Making a profit in drag racing ????

[cicero819]

Great thread as usual Terry(I hope I can call you by your first name and if not I apologize). To answer your question yes you can and no you cant. Drag racing is for fun and that should always be first, but like a great man once said to me "tell me how much money you have and I'll tell you how fast you'll go"! I know some Racers that have turn a fair profit after many years working their craft, so if you're to include going to school every week-end getting beat up by the local top shoe as your apprenticeship you will better yourself in the long run and be ready to take your place on the podium. I have sometime felt that envy of pro racers making a living from racing but they also have to be at their top shape from reflex, to doing PR for your sponsor when your under the weather but after a while came back to the real world that it's not fun having a bullseye on your back. A friend of mine made close to $8.500. up to now this year racing but ended wounding one of his engines that is worth more than 35k, I guess he would be in the red now if he was running it like bussiness and probably couldn't afford to feed the kids if he needed the money.lol The car I would build would be an 11 second car and run it in the no box such as k/sa Chevelle stationwagon. I know it works I ran against one that broke even most of the time.Jeff Teuton keep racing as long as you can, you're one racer who isn't afraid to back up what you preach. What type of car would you build. CR

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by cicero819

Great thread as usual Terry(I hope I can call you by your first name and if not I apologize). To answer your question yes you can and no you cant. Drag racing is for fun and that should always be first, but like a great man once said to me "tell me how much money you have and I'll tell you how fast you'll go"! I know some Racers that have turn a fair profit after many years working their craft, so if you're to include going to school every week-end getting beat up by the local top shoe as your apprenticeship you will better yourself in the long run and be ready to take your place on the podium. I have sometime felt that envy of pro racers making a living from racing but they also have to be at their top shape from reflex, to doing PR for your sponsor when your under the weather but after a while came back to the real world that it's not fun having a bullseye on your back. A friend of mine made close to $8.500. up to now this year racing but ended wounding one of his engines that is worth more than 35k, I guess he would be in the red now if he was running it like bussiness and probably couldn't afford to feed the kids if he needed the money.lol The car I would build would be an 11 second car and run it in the no box such as k/sa Chevelle stationwagon. I know it works I ran against one that broke even most of the time.Jeff Teuton keep racing as long as you can, you're one racer who isn't afraid to back up what you preach. What type of car would you build. CR

Ive been called worse.....lol. Call me whatever you feel like. Like I said I wont be "building" anything at this point and age. Plus its less expensive in the long run than building from scratch. I think IF I race again I will buy a running car (probably a Corvette). Most likely a stocker as I have done cylinder heads for over 40 years and several class engines in the past so I could maintain it and try some of my own changes. This thread was to stimulate some thinking on this forum instead of bitching. Lots of good replies and for some I hope....food for thought. I realized a long time ago not many could come out ahead in this game especially since the cost of everything has gone up and the pay outs have come down. Its mainly an ego trip and something to talk about and a chance to be with friends who have the same interests. Im surprised we havent heard from some good racers like Toby, Fletcher, and some others.

[Jimi B]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

Is this for real?

don't want to hijack the thread further, but which part?

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by Jimi B

don't want to hijack the thread further, but which part?

I was commenting on the video. It almost seemed like a SNL skit...

[K Stubbs]

Its not possible, you would have to be way better than a "descent" driver to ever break even at best. Thats a fact.

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by K Stubbs

Its not possible, you would have to be way better than a "descent" driver to ever break even at best. Thats a fact.

Yeah, the "descent" would be down into the poor house.

[Blackgar]

I guess I'm a little bit wierd, but Three years ago I cleared in excess of $20,000 in one year of racing. My wife is pissed that I quit. I ran a s/s car that I freshened after 120 passes Which in IHRA racing amounted to 1.5 seasons. The only real expense was getting there & entry fees. Yeah ya gotta win a lot, but it can be done. I didn't run the car on kill & didnt always have to be the fastest. Ihra is the place to be if ya want to make a little money. I didnt make a living off of it, but my wife had a little remodeling money.

[cicero819]

Originally Posted by Blackgar

I guess I'm a little bit wierd, but Three years ago I cleared in excess of $20,000 in one year of racing. My wife is pissed that I quit. I ran a s/s car that I freshened after 120 passes Which in IHRA racing amounted to 1.5 seasons. The only real expense was getting there & entry fees. Yeah ya gotta win a lot, but it can be done. I didn't run the car on kill & didnt always have to be the fastest. Ihra is the place to be if ya want to make a little money. I didnt make a living off of it, but my wife had a little remodeling money.

I think this is what Terry had in mind when he started the tread, to explore the possibility to turn a profit. Nice to see that through enovation and being frugal on your expense there might be a possibility of a credit on your balance sheet. I met a professional gambler a couple of years ago and he said the only way to beat the house is to better educate yourself in gambling against Casinos never go in there with the thought that you'l lose $20 and it's ok, they count on this type of apathy , racing is the same you must want to win. Just like Micheal Beard said in his post you should know your odds of winning before you run. After 30yrs I'm still trying.lol CR

[Mike Taylor 3601]

It's going back a little but I know several years Randall Campbell made money with his y/sa chevy II wagon and I'm sure Mike Boyles probaly had years he made money with Good ol charlie brown.
In 89 when I built my first stocker a V/S car I built it alot for a lot less $ than you could H/R(10.90) car at that time and ran for same purse,now it reversed you can build 10.90 car cheap than stocker and run for same money.
I race for the fun of it if I win some money to help pay the way that makes it better.
Mike Taylor 3601

[Bobby DiDomenico]

Originally Posted by Jeff Teuton

A profit? You have got to be kidding!

You've got it Jeff.

In the latest Dragster there is a blurb about a new SS/AH car. To keep the math simple, if the cars costs $50,000, the engine costs $50,000, the truck and trailer costs $50,000, and to run it for 5 years costs $50,000 with all maintenance, food, lodging, fuel, tax, lic., etc. what 5th business class would even dream of breaking even? (Let alone having a paper profit...)