There is an old saying "speed costs money, how fast can you afford to go?"
In the late 80's, over a four year period, I spent over $30,000 in the sport. That included the car (which I bought for $4,000), 4 race engine rebuilds, mods, gears, trailer, tires (8 sets a year), 4 sets of wheels, racing fuel, travel costs, entry fees, etc. I "won" two sets of tires, and less than $100. But, I did have alot of fun, running events all over the southeast, three Solo Nationals in Kansas, and several Pro Solo's in Ohio.