast, but there is lunch and dinner x number of days. You can figure out what this cost is to you.
I think these plus some of the other items folks here mentioned would get you in the ball bark on what to spend. As others have said I try not to think about it, but also, can't be totally ignorant to it either. And, yes, the Mrs. will always have input (or shall I say comments as to the expense). But, she knows it keeps me out of other trouble.
02-07-2015, 12:10 AM
#49
Rennlist Member
^ WOW! $50 dollars a day in fuel!?
My car is a fuelaholic by your standards! I average $60-70 dollars per session x 4-5 sessions per day.
Rubber: $1,050 per day. I am lucky if I can manage 8-10 sessions out of a set of R6's.
Pads: $1,800- $2,700 per season (for a light season)
I'll stop here. I have slipped hard, so my expenses are far from the average HPDE attendee.
To the OP: If you would like to stay at $10k a year. NEVER START ASKING FOR YOUR LAP TIMES or even have any desire to know what they are. The clock is a very powerful drug which can easily turn you into an addict.
My car is a fuelaholic by your standards! I average $60-70 dollars per session x 4-5 sessions per day.
Rubber: $1,050 per day. I am lucky if I can manage 8-10 sessions out of a set of R6's.
Pads: $1,800- $2,700 per season (for a light season)
I'll stop here. I have slipped hard, so my expenses are far from the average HPDE attendee.
To the OP: If you would like to stay at $10k a year. NEVER START ASKING FOR YOUR LAP TIMES or even have any desire to know what they are. The clock is a very powerful drug which can easily turn you into an addict.
02-07-2015, 08:35 AM
#50
Rennlist Member
02-07-2015, 11:35 AM
#51
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
^ WOW! $50 dollars a day in fuel!? My car is a fuelaholic by your standards! I average $60-70 dollars per session x 4-5 sessions per day. Rubber: $1,050 per day. I am lucky if I can manage 8-10 sessions out of a set of R6's. Pads: $1,800- $2,700 per season (for a light season) I'll stop here. I have slipped hard, so my expenses are far from the average HPDE attendee. To the OP: If you would like to stay at $10k a year. NEVER START ASKING FOR YOUR LAP TIMES or even have any desire to know what they are. The clock is a very powerful drug which can easily turn you into an addict.
A few things help me out as my entry fees are at no charge because I'm on the PCA board and work to get the sponsors for the DE events and so on. I also do the driver's meetings. Been doing this two years and have become an addict for sure. And I find myself very competitive along with a few others in the yellow run group.
My GT3 is new to me and have never tracked one - been tracking a turbo last two years. Just wondered if the GT3 would be more to keep and maintain than the turbo. I never did really track my expenses.
It also helps that both tracks we use are both within driving distance- so no hotels.
Can't wait to get this year started. Little nervous about getting used to the shifting - my turbo was a tip.
02-07-2015, 12:23 PM
#52
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
C2PIN,
A BIG part of he cost is just how hard you push it. Drive harder and tire/brake/fuel costs jump dramatically. Drive harder and maintenance goes up. Drive harder and you want to start to 'fix' issues - the rubber bits all need to get replaced with metal, you want stickier tires... The maintenance starts to grow...
WRT to you gas costs, $50 a session is typical for me and I will do maybe 6 sessions a day. I instruct so I am usually out with a student or just driving...
Bottom line is there is big diversity in costs and there is some room for you to control it. A buddy of mine who was the local CI drives his car to the track, changes pads & brakes and has a ball - good driver, but not trying to be the fastest...
Ray
A BIG part of he cost is just how hard you push it. Drive harder and tire/brake/fuel costs jump dramatically. Drive harder and maintenance goes up. Drive harder and you want to start to 'fix' issues - the rubber bits all need to get replaced with metal, you want stickier tires... The maintenance starts to grow...
WRT to you gas costs, $50 a session is typical for me and I will do maybe 6 sessions a day. I instruct so I am usually out with a student or just driving...
Bottom line is there is big diversity in costs and there is some room for you to control it. A buddy of mine who was the local CI drives his car to the track, changes pads & brakes and has a ball - good driver, but not trying to be the fastest...
Ray