Racing: Which Car Parts Are the Most Expensive to Replace?

As we all know, maintaining an F1 car costs millions on a race-to-race level. On average teams have maintenance costs that exceed $10 million per race. That’s probably more money that you and your relatives will see in a lifetime. When you consider all of the expertise, quality materials, and even manpower that goes into it, it makes perfect sense.

However, have you ever thought about maintain a regular old, amateur race car?

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The World of Amateur Racing

If you ever met an amateur race car driver, you probably know that they live on an expense-to-expense basis. Basically, they buy what they need when they need it. One thing you might not know is that all of them carefully plan their budgets.

This is because even at an amateur level, racing is still an expensive sport. If you race on a regular level, your car will definitely need regular maintenance. While modern cars hold up very well, they still aren’t designed to withstand a race every week.

Some of the car parts will wear and tear much quicker than others due to harsh racing tracks. If you’re interested in amateur car racing, you should be aware that some parts will need more frequent replacement than others. Now let’s look at some of the most expensive racing parts.

Most Expensive Racing Car Parts

•       Car Part: Brake Pads
•       Average Cost: Between $100 and $300
•       Why Does it Need Replacement:

No matter the track you’re racing on, driving for three to four hours every other weekend will wear on your brakes quickly. Racing for a month will actually do to your pads what would take at least six months on the streets. In addition, you’ll probably have to some spare pads at hand in case they tear a couple of days prior to an event.

•       Car Part: Brake Rotors
•       Average Cost: Between $200 and $400

•       Why Does it Need Replacement:

Most high-speed tracks have a number of hard braking zones. Logically, after half a dozen races you will probably have to replace your rotors. More often than not, on these types of tracks the front brakes take most of the workload. On a bright side, you won’t have to worry about your rear brakes for a very long time.

•       Car Part: Car Tires
•       Average Cost: Between $500 and $800

•       Why Does it Need Replacement:

Lastly, we have your car tires. Now, even the soft car tires are though nowadays, but since racing takes a toll on your car parts much quicker than driving on the street, you will have to change your tires regularly. And if you do a little bit of experimenting with tire pressures, you may have to change your tires every 4 to 5 races.

Driving the Point Home

Like we said before, car racing isn’t cheap at any level. Luckily, with some careful planning, anyone can get in on the action. Even if you don’t have a race-ready car, you can head over to a website like Autovolo.co.uk and find the perfect car for your first race.

Also, keep in mind, that if you become a more serious hobbyist you’ll spend more and more money. However, while amateur racing is not for the tightly-budgeted people, it still beats millions and millions of dollars you would need to start a professional racing car team.