$13-$15k is a very realistic number if you have to update to a newer sled and want to race a full season. Fact is, if racing was cheap most of this thread wouldn't even exist. You repeated exactly what I've said before when you said "I decided I will go to what I can based on my budget..." You consider yourself average. How many 'average' riders by your standard have a turbo sled? I personally don't know that many, but that's just me. Think about that though. That was probably a lot of disposable income to pull off and then maintain on a yearly basis, correct? But you made the decision that you wanted a turbo and now look where you're at. Regardless of what RMSHA does to make racing available to more people, only the people that sit down and figure out what they can do to race will determine whether or not something will happen.
If anyone wants an example of an average rider. Married a couple years, just out of college, and grossed well under $40k with 2 incomes. Mortgage, car, insurance, utilities, medical bills, etc... 12 yr old truck I paid off coming out of high school, 3 yr. old sled, no trailer, no spare parts, so setup knowledge. Heck, I didn't even have a legal clutch cover or traction screws that's how oblivious I was. I raced 3 races, only 1 class, in ski clothes because I didn't have enough for real snowmobile stuff yet. I only found one sponsor for $300 that year, and it was a guy that I actually rode with anyway. I got waxed every race and had an urgent care bill at the end of the year that was way more than what that weekend cost me. That is an average rider that made a decision to sacrifice a lot of real riding time to try racing.
RMSHA will never get new people unless people decide it's something they want to do. Period. Racing in general has a stereotype that only 'rich' people can do it because it's too expensive for the common folk. False. You may not have the nicest stuff, attend all the races, have the money/parts to fix something right away, but that doesn't mean anything if you have the mindset that you can't come in and race competitively.
For every race RMSHA gets that is closer and more affordable to someone, it's a race that's further and more expensive to a lot more people. For every year a manufacturer comes out with a new model year sled that tons of people buy, it's one more year that a ton of average riders sleds get older if they don't have the means to upgrade. In my humble opinion racing will never get 'cheaper', and will not be something that a majority of average riders will ever be a part of. That's the reality of it. No part of that means that we cannot get new people to come and be a part of RMSHA though. RMSHA needs to add a lot of value to convince the majority of people to come out, and great ideas have been thrown out by a lot of people. It's equally important for anyone, especially if you've read this thread and are considering racing, to see how much they are willing to put forth. Nothing comes easy in life especially during these times, but nothing will ever happen if you just sit back and watch.
Brook, you guys were definitely a great part of the racing community. I'm sure you would be welcomed back with open arms if you came back to hillclimbing.
Ps Sorry for bad spelling
