What does it cost to build a NASCAR late model in 2023? Budget build vs big money! 

Landon, you build them the only way I know how. If you can make it you make it. I am a Toyota car dealer and could buy my race cars. However, I still build them like I did when I was 20 and broke. Horse trade for what I need, fabricate what I can copy and buy the essential parts. I have 25 lifts at my Toyota dealership but I use cardboard as a creeper in my own shop... and I am 64 years old! Keep up the good work. I respect a racer that wins on hard work and ingenuity. I have never been a fan of the big spenders. Good luck and good racing.

I moved up from fwd 4 cylinders to a charger car last year and this video is a huge help for guys who are looking to make the jump like I did. I was surprised with how much brake pads alone cost. Also the difference in cost for different quick change gears from standard to polished/lightened. We bought a roller, stripped it down and replaced/updated everything. I wish I had kept up with the complete cost, but things add up quickly. Keep up the awesome work and looking forward to meeting you when you come to Wake County.

This is one of the reasons why I pull for you. Y'all work hard for everything you got. It's nice to see a driver still work on there own stuff. Great video. Good luck buddy!

I love that you believe in and still do a lot of fab work yourselves. It gives so much self satisfaction. I raced midgets in the early to mid 90’s and that was just at the start of all the cookie cutter, off the shelf cars and parts. The only way we could afford to race was to make our own parts like radius rods, torsion arms, nerf bars, engine rebuilds etc. The satisfaction you get from beating $80k cars with a $20k car is awesome! Here’s to a safe and successful 2023 season for everyone involved 👍🇺🇸🇦🇺

Awesome video Landon! I think alot of people can relate with you on doing what they love on a budget, and being proud of that.

This was absolutely fascinating to me. I want to thank you sincerely for giving a detailed break down. I know NOTHING about racing, but I am learning and enjoy the car build part (no desire to race). And it seems most teams seem to think discussing what things cost them is like voodoo. So again, I appreciate it. Just found your channel so I am looking forward to watching more videos. I wish I knew a racer around me here in GA I could volunteer free labor in exchange for knowledge. Some of the prices shocked me, some were higher and some were far lower than I imagined. Looking forward to learning more about the engines and transmissions and costs involved. This I am pretty sure are the majority of the cost.

Absolutely love these types of videos from you! We’re trying to do more as well because we get questions like this all the time. Looking forward to watching you win with your program!

You did a great Job Landon, building and making your own parts is a lot of fun Been their and done that, me and a friend Built our own Modified frame and all and even the motor, it makes you feel like you did something, and the first night out in a 50 lap we finished 5th and we had a fourth gear syngrow go, excuse spelling, and our driver had to drive with one hand and hold it in fourth. that was a great Night.

Good video, I was a drag racer in the early 70's, had a lot of fun but then the big bucks came in and spoiled it for the low buck guys. Love what you are doing . Thanks

I don't have any desire to build a car or race, but I like the incredible amount of detail. When I was too young to appreciate it, my dad built a street/hobby stock car with a friend, for fun. I think they got a couple of years out of it and I kind of wish I had been old enough to follow along and ask questions. I also enjoy that you haven't plastered this with dogshit music. Thank you.

I came across your channel about a year ago and it is so cool to follow you and your guys and your racing approach. I helped out on a pro/super late model team years ago and the guys I worked with came from Hooters Cup and this is how we did everything. Your channel made me miss short track racing so much I actually came down to Hickory last year for a race with my wife so she could see her first short track race and what it was all about. I am intrigued by LMS and would love to learn more about these chassis, setups, etc. Good luck the this year and I plan on making another trip down to Hickory this year to see you guys run.

Enjoyed the video very informative. Glad to see how it all goes together and then be able to see it run. Keep up the good work.

