In what SCCA events do you win money, or anything at all, besides a cool trophy?
My Plan: Solo2 - HPDE - Honda Challenge/Solo1 - something with winnings
Is there another organization like SCCA that you can run in, with similar rules/regs and cars?

 

The best way to end up with a small fortune racing is to start with a large one.

Even the racers at the 'pro' (grand am cup and speed world challenge) level are paying very heavily out of pocket.

food for thought.

However if you are very good at autocross you can make some money for tire and manufacturer congingency.... but not much.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MrIllegalX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">In what SCCA events do you win money, or anything at all, besides a cool trophy?
My Plan: Solo2 - HPDE - Honda Challenge/Solo1 - something with winnings
Is there another organization like SCCA that you can run in, with similar rules/regs and cars? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Not sure if you're aware of this, but the Honda-Challenge Race Series is sanctioned by NASA, not SCCA. More information can be found at http://www.nasaproracing.com.

 

I totally forgot about NASA.
I'm not looking to make a fortune off of racing anytime soon, but I would like something to show for it, know what I mean?

 

If you want something to show for it financially, then start a business.

It wont happen in racing.

 

Funny, because that's exactly what I'm doing. Starting a business (in ~6 years) which will HOPEFULLY fund any racing that I may decide to do. I know down here at the oval track which my buddy races at (who's only 18) he got $1,000 for finishing 18th in points, and he only raced for half a season. I guess this topic was kinda stupid, since it doesn't seem like there's much of anything to be won.

Anyone know about the GT Championship? What do they get?

 

If you don't mind making the long trip to Georgia, you have two options I can think of. There's the Pro IT series (sanctioned by SCCA) where money is paid out after every race for the top 4 in class, and there is also year end championship money that goes to the first 5 in class. For the '03 Pro IT season, $39 844 was paid in total this year and was distributed among 5 classes based on participation numbers. Your second option is the sediv ECR endurance championship that also has a year end pay out for the top 4 finishers I believe in each class.

 

SoloII:

http://www.scca.org/amateur/solo2/contingency.html

You could actually make enough to pay for a racing season, easily. I made enough at the 2002 nats to pay for my trip and hotel out there, which made me happy.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Todd00 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">SoloII:

http://www.scca.org/amateur/solo2/contingency.html

You could actually make enough to pay for a racing season, easily. I made enough at the 2002 nats to pay for my trip and hotel out there, which made me happy.</TD></TR></TABLE>

That link helped a lot, thanks. And that's basically what I'm looking for, so some of it balances out, like the trip and hotel.

 

It is possible to make autocross pay for itself, but you have to be very, very good.

In the early 90's I had a tire deal with Yokohama, and drove a Honda, and was successful enough to have a bunch of win/place/shows that paid various contingencies. The best year was '91 when I made about $5000 grand, all of which was written off against travel costs, entries and other expenses. As I remenber, A Pro Solo win was worth about $800, 2nd $600, and 3rd $300.

These days aren't quite as lucrative, but money can still be had by driving a Honda, a current vintage Toyota, or a Neon.

 

If you want racing to be commercially viable, the most likely route is stock car racing. I am confident sayin gthat road racing is not ever going to be a profit generator for you unless you have a sugardaddy willing to capitalize a rent-a-ride program of some kind (a la Turner or RTR in WCTouring or Rocketsports in TransAm).

K

 

I would never go to a ProSolo event thinking that I'm going to get the top contingency prize.

 

I started SCCA Club Racing in 1988 and have had both slow and busy years. Hard to say how much money I have spent as I have built, raced and sold a number of cars but I think one can safely say that I have spent over $20,000 doing this.

I ran one Pro-IT race at Road Atlanta in 1996 and finished 4th and won a check for $68. You do the math.

Don't go road racing if you want to make money unless you are the second coming of Michael Schumacher and then do it on someone else's money. If the money is not the goal, but intead fun and experiences on and off the track are of proper reward for the cost then road racing may be for you.

 

My total winnings so far in one year of racing? $200.

My cost to earn that $200? $4000 racing in 6 weekends.

Like Lee said. You do the math.

What did I do w. my $200 check? Frame it, cause the $200 is change in comparison to what I dumped in the car. It's a far better wall plaque than being in my bank.

Good luck kid with racing for $$$$$$s.

 

Winning money in racing is very hard to do, at least at the level of making it a profession.

I mean, look at some of the paid drivers in CART or similar series, even if you are making six figures just to race cars, the cost of getting to that level was almost certainly in the millions. And who paid for all that training? 99% of the time, not a sponsor. My advice to you is to get a rich dad who has Little League Father Syndrome.

Of course, theres always exceptions. I won a $750 gift certificate from Gateway computer for setting 4th fastest lap time in a 3 lap race at Daytona in a NASCAR 4 tournament a few years ago, so I guess that made up for the money I spent on video/computer games, steering wheels, etc. as a teenager.