THE VILLAGES, Fla. — From the USAC midgets to ARCA and on to NASCAR, especially the Craftsman Truck Series, “paying to drive” has become standard operating procedure.
Old-timers bemoan the system, recalling that “in my day, talent got you a better ride and could take you all the way to Indy.” But realists will be quick to tell you that racing today is extremely expensive and somebody must pay the bills.
Is it any different when a father wants to pay for his son to learn how to race than putting him through four years of college to prepare for a chosen career?
“It all depends on what your business model is,” offered longtime sprint car owner Scott Benic. “If you’re wealthy and don’t need capital, you can hire anybody you want. If not, people have to bring money! Even Jeff Gordon had to take DuPont to Mr. Hendrick to get his deal. And Keith Kunz wouldn’t have his huge midget operation without Toyota and drivers bringing money. Nobody gives tires and motors away.
“Look at late model racing. All the builders are hiring engineers that got let go from NASCAR teams, so they’re really technical and much more expensive now. We don’t see that so much, at least not yet. A Gambler sprint car from 1986 is pretty similar to what we run today. The cars have gotten prettier and lighter but otherwise they’re pretty much the same.”
Over the years, Benic, one of USAC’s most respected car owners, has seen both sides of the coin.
“We’ve been blessed to hire and pay some great guys, like Boston Reid, Levi Jones, Brady Short, Bud Kaeding, Bryan Clauson and today, Logan Seavey,” Benic said. “If your situation lets you do that, it’s great. But you also get fathers and sons who want to get established and move up. They’re good for the bottom line. I can’t do this on my good looks.
“In the old days the cash flow needed wasn’t what it is today. Carbon fiber this, titanium that, $50,000 rollers without an engine, carbon-fiber body panels for $6,200, new motors at $60,000 to $70,000. You can’t do it all on what we win.”
Another viewpoint is offered by Brady Bacon, who relies on one of USAC’s longest-standing “good rides,” the Hoffman No. 69 sprint car, to support his family of four.
“I have to live off what I earn. Right now, I’m partners with the Hoffmans,” Bacon said. “Ride-buying is more common right now in the midgets. They don’t get the big names like they used to so owners need help to field good cars.
“When I drove for the Hoffmans in the past, I got 40-50 percent. But I like this deal. It’s a lot harder to get fired when you own it,” Bacon added with a big grin. “I never got fired from a major ride but I lost a couple of part-time deals over the years. Sometimes the driver is the easiest part of the car to change when you’re not going good.”
When asked how he feels about rookies buying a ride, the thoughtful National Merit Scholar during his high school days, offered mixed reviews.
“Buying a sprint car ride is bad for someone with no experience. We’re lucky their moms usually don’t let them run non-winged sprint cars because they see them as too dangerous,” Bacon said. “But some perform well in midgets and doors open for them. If they’re competitive in mid-range cars, they can open a lot of eyes. A prime example is Emerson Axsom, who is a good racer and has a great career ahead of him.”
Like Benic, Bacon keeps a close watch on the expense side of the ledger, saying “tires have increased 60 percent in less than five years.
“That’s a pretty big jump when you need new ones every night. I figure that when you consider overall expenses — truck, trailer, crew, engine rebuilds, depreciation, crashes once in a while — our bottom line is between six- and seven-thousand dollars a night.
“Last year, we made between $150,000 and $160,000 with our point money, which is good because we don’t have to race or travel as much as the winged guys,” Bacon reported. “The Outlaws race a lot more, which costs a lot more. Like any business, the bottom line is the bottom line.”
Having progressed from rookie to the top of his chosen profession, we asked Bacon what he would tell young racers, whether they’re ride-buyers or trying to make it on talent alone.
“Learn as much as you can,” Bacon said. “Pay attention, listen to everybody and soak up everybody’s experience. And hang out with winners, not losers.”
With that, Bacon went out and led most of the feature before losing a nail-biter to Kyle Cummins at Florida’s Bubba Raceway Park.
As for Benic, Seavey ran in the lead pack in the feature while newcomer Kevin Newton ran out of track exiting turn four in the semi and took down a swatch of wheel fence as he rode out a hard flip, thoroughly trashing Benic’s second car.
In racing, there are no easy answers, only choices and a lot of hard work.
This story appeared in the March 29, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
