Racing vs. Poker Runs- Which group spends more?

[catastrophe]

When I first moved to Nashville and was taking care of the Nashville Catz 43 Nortech, I figured out what it took to run that boat. We made about 8-9 poker runs and with traveling expenses, hotel, fuel, my salary, insurance, etc. it cost at least 250K a year. That included a rebuild on the engines, but not if anything major broke.

Dont doubt it at all.
With poker runs and no sponsors its all one persons AFTER TAX dollars.

With racing and formalizing a true legal racing entity for accounting and tax purposes you arent always spending after tax $ and get some relief from sponsors.

But still HUGE expense for someone somewhere and it never lasts forever.

But its a trip when its all happenin.

Its a huge time and $ commitment for both groups and it eventually wears on you.

The beer tastes the same after a 50 mph boat ride as 150mph.

 

[phragle]

I remember 93' with a lot of sponsorship I still spent over 35k just racing an ATV....figure what was left for the food in that budget maket $9 an hour......

 

[Geronimo36]

The beer tastes the same after a 50 mph boat ride as 150mph.

Amen!!! :driving:

 

[JupiterSunsation]

When I first moved to Nashville and was taking care of the Nashville Catz 43 Nortech, I figured out what it took to run that boat. We made about 8-9 poker runs and with traveling expenses, hotel, fuel, my salary, insurance, etc. it cost at least 250K a year. That included a rebuild on the engines, but not if anything major broke.

That was an incredible rig from the truck to the boat to the Harley......


I think the budgets could be very close when comparing similar size boats....
Poker runs tend to be operated around high end hotels, don't see many OL/MTI/Nortech owners staying at the Motel 6/Econolodges. The PR boats do have the bling factor (paint/trucks/trailers). Racers have other fixed expenses like payroll and other crew costs.

I had a friend tell me it was costing him 100K a year to campaign an OL/1075 boat to all of the major runs. He would have the boat delivered to the big out of state events and drive the rig to local events himself.

 

[C_Spray]

Both groups spend on the basis of available disposable income. If you like to compete in a structured environment, you race. If you like to "compete" in an unstructured environment, you do Poker Runs.

 

[Geronimo36]

Being that I don't race when I run poker runs I could probably do PR cheaper. If I wanted to race the maintenance would put the expense over the top for me... But, if I were one of those guys who raced at a poker run I'd say there are equal expenses.

As far as sponsors go, some guys do PR's with sponsorship money and/or "loaner boats"... lol

 

[jackie.fpc]

I think on Poker Runs you can spend a ton - between hotel rooms, going out, fuel (FPC events we go far distances), repairs (cost to run the boat - insurance), event fees, matching outfits, etc. And the wives come so they need to hit the salon & the mall...
But you do have the option to spend less by going on runs and everyone splits costs & choose events that cost less or have shorter distances including closer to home.


I can name a few people who spend more than racers on poker runs, but (not that I know anything about racing costs) I imagine racers spend a lot too.

By the way Emerald Coast Poker Run has hit the 100 boat mark with one month to go!