Cost of racing

12/4/2012 9:53pm Edited Date/Time 12/4/2012 9:57pm
Long gone are the days when a kid could earn enough money from a summer job and go racing. Im damn glad I got to be...
Long gone are the days when a kid could earn enough money from a summer job and go racing.
Im damn glad I got to be one of those kids
X 10

When I was in high school working part time jobs 1977-1981 I went racing with zero help from my parents just me and some of my racing buddies.
JB 19
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12/5/2012 1:21am
I don't how many people hit the often thrown around 100K number.........but it definitely isn't cheap. I remember when I was about 12 my dad one day kind of saying under his breath, "where's all the money go?" I generally raced 1 year old used bikes with few mods. Got new riding gear about every 2 years and I blew up very few bikes. We did have a motorhome and trailer which got about 8 mpg, but gas was also .99$ back then. ...........and this was in the 80's and 90's when "stuff" was a lot cheaper.

I went back to Lorettas this year just to watch and was blown away by the number of bus's with 40ft trailers stuffed with 4-5 bikes. In the early 90's you would see the high rollers here and there....now its like 1 in 5 have a 200,000$ setup. I think some things in this sport have gotten out of control that have no reason to. If a kid has star power you don't need a 175,000$ bus and 6 full mod bikes to groom his talent.

It looks like a money spending contest as much as it does dirt bike racing. In my opinion, thats a lot of the problem.
JustMX
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12/5/2012 2:53am Edited Date/Time 12/5/2012 2:54am
Long gone are the days when a kid could earn enough money from a summer job and go racing. Im damn glad I got to be...
Long gone are the days when a kid could earn enough money from a summer job and go racing.
Im damn glad I got to be one of those kids
lostboy819 wrote:
X 10 When I was in high school working part time jobs 1977-1981 I went racing with zero help from my parents just me and some...
X 10

When I was in high school working part time jobs 1977-1981 I went racing with zero help from my parents just me and some of my racing buddies.
Yep,

but when you tell people that nowadays they look at you like you are telling them you had to walk through a foot of snow to get to the races.

I do have a question.

How is it realistic to add in the cost of food unless you only eat on the days you are riding?

Pack a lunch or buy a bunch of freaking bananas
Big
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12/5/2012 3:04am
Roscoe33 wrote:
One of the shops I ran the owner ( made his money in trucks) used to joke about how do you make a million dollars in...
One of the shops I ran the owner ( made his money in trucks) used to joke about how do you make a million dollars in motocross racing, you start with 2 million.
I have 26 National titles you can't put a price on, you race for the expriences of life,
The cost in dollars is only a very narrow focus on the true impact of racing.
Ramona?

The Shop

daveoevo
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12/5/2012 5:08am
Youth racing always amazes me. I go to adult races and most guys are just using work vans with one or two campers but go to a schoolboy meeting and it's motor home city.
mx-4-2
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12/5/2012 6:29am
We spend about $400-$500 per weekend excluding any major bike repairs or medical bills. Last weekend was $120 on race fees for 4 classes, $20 on gate fees, $120 on hotel, $100 on gas for truck, $75 on food and $50 on race gas. As mentioned before, time with my son is priceless.
newmann
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12/5/2012 7:02am
There were some high dollar years for us no doubt. Running a fleet of vintage bikes and a few shiny new modern bikes at the same time got a little crazy from time to time. And we were just in it for fun. Never followed any serious am series so I never experienced that level of silliness. The spring and fall vintage series here in Texas did get me sucked in pretty good in an successful effort to win some $3.99 plastic number plates with some big number 1's on them though. But head west to some big national level vintage races and sign up in the expert class with a handfull of retired past pros and champs and you learn your place reeeaaallly quick with mid pack finishes(or worse) leaving you with a good reality check! There are some fast old 40 and 50 somethings out there.

