Budgeting is something that car vary widely depending on the car you race, how far you want to travel, how often you race, and how often something goes wrong with the car. Autocross is a heck of a lot cheaper, as the safety requirements are minimal. I thought I wanted to start with that as it was a cheaper option, but after the race I did during driver training, wheel to wheel racing was the only thing for me!
I just finished my 1st season last fall (which was only half a season really). I spent about 20K for the car, required safety equipment/clothes, car safety modification, high performance tires and brake pads, driver training, racing fees, licensing fees, fuel (which is damn cheap for a Miata). My 2nd season will have a similar budget - pickup truck, enclosed trailer, suspension, race tires, race exhaust, fire system, and a bit left over in case something goes wrong

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