Grand Finals Withdrawls?

Curtis Ruth · Joined: 24 Jul 2001 Posts: 656

It seems a few of the drivers withdrew from the Grand Finals. Is that due to financial obligations or the SKUSA Supernatonals obligations?

Seems strange that you would race in the championship to win such a great prize only to decline it.

What are the financial obligations for a driver running the Grand Finals?

It sucks that the two races are so close to one another.
_________________
Innovative Karting/ Intrepid karts
Glendale, Arizona
WWW.INNOVATIVEKARTING.COM

Jason Brugh · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 9:16 pm Post subject:

Grand Finals are at considerable expense. The karts must look perfect thus if you have race damage it must be fixed as I understand it before the next time out. That race damage is at no discounted price from the regular "Track Event Price" plus the added monetary conversion rate from dollars. Keep in mind everyone has nothing to loose and the last thing you want is to be in the LCQ because you are affraid of rubbing a sticker.
I have never been but being we race at OGP and have seen quite a few drivers go I have heard some serious horror stories. $50K plus was on the low side of some of those stories Shocked

... Add to that they take your passport as basic collateral so you cannot leave without paying.

Grand Finals cost more then what most think. A small amount to some, a small fortune to others.

Lets also keep in mind that the owner of OGP and other sponsors foot a lot of cost for Team USA. Jorge buys chassis so the Team can test what they will race, closes his track to the Team so they have closed session on top of a bunch of other incidentals like chassis tuners, travel ect. Somthing I never hear people talk about is how much Jorge does for the Team, the sport and his racers to offset some of the cost and give us the best shot at the podium. (* Sorry for the wild tangent*)

The cost is extraordinary but the chance is one in a lifetime to make it to the top step.
_________________
"If it is broken we will fix it, damaged we will repair it and if it happens on race day we will buy a new one."

Marshall Martin · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 3:51 am Post subject:

Grand Finals is an expensive event, 50K is pretty high. The main cost is transportation, lodging and food. Most take driver, mechanic and family. Crash damage is what would happen at any normal high level event (SKUSA Supernationals) and yes everything must look new when the kart is turned back in.

I am going to estimate the racing costs are the smaller part of the budget for this event, but it is a very expensive trip.
_________________
Marshall Martin
LSR Motorsports
www.lsrmotorsports.com

marshall@lsrmotorsports.com

Mark Ouimet · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 6:00 am Post subject:

My son has been 2 times and it is quite costly, but not 50k expensive. When Arie went he was given, 1/2 the cost of the room, entry fees, use of the kart, the team USA clothing and that is about all that I can remember. There may have been more, but now that I am over 50 I have CRS ( Can't Remember S_ _ _). Crash damage was at retail prices, but just as with any arrive and drive here in the States you return the kart in as good a condition as you recieved it. We never had any issue there

With the Rotax Grand Finals being at the end of the year competitors, if they make it, have already spent alot of money to get there. Regional's, Grand National's, Pan Am, FWT, with the FWT being the exception, competitors find out that they made the event and then just a matter of a couple months the event is there.

I do not know what the current awards packages are or what they cover. I thought that the FWT package was very comprehensive (CRS see above).

Where as the Supernats people usually know that they are going to attend far enough in advance and they can stock away some money as well as they can control many of the expenses.
_________________
Mark Ouimet

Jason Brugh · Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 3:03 pm Post subject:

Mark would know best then.

I'll chalk the figure up to bragging at the track then, like I mentioned I just got the word of mouth stories from everyone. It has been a hot topic as they come up again this year. Everybody has a good story at dinner time after the races. The experience has to be a mix between amazing and sheer terror. Just not ending up in the LCQ would be an accomplishment.
_________________
"If it is broken we will fix it, damaged we will repair it and if it happens on race day we will buy a new one."

Charles Kaneb · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 6:05 pm Post subject:

Atlanta to Dubai is $1500 a ticket on Orbitz right now; figure a driver, a tuner, and a family member, $4500.

Lodging might be $200 a night - maybe you could pitch a tent? $1500.

Food, maybe $100 a day for three people? $700.

Car rental can't be terribly cheap - $70 a day, $500?

Probably not worth the airline weight fees for toolboxes - there's no Sears there but there has to be something? $400 or so assuming you don't buy or sell from the local Want Advertiser.

You'd pretty much have to write-off a kart per session to hit 50 grand.
_________________
"If you're still in full control, you're not going fast enough" - Fred Frame

Joey Guyon · Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:19 pm Post subject:

I've been 3 times (portugal, dubai, italy) as a mechanic and the driver I attended with never had to pay more than 200 Euro in Damages (stickers mainly...)

Its a bargain. What costs a lot of money in karting is the travel, so when you have to send a driver, dad, tuner and pay that tuner - those flights add up!

To attend one of the highest competition level events, and have a real good shot of succeeding, the "deal" is nearly impossible to beat.

