Top Alcohol or Nitro?

Discussion in 'Pit Buzz' started by BrianD, Nov 1, 2006.

  1. BrianD

    BrianD Member

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    I remember reading on this board a month or two ago about the cost of running a competitive Top Alcohol funny car. If I remember correctly the cost to be competitive was in the $1500 a pass range.
    I have been thinking about this a lot and would it make more since dollar for dollar to run a fuel funny car rather then top alcohol? Now when I am talking fuel I am not talking something along the lines of a Schumacher level team, but rather a team that is running the IHRA shows and showing up to a few NHRA shows to attempt to make the field.
    Before we get into the per pass cost compression lets think about the marketability of a fuel funny car verses a top alcohol car, and its ability to offset the difference in the per pass costs. All of the IHRA races have tape delayed TV coverage on Speed and all of the NHRA national events have TV coverage of pro qualifying on ESPN2. Granted NHRA also has select coverage of top alcohol at select national events.
    Would a lower budget fuel team be more marketable from a sponsorship standpoint then a completive top alcohol car? The Joyce Julius exposure value numbers I have seen on the IHRA shows have been really good compared to other forms of racing, and although I haven’t seen the Julius numbers on the espn2 shows I am sure they have got to be much better yet because of reach of the network and the costs of it’s traditional advertising.
    Now you add in the marketing ability of the nitro car from a match race standpoint and that also helps offset costs.
    I am not trying to knock the class because I love it and I feel it houses a tremendous amount of talent. I will also say I may very well be wrong and that’s cool, I just want to pose the question. I am always one to question things and look outside of the box. Does anyone have any thoughts on my thought process? If you think its crap go ahead and tell me that too, no offence taken. Maybe the biggest advantage of running top alcohol is the ability to have top notch equipment and race on a regional basis without having to all of the intense travel.

    Thanks,
    Brian
     
    #1
    BrianD, Nov 1, 2006
  2. Will Hanna

    Will Hanna We put the 'inside' in Top Alcohol
    Staff Member

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    benjamins

    it all depends on what you are prepared to spend.

    personell costs are what make fuel racing so much more expensive. you can run an alky car with 3 good people if you had to. you probably need at least 6 to run a fuel car. paid or volunteer, you still have to get them to the track, feed them, rooms, etc.

    there are a lot of specialty tools you have to buy or make for a fuel car. thats added cost.

    i wouldn't recommend going straight into nitro unless you have a decent chunk of change to spend.

    also, keep in mind match racing doesn't make much money. you might spend 2-4 thousand trying to make maybe one thousand if you don't blow it up.

    keep in mind 1500 a run is a competitive car w/o tearing anything up. that can go up or down. if you're just running a car on a budget, no name tuner, not turning it hard, basically just showing up, yes it might be cheaper.

    also keep in mind that number is on a no bs budget and racing smart.

    i would cut my teeth in alcohol then move up to nitro after a year or two.

    don't let the 10k to qualify fool you. that 10k is proportional to the 1700 we get to qualify when you compare costs.
     
    #2
    Will Hanna, Nov 1, 2006

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