A lot of times this is the bigger issue... It's hard to find good people to help on a regular basis!
What does it cost to get into desert racing?
- Thread starter Bajaxp
- Start date
A lot of times this is the bigger issue... It's hard to find good people to help on a regular basis!
the stripping shop
RACER - UTVUnderground Approved
this is true we ran all last season with 5 guys only true friends i could afford hahaha.
Bajaxp
SXS Racer Extraordinaire - UTVUnderground Approved
The reason I started this thread is because I'll bet I get asked once a week how much it costs to convert a UTV into a race rig. We can address the entry fee, prep, chase costs later...but I think some dialog and encouragement from 'people who actually race' would be helpful for those considering getting into the wonderful sport of Ute racing.
Tip#2. Spend a lot of time researching which UTV to start with. This will either cost you or save you tons of $$$. For example certain UTV's don't require much if any suspension mods or motor mods to get on the podium. And if you can race on pump gas it will save you big bucks.
Tip#2. Spend a lot of time researching which UTV to start with. This will either cost you or save you tons of $$$. For example certain UTV's don't require much if any suspension mods or motor mods to get on the podium. And if you can race on pump gas it will save you big bucks.
tyler
Parkse5 - UTVUnderground Approved
I have missed short course races due to not having any help that weekend. It sucks having it all together but no crew to make it happen. Here in so cal there is always something to do so getting friends to help can be tough. Especially if the buddies wife has other plans! Having races in Baja doesn't make it any easier. Its always the "what if" arguement. I have always dreamed of racing the 1000 but it just doesn't seem worth putting people at risk right now! I think I would race the races north of the border until thing mellow down there..
Ignore Amos
Active Member
As long as you are not hanging out with Drug dealers on the border..stay out of the riskier parts of Tijuana...just as you would in any major metropolitan city...I believe you are as safe as anywhere else. Its made out to be worse than it is, I have been going to Baja since I was 15 (35 years...yikes) and never felt safer.. don't let that stop you from going to race or just visit Baja.
I was traveling through Yuma on Thursday (6/2 before the Baja 500) and stayed at my sisters place. That morning a guy went on a rampage and killed 5 before shooting himself. I told my sister that I couldn't wait to get into Mexico because Yuma was SO violent!
tyler
Parkse5 - UTVUnderground Approved
after having the Federalies take everything I had on me, I dont feel like i would want to bring anything of value into mex for fear of them taking it again!! I might add that I didn't do anything or break any laws. Was leaving a resteraunt and got pulled over pulling out of a parking lot, they just searched my truck and when they didn't find anything illegal they just made something up and took all my stuff(tools, fishing gear, camping gear) and told me never to come back so I haven't! This was in Rosarito and I know thats one of the worst areas between Ensanada and the border. All I can say is that it felt like I had been violated) honestly I wasn't asking for trouble..
This was in Rosarito and I know thats one of the worst areas between Ensanada and the border. All I can say is that it felt like I had been violated) honestly I wasn't asking for trouble..after having the Federalies take everything I had on me, I dont feel like i would want to bring anything of value into mex for fear of them taking it again!! I might add that I didn't do anything or break any laws. Was leaving a resteraunt and got pulled over pulling out of a parking lot, they just searched my truck and when they didn't find anything illegal they just made something up and took all my stuff(tools, fishing gear, camping gear) and told me never to come back so I haven't!
Travel in packs and groups....
Really tough question imho. The reason I say this is that there's a huge difference in people's opinion of "race ready". As Matt stated, some platforms are closer to "race ready" out of the box than others. In addition, differenet people have different opinions on what level of chassis modifications they are comfortable with.
We spend a great deal of time on chassis design, even more so now that speeds are steadily increasing...why?...mostly because I think my kids like having me around (well most of the time anyway). I've certainly seen cars in contingency that I absolutely would NOT ride in for any length of time in race conditions.
We have always run pretty stock motors (100% stock currently), so motor costs have never been an issue in our program (well, post Rhino days anyway). We do religious maintenance and watch miles for piston changes, but that's honestly about all there is to it. We've also been really fortunate that Elka has been fantastic in our program and can almost always give us a working package the first time...a little fine tuning during testing and that's all that's been required.
In addition, as stated, race prep is a HUGE factor imho. We try to be very thorough between races to give ourselves the absolute best chance of getting to the finish line. Putting a wrench on every bolt between every race equals a ton of "man hours", which in turn translates in a ton of "money"...whether foregoing other income by doing it yourself or paying someone else for prep work.
Another very valid point is manpower at the actual races. I have no idea how other teams do it, but Jagged has always taken care of their support crew and we typically have a pretty good showing of quality support crew that can perform when things go badly.
I'd love to give you a true cost of replicating our current car, but honestly we never tracked "man hours" which certainly equals far more than parts on this build. I do know we probably put in around 300 man hours just in the week prior to Silverstate if that gives you an idea....and the car was already 99% fabricated when that week started.
Just like anything else in life, there are many ways to approach it, but having a detailed plan and sticking to it will almost always give you great results imho.
