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With gas going up every day, do you think this is going to hurt attendance at some of the races this summer ? As high as it is now if it were to start to drop it would still take all summer to get back down to where it was at 2.35. Whats your opinion ?
I think you will see more people pick and choose when and where to go. I think the drivers will pick and choose as well. Remember back in 2008 when we had an economic crisis car counts started to drop big and still dropped this will happen again. Also fans might not come back to the big races or they might go to 1 big race but skip 4 weekly shows. Just dont know yet might not know until May when these prices have been here for awhile.
I imagine it will have have an impact on all recreational reasons if the price goes up to the predicted $7.00 a gallon ! Heck it just went up .47 cents in the last weekend to $4.19 per gallon in my area.
Lucky for you. It's $4 and up a gal here. 😲Quote:
Originally Posted by Raceready
I would love for $2.19 a gallon here. Surely that's a typo.Quote:
Originally Posted by Raceready
Race gas was nearly $20 a gallon at beginning of the season, and diesel is closing in $5 a gallon everywhere I seen this weekend.. The guys with money will travel still, but low budget guys are not going to pull 4 or 5hrs to run 3rd in a B main behind 2 guys that would have provisionals.
Not bitching about provisionals, that's just the way I see it being.
I did smell E85 at smokey mountain during the super races. I couldn't put a finger on who it was, but they made the feature. It still could've been a 604 for all I know.
I'm sorry, I meant $4.19 a gallon ! !Quote:
Originally Posted by weatherman85
Why on earth would racing gas cost nearly 20 dollars a gallon ? Are the chemicals used to make racing gas that expensive ?
Greed plain and simple just like regular gas it's just greed. BP profits 13 billion, Shell's 19.3 billion profit, Chevron profits 15.6 billion and Exxon 23 billion.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mod Runner
You're probably going to see more people staying home and streaming these races.
I think you will see lots of races canceled much faster due to bad forecasts, than ever with the gas prices on the rise. National guys are still going to travel especially with all of the big money races like Bristol and others. It will affect the smaller regional guys much more so than the national-type drivers.
Great thread. Some of the vendors at Cherokee mentioned that they will need to pick and choose their travel wisely this year.
Sadly it will get worse before it gets better. Keep in mind that tracks have expenses also. Fuel for track prep and clean up, food and drink prices rising, etc... I think it might be a tough go this summer. I don't expect it to get any better anytime soon. If oil truly does hit close to $200 a barrel, we are in for a ride that won't be good anywhere from clothing to food (let alone gas, diesel and electricity that has already taken off). The ripple effect is going to be felt for a long time. Greed and a global system that isn't prepared for instability isn't a good combo for anyone.
I remember when gas prices did this back in 2008. It didn’t actually change much.
I agree with most here…High dollar teams will still be out on the road because there’s a ton to be won but local and regional guys will be much more choosey.
It’s truly sad the state we are in as a nation…
Josh-I was working in Houston in the oil industry in 2008. Oil hit $120 a barrel and we all felt it. I think this time we are seeing the prices ramping up along with other inflations and global instability. I am afraid it will impact the local guys this summer. I don't see an end in sight for this rise, unless things stabilize pretty quickly.
The prices will come back down when the oil companies start to see profits dwindle.Quote:
Originally Posted by dirtrace09
Late model racing has been pricing itself out of existence for the past 10 years, this will not help.
Drill baby drill
Pump regular is in the $5.65 per gallon range here in California with the gypo Chevron near us already at $5.999 for 91 (why not just say $6?). Not sure what the 110 Sunoco we run in the race cars is going to be. Got a drum in January for $7.45 that normally retails for $10 per gallon but I've got a deal with a distributer.
We're already looking at our schedule and will likely be making some adjustments in the travel area. The big block hauler gets a not terrific 6-9 mpg with all the mountains we climb and the racer burns an average 10-15 gallons per night. Motels, food, tires and other necessities are way up. Add in nearly $25K spent over the off season on a chassis & engine we built and even with the unrealistic possibility of winning every show and never tearing anything up I'm still looking at a very expensive season.
I expect to see guys picking and choosing what and where they run and diminished fields at most shows. This sport is tough enough for hobby racers in a normal season but this is just depressing.
Buckeye bandit,
High prices kill demand. It works from both sides.
I’m feeling the pain at the pump just like the rest of y’all, but it might actually help local tracks. People stay close to their home dirt, both racers and fans.
Will your schedule change?
Before I begin, let’s try not to get politics involved on this thread. Just a simple question. Will the rising costs of everything, particularly fuel, change your plans as far as race attendance this year. It certainly is a consideration for me if things get much worse. I would like to hear other folks thoughts on it.
For me not yet. Now a couple weeks in if I try and tear the wall down and destroy a bunch of stuff it could all change quickly.
I had just overheard a conversation in the convenience store. The man had hung up from his boss who was upset that he had spent $$ 800.00 on gas on a hot shot trip out west. The man told the others that the truck he used was a " big block utility truck". A lot of teams still use 454 G.M.s or 460 Fords to pull their race trailers with. Surely this will have a noticeable impact on them ? I just spent $65.00 on a 3/4 tank fill up myself.
What's wrong with the previous thread on gas prices?🙄
Yes, but my mind was made up before the gas $$$ issue. If I were to even race this year, it will only be at the local track. The "shortage" on stuff, along with everything else, made me realize the "2-hour one way trip" is unfortunately a no-go anymore.
High side 25
I was wondering that exact same thing!
A Democrat got but hurt because they thing everything in the USA is just fine. I'm a Independent.
I think the drivers an owners will look at the payouts more, not just what it pays to win but all back. Just one wins
We need to drill baby drill
If the price of gas goes way above $4 ($3.99 here now) it will definitely keep me closer to home. Will hopefully hit just as many races...probably more weekly shows.
Diesel just hit $5.15 in my corner of southeastern Indiana today.
i'm in total agreement with that ! We import a half a million barrel a day from the Ruskies that we could very easily get here with all of our resources like all of the hardly untapped Alaska .Quote:
Originally Posted by Rajflyboy
Energy independence would be awful nice about now
I've had economics professors tell me it should be ridiculously expensive to save the planet. There are folks who do indeed want very high gas prices.Quote:
Originally Posted by GEAR_HEAD
What I saw in 2008-2009 was sponsors pulling out and it had a big impact. Circumstances are somewhat different now but with inflation and fuel expenses bet your bottom dollar that some donors are taking a hard look at this year. The only thing we are lacking right now is higher interest rates and a steady barrage of foreclosures and then drivers, race teams, and sponsors will sit out.
The pipeline cancellation hurt us having the right mix to feed our refineries, but even if we had it, the price at the pump would be basically the same. The oil market is global. If you have a barrel of oil, are you going to sell it to a Texas refinery for $80 when one in France will give you $120?
Winging it most likely……We went to around 20 races last year staying within the 3/4 hr range from the house, don’t see that changing a whole lot. Trying to cut costs elsewhere to support the racing this year.
And flo…lots of flo.
Pipeline cancelation was also about Warren Buffet protecting his interests in railroads as hundreds of his railcars pass my house each day. Pipeline critics also claimed Pipeline most dangerous than transport by truck or by rail.