Big Bucks

by Joe McKay

Everytime I hit the road I’m reminded of how much it cost to be in racing either as a racer, support or media. I’ve mentioned before that we pay the same rates as you do, just to give you an idea how much it costs to follow you around. I had an easy weekend at Road Atlanta and still spent $500. Let’s take another look at our world from the inside of your wallet.

You as a racer are looking at huge expenses compared with what we used to dish out back when we were racing chariots with one horsepower. Back before the flood, we spent tons of money to go racing and when you consider the dollars then versus those earned today, you got more for your money then.

Recently (1997) I covered the CCS/NASB/FUSA final at Road Atlanta. Many of the racers complained about the $65 entry fee for the first class, $50 for more, and that was for CCS. Add two or three sets of tires at $300 to $400 per set, “special” racing fuel, gas for the tow vehicle, food, motel, $3.00 for the latest issue of national Privateer (now free online), cooler supplies, brake pads, repair damage from a practice crash with a wild hog, new spare tire for the trailer as one of the others just exploded for no apparent reason (you drove through broken glass that fell out of some bozo’s pick up truck), and the cost of signing up for several classes. No problem looking inside your wallet now, it’s empty. Next week’s pay check went too!

Now, as you add it all up you are looking at a figure close to $1500 or so and you race two weekends a month. You earn $27,000 a year before taxes and you are spending $30,000 or more. For your efforts you have accumulated a total of 40 pieces of wood, worth -0-.

On the up side, if you are racing in CCS and several of the other fine sanctioning bodies we have, you may be up for some cash at the end of the season. CCS has the most to offer and it will help some of the front runners get back some of their “investment” in the sport with a portion of all entry fees going into a fund that will be distributed in November. WSMC also has one of the better programs in the country. Chuck Graves is the current money earner at $7,130 with six more races to go. Since 1991 Chuck has hauled off just over $32,000 at Willow Springs. (Keep in mind that I wrote this article two years ago - jm).

Granted these programs are not going to make you rich so hopefully you are looking at some contingency programs to offset your costs. Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha have programs as do most of the tire folks. Believe it or Not.... most of these programs only spend about two thirds of their allotted funds on those riders that send in the forms. The rest of you are losing money and don’t even know it. WAKE UP.....!

Go ahead and read the last three sentences again I’ll wait.

Back, okay, let’s go on. If you think $500, 300 or even 50 dollars is just not worth your time, send in the forms anyway and tell them to send me the money. I’ll put it to good use. The reality is; if those that pass up the chance to make some contingency money did in fact fill out the paperwork, I would be earning about $300,000 a year. Please by all means, use my name, I’ll make sure you have a good grid position. Just kidding (or am I?)

We mentioned a year or so ago that several racers were making a pretty good living at racing for contingency money. The most successful last year was Billy Eisenacher who was into five figures and didn’t have to work, if he didn’t want too. Danny Roberts, now with Dunlop, raced full time attending the Honda and Suzuki races for three years and smiled the whole time. (Working weekends for more money than you would earn working five days a week - not bad). If you are a top five finisher, or close, and want to make a few thousand dollars a year, fill out the contingency forms, check the schedule and see who’s got the money this weekend.

How do we cut corners, eat better and not spend as much money? In looking at many of you at the track, a painful reality exists. It’s that some of you believe that there are awards, purse and contingency funds for winning practice.

You will go through a set of tires, brake pads, crash your brains out (oops, forgot you already lost them in the last practice crash), eat a hot juicy hamburger when the temperature is close to 100 degrees, drink gooey drinks and forget to go to the little boys room before racing. Then spend the lunch break rebuilding and replacing everything!

For those who have not figured it our yet, THERE ARE NO AWARDS FOR WINNING PRACTICE. How do I know you ask? Well, let me put it this way. When you run up and tell me how you were chasing Aaron Yates around Daytona and he was in your way, well, I just know that somebody was being sensible in practice and take a guess who wasn’t? Get my drift? If not see me and I’ll explain it to you in that colorful language I’m so fond of using.

If you’ve been paying attention to the articles that Timothy Kast pens every month and what I tell you, it should serve as a good base for your future in racing. (This also includes auto racing, when you get too old to race on two wheels). For the rest of you I will proceed to the basics one more time.

