Pro Racing Article

[Ron Earp]

Dave Gran is an SCCA racer who competes in Improved Touring (same class I race in) road racing here in the US. Dave wrote a book, "Go Ahead, Take the Wheel" that has become somewhat popular for people interested in learning how to race.

He is more recently penning blog articles on Pro road racing in the US and what it takes to be a pro driver. The reality might not be anything like you were thinking and explains a bit about why I'm racing clap trap 260Zs, TR8s, and Miatas.

Introduction: Dark $ecrets – The Realities of Professional Road Racing | Racers Anonymous

Dark $ecrets

As an aside, Jeff and I had lunch with Mike Skeen (video in car in blog article) back around Christmas. Really nice young man who is extremely talented but he too confirmed that racing "Pro" takes serious money.

 

[Jeff Young]

Mike is not only a really nice guy, he is fast as stink. Routinely beating Pobst and those guys in World Challenge his first full season there.

Pro road racing in the US is a misnomer. They don't pay the pros. THe pros, other than a very select few, pay to race.

Like Ron said, it's why we race what we race. I'm not talking up our talent, but we have routinely raced with guys who make the leap to pro racing and the difference between the really good club racers and the really good pro racers seems to be primarily wallet size.

 

[Malcolm]

I can go with that conclusion. But also it is being in the right place at the right time and who you know. Currently in the process of raising funds for this years 24 hours at Silverstone. 60% there and the last £ is always way harder to get than the first £. But typically the money comes not from you being a good driver, but simply giving something back to the sponsor. Often at my level that is a good day out for them and their clients at the race or a track day where they get drives or rides as part of the deal. Also think big. If 99% of all your approaches for sponsorship fail, if all approaches were for big money then the 1% is quite useful!

And Jeff you nearly have it right. I mean, I have never seen a pro throw up in his helmet before but I have heard of them peeing in their race suits. You are so close to getting the gross factor right, keep working on it mate!

 

[Jeff Young]

US road racing seems to be very different than that. There is some sponsorship at the pro level, but even there it is rare. Most efforts are funded out of the shop's pocket, or via paid drivers.

At the amateur level, it's just about impossible to get any sponsorship money. Companies see no value in it. Ron Munnerlyn got some money for his Spec Miata effort for a year or two and then the company pulled the plug. He's the only guy I know who ever was successful in getting money for that kind of effort.

 

[Ron Earp]

In the US the bottom line is road racing is something you pay to do in most instances. Who you know can certainly have something to do with it, you know, if your last name is Penske then that'll help. But otherwise for the majority of folks it appears that you'll be paying money, even as a "professional".

NASCAR is a different game entirely.

 

[Jeff Young]

Hell, even "amateur" circle track and drag racing is different. You can make enough money to run for "free" even in most circle and drag racing series.

 

[Dave P]

As Ron stated Nascar game is a bit different but in many ways not much. There is now a huge gap between the teams that have and the have nots. You see quite a few start and park teams. It has basically come down to the drivers marketablity and television time. Drivers that get the ride often bring a sponsor to the team. I grew up watching legends race and now it is some kid in makeup trying to sell me razors or whatever.

 

[Jac Mac]

Even today I still get asked when I might take an active part in car racing again, for those that are interested enough [ or too slow to get away] to listen to my reply it goes something like this;

When I entered my very first local clubmans race event ~1967, It cost me $10.00 or thereabouts to enter, that $10.00 was refunded in full when I passed tech on the day of the event prior to practice & racing. At the end of the days racing prize money was paid out in cash down to around tenth place IIRC based on the number of races completed. If I was unfortunate enough to trade paint with another car I got a lecture from the steward of the day.... you had to do something really stupid to cop a fine. I raced in the same overalls I wore to work each day during the week, welded up my own wide rims, built my own roll cage, oh & drove the same race car to work every day... no paperwork required for any of these modifications

Fast forward to Today, the entry fee for the equivalent event is now up around $100.00, no refund, no prize money per event, but maybe a trophy at the end of the season for the first three place getters, now there are a brace of 'stewards' watching 'my' every move on track, usually from an elevated position & a much more pleasant atmosphere than that in the race car, should they deem that I have in the heat of competition caused one of my fellow competiters to take evasive action or heaven forbid done damage to his car they will hold an inquiry & dish out a fine and/or endorse my race licence for a couple of meetings/months. My Overalls, Shoes, Helmet, Seat Belts, Wheels, Roll Cage, Fuel Tank now have to be purchased rather than fabricated or borrowed/stolen & have to come with a couple of forests worth of paperwork, Add in the latest invention... the Hans device & I can hardly see anything other than what is straight ahead, so the 'race standards' stewards have a 'money pit' just begging to be counted.
Add to that in 1966~ if I removed the muffler to make it sound like a race car everyone seemed to appreciate it.... to do that today would mean exclusion & yet another monetary hurdle... & if I should have the audacity to try to improve my lot by increasing the efficiency of my race car by some clever/devious means then I will be required to strip down the offending mechanical device & display my 'twerpness' for all to see..., having complied with all this regulation I can no longer use 'my' car for work because those 'other' regulators of society have jumped on the 'cash cow remuneration' bandwagon & made it impossible to do so........ That is what the people who vote these folk into office call progress..

