Land Speed Racing For A Living

[Fordrat31]

I was curious if anyone out there was heavily involved with land speed racing as a way to make a living? If there are, what do you actually do? (Fabricate/design components, Engineering design)

What kind of education does someone like this have? Mechanical engineering? Masters of automotive engineering?

Mike

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Mike, I might as well be the first to say it:  Dang near none of us make a living at land speed racing, but rather -- UN-make a living!

It's a grand way to spend time and effort and money - a crappy way to get money to flow into the accounts. There are a good number of people in this avocation (note right there -- it's not a vocation) that do work that's part and parcel required for LSR, but very few that do this to the exclusion of other jobs.  Mike Cook builds race cars for LSR - but other venues, too.  so do many folks do certain things - like engines (Kenny Duttweiler) or chassis (Joe Timney) and on and on -- but I don't know if there are any vendors that are single-interest - land speed racing - only.

Racing in general, sure -- Nate Jones sells racing tires, and the Burkdolls build race bodies, and so on down the list.  Keep reading here and let's see what others say.  In the meantime -- there's the old saying:

In land speed racing it's easy to make a small fortune.  Just start with a big fortune.

[Glen]

There are a lot of people that support a lot of aspects of LSR but I don't know of anyone that makes a living off it. The field is so large that it would take a good size shop and staff with a lot of vehicles to build and support over the years. There are only a few chassis shops, a good size amount of engine builders, a few wheel shops and body builders. It would be nice to see it though.

[Fordrat31]

Hmm I see what you guys mean about there not being a specific land speed racing company. What about the guys on some of the larger teams? Are any of them full time paid staff?

I have to believe that the team that backs Speed Demon would have a few paid members, maybe I'm wrong though.

[55chevr]

The best way to make a small fortune at land speed racing is to start with a large one.

Joe

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Joe, you're late -- I said that in the first post.

As for full-time crew -- I assume that Amir has a full-timer on the crew, and I'm pretty sure that George Poteet and Ron Main have some dedicated employees (to use a phrase).  No doubt there are others, too. . .

[4-barrel Mike]

Does Mike Cook have a regular day job?

Mike

[Glen]

yes he does it's a over all chassis shop with drag racing and other projects as well.

[McRat]

Work for the BLM at the El Mirage station?   

In motorsports that don't have huge spectator bases, there are seldom enough advertising dollars to pay drivers.

So you work at driving schools, do consulting, rent equipment, etc.

[SPARKY]

how to make a fortune SMALLER ---it is a wonderful SICK addiction  here is to MORE speed

[LSR Mike]

Landspeed Racing = Turning Money into Noise for over 60 years!

[Fordrat31]

To me its just seems like there has to be at least a few people on the payroll with some of the bigger teams. With the time and fortunes they have invested in the cars their addiction is a few steps above "hobby".

[Jon]

There might be a very few people that it's a component of their job, for vehicles that run a couple times a year the volume of work just isn't there (although we think it is because it consumes all ours).

To have a full-time job I recon you would need to be in a traveling roadshow that runs somewhere every couple of weeks.

jon

[fredvance]

My crew get to work nights and weekends for free, and then help pay for gas and motels. I pay for their 2 club banquet tickets and usually take them to the Montego Bay buffet.

[55chevr]

Fred,

We a deal like that, let me know when you get an opening.

Joe