Really appreciate this sort of information! My 8yr old son is crazy about racing and is in a kart now. Already bugging me to move to Bandos and dreaming of late models in a few years. Love seeing how things can be done on a tighter budget. Give me hope we don't need to hit a lottery or find a Fortune 500 company sponsor just to keep progressing at the grass roots level. Thanks so much for the video. Hopefully we can see you race this year.

love the videos landon and love how the channel has progressed.. you’re a great ass driver man and best of luck to you this season ❕

Coming from someone who’s from a dirt racing background it’s crazy how many years you guys get out of a car for us if you want to be upfront you’re building a new car every year or two because they’re flexed out and junk

Awesomeness 😎! Grassroots racing at it's finest. You should be proud of what are building. I would think that building and racing the way you do makes success that much sweeter! Videos like this are great, giving a look *inside". Thanks and looking forward to your success!

In the '90's folks felt that powder coat added weight but mostly bad was that they hid hairline cracks that could lead to trouble. Some of the the top cars had unpainted chassis (bare) for weight savings. I don't know if they at least wiped them down with trans fluid but there's your two ends of the spectrum.

Great video! I live in the Netherlands and like 10 years or so we also have late model v8's running on a half mile oval over here. Ofcourse everything is a little bit more expensive over here because it has to be imported from the US, but you can also get an older car over here for something like 20k. 25 years ago i used to race short ovals myself, in a different formula though, and just like you always on a budget. Chassis and engine built at home and even winning a local trackchampionship with the first three cars behind me costing three times what mine had cost. So it definetely can be done! Good luck bro and greetings from The Netherlands.

One hell of a video Landon you forgot $ 100,000 dollars in dedication and late nights putting it all together and an awesome crew to help you out man you guys growing on me big time you guys have fun doing what you do congratulations and good luck for the season a head 👍

Super cool info. Thanks for the bean counting. I tried to up my monthly membership support. System tells me I am already a member when I click the option. Will look at other ways to update. Y'all do a great job with finding ways to save. GOOD JOB

I like to imagine the teams that drop insane amounts of money on their stuff, that you beat last year, watching this video and just a tear rolling down their cheek as they think about running behind you at Hickory. 😆 Talent over money any day.

I have been a short track fan dirt and pavement most all my life. I enjoyed your telling what and how you have to do things. And even with a lot of used parts, you seem to have great equipment. I wish you the best in the coming race season. I wish that you drove a Ford as I am a die hard Ford fan. Keep up the good work and best of luck for the year.

This is a great video! thanks for putting it together

Great video Landon. You don’t see this side of racing and I personally love learning about the economics of racing. Thanks for sharing! 👍

Very cool. Keep em coming!

As a clueless Brit that knows nothing about NASCAR, or cars in general to be honest and randomly come across this video, it was awesome! So interesting to see how it all works and how much it costs and the like. So cool.

Great info. Not a racer, just a fan. Always wondered what it costs for a race car. Very good content. Thank you for explaining. I learned quite a bit.

Informative vid bud, nice work. Good dose of realism LH, talent & knowledge don't come in a can or box. Keep it up mate. 😎🤘

This is amazing... I just started in this world but I'm soaking everything in like a sponge. It's my dream to build or own a racecar one day, I'm so glad I ran into your video. #subbed

Nice to know I'm not the only one buying used and saving cash where I can to be able to spend more where it counts. There's a big difference between the guys looking to spend more money for an edge and the ones looking to stretch their budgets for the most mileage. Thanks for representing the smaller / DIY shops.

Your weathering looks good. I did a patina for the first time and now I really want to try my hand at the rust. Thanks for the video 😎👍

Dale Jr. linked me here, Tremendous stuff! Loved this video. Good luck this year!

It’s like being in your race shop with watching your videos . They are very interesting.. thanks again. I sure wish I would have you tube to watch when I was growing up.

Best vlog yet! We will definitely make more trips to Hickory this year.

Great Video Man.

Unbelievable content my man…Cliff notes on how to build a budget LMSC 🙌

Thanks for another great video Landon. I know y'all are looking forward taking the High Rock car to Daytona.👍🏁

You keep up with this vlog on all aspects of racing and you may find a huge source of cash flow for the program AND get on NASCAR's radar for a call up.

Can’t wait to see you race 🎉

Awesome video man. Thanks for reminding people about this shouldn't be "who can spend the most money" to win sport. I think it's important to being the sport that any guy with a hobby can compete in and not feel a financial burden after a week of racing.

