Rallies don't cost that much to enter, actually.
More accurately, when compared to how much they should cost, they are very reasonable. Let's look at what you're getting with a typical small rally:
- The closure of 600 square miles of forest for your private use.
- The work of 150 people to staff intersections and do the timing.
- Grading and road prep work of perhaps 50 miles of racing surface.
- The year-round hiring of several people who organize the event, a skill set that involves dealing with multimillion dollar insurance policies, interfacing with multiple government agencies for permissions, planning hospitality events, and seeking sponsors.
So, if we imagine that the rally was an actual business, where people got paid to be there, and the numbers quickly get staggering. Here are some quick estimates:
150 people at two days, 14 hours per day, at minimum wage: $15,225.
Average travel distance: 200 miles one way, 100 miles at the rally, car pooling is low. Fuel reimbursem*nt would be 500 miles at 25MPG = 20 gallons at $4 = $80 per vehicle, 100 vehicles = $8,000.
Lodging, $60 per night per room, 60 rooms, three nights: $10,800
So there's $34,025 before any road permits, road repairs, insurance, food, printing, volunteer appreciation items like t shirts,
The various tasks at the higher levels would have titles like:
- "Project Director" ($91,250 per year typical salary in the US)
- "Conference Planner" ($42,000 per year typical salary in the US)
- "Marketing" ($56,500 per year typical salary in the US)
- "Volunteer Recruitment Organizer" ($22,000 per year typical salary in the US)
- "Web Developer ($64,500 per year typical salary in the US)
Contracting out two months of work for those people would be $46,041. Add in the volunteer costs from above and that's $80,066. So for a typical 30 car rally, this would be like an entry fee of $2,668, and again, that doesn't even begin to cover any of the other costs of putting on the rally (insurance, permits, food, printing, etcetera).
When you consider $500 entry fee, which covers only the actual costs of things like printing and insurance and food, think of the true value involved. So when you enter that rally, give yourself a high five, because you're going to have an amazing time! And as a bonus, you're getting about ten times the value of what you're actually laying out in cash.
All of this is really a lesson in appreciating all the hard work done by the volunteers who are true rally fanatics. Remember to thank them when you pull up to the start line! :)