You can’t win practice, stop trying. Bring a cooler to the track with some good food in it and tons of water and drinks with electrolyte’s. Save your tires and brake pads. Save your energies for the racing action. Save that expensive race gas. And save countless hours by not having to rebuild your bike after a practice crash.

Anyone, even me, likes to chase the faster guys around the track. Instead of trying to get by, pay attention to the lines they use. THAT will make you a faster rider.

I’m sure some of you are saying; “what about using practice to learn the track?” Of course that makes sense, but if you run at the same track the whole season, why waste your money? Setting up the suspension, bedding in the pads, scuffing in your tires, and just getting the kinks out does not require three sessions. Work on your mental approach during lunch break instead of on the bike and relax before you go on the track. Granted some of you take the same approach I used to. Get in the car, turn on the a/c, slip the Judas Priest tape in the cassette and turn up the volume to the max, while listening to “You Got Another Thing Comin.” Needless to say, in three minutes my nerves, muscles and brain had become ignited and I was ready to go racin’. This approach also works great at three in the morning while running down the highway. Watch the speed though, 90 mph comes real easy as you try to keep up with the music.

Others choose to spend their time in a much quieter mode which is also a good thing. It all depends on how quickly your adrenaline comes up. I always had a problem getting real excited once the race started. Other than a big slide or high side, it was tough to get my heart going. Too many years as a hockey player and growing up in NYC have a lot to do with it... you tend to get mellow in most situations even when there was a gun pointed at you. The brain is probably the most powerful tool at your disposal in racing and being off just a hair can put you in a delicate situation. (In the dodo). Let’s face it, common sense rules and if you ain’t got any, get some. It’s on sale on this site, read everything!

Your goals to start with should be to eat right, use your time on the track wisely, stick within your budget, don’t try and get one more race out of tires that cannot be heat cycled again, find another rider to travel with thereby cutting costs. (Hopefully, one with a motorhome). While camping out in a motor home is my way of going to the races, some of you enjoy staying in your tents. It’s a great way to save as much as three hundred dollars or more depending on the race weekend.

Many of you find that when you call for a motel room that the rate you paid last year. $47 is now $120 and they want you to book four or five nights including Sunday when you are half way home by 11pm. The reason in most cases is: a travel agent blocked the rooms in advance knowing when a national event was going to be scheduled. This is just another case of someone making money off of your ability and the show YOU will be putting on. (More on this in the next few months right after I finish getting this site up to speed.) Anyway, it’s a good way to save some of that precious funding needed to continue in the sport. Camp out.

Did you know that a used motorhome payment is about $450 a month. Think about it!

The contingency money thing always amazes me. Back in the chariot racing era, we didn’t have #@&* for funding. What is amazing is how many of you forget to fill out the paperwork (and send it in), and don’t run the stickers. (Oh, and don’t run stickers if you are using another manufacturers bodywork or brake pads. It’s the same as stealing and you may find yourself gracing our pages in a manner you may not want to see. I see a lot of it lately and you are beating our contingency people, not nice, nor very smart).

In the interest of keeping this thing to a reasonable length let me just say; "let’s just use common sense, look around at the other guys and see what they are doing." (Notice I didn’t say anything about our lady racers. Sorry guys, they already have it under control). Get back to eating right. (If you are going to bring donuts to the track, eat one and let me know where the box is, I’ll take care of the rest). Use your head when it comes to track time and have your bike ready to race when you leave the house.

Many of you leave little things for your “spare time” at the track and they often don’t get done... you know like tightening those shift, brake and clutch levers, shock mount bolts, valve cover gaskets, engine mounts (can you believe it?), putting air in the tires, and just because you have a bike that cost thousands of dollars don’t think the air can’t come out of the tires because you didn’t think the valve cap was important, and don’t forget the fuel. And just before you leave the driveway, check the tie downs, trailer chains, lights and make sure you have the keys to get back into the house. Oh yeah, bring the one for your bike too!

Trust me, I’ve seen all of the above and much more. You beat yourselves up worse than the competition ever could. Be proud of what you are and be safe. Don’t forget that I’m always watching and if I don’t see you mess up somebody else is going to “rat” you out. Hey, what are friends for?

See ya at the races.......