The good part about the vintage and evo classes is that I have been racing my same(mostly) 1974 CR125 and CR250 since 1991. We lay off a few years from time to time but always seen to come back. And the bikes are always still at the top of the game. Our 80 CR125 has been thrashed off and on since 1998 and is an absolute blast to ride. Probably a little more maintenance intensive than some moden bikes but if you build them up right to begin with they will serve you well for many years. Not having to buy a new fleet every year (just a six pack of pistons) does have its upside. The addiction to the old shit is the only downside...Laughing







mmcmx
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12/5/2012 7:06am Edited Date/Time 12/5/2012 7:11am
When I was racing I remember it was something around 150/day so it was around 15k a year. That was just in al local/fun level. Not the cheapest sport for sure!

(Spain's average net salary is around 2000 euros)
104Dad
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12/5/2012 7:20am
mxracer239 wrote:
I was wondering how much most people spend on racing, we have 3 racing every weekend an practing @ our practice track almost every day in...
I was wondering how much most people spend on racing, we have 3 racing every weekend an practing @ our practice track almost every day in the summer between parts,gas, gear, entry fees we put out alot of $$$

yz 85
yz 125
crf 250
P wrote:
Are you seeing results from all of the time and effort that you are putting out?


P
I dont do just becuse I want tittles, Yes my son has done good hes no AC but he gets around the track ok, But we do it becuse we have a blast togather, The more fun we have the faster he goes. but if he hangs it up when he goes to school and we havnt won LL,s or have a ride with PC i wont see it as a waste ill see the time i got to race with my boy was money well spent. Ive made my living working in this sport so NO i dont make a ton of money but what i do make I choose to spend it racing with my family
12/5/2012 7:27am
JB 19 wrote:
I don't how many people hit the often thrown around 100K number.........but it definitely isn't cheap. I remember when I was about 12 my dad one...
I don't how many people hit the often thrown around 100K number.........but it definitely isn't cheap. I remember when I was about 12 my dad one day kind of saying under his breath, "where's all the money go?" I generally raced 1 year old used bikes with few mods. Got new riding gear about every 2 years and I blew up very few bikes. We did have a motorhome and trailer which got about 8 mpg, but gas was also .99$ back then. ...........and this was in the 80's and 90's when "stuff" was a lot cheaper.

I went back to Lorettas this year just to watch and was blown away by the number of bus's with 40ft trailers stuffed with 4-5 bikes. In the early 90's you would see the high rollers here and there....now its like 1 in 5 have a 200,000$ setup. I think some things in this sport have gotten out of control that have no reason to. If a kid has star power you don't need a 175,000$ bus and 6 full mod bikes to groom his talent.

It looks like a money spending contest as much as it does dirt bike racing. In my opinion, thats a lot of the problem.
Yeah, I agree MX is a great way to show people how much money you have, or in many cases how much crap people can finance. Sitting around the campfire a few years back the mom that was parked next to us said they only had one credit card that wasn't max'ed out.

I hear that 100K number a lot. Even at 100K per year I think somebody would be running a low-budget operation compared to others if doing the whole amateur nationals thing. Some of these kids get practice bikes, stock race bikes, mod race bikes, build a special "lorettas bike"... in 250 and 450...
newmann
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12/5/2012 7:43am
Long gone are the days when a kid could earn enough money from a summer job and go racing. Im damn glad I got to be...
Long gone are the days when a kid could earn enough money from a summer job and go racing.
Im damn glad I got to be one of those kids
Not really. There are a lot of $1000.00 - $2000.00 bikes out there that with just a little elbow grease are ready to go racing. They can get in reasonable as long as they don't have to have everything shiny and new. Just because the OEM's have shot themselves in the foot with $7000.00-$9000.00 bikes doesn't mean that we as parents and kids have to do the same. Just over two grand here complete with suspension freshened up. The list of new stuff was pretty long and a couple parts got pulled out of my stash of crap.Not a bolt was turned on the low hour engine. A perfect tear down/clean up project for an aspiring racer.

