BUZZ SODEMAN The Buzzman BUZZ SODEMAN / SPECIAL TO THE PVT Haulers, lined up at the Pahrump Valley Speedway, can be an expensive proposition. Advertisement

No matter how you slice the pie, the stark reality of competitive auto racing is that it's expensive.

As a driver moves up to the "elite" divisions the ability to procure multiple sponsors is a must because of all the logistics involved in the racing game. NASCAR competitors' cars are emblazoned with as many sponsors as there is space on the vehicle, as well as, the driver's fire suit. Drivers are "hired guns" and for the most part are pampered and provided with all the amenities that can be afforded them.

So what does it really cost to field a car in, say, the Mini Stock or Bomber division at the Pahrump Valley Speedway?

Despite the discrepancy in size, purchasing a vehicle will most likely set you back anywhere from $200 to $600, unless of course you have an oxidizing relic sitting in the tumbleweeds behind your house. City Auto, on Highway 160, is willing to put you in the driver's seat of a Bomber for $175 to $200 tops.

Before you go out and become a local legend like "Racin' Jason" Pike, there's more preparation and checks to be written.

Preparing the vehicle requires gutting the interior, removing all the glass, including the windshield (usually replaced with any material to keep big clods of track surface from entering the cockpit) and other non-essential luxuries. Several of the Bombers at the speedway last week still sported their "factory" dashboards and "idiot lights."

The next improvement could cost another couple hundred, unless you know how to weld or know someone who does. That improvement is the installation of the roll bar. The roll bar is your friend and should be prepared properly.

Wyatt Ehrp has been a mentor to several drivers and has on more than one occasion stressed "that the price of safety has no cost." Of course, Wyatt has also taught his philosophy on racing, "If you can't fix it, you shouldn't race it!"

Perhaps that is why I write about racing and find satisfaction in entertaining my readership, as I never had the skills to repair a car. I did work at a gas station and know how to change oil and lube and check the rear. Some drivers install oil pressure and fuel pressure gauges. You just might need some spare tires mounted on spare rims if you plan on surviving the rigors of the Pahrump "bull ring."

Your race car is ready, you're well under way to entering the track to do some "rubbin' and racin'," right?

Not so fast, Sparkie.

There is more stuff to buy, more important stuff -- like "personal safety" equipment.

Have you thought about the implications of fire and multi-car pileups? Incidents like these require forethought and safety equipment. An important item, which I believe is mandatory is the five-point harness that holds you securely in place, should you have the occasion to rollover or go end-over-end.

This restraint can cost $60 to $199. Also mandatory is an on-board fire extinguisher.

We'll start at the top, the helmet, commonly referred to as a "pumpkin protector." Depending on where you do your shopping, helmets can run between $179 and $899.

Many drivers also opt for a neck protector to keep the pumpkin in place when you're being rear-ended.

That will set you back between $25 to $30.

The Nomex fire suit costs $90 to $495, depending on how many layers you want and if you want a fancy one with flames crawling up your ankles and wrists. Then there's fire proof gloves (I notice that a few drivers at the Speedway aren't wearing them). They cost $30 to $130.

Fireproof shoes will cost $54 to $289 and provide protection to your toes provided you don't experience what the driver from Bullhead City had happen -- scalding water from a defective radiator that ran down inside his shoes.

This wasn't the first time that this had happened to him, by the way. Some guys just never seem to learn.

Time to pay your entry fee, sign the waiver sheet and pick a spot in the pits. Geez, you've got to find something to haul the newly-painted car to the track. I've seen car haulers representative of all levels of economic ability, from the simple "car dolly" that you see towing vehicles behind a U-Haul to enclosed trailers that haul two cars.

For the sake of simplicity, you find an open trailer and purchase it. You might be smart to purchase some tie downs, this may keep your "pride and joy" from rolling off the trailer at the intersection of Highway 160 and Basin Road after stopping at the Rebel station to purchase fuel for the evening.

Racing is an expensive hobby. Besides what I have already documented, how do you put a price on your time (working on your car, being away from your family if you're married)? Then there's the cost of fuel, for the race car and the hauler and the "wear and tear" on the tow vehicle.

I'm sure that you have had the opportunity to check out the "professional" haulers that Leland Hibdon and Levi Kiefer bring to the track each week. Ask them how many hours or jobs they have to complete to afford the payments on those "behemoth" homes away from home.

These IMCA pilots also travel to out-of-state events that pay more money in one race than they can get from running an entire season at the local track. These haulers allow them the luxury of taking their families with them, providing they have a wife who actually enjoys auto racing.

A note about haulers that appeared in Speedway Illustrated, August 2003, "The trailers are manufactured by Featherlite, who will sell you one for between $227,000 (the economy model) and $260,000 (the one with all the bells and whistles). Add nearly $8,000 in tax, and you are the proud owner of a 53-foot-long trailer with an office up front, a lift in the back, room for two cars up top, and nice cabinets in the work area. The rig to pull this sweetheart will set you back around $150,000, so the total is a tad over $400,000."

All the prices that were quoted were obtained from several vendors that deal specifically with racing related paraphernalia. The prices vary and it is quite possible that there are vendors locally that could save you some serious bucks.

If you have to finance your "need for speed" by taking food off the table or clothes off your kids' backs, maybe you had better reconsider your choice of recreational relaxation.