Fuel Cost - What I'm Doing .....

[Round D' Round Racer]

Just wondering how everyone is dealing with the prices.

I'm still putting about the same amount out each week, but just cutting back on travel/trips etc. Not using my vehicle much on weekends unless really necessary. Combine trips to the store-post office-mother in laws (tried to quit that one completely and almost lost my life).

What is everyone else doing now that they didn't do 2-3 months ago because of the fuel prices. (this ought to be interesting). I bet some will say they are doing less practice laps and begging for additional sponsors.

[carolwicks]

Planning ahead...

i plan my day so I can do my errands in a circle instead of back and forth all over town. Also try to plan the week so I can do errands in the same vicinity..Also don't drive as fast and accelerate slower... instead of my daughter in law and I driving to Bobbys games we pool and go together. Every drop we save is a drop they dont make money on ! OH i never put any gas in except BP and all of our company trucks do the same.,...
carolwicks aka OZ

[Cara]

My husband fixed up his old bicycle and is riding to work at least 3 days a week. He can stay off the main road by using bike trails and other side streets. It is about 4 miles one way and takes him about 35 minutes to get there. Not only is it good exercise but has helped since his truck takes more gas than my car. I only go out when need to, still have one more day of school left but that is only 2 miles from the house. I do all my errands in one trip one day a week. Not racing has saved a lot and we sometimes don't go anywhere over the weekends, just stay home.

[Boneman]

This little bike got 79 mpg on its first tank. It cost $1600 new, is street legal, and no insurance is required. I did insure it however; that cost $37 a year.

This is a 150 CC that carries myself, my wife and 3 bags of groceries at about 57 mph (depending on the wind!).

It works for me because I live in a small-medium sized town and don't have to commute on the interstate. This will never replace my truck, but it just ticks me off every time I have to fill it with 20+ gallons.

As far as racing goes, I usually burn 2-3 gallons a night. My car is 4 cylinder, and we run short races. Practice is generally done by the time I show up, so my total laps are pretty small. Fortunatly, I live very close to Speedworld. It is only 15 miles away.

Some of you know that I have an electric racecar too. Currently I am looking for a dune buggy or a sand rail to convert into an electric street car. If you know of one, please advise.

[Razpewton]

I had a Mazda RX8 (16mpg). When gas started leaning towards $3 a gallon, I traded it for a Mazda3 (31mpg). Save an additional $600 a month on car payments, insurance and gas....

We as Americans deal in excesses. We're spoiled as a nation. I can't count all the people I know that drive a truck or SUV that haven't the slightest need for one. I have NEVER seen some of my neighbors with anything in the bed of their truck. I also know single friends that drive SUVs. And these Humvees? WTF???? 9 MILES TO THE GALLON???? HOLY CARP!!

We're all guilty. We wouldn't know how to conserve energy if it zapped us in the butt.

Still....I suppose it's a free country. People will drive what they want to drive. Within the next 5 years, gas will be over $5 a gallon.

I strongly recommend every American rent the movie, "Mad Max". Wait.....no.....it wasn't a movie....it was a premonition...





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[ovalracer44]

Lets see, my racing has come to a screeching halt. Since the closest asphalt track I will race at is 2 hours and 50 minutes away.

I consolidate trips and only go out if I absolutely have to.

[JackTripper]

It has postponed my buying a new car and my Altima is relatively efficient, but filling up a full tank of anything is expensive. And as much as I want the new Subaru WRX or the Forester with the WRX motor, the idea of filling up with the most expensive fuel option available doesn't excite me in the slightest.

It's also cut down my race-chasing drastically. Whereas in years past I'd haul to, say Lake City, for a Sunbelt race, I don't now at these gas prices. I pretty much stick to OSW, NSS and VSP for now.

I've started buying more stuff online because the typical shipping fee of around $7.99 or so can be cheaper than driving around in my car going from store to store all day.

[john tenney]

I remember in 1973 they told us if we didn't stop our comsumption rate we would be out of oil by the year 2000.

Funny how we drive even bigger cars now ...

[flvideo]

Cut Back

Thats the answer, cut back. I have to use my truck when I work. When the work is racing, I need to pull my trailer with my GOlf cart. I went on a job last week and agin this week where I had to take my truck because of where the shoots were. In a corn field and on a dairy farm. One thing I have changed, is I have started qouteing the price of travel up front. My client knows up front what it cost. Although my truck gets 21 to 22 MPG without my trailer. Its a diesel so the fuel is higher. When we just run to town we take my wifes little Ford Focus. It gets 33 to 34 MPG most of the time and runs on regular gas. We have for years planed our trips because we live in the country and the closest town is 21 miles. The race track I frequent the most is 52 miles although I travel with the UDLMCS so I have to travel to those but the promoter reimburses me for fuel. When we went to alabama we rode together to get there. My wife and myself just don't go as much as we did just a few months ago. We don't go in town to see our kids near as much as we used to . Bob.....

[roundtracker]

Fuel dilema

I have started analyzing my trips to make them as efficient as possible. I also have put more air in my tires for better gas mileage don't know if that works yet or not. My work is something different, We own 4 different pieces of equipment with diesel motors in them. It depends on the location and how many jobs we do. We burn between $400 to $800 a day on fuel.
Hope this post was positive enough for you on a not so positive subject!

[Old Sunshine Fan]

The New Life

I would guess it was about 6-8 months ago that I started being more watchful on my fuel usage. I combine stops to one trip and not just jump in the truck every time I need something. Although I get great milage with my F-350 Diesel, it started making sense to conserve when possible.
I ride my motorcycle more that I had in the past, but its not relaxed riding with all the idiots on the road these days. It almost appears that cycles have a bullseye on them. My policy is "Everyone else has the right of way" I just don't get in a hurry when riding (but it sure is cheap transportation). Also, I haven't been traveling a lot out of my local area, but I will when there is a good race going on.
I am goong to ask Carol/OZ if she wants to split the fuel and hotel room cost for the Powell Memorial (Heck I might even treat for breakfast if all goes well).
OSF

[carolwicks]

OZZIE will be with her favorite guy...

i will be with the only guy i ever share a room with. My little Bobby... IF we stay over. i usually just drive right home. depends on how tired i get.
sorry OSF... try the nurse? lol
luv ya
OZ

[OLD STYLE RACER 2]

Plan B

Hey OSF, Come see me when I get there. I grew up here in Ocala and can tell you what roads to "visit" before you get back to your room. Plus you won't have to buy breakfast in the morning!!!!

[dnsno]

What am I doing?

Sitting around the house biching and moaning.
Living on a limited income now sure as heck don't help my "need for speed" on a Saturday night. Those money hungry greedy oil companies are stick it to me/us big time.
My 1986 pick-up gets an average of twenty one mpg. That's not to bad considering what it is.
I resent the fact that someone else is dictating what I can do for my lively hood and or recreation.
At least I was able to make it to OSW three years ago and Southern Speedway in Milton earlier this year. I can't even afford to go to my old stomping ground at Hendry County Speedway anymore.
Unless someone else foots the bill, I'll just stay home and watch some dvd's and vhs's from years past.
How can these oil companies justify a profit of thirty four BILLION dollors and be able to sleep at night knowing they are causing people to have to rearange thier way of life? Bottom line, moe money moe money moe money.
Sleep tight you greedy basturds!!