Before


After
thehuck.0
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12/5/2012 7:47am
mxracer239 wrote:
I was wondering how much most people spend on racing, we have 3 racing every weekend an practing @ our practice track almost every day in...
I was wondering how much most people spend on racing, we have 3 racing every weekend an practing @ our practice track almost every day in the summer between parts,gas, gear, entry fees we put out alot of $$$

yz 85
yz 125
crf 250
P wrote:
Are you seeing results from all of the time and effort that you are putting out?


P
104Dad wrote:
I dont do just becuse I want tittles, Yes my son has done good hes no AC but he gets around the track ok, But we...
I dont do just becuse I want tittles, Yes my son has done good hes no AC but he gets around the track ok, But we do it becuse we have a blast togather, The more fun we have the faster he goes. but if he hangs it up when he goes to school and we havnt won LL,s or have a ride with PC i wont see it as a waste ill see the time i got to race with my boy was money well spent. Ive made my living working in this sport so NO i dont make a ton of money but what i do make I choose to spend it racing with my family
Good job and great outlook!
nb11
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12/5/2012 8:52am
All this being said, MX is still one of, if not the, least expensive forms of motorsports racing.

Ex: I was just considering the cost of low-budget road racing, on an older craigslist Ninja 250, in the WERA series, and it's approximately as follows:

Clapped out bike: $2000
Parts to get it safe, tuned to the rider, and WERA legal: probably at least $1000
WERA membership (yearly): $110
Track day, so you'll be familiar and safe on the track: $125
Track day school (optional, but a good idea. Going fast in close proximity to others is dangerous if you have no clue what you're doing): $100
Gate fees for the weekend: at least $45-60/person
1st class fee: $95
2nd class fee: $75
subsequent class fees: $65/each
Gas to get there (tracks aren't as common as MX tracks): for me, at least $75-100
Tires (maybe get 2-3 weekends out of them on a 250. Much less on a 600 or literbike): $250-$350/set
Hotel (if necessary): $50-150/night

This is about the most basic form of road racing that I'm aware of. So if I were to get into it, after all the initial costs, I'd be at least about $450/weekend. And, as with MX, the prices go up exponentially. So, I could do at least 3 weekends of MX for the price of a weekend of road racing, with comparatively lower grade equipment. That makes the cost of MX sound a little better to me.
And going with what is previously stated, I think a lot of people try to make MX cost more than it should. I don't have kids yet, but I don't see why junior needs 3 new 50SX's in tow behind the bus. Let's keep it simple and enjoy riding motorcycles.
12/5/2012 9:05am
You always seem to spend what you have to spend. When I was younger I raced L.L. out of the back of a Dodge Shelby Charger, as I got older more stable I bought nicer rigs and bikes. Now after a few ACL surgery, broken ankles and even a broken neck I still ride, maybe a few times a year and started racing Boat.. sure makes Bikes seem cheap. Dizzy

104Dad
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12/5/2012 1:58pm
You always seem to spend what you have to spend. When I was younger I raced L.L. out of the back of a Dodge Shelby Charger...
You always seem to spend what you have to spend. When I was younger I raced L.L. out of the back of a Dodge Shelby Charger, as I got older more stable I bought nicer rigs and bikes. Now after a few ACL surgery, broken ankles and even a broken neck I still ride, maybe a few times a year and started racing Boat.. sure makes Bikes seem cheap. Dizzy

