Okay, so, I’ve always been super into NASCAR, right? Like, the roar of the engines, the speed, the whole spectacle of it. And I got to thinking, what would it actually take to own one of these teams? So I did some digging.
First off, I started by looking for some general costs. I mean, how much could it possibly cost to keep those cars on the track? Turns out, it’s a lot. A whole lot.
- Personnel: I found some info that said you gotta pay for the driver, the pit crew, the engineers, everyone. And these folks are the best of the best, so they don’t come cheap. We’re talking big bucks for salaries.
- Car Maintenance: Obviously, these cars take a beating. So, I learned that you’re constantly fixing them up, replacing parts, and making sure they’re in tip-top shape. This costs a fortune, I mean the car itself probably costs more than my house.
- Travel: Then there’s the travel. I mean, these teams are going all over the country for races. So I started looking into the logistics of that, and oh boy, it’s a lot. Flights, hotels, transportation for the cars and equipment, it all adds up.
- Other Stuff: And then there’s licensing fees, equipment costs, and a bunch of other things I didn’t even think about. I even found something about support vehicles, which I guess you need to haul all the equipment around.
So, after going through all this, I got a better idea about the cost, but still wasn’t sure about the exact number. Then I stumbled upon a quote from Denny Hamlin, who should know a thing or two about it, saying it’s around $18 million a year to run a team! That’s insane, right?
I also saw some estimates that were a bit lower, like $10 million to $20 million a year, but others were saying it’s more like $400,000 per week, which ends up being over $15 million a season. Some older articles even said it was approaching $400 per season, but that seemed way off. I even read something about how it was an eight-digit cost, which doesn’t narrow it down much.
But yeah, basically, it’s a crazy amount of money. It became clear that owning a NASCAR team is way more than just having a fast car. It’s a massive operation with tons of moving parts, and it costs a fortune to keep it all running. It’s definitely not something just anyone can do. So, for now, I’ll just stick to watching the races from the comfort of my couch. It’s a lot cheaper that way!
