Over the last 14 years or so when I was sharing a drive in Future Classics with CSCC, initially with a 944 Turbo, and latterly with the Alfa 75 V6, I think we generally reckoned that the cost per race was about £1k, taking into account entry fee, car prep and maintenance, fuel and accommodation/food expenses, although prudently we never actually recorded it too closely.....as Paul can attest we were seldom troubling the upper echelons, although latterly in a wet race the Alfa was capable of holding its own.
Back in 2008 entry fees (for 30 minutes qualy, 40 minutes race). were £265 - £295. By 2017, we were paying £385, and by last year that was up to £410. The informal arrangement we had, much as we'd had throughout our rallying years, was that I paid the entry fee and my own travel and accommodation etc expenses, whilst Steve owned the car and did the prep (with help if I was needed
), and transported the car to the races and fuelled it (mostly).
In recent years, both of us being retired on OK but not generous pensions, we'd dropped back from 7 or 8 meets a year to 4 or so - now that Steve has decided to pack it in, I "could" afford to buy the car off him and do a few events, but I'd really struggle to justify it....although the flood of adverts for equity release do tempt me, as I have no offspring depending on me funding their future housing
Not sure milady who does have offspring, and their offspring, and their offspring
would agree, though!
So - costs probably haven't risen hugely, relatively speaking, but there is a lot more competition for the "classic/historic" competitor, as more organisers belatedly realise this is a successful sector, just as we Boomers who fuelled the flourishing scene get older and probably cut back a bit........ I guess over time it should shake out, with a few organisers catching a cold. I'll watch with interest (and a bit of sulking at the trackside
)