Mike
We spend a great deal of time on chassis design, even more so now that speeds are steadily increasing...why?...mostly because I think my kids like having me around (well most of the time anyway
). I've certainly seen cars in contingency that I absolutely would NOT ride in for any length of time in race conditions. We have always run pretty stock motors (100% stock currently), so motor costs have never been an issue in our program (well, post Rhino days anyway
). We do religious maintenance and watch miles for piston changes, but that's honestly about all there is to it. We've also been really fortunate that Elka has been fantastic in our program and can almost always give us a working package the first time...a little fine tuning during testing and that's all that's been required.In addition, as stated, race prep is a HUGE factor imho. We try to be very thorough between races to give ourselves the absolute best chance of getting to the finish line. Putting a wrench on every bolt between every race equals a ton of "man hours", which in turn translates in a ton of "money"...whether foregoing other income by doing it yourself or paying someone else for prep work.
Another very valid point is manpower at the actual races. I have no idea how other teams do it, but Jagged has always taken care of their support crew and we typically have a pretty good showing of quality support crew that can perform when things go badly.
I'd love to give you a true cost of replicating our current car, but honestly we never tracked "man hours" which certainly equals far more than parts on this build. I do know we probably put in around 300 man hours just in the week prior to Silverstate if that gives you an idea....and the car was already 99% fabricated when that week started.
Just like anything else in life, there are many ways to approach it, but having a detailed plan and sticking to it will almost always give you great results imho.
Mike
tyler
Parkse5 - UTVUnderground Approved
your xp looks like its the rig to beat! I think the fuel cell is what I am most jealous of. I want one like thatReally tough question imho. The reason I say this is that there's a huge difference in people's opinion of "race ready". As Matt stated, some platforms are closer to "race ready" out of the box than others. In addition, differenet people have different opinions on what level of chassis modifications they are comfortable with.
We spend a great deal of time on chassis design, even more so now that speeds are steadily increasing...why?...mostly because I think my kids like having me around (well most of the time anyway
We have always run pretty stock motors (100% stock currently), so motor costs have never been an issue in our program (well, post Rhino days anyway
In addition, as stated, race prep is a HUGE factor imho. We try to be very thorough between races to give ourselves the absolute best chance of getting to the finish line. Putting a wrench on every bolt between every race equals a ton of "man hours", which in turn translates in a ton of "money"...whether foregoing other income by doing it yourself or paying someone else for prep work.
Another very valid point is manpower at the actual races. I have no idea how other teams do it, but Jagged has always taken care of their support crew and we typically have a pretty good showing of quality support crew that can perform when things go badly.
I'd love to give you a true cost of replicating our current car, but honestly we never tracked "man hours" which certainly equals far more than parts on this build. I do know we probably put in around 300 man hours just in the week prior to Silverstate if that gives you an idea....and the car was already 99% fabricated when that week started.
Just like anything else in life, there are many ways to approach it, but having a detailed plan and sticking to it will almost always give you great results imho.
Mike
!!
Bajaxp
SXS Racer Extraordinaire - UTVUnderground Approved
Thanks JX Mike for weighing in. Good stuff!
I really would like to see more people get involved with desert racing that that is one reason for this thread. I think people can get safely involved for a lot less than they think, if they are smart going in.
Tip #3 - Buy used stuff! People bail out of off road all of the time and sell stuff cheap. I have seen 10-14 gallon fuel cells for $100. Really nice used seats for $150 a piece. Comm's for $200 and race radios for $250. Some stuff is here on UTVUG, but you can also try Race dezert classifieds, Craigslist, and ebay. Also call dealers and UTV fab shops to see what they have laying around.
(oh yeah...you can 'bead lock and ring' stock aluminum wheels. OMF does this for a really good price!)
I really would like to see more people get involved with desert racing that that is one reason for this thread. I think people can get safely involved for a lot less than they think, if they are smart going in.
Tip #3 - Buy used stuff! People bail out of off road all of the time and sell stuff cheap. I have seen 10-14 gallon fuel cells for $100. Really nice used seats for $150 a piece. Comm's for $200 and race radios for $250. Some stuff is here on UTVUG, but you can also try Race dezert classifieds, Craigslist, and ebay. Also call dealers and UTV fab shops to see what they have laying around.
(oh yeah...you can 'bead lock and ring' stock aluminum wheels. OMF does this for a really good price!)
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aaronjuarez
Member
Great thread. thanks for posting.
