What's The Annual Cost of Tracking Your Mustang

[GTP]

I ran intermediate with NWSC there. What are the "RA sponsored events"?

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[VictorH]

Most of you guys forgot to mention gas. Was at VIR last week, Both local and on-track premium was over $5 per gallon, $5.10 local and $5.30 at the track.
I'm using around a half-tank per session, this was running $42-45 per session at the pump, multiply that times the number of sessions per day (at least 4 sometimes 5) and fuel consumption now-a-days is not trivial at all. Plus the gas for to and from the track.
This is pump at the track, to run one session.

 

[JScheier]

I agree with the majority of the responses and have had the same expenditures whether running a Boss 302 in time trials or a BMW wheel to wheel in GTS 2 and 3.

You also want to consider the tracks you are attending. High speed tracks (Road America, COTA) can be harder on consumables (Brake pads, rotors, fluids, tires) then more technical & lower speed tracks. Different track surfaces can also accelerate tire wear or shake expensive parts out of your car (Sebring).

Consumables can also be significantly higher due to driving style / driver quality. Someone abusing the brakes will spend more on pads and rotors. Someone who pushes through understeer or drifts through every corner will probably have higher tire expenditures.

Add more if you are competing (TT & W2W) vs. learning (HPDE). Being at the pointy end gets expensive.

As for modifications, I usually recommend that a total newbie run what they brung. Fresh brake fluid and other fluids and OEM tires.

My other recommendation is to have quality safety equipment (no $10 helmets) and, if at all possible, a way to make sure you are secure in your seat. Whether that is a harness bar and harnesses (not a fan of harnesses in non-fixed back seats, but I get it), a seatbelt lock that allows you to cinch it down, or a fixed back seat you can swap in for track days, being planted in your seat lets you focus on driving and feeling all that is going on around you.

 

[Bossdog]

My wife just asked me the same question. For the first 15 years of marriage she didn't want to know.
Pre Covid I estimated it was $1500 per weekend. Here is my breakdown today for a 2-day weekend event

Tow vehicle gas: $100 to $200 ( depending on destination) ( three hour drive for closest event, 9 hours most distant)
Mustang track gas $200 ($25 per session)
Trailer storage: $250 per track weekend ( ($750 per year)
2 nights hotel $300 to 400
Event registration: $500 to $700
Track insurance: $285
Brake pads & Rotors: $100
Tires: $300 to $400
Total : Low end = $2,035 High end = $2,535

I understand most don't have the trailer storage expense of $250 per weekend.

That does not include:
Motor oil
Diff fluid
Trans fluid
Brake fluid
Tire alignments

Plus, it took me $9,000 to get the GT PP2 track ready ( I have the spread sheet for that as well if anyone is interested but most of it is listed below in the description)

 

[Grintch]

My wife just asked me the same question. For the first 15 years of marriage she didn't want to know.
Pre Covid I estimated it was $1500 per weekend. Here is my breakdown today for a 2-day weekend event

Tow vehicle gas: $100 to $200 ( depending on destination) ( three hour drive for closest event, 9 hours most distant)
Mustang track gas $200 ($25 per session)
Trailer storage: $250 per track weekend ( ($750 per year)
2 nights hotel $300 to 400
Event registration: $500 to $700
Track insurance: $285
Brake pads & Rotors: $100
Tires: $300 to $400
Total : Low end = $2,035 High end = $2,535

I understand most don't have the trailer storage expense of $250 per weekend.

That does not include:
Motor oil
Diff fluid
Trans fluid
Brake fluid
Tire alignments

Plus, it took me $9,000 to get the GT PP2 track ready ( I have the spread sheet for that as well if anyone is interested but most of it is listed below in the description)

Yeah my initial though in seeing this tread is never let you wife see this or any track budget you put together. If she asks, distract her by asking how much she spends on shoes and clothes.

A related questions is how much did you spend for your Sports/Sporty Car? How much value do you get out of it if you never drive it hard? The track is the safest and best place to do that. Yes, it is expensive. But so are fast cars. And if you never drive your fast car fast, you wasted your money.

 

[TonyNJ]

I'm cheap as f@%ķ and only go once a year.

Gas to and from track $75
Gas at event $75
Tolls $30 (east coast )
Track event fee $600

Track insurance? Lol
Trailer? No fun, just more work.
Tires? They'll survive 1 event + 1yr street
Fluids? Gotta do that 1x a year anyway

 

[Grintch]

I'm cheap as f@%ķ and only go once a year.