Man what I wouldnt do to ride in that bad boy. Even i could get laid in a boat like that. jk that thing is sick
JW381
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12/5/2012 2:03pm
mxracer239
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12/6/2012 12:54pm
Thanks for all the replys, we def put out alot of time an money but i would`nt trade the time we have spent together for any thing.
sayco
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12/6/2012 4:27pm Edited Date/Time 12/6/2012 4:30pm
thehuck.0 wrote:
too much.
All the Amateur Nationals for 5 years .... Stay at MTF Nov-Feb and Mechanic would be a modest 80grand a year if you are lucky enough to have factory support on bikes and parts and bonus contingency money!! Don't forget HomeSchool!
mx5471
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12/6/2012 5:35pm
If you can afford racing that boat, money is no problem for you. It's expensive, no doubt. My son started riding when he was 11, on an apple orchard when we moved to the country. Then he wanted to race. I said, no way. Momma said, he'll stink and we'll be done with it in a couple months. So i said ok. Well that didn't happen, he got real good real fast. Then the expenses started. Traveling to race new people and all that goes into it. But the one thing we always thought of, is that we knew where our son was every friday and saturday night. With us at the races. He was at the tracks with his mx buddies hanging out with us and their parents. Then they hung with themselves, but you knew where they were,and what they were doing. I'd drive thru town and see kids standing at the corner at night, and thought , from my youth, nothing good comes from that, only trouble. But my son was never there, because we went racing, which is what he wanted to do. Those times were the best. I always said to him after a race, "great race". Even if he crashed or did badly. After a while,he said why do you say that? I said because you're learning yo all the time, and it'll all come together for you. It cost a lot, but it was worth it. This is a wonderful family sport,but I'm afraid the costs are going to kill it, along with the injuries, and track closures everywhere. In this economy, bikes sales are flat, and people don't have the disposable income. The 2 stroke bikes are getting scooped up as soon as they're on the market. People can't afford to buy a used 4 stoke and spend the money to fix it. No racers means tracks can't continue to operate. A couple of years ago my son's friend got a '02 YZ125 with a blown motor for a couple hundred bucks. I fixed for him, and he went racing with 2 of his buddies, slept in their truck, all rode the same bike in different classes, and had a blast all summer. They still talk about it. That's what mx should be about, not trying to be the next RC. It's next to impossible for these kids to make it. It's such a small field at the top. The local level should be affordable and fun, but it's harder to do on a limited budget, even for riders that want to get the kids into it for fun. Eventually I think it evolve to an elite sport that no one can participate in, and bikes won't even be available to the general population. No one is buying them now. I feel bad that new people can't afford this,because the the times spent with kids and family was so precious, and so much fun.
MtnBoy
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12/6/2012 6:05pm
Bankruptcy
newmann
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12/6/2012 6:12pm
mx5471 wrote:
If you can afford racing that boat, money is no problem for you. It's expensive, no doubt. My son started riding when he was 11, on...
If you can afford racing that boat, money is no problem for you. It's expensive, no doubt. My son started riding when he was 11, on an apple orchard when we moved to the country. Then he wanted to race. I said, no way. Momma said, he'll stink and we'll be done with it in a couple months. So i said ok. Well that didn't happen, he got real good real fast. Then the expenses started. Traveling to race new people and all that goes into it. But the one thing we always thought of, is that we knew where our son was every friday and saturday night. With us at the races. He was at the tracks with his mx buddies hanging out with us and their parents. Then they hung with themselves, but you knew where they were,and what they were doing. I'd drive thru town and see kids standing at the corner at night, and thought , from my youth, nothing good comes from that, only trouble. But my son was never there, because we went racing, which is what he wanted to do. Those times were the best. I always said to him after a race, "great race". Even if he crashed or did badly. After a while,he said why do you say that? I said because you're learning yo all the time, and it'll all come together for you. It cost a lot, but it was worth it. This is a wonderful family sport,but I'm afraid the costs are going to kill it, along with the injuries, and track closures everywhere. In this economy, bikes sales are flat, and people don't have the disposable income. The 2 stroke bikes are getting scooped up as soon as they're on the market. People can't afford to buy a used 4 stoke and spend the money to fix it. No racers means tracks can't continue to operate. A couple of years ago my son's friend got a '02 YZ125 with a blown motor for a couple hundred bucks. I fixed for him, and he went racing with 2 of his buddies, slept in their truck, all rode the same bike in different classes, and had a blast all summer. They still talk about it. That's what mx should be about, not trying to be the next RC. It's next to impossible for these kids to make it. It's such a small field at the top. The local level should be affordable and fun, but it's harder to do on a limited budget, even for riders that want to get the kids into it for fun. Eventually I think it evolve to an elite sport that no one can participate in, and bikes won't even be available to the general population. No one is buying them now. I feel bad that new people can't afford this,because the the times spent with kids and family was so precious, and so much fun.
2 thumbs up.
partialperson
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12/6/2012 9:16pm
Team Ideal wrote:
I don't want to know, bet it would scare the jahebas out of me. I know two years ago when we raced a whole year without...
I don't want to know, bet it would scare the jahebas out of me. I know two years ago when we raced a whole year without injury I spent the cost of damn near a new bike on keeping 2 running strong all race season, this was just thru stock replacement parts bought at dealership, doesn't include stuff bought thru mail order, chains, sprocket, air filters, grips ect... in the past 6 weeks we've been traveling a lot getting back into race pace and we have spent over 2000 on just gas for the vehicle to travel in. this counts both a RV getting an average of 7 mpg and a van getting around 16 mpg.
I don't want to know either. This year, new to us, we are trying out "retired from racing". We'll see how long that lasts. When we first started Mx with my son, a friend said expect at least 6g a year, 1999. His estimate a little short, one year my wife and son did calculate and stopped when they hit 15g, 2002. Never ever looked at the cost again. It's all relative, I am a tightass, my father spent in the 100s of 1000s racing cars in 25 years. I would have never done this for myself, did it in a heartbeat for my son, my wife became more addicted to racing than I. I can always now blame it on her!
partialperson
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12/6/2012 9:23pm
JW381 wrote:
[img]https://cynthiahoweminiatures.com/shop/images/hannahlimbs.jpg[/img]
Funny story. St Louis SX, beer $7.50, long line, I turn and ask the long line "Y'all wanna' have some fun?". My turn, I take off my prosthetic leg, throw it up on the counter and say "I hear beer coasts and arm and a leg here, I'm fresh out of arms!". Not even a smile out of the attendant, her helper, holding her crotch laughing so hard. I thought it was funny, some people just don't get gimp humor. Another one, my friend Steve had polio, one side of his body much smaller, our friends called us Peggy and Eileen.
dirthead1
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12/6/2012 11:48pm
I learned/was taught how to day trade to fund my racing in the early 2000s. My previous wife thought $800 a month was a generous racing budget, but really it was easily over twice that not including bikes.

