I entered sim-racing more or less by accident, and I know very little about the real racing world (but I'm catching on a bit by for instance watching a lot of MotorsTV and reading this forum). But I was wondering how most of the racing is financed. I get very rich people racing in GT3 amateur classes on the one side, the factory teams promoting their brand of car, and the publicity financed teams in high visibility races like F1 or DTM. But what drives for example the non-factory pro classes in GT3? Any good articles about the typical yearly budgets of various racing classes, and where drivers are earning money or paying to drive?
Almost no one makes a living from driving a racing car. It's always been a rich man's hobby / sport. All the money in the sport is currently shared between Big Bernie and Lewis Hamilton (who earns nearly a pound a second). I was going to enter the Elise Trophy a few years back but at that level it's all self-financed. £1000 entry fee per round, £4000 to prepare the car initially, £??? to mend it when it gets wrecked or I blow it up, plus petrol, beer money, hookers, coke, etc etc. Needless to say, my good lady wife had a quiet word and I never got further than doing a load of track days
The kind of racing that involves money, and money being earned, mostly generates its income by sponsoring/advertising, patrons and TV. Always the most extreme example, I know, but here's some interesting figures for Delta Topco, the company that owns F1: http://www.forbes.com/sites/csylt/2...fas-to-16-2-billion/#2715e4857a0b6302a43e49b4
Exactly you live breath sponsor names if you want to be in the big game but that is equally important even for lower amature clases sponsors pay for alot. so it's not just how good you race but also how good you can sell yourself and your driving to get sponsors.. Ex: You´re in a mid range semi pro club sport with sponsors and someone ask you about your engin in the car, you dont answer about the engine you say something like... Well my sponsor "pro engineering racing" tuned the car to 850hp and the "Michelin team" provide specially new made tiers... That is a constand 24/7 breathing living sponsors, you have to be a good competitive driver on top of that.. That's how you can afford racing but it shore help a lot if your rich and if you are a really good driver and competitive as hell.. If you aint got non of those and still want to race for real, even lowest amature it is all on your own pocket you pay for every thing...