Average $$$ per Driver running WOO

[TUTY]

I think they used Hotels more 20 or 30 years ago as there Totor's were not even close to today and most didn't have the $500,000 motor home. I guess the moral to the story is it takes a lot of great sponsors to make this happen. A lot of time a large trucking company (or any company) if looking for a write off can owe these Totor's and trailer and lease them to a driver for $100. They write off there lose and that's the sponsorship to the driver. But there isn't many of those guys around anymore either.

[weatherman85]

I know a regional driver here in the SE that runs GA, AL, TN, SC, NC that has a sponsorship from a local trucking company. The sponsorship is basically a fuel/credit card that the driver can use to pay for fuel for all his travels. Trucking company can use as a write off as TUTY said and is a win/win for both. Not having to worry about fuel costs is pretty sweet deal in my opinion.

[ride height]

30k for an engine...50k for an engine...what’s it matter? The cost to run a race car on a dirt track is beyond ridiculous. We run a lowly B Mod as weekend warriors and I’m embarrassed to say how much that costs a year, and we wouldn’t be doing that without sponsors and some disposable income. You’d have to get about 5000.00 to start every night running a SLM....plus some decent sponsors to make the numbers work. If you’re watching a super late model going around a track....somebody is spending money they are never getting back. They may have money to burn....but they aren’t breaking even. No way.

[Zonks32x]

Brand new top of the line engines are over 50k not 30. Fuel is 600+ a drum for 54 gallons , top builders charge 10-16k for thousand lap rebuilds. The dude pulled his numbers out of his gash

C'mon man. Why is everyone always a gash or a slit, or a pu$$y with you?? I know it's all part of your act...but seriously!?!?

Would you like to dispute the fact the cost of dragging a DLM team across the country on a national tour is north of $500k? At the end of the day, the total bill is the only number that really matters.

I don't care what you paid for one 54 gallon drum of race fuel in your neck of the woods. Rocket1 & the other WoO teams that purchase dozens of barrels of fuel throughout a season are NOT paying the same rate as the mighty pole-beater.

I respect the fact that you bust your @$$ each day building high quality decks. Seen your work on-line. Well done!!

And, I respect the fact that you're out there racing and getting after it as time/$$ allows. And, you and I hold many of the same convictions when it comes to the political spectrum.

But what I don't get about you Huck is why you are compelled to be a complete and total D-bag 24-7-365???

You can't just "correct" someone or say, "Hey buddy those numbers are wrong and here's why..."

No, you immediately resort to being the mayor of D!ckhead City...population 1.

But it's all good. Good luck at the track if you're racing this weekend. Put that beast in victory lane.

[SDLM Rankings]

• The best way for anyone in DLM racing to make money is to spread the financial risk. It is nearly impossible for one entity to burden all the cost of fielding DLM team and still make money.

• Teams can spread the risk across several different business entities. That way if the racing operation does not meet its performance goals, then burden of failure is not resting solely on one person's shoulders.

• Another way for teams to see a year to year profit is through debt structuring. This is a risky move, but the math works if you can outperform the break-even analysis.

• This just a couple ways that could work for DLM team. I’m sure their other ways to make it work.

• For fun I built a DLM team cost model. I have 56 variable inputs… that’s a lot risk. It is very hard to make a profit racing. As of today, I believe there are 6 teams with a positive cash flow in 2018. There are 10 more on the cusp of positive cash flow. Of the 16 driver’s that have a chance of making money this year 12 of them are tour drivers. So, once you throw in point fund money and tow money there are likely 12 teams with a real good chance of positive cash flow in 2018. The Dirt Million has a chance to really make a difference to the winning team.

• Bottom line racing is a hobby, hobbies cost money... they don't make money. However, nearly every hobby has a top level, that does allow for a small percentage of participants to make money. Those "paid" participants are the "face" of the hobby and responsible for ensuring the hobby is looked at in a positive way and promoting the hobby’s products. I have two sports hobbies that I participate in, I ride mountain bikes and play softball. There are people that make money in my hobbies, I will never be one of those people, but as long I'm having fun I will continue to fork over a few thousand dollars per year to shred trails and mash balls. And just like many DLM racers I buy equipment that is beyond my skill level… but without the latest and greatest tools for my hobby I will not be the best hobbyist that I can possibly be. Right?

[Zonks32x]

Many times. The crews are going from race to race. And Yes, they are staying in the toter many times. Drivers of today have there motor homes they are sleeping in.

As for your cost figures, you better add another 25%.

Ahhh huck, you need to come back more often, I miss your look inside the real world of racin.

Thanks for your response. I appreciate it. Appreciate Huck's too...as a guy who's in the DLM grind.

So when we add 25% to a boat-ton....the answer is...a bigger boat...$600k+ per season.

Insane, when you think about it.

[TerryM]

Can we see the same numbers for the Lucas guys?

[dirty-white-boy]

Well...
Two cars at $35k each. (70k)
At least two bullets at $30k (60k)
$700-1000/night in tires
$7 gallon for race fuel
$10 per lap on avg (engine re-fresh)
Shock re-builds
Entry fees & pit passes
Hotels and food on the road
Paying crew members
Toterhome/Trailer maintenance
Toterhome/Trailer payments
Diesel cost to haul all that garage jewelry around the country.

On the low shoe-string budget end...$350-400k to run a national tour.
Most of these teams spend $500-600k+.

Sprintcar guys spend even more...but they do run more nights/year.

Half-million + per season helps explain why you see the turnover you do on the national series.

To that end...one of the top WoO drivers this year will not be back next year.

The cost is crazy for what you get in return. Nobody is MAKING money unless you are a hired racer.

[TUTY]

Lucas Oil doesn't post there winnings at least where I look? Unable to figure there series out.

[MI Dirt Fan]

Lucas posts the total winnings after each race in there write-ups. Scroll down to the bottom of this page.

http://lucasdirt.com/news/latest-news/2018-results/weiss-pockets-50-000-sunoco-north-south-100-payday

[hucktyson]

Zonks the reason the stuff is soo expensive for the rest of us is to pay for all of the free stUff the big teams get. But if your going to talk costs of racing you can’t figure in the rocket house car probably has all of their parts sponsored free in exchange for mark using the same parts on the 300 cars a year that he sells. If someone wants to know what my show room display costs do I factor in that any material manufacturer will give me anything I want to be associated with what I build ?

[kazual]

Interesting post Huck. I’ve seen it in another industry where discounts, real and perceived, are mainly benefitting the upper tier. Often called “marketing” or “partnership” agreements they generally don’t do much to help the main stream customer.

[Mams]

I remember a 2009 interview with a successful regional driver in which he said it cost $300k to run 65-70 races.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Huck is right. If you are still out there struggling to run a super LM weekly, you are sponsoring a good chunk of the DoD top 25. Then you can buy their used stuff for more than what they have in it and they buy new again.

[TUTY]

Lucas numbers with what I count as 37 races entered.
Superman $210,600 / $5691 per race
Bloomturd $187,725 / $5073 per race
Kid Rocket $134,025 / $3622 per race
EPJ $127,925 / $3457 per race
T Mac $113,475 / $3066 per race
Pierce $121,050 / $3271 per race
Owens $100,050 / $2704 per race
Real Deal $101,850 / $2752 per race
New Deal $121,325 / $3279 per race
Lanigan $68,400 / $1848 per race
Satterlee $78,375 / $2118 per race
Ziegler $60,550 / $1636 per race
Erb JR. $49,700 / $1343 per race
Bronson $72,175 / $1950 per race
LUCAS OIL SERIES