Total Cost of a M3 Track Day for an Advanced Driver:

[smmmurf]

^Karting is good, cheap fun.

A typical track weekend for HPDE excluding entry fees costs approx $500 excluding entry fees for me, instructing.

$150 in gas
$200 in tires (1/5th of a set of street tires)
$100 in hotel for one night
$50 in meals

Racing cars is even worse... Spec Miata was $2500-3500 per weekend including entry fees, race gas, 2/32 shaved tires, mechanic support, engine rebuilds, etc. and that's just a Miata. Running less aggressively shaved tires, stock motor, regular pump gas, and doing the work myself would probably cut that in half.

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by smmmurf

^Karting is good, cheap fun.

Actually, karting is EXPENSIVE. I had a co-worker who blows about $40,000 a year so her son can go karting every year.

And consider that you have to pay $25 for 10 laps at those indoor facilities, it still cost about $200 for the equivalent track time (2 hours a day). The god honest truth? THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE SPORT. I have a friend that compares it to golf in cost. At the end of the day, speed cost money no matter how you slice it.

[1MORELAP]

Originally Posted by The HACK

Actually, karting is EXPENSIVE. I had a co-worker who blows about $40,000 a year so her son can go karting every year.

And consider that you have to pay $25 for 10 laps at those indoor facilities, it still cost about $200 for the equivalent track time (2 hours a day). The god honest truth? THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE SPORT. I have a friend that compares it to golf in cost. At the end of the day, speed cost money no matter how you slice it.

You are right about karting being also expensive. Was surprised. BTW, if you only get 2 hour of driving in a day, you are not going with the right club. I get 3 to 4.

[1MORELAP]

Following up. I went karting, and the rental Briel carts are not as fun as my M3. Costs are also high... $25 for 15 minutes. On my average track day I get 3 to 4 hour of track time. Translated to kart pricing that is $400. Since I am at $600 with the M3, I am forgetting karts and will focus on lowering my running costs.

Where do I buy these used race tires?

Tomasz

[LateBraking]

Originally Posted by 1MORELAP

Following up. I went karting, and the rental Briel carts are not as fun as my M3. Costs are also high... $25 for 15 minutes. On my average track day I get 3 to 4 hour of track time. Translated to kart pricing that is $400. Since I am at $600 with the M3, I am forgetting karts and will focus on lowering my running costs.

Where do I buy these used race tires?

Tomasz

Here you go Tomasz.

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=468291

I also know that TrackHQ.com (Am I allowed to mention them? Admins please just edit post and not delete entirely if not.) occasionally gets used track tires from race teams that do time attack, you can check them out for their occasional deals too.

[MaxL]

Originally Posted by The HACK

Actually, karting is EXPENSIVE. I had a co-worker who blows about $40,000 a year so her son can go karting every year.

And consider that you have to pay $25 for 10 laps at those indoor facilities, it still cost about $200 for the equivalent track time (2 hours a day). The god honest truth? THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE SPORT. I have a friend that compares it to golf in cost. At the end of the day, speed cost money no matter how you slice it.

I thought tracking was expensive till I actually did the math for other hobbies. Turn out, done locally, tracking M3 is about the same as skiing for me (including plane tickets). Of course, those that do not need to fly to mountains the math would be different, but even then, if you factor in equipment & instructors, skiing and golfing can be just as expensive.

[The HACK]

I think I explained it once to my wife, that for me to get the same sort of "kicks" I'd have to pick up a cocaine habit, which cost just as much.

She hasn't complained about the cost of me tracking since.

[Groundpilot]

Originally Posted by The HACK

I think I explained it once to my wife, that for me to get the same sort of "kicks" I'd have to pick up a cocaine habit, which cost just as much.

She hasn't complained about the cost of me tracking since.

[LateBraking]

Originally Posted by The HACK

I think I explained it once to my wife, that for me to get the same sort of "kicks" I'd have to pick up a cocaine habit, which cost just as much.

She hasn't complained about the cost of me tracking since.

[1MORELAP]

Originally Posted by LateBraking

Here you go Tomasz.

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=468291

I also know that TrackHQ.com (Am I allowed to mention them? Admins please just edit post and not delete entirely if not.) occasionally gets used track tires from race teams that do time attack, you can check them out for their occasional deals too.

Thank you.

[smmmurf]

Originally Posted by 1MORELAP

Following up. I went karting, and the rental Briel carts are not as fun as my M3. Costs are also high... $25 for 15 minutes. On my average track day I get 3 to 4 hour of track time. Translated to kart pricing that is $400. Since I am at $600 with the M3, I am forgetting karts and will focus on lowering my running costs.

