The cost to compete

[flyboycpa]

Guys & Gals,

I read in a recent thread some posts where folks have mentioned some of the costs to be at Reno as a competitor (I think the thread about the winnings, or something).

I'd be interested to have this thread about not the winnings, but the costs. Since the Bipe/F-1 is the "everyman's" class, I'd like to see what you truly spend for the days you're here and if "everyman" could actually afford to participate. Also, the Sports/T-6/Unlims would provide interesting comparisons, too. Examples being total hotels, transportation (car/truck/trailer rentals, whatever), entry fees (don't forget PRS), gas to get there, race insurance, incidentals, crew, spare parts you bring, you name it! Obviously, those at the higher levels of competition will spend exponentially more, but for the lay person, I'd be curious what the bottom-dollar is (and top, for that matter).

Sam

[RiffRaffRay]

Re: The cost to compete

All of these figures can be adjusted up or down depending on where you run in the Unlimited (bronze, silver or gold), how far away you live and incidentals. Nobody on our crew is paid though a couple of the top teams pay a select few.
Entry Fee $800
Fuel to fly plane to and from Reno $4000
Rv for pit $1000
Insurance(liability only) for the week $5000 (Air Power Ins.)
Car rentals $800
Hotel rooms $4500
Meals for crew $2500
Race fuel $5000
ADI $700
Fuel for support truck/trailer $750
Beer/incidentals for crew and "friends" $1500
Extra pit passes $1000
Oil $500 (Aeroshell) round motor< if it aint leaking its out of oil>
Cleaning and other supplies $500 (see above)
Having your'e plane in the Unlimited Gold on Sunday...priceless!
Spare parts are hard to count since we bring every spare(one of everything except motor) we have in the hangar and don't normally use anything but spark plugs ($55per), water/adi pump($1500 overhauled) and electric fuel pump($1200 overhauled). If you finish somewhere in the middle of the gold you might break even with prize money, but only if you make it back home no problems.

Ray

[luscombe]

Re: The cost to compete

Thanks for the insight ray so to compete at the top level really is a love of the sport and flying and competing because there isnt the rembursment to cover the costs

[AirDOGGe]

Re: The cost to compete

Actually, I think that's true for all motorsports. As the competition and their equipment improve, costs increase but prize money does not.

[bluffman]

Re: The cost to compete

The cost to race F-1 Dancing Queen, was $15,000+ per year, and we did it 3 times. Each year Bill logged 58 minutes flying time! That comes out to about $258.62 per minute in the air! Can you beleive that we did that THREE times?

I would hate to say what it cost in 1987 with Blind Man's Bluff. I get dizzy and light headed just thinking about it!

Larry

[flyingjibus]

Re: The cost to compete

Actually, I think that's true for all motorsports. As the competition and their equipment improve, costs increase but prize money does not.

Ummmmm no.

Greg Hodnett also won live on SPEED taking home $50,000 in the National Open at Williams Grove Speedway... The inaugurla Ironman 55 at I-55 Raceway was held, with Craig Dollansky winning the opener and Joey Saldana taking home the top prize in the $20,000 finale which was 55 laps in distance, the longest race in the modern era of the World of Outlaws.

From here:

http://www.worldofoutlaws.com/sprint/history.aspx

Fifty years later, the Daytona 500 is NASCAR's biggest, richest and most prestigious race.

"The Great American Race," which traditionally hosts a sell out crowd, has the biggest total payout in prize money for any motorsports event in the United States, surpassing the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. The 2007 Daytona 500 posted awards exceed more than $18 million with race winner Kevin Harvick pocketing more than $1.5 million

From here:

http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/News/DAYTONA-500-History.aspx

[Relentless]

Re: The cost to compete

I actually put this together for the French pilots and then assisted my friend Scott Nelson race this year in the sport class. This is a good representation of the expense to race in the Sport Class if you don't own a plane and can find someone stupid enough to let you thrash their..

Glasair III, $200 per hour plus fuel or $300 per hour.....

Fly to and from PRS and fly all week including FAST Training and check ride. 11 hours $3300

Fly to and from races, race all week. 7 hours $2100

Entry: $500
Insurance:$400
Hotel for both PRS and Races (12 nights) $1200
Team Stuff:$300

Drinking Money:???

Total Non owner, no problems.........$7800

[flyboycpa]

Re: The cost to compete

Thanks to all that have replied. Good info

[RAD2LTR]

Re: The cost to compete

Thanks to all that have replied. Good info

Sam,
Are you looking to really hot rod the Swift and take it racing? It would be super cool to see a cleaned up Swift with a big engine out running with the Sport class (My best guess for classing ) It could almost be a throw back to the early days of racing, back when the Swift was new. Who knows, done right it might be pretty fast.

Will

[Jason S.]

Re: The cost to compete

One of the years Mike Brown brought only Pops and Bossman the fuel cost for the week was $15,000, I remember watching him sign the check over and my mouth fell open. That Tigercat is a thirsty bird and Mike sure didn't baby her around the course.
Jason

[f1-69]

Re: The cost to compete

Kevin nailed for almost all of us it cost that much even to run an f1 in the show the only diff is the smaller the plane the smaller the purse but what a sweet way to blow money baby I'll never stop

[Relentless]

Re: The cost to compete

Kevin nailed for almost all of us it cost that much even to run an f1 in the show the only diff is the smaller the plane the smaller the purse but what a sweet way to blow money baby I'll never stop

Of course racing Relentless was not so sweet. Here is the quick math!

One Lycoming 540-NXT $92,000
One brand new MT racing Prop. $15,000
A list of misc. parts: $$5000
New Carbon cowling:$12,000
3 man months labor before: ????
3 man months labor to repair: ???
Paint to return to beauty: ???

Not so sweet? Oh, I did sell about $3500 in tee shirts

I need a good doctor!!!

[flyboycpa]

Re: The cost to compete

Sam,
Are you looking to really hot rod the Swift and take it racing? It would be super cool to see a cleaned up Swift with a big engine out running with the Sport class (My best guess for classing ) It could almost be a throw back to the early days of racing, back when the Swift was new. Who knows, done right it might be pretty fast.

Will

Will,
Running the Swift sure would be fun. As many of you know, Cris Ferguson, Sport Biplane racer and PRS instructor, had a Swift that he had some pics taken around the pylons. Maybe I could give him a run for his money, but I'd be sucking hind t_t behind even the slowest of the slow in Sport. Would be fun, though! Balls out with my 210hp Continental, I'm only indicating 180mph (185 Vne).

Of course I'd like to run in any class, but I'm actually more realistically looking at F-1 or Sport Biplane in the future.

Sam Swift

[steak_pilot]

Re: The cost to compete

What about the companies that sponsor the planes (ie: aeroshell, champion, grand siera hotel, jelly belly, ect)? What kind of percentage, on average, do they contribute? Most advertizing isnt cheap, cant imagine that haveing your name on the side of an airplane is cheap.

Steak