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Question for Pro team owners or crew

Discussion in 'General' started by Tortuga, Feb 22, 2012.

  1. Tortuga

    Tortuga Well-Known Member

    Serious question; How do the crew of a professional race team generally get paid? Is it per event? Hourly? Monthly? Contract? What?

    And going back to the wonderful days of yore when there was actual money involved with professional racing, what could a crew member expect to get paid, in dollar terms? Obviously, it would depend on the job so lets say a crew chief? How about a (don't laugh) and Uccio? Every rider has one at the GP level, so does anyone know what these guys get paid?

    Thanks
     
  2. TrackStar

    TrackStar www.trackstar1.com

    Some of the guys I talked to in AMA (not all of them by any means) the last couple years were not getting paid. They were getting their travel and meals covered and the work was for the love of it and had regular jobs during the week. I dont know any of the Factory guys though so cant speak for them.

    What I got from the SBK guys was the privateer/satellite guys were pretty much homeless guys with cool shirts. Young guys living on the road trying to catch a break with a Team with money. The Factory guys like Ten Kate made OK money... they must because those faces are the same every year.
     
  3. RCjohn

    RCjohn Killin machine.

    When I was involved in the late 90s it varied across the entire spectrum of means listed. Some paid hourly, some paid salary, some paid per weekend. I believe most of the factory team mechanics were paid a salary and expenses. I can't imagine being able to pay them hourly given the way weekends go. So many hours worked on weekends of races. I believe some of the guys worked in the race shops with hourly rates during the week then worked the race weekends for expenses.

    Like I said, it varied a lot. Since I wasn't really a trained mechanic I was paid expenses. I did it primarily because I enjoyed working with the team owner... the rider's Dad. We got a long well and worked together well so he would pay my expenses to travel and take care of costs on weekends. I got some extra money and benefits too outside of the racing. They were electrical contractors during the week so they helped me a lot with electrical stuff.
     
  4. Chip

    Chip Registered

    Depends...I have done full time deals, fly in deals per day and per event, with expenses and without.

    Give me a call if you are interested. I won't post $$ on a forum.
     
  5. Turbo storm

    Turbo storm Well-Known Member

    When I was part of an AMA team, I was just covered for my meals at the track, and credential fees. Some meals were covered after the races if we went out as a team.
    My biggest perk was buying things for myself, at cost, from the dealership that sponsored the team. Mainly I just enjoyed the races from a pit row vantage point.
     
  6. G 97

    G 97 Garth

    I would get per weekend/event fee plus all expense paid.
     
  7. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    Good, I hate being depressed realizing I can make more running tires than running an entire event :D
     
  8. RM Racing

    RM Racing Tool user

    There's a couple of different ways.

    1. One check for the entire event. Crew member arranges travel, hotel, car, etc.

    2. Day rate and team covers all travel including airfare/hotel/car

    Tire carriers and helpers generally get one rate, while crew chiefs/specialists get a higher one. Some guys with championship reputations ask for astronomical rates and get them, but these days that's rare.

    As Chip said, posting that dollar stuff publicly is not a good idea.
     
  9. Boman Forklift

    Boman Forklift Well-Known Member

    Well I guess the good news is the crew doesn't have to pay to be on the team like the riders do.:wow: :)

    I know when we started this adventure on pocketbikes five years ago, I had no idea we would get this far. I also incorrectly thought, if we ever did get far enough to race AMA that dad's pocketbook would get a rest.
     
  10. ekraft84

    ekraft84 Registered User

    Paid? Making money? You guys are all crazy. :D
     
  11. Tortuga

    Tortuga Well-Known Member

    Thanks all for the 411. I may PM one or two of you.
     
  12. Hyperdyne

    Hyperdyne Indy United SBK

    I paid Huey in circus peanuts once.
     
  13. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    Yeah, wouldn't want people on other teams to know how much you make or other teams to know how much you spent or the press to know your budget with or event worse without results :D

    I love the secrecy aspect of it all, like it really matters in the real world outside of that insular little paddock :crackup:
     
  14. Hyperdyne

    Hyperdyne Indy United SBK

    Hey, it killed my budget when Huey asked for Smarties.. I had to turn the heat down a degree in my toterhome.
     
  15. Chip

    Chip Registered

    It has nothing to do with secrecy, I just think its rude to talk about other peoples money in public. Why would I want to insult people by posting thier pay on the internet?
     
  16. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    Why would you be talking about specific people? Crew Chief Pay = x, tire runner pay = y, trained mechanic = z and so on.

    It is funny, knowing what a lot of people do get paid or have been paid I actually do understand why no one would share. I really can't bitch about mine all that much, lot of places we go corner workers make more than I do at the track.
     
  17. speedluvn

    speedluvn Man card Issuer

    And just where/what tracks does this land of milk & honey exist?
     
  18. Chip

    Chip Registered

    Because it wouldn't be hard to put names to those positions. Its just my thing man....I don't talk about peoples $$ on the Internet. If somebody wants to call me then I will talk generalities, but I won't talk about specifics even in person.

    I paid myself exactly $0 from the race team while we were racing so we would have budget for paying the talented people. So the corner workers got paid more than me at EVERY round! :crackup:
     
  19. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    Not sure which off the top of my head, I think VIR is one that charges us 90 or 100/day. I make less at events than half a set of tires...
     
  20. Tortuga

    Tortuga Well-Known Member

    I guess I don't really need salary amounts per se. Ballpark figures would be fine assuming anyone was fine with that.
    The last time I spun wrenches for an AMA team it was a verrrrry long time ago and I worked full time at the dealership who was paying the bills at the track so I was paid my regular wages plus a little more and all expenses.

    This is a little bit different deal, but the info is still helpful. Now, with guys who were paid on a per event type basis, were they one off guys or were they expected to be at every event?
    Would it matter if a person was expected at every round in regards to how they were paid?
     

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