Can you really put a price on so much fun! Unfortunately there usually is one.... It really depends on what your goals are for racing. We are new to this sport, and we started like Matt had mentioned by just starting with the bare min. In 09 we picked up a used rhino- a pretty ugly one and decided to build a fun desert car. There are tons of these out there. (now I would recommended a good Polaris 800 or kawi) as the can be very competitive in the current racing series and the required service is lower than a rhino. We got ours for 6-7k stock, and fabricated our own cage by looking at pictures and ideas from UTVUnderground. We were in the build metal cost and a bunch of time. We purchased after market suspension 4-5k and added some good shocks 2-3k. Seats <1k belts etc. (We paid retail at the time but you can find great deals if you look in the right places) We did some necessary engine mods like clutch, exhaust, cdi, intake, carb- not needed now, for maybe 2k, rims and tires 1 set 1k and we had a fun desert runner. Many of these types of UTV are out there and you can buy for 8-15k now in great condition, then get them "race prepped" At this time we had no intention of racing we just wanted a fun reliable toy. My brother thought it would be fun to run a desert race for his birthday in Dec of 2009. Our car was decent but by no means a "race car" So one week before the 2009 Henderson BITD race we decided to get her race ready. We had no clue on what to actually expect, but we just tried it out. We had to add a fuel cell, and some safety equipment such as fire extinguisher, nets, numbers, some gussets, 1.5k and a spare set of tires 1k and went out to race. We had no radio, no parker pumps, no experience, but some will to have a good time for a low budget. We were by no means fast, our suspension was not near any of the other cars because we had not experienced this type of terrain ever before. But some how managed to pull of a finish, and 3rd place at that. We were hooked. From their we added a parker pump, and a few other items for reliability and then ran the whole 2010 season since the car was now race ready. We had one of the slowest UTVs out there on a low budget and managed to finish all the races, and have the time of our lives!!!! Even pulled a 3rd on the 2010 season with a Rhino. SO if you have a decent UTV or want to find one out there for a great deal you can easily convert it and have a blast on a budget. But if you have the coin to spare, you can also easily spend 50k+ on a really nice build. I too do not want to count the cost of our new Commander. If you want the best, it comes at a price, but I assure you that you will still be smiling ear to ear even if you do not have the fastest utv. In the desert anything can happen. If you have the desire and a little $ there is a way to have a blast! Just try it once. Help with some pits, try to get some seat time its worth it. Call your local shops or the guys who currently race they would love to help you out. Just my .02
Attachments
I dont like to look at it as how much Ive spent..... I look at it as how much Ive saved. Being able to build your own car is going to save you thousands. I can also say Ive saved thousands on keeping my eyes and ears open for used stuff. I have bought alot of stuff off Ebay, Race Dezert, and Local people selling things. You really have to prioritize your list and get the things that you need to pass tech first. I still dont have a GPS... but I can race without one at least so far. I have bought my radio, intercom, headsets. wheels , tires, parker pumper, fiberglass body, rear diff, axles, ect..... all of the internet just waiting for that deal I cant pass up. I also built my own long travel, at that time it was hard to find a good kit with shocks for under $6000, so I saved about $2000 right there. Sponsors are also very important to me having Pit Bull Tires as a sponsor has allowed me to be able to race some races that I wouldnt have been able to race. Saving money on tires is BIG! Look for local shops to help out with some parts or certian aspects of your build. My sponsors have also taught me a lot, Dale from Dirty Dawg Performance has taught me alot about clutching. Steve Chase from Makin Trax has taught me tons about shocks and suspension enough for me to be able to rebuild my own shocks. Just remember when looking for sponsors..... it dosent hurt to ask. You may not always get the answer your looking for but every little bit helps. I guess Im not really telling you how much it cost to build a desert racer, but just offering some advice on how to save some money. I hope this is helpfull.
dezerteryx
Active Member
You would have to be more specific on what series you want to race because of what they require in regards to safety such as a fuel cell nets belts and how the cage is built. I got my teryx for 8500, cage 900, roof I made for 70 worth of aluminum sheet and still have some left. Used seats 300 traded a tool box for long travel and wheels. Which would be around 6k for the Lt kit and 1k for the wheels. I use stock tires which helps keep cost done since you can find the used and cheap. Belts 150 ea. Everything all together plus all bolt on engine and clutch mods and buying as much as I felt comfortable buying used I got around 20k into it and its still not done but that's how it goes when you start racing also something to upgrade or rebuild better.
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Ignore Amos
Active Member
Good point Dezerteryk...
many series only require minimal modifications to participate...where as others like SCORE and BITD require major modifications and equipment... so knowing what series your going to participate in will make a major difference in what you will need to spend.. my ride was built for SCORE/BITD and I didn't want to cut any corners...also I was fortunate to have some great sponsors that make it so we can actually get to the races.. there has been some great advise here..keep it coming guys!
many series only require minimal modifications to participate...where as others like SCORE and BITD require major modifications and equipment... so knowing what series your going to participate in will make a major difference in what you will need to spend.. my ride was built for SCORE/BITD and I didn't want to cut any corners...also I was fortunate to have some great sponsors that make it so we can actually get to the races.. there has been some great advise here..keep it coming guys!
DUNE DUMMY 29
OG Sticker Man - UTVUnderground La Familia
I LOVE THIS THREAD. I USED TO RACE 3 WHEELERS & DESERT SUPERLITES IN THE DEZ DISTRICT 38 & WITH FUD. THIS THREAD IS INFORMATIVE & ENTERTAINING. THANKS GUYS. KEEP IT UP.
