As the holiday weekend approaches and travelers are rethinking trips to the mountains or a Front Range reservoir because of record-high gas prices, racers at Colorado National Speedway are prepared to pay twice as much as the national average.
The Sunoco gas pump in CNS’ pit lane Saturday sold racing fuel at $7.45 per gallon, nearly double Tuesday’s AAA national average of $3.80.
All CNS racers must use the same 110-octane fuel and purchase it from the same pump. The national average is based on regular octane (85 or 87).
“We make a very small margin on it,” CNS general manager Scotty Backman said of his fuel. “In fact, by the time we pay to get it there, we really don’t make anything.”
Longtime CNS racer Roger Avants of Littleton said he still pays less in gas than tires.
The 56-year-old and his peers in late models pay $500 for a set of tires that are typically only good for one race.
In this Sunday’s two 40-lap features for late models, Avants will use the same tires and expects to go through about 16 gallons of fuel (about $120). He might spend more than that in gas for his hauler and if his family drives to the track separately.
“We get about 4.5 mpg (miles per gallon),” Avants said of his race car. “Most events pay $1,000 to win, but by the time you buy a set of tires and drive here, you’re even — if you win. If you’re a loser, it’s a long drive home.”
Gas prices won’t stop Avants from racing at CNS, but it will prevent him from running in regional circuits outside Colorado.
“Just too much money to run out of town,” he said. “It’s hard enough to race here and just keep things even.”
Meanwhile, there are no race-fuel expenses in NASCAR’s premier national series, Sprint Cup. In a sponsorship deal, Sunoco provides 98-octane fuel to teams for free, NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said.
In this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., as many as 43 race cars will cover the 600 miles at 4-6 mpg, Tharp said.
CNS driver Chris Eggleston, 19, who aspires to reach Sprint Cup, said fuel costs are making it harder to prove himself. In addition to working with Avants for a racing parts company, he attends Colorado State and commutes from Denver to Fort Collins almost daily.
“Fuel costs are making it really tough,” Eggleston said. “We’re able to do it, but who knows after this year? I mean, this could be only the beginning with the fuel costs. Hopefully somebody comes out with a better renewable resource.”
Buddy system.
Vail’s Buddy Lazier no longer is a regular in an IndyCar series, but Sunday he will become the 19th driver to make at least 16 starts in the Indianapolis 500.
Lazier, the 1996 Indy winner and two-time runner-up, rallied to make the 33-car field Sunday.
Lazier, 40, will start 32nd, tying Michael Andretti, Cliff Bergere and Chet Miller with 16 career starts, which is the 16th-most in race history.
A.J. Foyt leads with 35 starts, followed by Mario Andretti (29), Al Unser (27), Gordon Johncock and Johnny Rutherford (both with 24).