Sooo, my short answer to the original question is.... I can afford the car, but I cannot afford to compete in your event, though I would love to submit an entry with an attached page of my own 'conditions' that the organizers would be required to accept prior to my taking part

 

[Mike Pass]

I agree with Jac on this cost to compete business. I would like to do a few events but the cost of doing so is crazy. I have got the car and can pay for fuel but to take part I now need.... New silencers as I can't get past the noise police. A new helmet as mine has now suddenly become dangerous as it hasn't got a fireproof lining! Maybe everyone else has a fireproof head as by the time the lining is burning my head may not be in great shape. A new race suit as my little used triple nomex one has now become unsafe as the label has the wrong date on it. etc. etc. Add to this the entry fees, travel, accomodation and it just gets too much. To compete at the Manx Classic this year would have cost me over £1,500!
So I guess it's noisy track days from now on.
Cheers
Mike

 

[Dave P]

In 1995 and 1996 I ran my asphalt late model car at two tracks in michigan's UP. Racing fuel was 2.89 a gallon my cell held 8 gallons, Entry fee was $15.00 for me to get into the track. My employer was a racing parts manufacturer that ran 3 late model cars of thier own. I could get all the one night take off tires and they cost me nothing. I also got off work early to go racing on fridays. One track I raced was 2 1/2 hours drive and the promoter used to pay me $40.00 tow money to come and race. Many nights he also bought us a keg of beer after the show. We all got paid points money the worst I ever got was $75.00. I would love to race again but those days are gone. But I can say I lived the dream for a while

 

[Jeff Young]

Things are much safer now, and with SCCA, you have insurance for anything that happens at the track. I know the costs of safety gear, entry fees, etc. are way up, but that is the price of a much safer type of racing.

Guys used to routinely be killed in SCCA club races in the 50s and 60s.

It certainly was cheaper in the short run. In the long run, it might have been way more expensive.

 

[Malcolm]

Jac Mac you made me laugh with the fast forward to today race entry price of $100! I dream of a price like that! To do a sprint race here in the UK ie between 15 to 40 minutes plus the same as practice qualifying you get charged typically between £200 and £300. When I joined up with Ron and Jeff plus all the other great guys at VIR for the 13 hour race we paid $750 entry. I am part of a Britcar 24 Hour team again this year and the entry fee for that is I think £6,750 plus taxes! To run Britcar now you have to budget a minimum of £1,000 per hour driving time be it the race, practice or qualy. If you want a good car increase that to £3,000 per hour. Takes the colour from your cheeks it does!

 

[Jac Mac]

Jac Mac you made me laugh with the fast forward to today race entry price of $100! I dream of a price like that! To do a sprint race here in the UK ie between 15 to 40 minutes plus the same as practice qualifying you get charged typically between £200 and £300. When I joined up with Ron and Jeff plus all the other great guys at VIR for the 13 hour race we paid $750 entry. I am part of a Britcar 24 Hour team again this year and the entry fee for that is I think £6,750 plus taxes! To run Britcar now you have to budget a minimum of £1,000 per hour driving time be it the race, practice or qualy. If you want a good car increase that to £3,000 per hour. Takes the colour from your cheeks it does!

Malcolm, I should not have trusted on my memory, have just checked and found that the most recent club meeting entry fee at Teretonga had increased to NZ$170.00 incl tax:shocked:, that would cover around 30 min practice/qualifying and around four 6 lap races, it would also have covered a one hour race for saloons at that particular meeting. That would be a typical Club/Entry level meeting at Teretonga: ie where someone new to the sport might actually race for the first time. Club Membership is NZ$85.00 pa & that gives you discounted track hire rates which I dont have a current price, but were in the region of NZ$100.00 per half day

Not sure of entry costs for National events or for some of the 3 hour races run as a series here- will check on that.

6750 GBP, that would go a long way toward a container with 4 race cars to NZ for the Hampton Downs & SFOS meets..:idea:

However, thanks for brightening up my day, but unfortunately you have thrown a wet blanket on any urge I might have had to visit the UK...
Actually JO & my TVR custodian mate Greg just spent a a couple of weeks in the UK and ran a UK prepped Mustang in the Masters series at Brands Hatch, rather dismal results from what I understand & obviously would have cost him a pretty Canadian $$$ or two for the experience, oh well at least it will give me a lever to 'Jack' my fees up on the TVR, and yet again he will go thru the fiscal pain act that he now has down to a fine art....and then endure my right of reply:thumbsup:

 

[Jac Mac]

One thing that I know is promoters and clubs that run the tracks do not like being reminded of is the fact that You or I, The Competitors are along with the cars, the primary entertainment. Without the drivers its just a static car show or a winding piece of tarmac in an empty paddock. I had a somewhat tongue in cheek remark made to me a while back when having a discussion along these lines that *** Jack, the folk at Motorsport NZ are so damn clever that soon they will work out a way to run race meetings without cars or drivers!*** clever, no Stupid, yes... but I can see it, you pay your entry money to spectate, get given your playstation-virtual racetrack simulator, pull up to your allotted parking spot, plug it in & play your way thru an afternoons motorsport.

Do you really think its better today, back in ~1969 on the friday night the local car club members who were going to race on sunday could be seen cruising the streets, noisy exhaust, numbers on doors, the local young folk would have had to be deaf dumb & blind to be unaware of the event. Today on friday night there are plenty of Subaru's, Mazdas, Toyotas, Mitsubishis Etc , all going Pfft out the blow of valve, 'Look' like they 'Should' be on a racetrack with the 10" rims & 3" ground clearance, but where do they go, absolutely nowhere other than round & round the block, meantime todays 'real race driver sits at home on friday night, car is already in the trailer ready for an early morning trip to the track, his next door neighbour probably doesnt even know he has a race car in that 'funny' looking trailer because he never starts it up at home, just pays some 'expert' to do all the dirty work.

1969 was a very good year!!

 

[Malcolm]

Entry fees are the traditional supply and demand economic situation. Whilst people are prepared to pay higher prices, the prices will rise! Factor in circuit improvements that need to be paid for somehow and the prices rise again. Then insurances requirements.....