Joe Gibbs’ Shocking $90,200 Splurge Leaves NASCAR Fans in Shock as Goodyear Fails to Walk the Sunoco Path

Teams like Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and 23XI Racing have been in deep discussions about the charter negotiation deal for some time now, pushing for a bigger slice of the pie from race broadcast revenues. However, NASCAR hasn’t shown much willingness to meet them halfway yet. The teams are eyeing 45% of traditional media revenue, permanent charters, 33% of new revenue, and more control in governance.

While it might seem a bit much for the teams to demand such a significant share, which involves three key players—NASCAR, the tracks, and the teams themselves, a recent message by Joe Gibbs Racing sheds light on a critical issue: the teams’ return on investment is quite low. The expenditure that teams incur weekly is substantial, and they’re making it clear that they need more backing from the sport to operate smoothly.

Every week, NASCAR teams face hefty expenses just covering the basics

For even the top teams, a week at the race track can feel like throwing money into a bottomless pit. The staggering costs can make even the wealthiest team owners, like Joe Gibbs, wince. We’re talking about a single car part that can set a team back nearly $90,200. Plus, the bills for salaries, equipment, and travel stack up fast, especially when NASCAR hits the road. Gone are the days when you could haul a car to the track on a simple trailer or cram your crew into a van with packed lunches and recycled parts.

You might think the biggest weekly costs are the engine and the driver, but that’s not entirely the case. An engine alone can cost between $60,000 and $150,000, with another $40,000 tacked on for upgrades. And it’s not just about the engines; brakes and rotors are critical too, costing anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000. Plus, a new base stock car or chassis ready for customization can easily run from $70,000 to $120,000.

When it comes to NASCAR drivers, they rake in cash through salaries, prize winnings, sponsorships, and endorsements. Entry-level developmental drivers might earn around $50,000, while top-tier drivers can pull in up to $10 million annually.

But there’s another hefty team expense that doesn’t necessarily depend on whether the cars crash or not—tires. The cost of tires can really add up, a fact highlighted in a recent video released by the Joe Gibbs Racing team. The video aimed to show fans just how much a NASCAR team spends on tires. It featured a bunch of tires on pit road, with a voiceover breaking down the numbers.

As per the narration, “NASCAR tires are $550 each, so how much does the team spin on them for one race? Our team has four cars in every race. Each car gets one set for practice. And they’ll get a fresh set for qualifying. And then before the race they’ll get yet, another set. We’ll hang onto the slightly used qualifying tires in case we need them during the race. The #20 car pitted for four tires seven times. The #19 car pitted nine times but only took four tires on eight stops. The #54 car took on 7 sets during the race, and the #11 car also took on 7 sets during the race. For Darlington Raceway, our four cars used a total of 41 sets of tires. The four tires are set as the total 164. And at $550 a tire, the total is $90,200.”

Even JGR’s driver Denny Hamlin also recently shed some light on the hefty tire costs NASCAR teams face during his podcast. He mentioned that each tire set runs about $2,400 and teams typically get eight sets for a race weekend like in Texas, racking up a bill of $19,200. Stretch that over the 36-race regular season, and you’re looking at a staggering $691,200 per car.

The tidbit surprised many fans who followed the JGR video, shedding light on just another part of the vast expenses teams face weekly, beyond salaries and other operational costs.

Fans were floored when they found out how much dough teams drop on tires every week

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The sticker shock had some calling for better quality from Goodyear, with remarks like, “To much money. The tires should be better?” and “All that money and still can’t provide a good tire for racing 🤦🏼‍♂️.” Others pointed out just how much Goodyear is raking in, saying things like, “Boy Goodyear is making a killing” and “Holy crap! Goodyear makes bank every weekend on these.“

However, one fan pointed out, “I thought that Goodyear supplied them for free just like Sunoco does with the fuel? Or is that just a Sunoco thing?” That’s because, while NASCAR teams bear the brunt of tire costs, fuel costs are covered by Sunoco. Since 2004, Sunoco has been the official and exclusive fuel provider for all three national NASCAR series, supplying their specialized Green E15 racing fuel at no charge. This fuel, green in color and formulated for high-performance engines, has powered NASCAR vehicles through over 18 million miles of competition and more than 1,800 victories.

The revelation by JGR also made some fans see the reason behind what Denny Hamlin and others have been pushing for, with comments like, “No wonder Denny wants the Charter System to be permanent.“ Another fan saw the broader implications, musing, “Anyone else see the indirect jab at Nascar on n this? They want them to realize how much teams have to spend on even random shit each week.”

So, what do you think? Could this push NASCAR to tweak the charter negotiations after JGR highlighted these hefty expenses?