Where do I buy these used race tires?

Tomasz

Depends what kind of karting you are talking about. Karting in my experience is far cheaper than running cars for comparable amounts of commitment.

Originally Posted by The HACK

Actually, karting is EXPENSIVE. I had a co-worker who blows about $40,000 a year so her son can go karting every year.

The example of spending $40k is not at all comparable; that sounds like a racing effort. My last season of racing cost more than ALL my previous seasons of racing combined because I was doing the required maintenance and investments into go fast parts (i.e. hot motor, hot fuel, shaved tires, mechanic support) that was needed to win the championship. There is a HUGE difference between track days/casual indoor karting, to racing, and then actually racing something to be competitive.

In addition to my Spec Miata, I also have my own kart and running it is pretty cheap, $100-150 for a kart trackday including entry, fuel and maintenance at a nice facility like Infineon.

Indoor kart tracks are generally much cheaper than open track racing because you can get 20mins for $20-40. Do four of them and you're at $80-150.

A trackday in an M3 is $150-300 for entry fees, $100-200 in gas both on track and getting to/from there, hotel, tires, maintenance, etc. Whole thing comes out to be about $500 per day and much more time commitment. Divide that up and you're at about $80-150 per session. So yeah, I'd say karting is cheap fun.

I don't really think there is any comparison and honestly indoor karting can be more fun and informative than tracking a street car sometimes. I'm not willing to push my M3 as hard as I'm willing to push my Spec Miata, kart, or someone else's kart.

But like someone above said, none of this is cheap...

[wwjd15]

Here's mine in general. Fees can be higher depends on how far and how expensive the track is. Fee is for each day.

School fee - $200
Tires - $275 ($1,100 per set, 4 days to wear them)
Pads and brake fluid - $50 ($700 per set [F+R], 4 days to wear them out and brake flush)
Fuel - $150-200 (2 sessions per tank)
Oil - $50 ($100 per change, 2 days)
$90 for hotel
$60 for food
$100 for gas on trip
etc......

[ring007]

$1,000/day is a good baseline to start from

[persian54]

I ran an estimate of my costs and mine aren't nearly as high (then again, I don't need to use a hotel, only spend about $10 on food/drinks, and I drive slow to the track and back so i get high mpg. I got 110 miles on a 1/4 tank driving up to Button Willow...)

Damn I really have a lot to go to become an Advanced driver.... (my stock CS3s have like 6 track days on them and 5500 miles or so. (The fronts are pretty toast though, maybe 1 more, max 2 more days..rears have a good amount of life left. Fine for street driving though)

[OC3]

Originally Posted by 1MORELAP

Getting everyone back on topic. It costs between $600 and $1,000 per day to run our M3s on the track for a day in the advanced (fast) group. Not including any initial investment into track setups nor the car itself. Not counting accelerated wear and tear. just the fees and consumables.

I'm not even in Advanced group (only had 10 track days), but that's about how much it's costing me (closer to the high-end of that spread). As I do more track days, I think $/track-day will get lower (closer to the lower-end of that spread). Expensive hobby, for sure.

[persian54]

Start up costs are always high in everything

Like in my dreams, I got new pads/brake line/fluid blah blah blah

but once I start getting more and more use out of them, the costs are going to be reduced significantly.

[wwjd15]

When you go faster, the cost will run higher. That's the rule.

M3 is not an expensive car to start with, just like any other cars, brake pads and fluid then you are good to go. Unless you wanna go faster, that's where money blows...

[OC3]

Originally Posted by wwjd15

When you go faster, the cost will run higher. That's the rule.

M3 is not an expensive car to start with, just like any other cars, brake pads and fluid then you are good to go. Unless you wanna go faster, that's where money blows...

(I know I said this before, but) I need to switch to an S2k. (may be an older 2001 model for about $10k. Now, that's disposable.)

[wwjd15]

Originally Posted by OC3

(I know I said this before, but) I need to switch to an S2k. (may be an older 2001 model for about $10k. Now, that's disposable.)

Miata is better option, they need break. S2k is still high if you track it hard. lol

[OC3]

Originally Posted by wwjd15

Miata is better option, they need break. S2k is still high if you track it hard. lol

No man, I don't intend to build-up an S2k to a level like yours. :P

[wwjd15]

Originally Posted by OC3

No man, I don't intend to build-up an S2k to a level like yours. :P

Power wise, mine is stock... that's why it's cheaper.