You think MX is expensive? Get into Pro class SCORE desert racing and completely destroying a new bike with thousands of dollars in after market parts in one weekend.

If you truly are fast, MX racing is cheap. Everybody else is just wasting there money on stuff they don't need or racing series they don't need to be racing. MX is the cheapest form of motorsports racing there is.
BDOG
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Danville, VA US
2/19/2013 2:53pm
mx-4-2 wrote:
We spend about $400-$500 per weekend excluding any major bike repairs or medical bills. Last weekend was $120 on race fees for 4 classes, $20 on...
We spend about $400-$500 per weekend excluding any major bike repairs or medical bills. Last weekend was $120 on race fees for 4 classes, $20 on gate fees, $120 on hotel, $100 on gas for truck, $75 on food and $50 on race gas. As mentioned before, time with my son is priceless.
I find myself using this justification quite a bit also.... it's true. BUT, I could spend time doing things with them that are alot cheaper,safer and more responsible. If Im honest with myself i know the latter to be true. BUT, Im addicted no different than a crack head or heroin addict.
yz414
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2/19/2013 5:03pm
nobody is rich in motocross. if you have the money you spend it.
tombugg
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Peoria, AZ US
2/19/2013 5:28pm Edited Date/Time 2/19/2013 5:29pm
When my son was racing full time we were spending over 35K a year, now we are weekend warriors and I bitch when I have to pay $60 for three of us to practice for a day.. But after gas, oil, gas for the truck and lunch it is really $100 for me and my boys to go burn laps (Or money) at the local track. But the time spent riding moto with my sons is, as they say, ... Priceless!!

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