Gas to and from track $75
Gas at event $75
Tolls $30 (east coast )
Track event fee $600

Track insurance? Lol
Trailer? No fun, just more work.
Tires? They'll survive 1 event + 1yr street
Fluids? Gotta do that 1x a year anyway

Yeah I have never gotten the track insurance. I suspect it is one of those cases where if you need it, they work hard to figure out a way not to pay up. Plus I figure for some people, it encourages them to drive over their head.

 

[WItoTX]

Yeah I have never gotten the track insurance. I suspect it is one of those cases where if you need it, they work hard to figure out a way not to pay up. Plus I figure for some people, it encourages them to drive over their head.

Open track is well known for being awesome. A track like CotA, you don't need it. Tight, technical courses, yes I'd definitely get it if this was my only car.

But I'm of the mindset, I gotten into an activity where I could total the car, and if I can't afford that, I need to not track my car.

 

[Lorne34]

I know of a guy who was at Road America with his 2020 Corvette heading down the main straight at over 130mph. He had picked up something in his tire along the way and it blew out. He walked away unharmed, but the car was totatalled. He had decided the previous day to get the track insurance; they wrote him out a check for his stated value less whatever deductable he chose. You never know what is going to happen to your vehicle or the guy next to you. $300-500 dollars covers the whole event, plus any additional drivers of the car. To me it's peace of mind that I don't have to walk away from a 60k vehicle and eat that cost. Lockton will write out a check no questions asked.
You can afford to track and potentially total your car, but not afford track insurance? That makes no sense.

 

[TonyNJ]

I know of a guy who was at Road America with his 2020 Corvette heading down the main straight at over 130mph. He had picked up something in his tire along the way and it blew out. He walked away unharmed, but the car was totatalled. He had decided the previous day to get the track insurance; they wrote him out a check for his stated value less whatever deductable he chose. You never know what is going to happen to your vehicle or the guy next to you. $300-500 dollars covers the whole event, plus any additional drivers of the car. To me it's peace of mind that I don't have to walk away from a 60k vehicle and eat that cost. Lockton will write out a check no questions asked.
You can afford to track and potentially total your car, but not afford track insurance? That makes no sense.

It's not really about being able to afford it. It's about being self insured and being able to afford a rare loss. Risk assessment. Insurance companies are very lucrative and agents make a lot of money. But I hear you on peace of mind. I'll keep my money and play the odds.

 

[Lorne34]

It's not really about being able to afford it. It's about being self insured and being able to afford a rare loss. Risk assessment. Insurance companies are very lucrative and agents make a lot of money. But I hear you on peace of mind. I'll keep my money and play the odds.

I respect your viewpoint TonyJ. I used to work in retail consumer electronics back in the early 90's selling home computers when there were not yet a commodity. The average sale with a pc, monitor, printer, and accessories was like 2k+. We were trained how to sell extended warranties on the products. I never really pushed them, but did believe that if the cost percentage was low enough it made sense for peace of mind because there were problems back then that required full replacement of a computer. I witnessed the process first hand and talked to customers that went through the experience and got a new pc.
A $50 cost for an extended warranty on a 2k+ sale was acceptable in my mind. But when they asked me to sell a $100 warranty on a $500 product that made no sense to me.
$400 average to protect a 60k investment I can live with, especially when I only track 2 times a year on average. I also feel peaceful on the track with it. I don't push the car more because I have it, but it does give me confidence out there.
Financially I could absorb it, but I would not be in the position to go out and purchase another one right away.
Yes they (the Ins Co) are making a lot of money, but when things happen it's protection against loss. I guess thats why I have regular car insurance, health insurance, life insurance, business insurance, etc..

 

[GTP]

Ask and they will confirm that it is Agreed Value insurance. So they will promptly send you a check and they don't care about the details. That is for a totaled car.

Some fellows choose an amount that would replace the car with a new one. It cannot be too high because they review the requested amount against FMV.

I choose an amount that is FMV, even excluding my mods. About $35k for around $300. My logic is that a wreck on track that isn't totaled will be covered and then the calculated risk is when the repair cost is high but still below 35k.

My car is DD and I keep it like new the best I can.

Murphy says I will wreck the day I skip track insurance, so...

 

[dasrider]

Oof, now I remember why I got into motorcycles to do track days. But like any hobby it's only as much as fun as you put into it. I'd still like to try an HPDE event w/ the Mustang but kinda hard to swallow those $1k/day bills.

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