Or perhaps no more racing at all?
http://www.nytimes.com/interac...tion1
They may eventually decide to fill their 401k plan instead of their tanks:uhhuh
Telcoman
Is racing on regular coming to a track near you?
Re: Is racing on regular coming to a track near you? (telcoman)
I believe that car racing will exists as long as there are cars. The only requirement for racing something, whether it's cars, boats, horses or anything else, is that it move.
Racing has always been expensive. Remember the saying, "Speed costs money. How fast can you afford to go?" Some series are more expensive than others. I heard that the steering wheels used in Formula 1 cars cost $50k each. Recently, I saw a video of a Porsche 911 GT3 ($100k+) flipping end over end during a Porsche Club event.
To a major degree, it depends on what you race and how you do it. Thirty years ago, I raced in the slowest, cheapest class in SCCA Showroom Stock. Another club member projected $10k to $15k for a summer's racing. I did it on $2k. My race car was also my commuter car and we camped at the track instead of paying for motel rooms and restaurant meals. At the same time, another driver destroyed two Porsche 944s ($25k each) and kept on driving.
Some years later, the SCCA introduced an economical sports racing class called Sports Renault which was based on Renault drive trains. A track ready car cost about $12k and rebuilding engine and transmission at the end of a season cost about $6k. A friend of mine had a business supporting Sports Renault competitors. He maintained one customer's car, hauled it to the track for him and acted as his pit crew. The customer met him at the track after flying in. My friend estimated this customer's cost for a season at more than $30k.
There is a local road racing course that, for a price, will let you drive your street car on the track. Although it sounds like fun, my G37S cost me too much to risk. Ferrari owners rent major race tracks for a weekend's fun despite the risk to their cars which cost anywhere from $150k to $500k.
If you think car racing is expensive, consider airplane pylon racing. A routine engine rebuild is at least $30k.
As long as there are people who have the necessary spare cash, there will be racing. Even if professional sponsorships dry up, rich amateurs will continue. That might actually improve racing since the participants will be in it for fun, not as a business.
Racing has always been expensive. Remember the saying, "Speed costs money. How fast can you afford to go?" Some series are more expensive than others. I heard that the steering wheels used in Formula 1 cars cost $50k each. Recently, I saw a video of a Porsche 911 GT3 ($100k+) flipping end over end during a Porsche Club event.
To a major degree, it depends on what you race and how you do it. Thirty years ago, I raced in the slowest, cheapest class in SCCA Showroom Stock. Another club member projected $10k to $15k for a summer's racing. I did it on $2k. My race car was also my commuter car and we camped at the track instead of paying for motel rooms and restaurant meals. At the same time, another driver destroyed two Porsche 944s ($25k each) and kept on driving.
Some years later, the SCCA introduced an economical sports racing class called Sports Renault which was based on Renault drive trains. A track ready car cost about $12k and rebuilding engine and transmission at the end of a season cost about $6k. A friend of mine had a business supporting Sports Renault competitors. He maintained one customer's car, hauled it to the track for him and acted as his pit crew. The customer met him at the track after flying in. My friend estimated this customer's cost for a season at more than $30k.
There is a local road racing course that, for a price, will let you drive your street car on the track. Although it sounds like fun, my G37S cost me too much to risk. Ferrari owners rent major race tracks for a weekend's fun despite the risk to their cars which cost anywhere from $150k to $500k.
If you think car racing is expensive, consider airplane pylon racing. A routine engine rebuild is at least $30k.
As long as there are people who have the necessary spare cash, there will be racing. Even if professional sponsorships dry up, rich amateurs will continue. That might actually improve racing since the participants will be in it for fun, not as a business.