ATV Exposed Magazine - Your Only All Amatuer ATV Riders Spot!

So You Want To Race? By Greg Condon

Budget Considerations

A huge part of racing is a budget. Often overlooked by the weekend warrior, the expenses of racing can catch up with a rider fast. Most beginners race a few races a year and never see the expenses that pile up. Add together the fuel to and from the track and for the race bike. Food while away from home, eating out and eating on the road gets very expensive. Race entry fees and gate fees for spectators seem reasonable for a race or two but can add up to be hundreds of dollars in an entire season. Wearable and broken parts from abuse during racing pile up much faster then while trail riding.

Make a budget at the beginning of the season. Look at the schedule and project the distance traveled to each race and the fuel needed to get there and back. Certain farther races might need to be left out to make a budget work. If you want to race an entire season consider maybe a more local series that keeps races within a few hour radius of home. Stick the schedule you have made for yourself so you don’t find yourself missing out on races at the end of the season because the money ran out.

Figure a cross country race weekend is going to cost about $150. $10 for gate fee. $40 for entry fee. $20 for fuel for the bike. $20 for drinks and food the day of the race. $15 for a race event tee shirt or other desirable goods and $45 in random expenses and wearable parts for the bike including, tires, bearings and damaged parts from accidents. Notice this does not even include the fuel to transport to and from the race because that can vary drastically depending on distance. Motocross racing has its own expenses depending on involvement and series run. This is just an estimate of expenses and your budget needs to very depending on the series you are running.

The money can add up quickly, putting a stop to a racing season in a hurry if the budget is not followed or other major expenses take from the racing fund. Do not be fooled into buying aftermarket parts or upgrading certain parts of a bike because a few bucks are extra laying in the bank account. Do the research and pick the best parts and the parts that are going to give the most bang for the buck while starting out. Worst thing to do is spend 10k on a bike and then realize 3 races into the season that ATV racing is not all it was thought to be.

To finish a race season successfully the money must be there at the end of the season. Making an accurate budget, following it strictly and even putting some considerations in that budget for unforeseen expenses. The series that is chosen plays a big roll in the budget and the budget might alter the racing series that is chosen.