Oscar Aguilera · Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 1614

i went 2x and it was much different back then....but if i was to be in a position to go compete at a cik event i still would not have all the best stuff.....at the rotax worlds it is like doing the best with the best....

the whole experience can not compare or be compared to any other event in karting. not only do you represent a countries team,,,but there is so much more that you can never imagine of being able to travel across the globe to race a kart.

the travel costs are the same whether you just visit or go to the race...the lodging is set because you are at the track hotel....but it is usually very nice and about the same as any other hotel with some discounts.

to me there isnt enough sponsors to help offset the costs. when i was doing rotax i had the alpinestars guys call me to offer gloves and shoes. there are outside companies that would probably help if marketed correctly.

the powers that be in charge imo are responsible for these happenings... you cant go compete at that or any level and expect to do well without your tuners and mechanics.

we have some very good tuners here that i think the team would benefit from and maybe a sponsor could get them there.

if you travel in a sane fashion and you dont crash into everything possible as opposed to trying to punt your way through.....it is the same as booking a trip to australia for a a week.....if that is not in your budget than i would think the world events are off the table for you.

it is special because you have to earn it....but it isnt a free trip.

i liked it better when you got to take your own chassis....it got all the chassis companies starting to really get involved about the time they changed to providing the whole karts.

just my opinion...if you win the opportunity you should do everything possible to at least go once......as an adult racer...maybe not so much as a kid who might not appreciate this in the same way?

the series was started to be for the adult racer to begin with if you think back

Timothy Skeel · Joined: 01 Mar 2008 Posts: 37

One thing about Rotax, a kid and his fumbling dad can qualify for the Worlds without big team support, and with an engine straight out of the box. That's what Rotax is about.

This year will be our 3rd year in a row going to the world finals. You have to get yourself there, and pay to stay someplace, get around and eat. And you have to pay for what you break. But the rest is free. That means no kart transport costs, no tires, no fuel, no entry fees, no pit space or tent rental. And you're thrashing someone else's engine, clutch, chain, sprockets and chassis. Obviously, flights out of the country are expensive, but the hotels, rental car and food are similar to here, and damage to kart parts is the same. So, it's not a full ride, but overall, less than going to the Supernats or Rotax Nationals for us.

The experience and value for the money is tremendous. Racing with the best drivers from all over the world, world class tracks, cultures, food, educational and tourist stuff. We snorkeled in coral reefs in the Red Sea when we went to Egypt, saw things we won't forget, and stayed in an historical little village when we were in Italy. People pay just to do that, let alone race for free while you're there.

And, you get free stuff! This year we got TWO custom-fit suits, two pairs of gloves, and a pair of shoes, all really nice stuff from K1. The suits this year are baller!

Rotax really has put together a great formula for kart racing. For the level of performance, it's low life cycle cost. Engine parity is about as good as you can get, super rules organization, and regional, national and international competitive structure that means we can go anywhere and race the same as we do at home. And, if we do well, we get rewarded for it.

You can't get away from the fact that kart racing is expensive. But Rotax really fixes a lot of the other stuff that seems troubled in karting - bickering self-destructive organizations and politics, non-uniform rules, countless meaningless classes, lack of parity, confusing choices...

Anyway, in my opinion, it's hard to beat.

Ben Beasley · Advertiser Joined: 24 Nov 2006 Posts: 129

Last year we went to Italy, Me and Sam, no tuner. We probably spent 8-10K, Jorge(OGP) was a huge help last year, he set the team up with a travel agent that hooked us up pretty reasonable. Jorge also chartered a bus for the team to ride to and from the track together which was very nice in a strange place, and made for good team comerodery, he also had his staff their to assist everyone on the team Mario helped with Par Farme tire changing, he also fronted chassis parts in the tent so we never had to go to the support trailers and wait in line to get parts. It was really great having Jorge there supporting the team, he will be missed this year.

In Italy and Al Ain the hotels are per person, but include some meals. this year I've gone over every expense because I just didn't have the money to go. We've appealed to family, friends, and business associates, and found a great deal of support to fund the trip to Al Ain. We are also fund raising by raffling a new kart and some other stuff.

Going to Al Ain I really wanted to save as much $ as possible, I looked into booking our own room but it being in the middle east, I ended up going with the travel agent arranged by Team USA (Alba travel) seems pretty pricey but not much choice. Hotel was a little over $2500 for 2 people, flights were about the same, and budgeted another $400 for baggage (tools and driver gear). International drivers lic. $20/person. FIA race license $600. I budgeted $600/person for food, that may be high but I heard it would be expensive over there. Rental car $400. $1000 kart damage budget. So about $9000.

I'm also looking at bringing a tuner this year and budgeting another $5-6K for that. For me it is very expense especially this year, and we would not have been able to go without the outpouring of support.

Oh ya, add $1000 for trip to Ocala for team USA test, airfare, rental car, hotel. Again without Jorge putting on the test, it would be much more expensive to do on your own. On another note I guess some poeple do go to the Worlds track ahead of time and arrange testing there, that could easily triple your expenses. It would definitely be very hard to overcome going into an event like this one, with never being in the chassis you are using. There is very little practice time. We got the Sodi chassis working very well at Jorge's test, in a spec configuration we ended up very close to FWT qualifing times.

Although I've never been to Supernats, I've never seen the kind of competition or an event anywhere like the Rotax World Finals, to win this event is an accomplishment of a lifetime.

Mark Ouimet · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 7:09 am Post subject:

The experiences are terrific for the kids that get to go, in both of Arie's trips I stayed back and sent the tuner instead and for the trip to Italy, Arie's twin brother went as well.

We have a picture of an Applebee's with some supercar parked and then a camel parked (I think that is the correct term, one hump) a couple spots away.
_________________
Mark Ouimet