Bikes & Cars...

While most of us are coordinating ride shares and hopping on our bikes to save money on gasoline, what are people who drive -- and drive fast -- for a living doing? Drafting, sure, but at 200 miles an hour, it's hardly because they're looking to save on fuel economy.

NASCAR does have a deal with Sunoco, the supplier of the series' special race fuel, to provide free fuel at sanctioned events; the teams have to foot the bill for everything else. Many teams perform extra, all-day tests at non-sanctioned tracks, where they'll burn through a 55-gallon drum of race fuel at $6.25 a gallon.You've got the math right: almost $350 to test a car for a day.

That doesn't count the cost of diesel to fuel the truck that hauls the car to the test track, or from race to race. Diesel is at or above $4 a gallon already, and the truck tanks hold about 300 gallons. Right again: $1200 a fill-up.

The drivers have to get to the track, too, and if it's a race in California or New Hampshire, that means flying, either commercially or in a private plane (many drivers own small jets). There's another couple thou in jet fuel or plane tickets.

NASCAR owners and drivers aren't hurting for cash by any means, and the series has no plans to shorten races as it did in the 1970s during the gas crisis. The guys in the pits with the flame-retardant suits won't be out of a job yet. But next time you wince as the dollars fly by on the gas pump, pity the poor NASCAR teams shelling out thousands of dollars for one Sunday of fast driving.

Original AP story at NASCAR.com

Photo by sidehike