I’m a 64 yr old I racer from Las Vegas Much Respect to you and your Family and Team. I’m fortunate to be able to race these cars in iracing, late Model and Super Late Model are my Favorites. Good Luck to You this Season. Your Awsome. Would love to be able to watch you Race on RU-vid or Facebook

Thank you for the information, Landon. I am always interested in knowing more about the cost of racing. Can you give us an idea of the budget to sponsor a car that runs in the front ( top 10) in most races? Both as a primary sponsor and affiliate for your typical season.

Super cool, thanks for sharing!

I've been seeing a bunch of videos for the Goody's Dash series, just watch your dad finish 6th at Daytona! Not sure which year! He was a wheelman, great guy to have as a Dad and someone with great knowledge!

Great video Landon, hoping to meet you in Daytona. Follow up video would be great.

Congrats on 15k!! 🎉

great video. the best one yet. thanks!

That's awesome that you're literally building your dreams. Outstanding bro.

man your right the money in todays racing is alot more then back in the day.

Great insight into the numbers, thanks for doing a run down.

Today was my first visit to your channel and I love the fact that you build your own cars ... for me` that is how motorsport should be .. plus you must understand your car better if you built it from the ground up. As a lifelong Ferrari fan I can appreciate how expensive a race car can be .. and you are producing a fine looking car too. I guess you are putting a V8 in the car ? ... but what kind of tyres and fuel will you use to run your car. I stopped watching F1 Racing about 8 years ago and started following IMSA Sportscar Racing .. which means I know very little about Nascar or your Standard Stockcar racing, Could you do a short video explaining how you get started in the sport and the type of Licence and Experience you require to race your car. Keep up the great work ... and Greetings from York. England.

Great info...Your stable is looking good Landon

Good info - thanks for sharing!

thanks Landon for sharing this information.

Gilbert’s looking good, buddy. Oh so close to 15k!

wow that is just crazy when you think of the prices that it takes to get a car to race and the purses that tracks have for the race it seems like a person would never make their money back. it just has to be the pasion to race that makes a person to do it. thank you sir for this video

Since I literally broke 3 driveshafts last season, yes, $250 for a driveshaft. 🤣 Those are the cheap Speedway motors "Fast Shafts", not the cool carbon fiber ones everyone else runs. 🙄 I'd love to know where you're getting lead for $2 a pound. Everything I've seen is more like $3-$4 a pound now. Love those post-COVID prices! 😒

awesome video!

Great video sir can’t wait for you guys o bring us along when the season starts. RJ is the man. Smokem if ya gottem.

And you’re kicking their butt I love it!!

Love the Economics video you do. Have you all had folks wanting to rent out the LLM? Thanks.

A few comparisons to a northeast Dirt Modified: - Your frames and bodies are obscenely priced. A brand new frame is about $7k for us, and that's double what it was not even 10 years ago. A new body is around $3200, and we have a lot more sheet metal than a LMSC. Our stuff is mainly flat panels so I'm sure that makes it cheaper, but sheesh. I just picked up a lightly used (12 race old) 2019 frame for $1500, but that's with a friend discount and not being the preferred chassis brand. I frequently see used frame/body combos for around $5k for a couple year old car. - Your hubs and spindles are way cheaper. I just got new front hubs and spindles, and I got the budget version. I forgot the exact price because it almost made me cry, it was somewhere around $1600 with bearings, seals, etc. The bearings alone were over $300 for the front end - I see your fire bottle rules aren't as strict as ours. You could buy like eight of yours for one of ours. Ouch. - I also wish our radiators were that cheap. Mine came with my car, it's beat to hell. But, legitimately cannot afford a new one. - I think we run basically the same rear end, I somehow snagged a just-freshened 4:11 Winters with every cute option available for $2500. Normally, I think my setup new is somewhere near $7k, but it's the best of the best for an 8". - We can't get steering boxes either. I just sold an ancient 14:1, I have no idea when it was made because the previous owner took a Dremel tool to the build date stamp. I luckily got $600 for it, but a used 9:1 was clear of $2200. Can't even get new ones if you aren't a dealer. - Your shocks are cheaper. A lot. The Big Block Mods can run aluminum, and a set with coil kits is somewhere around $1700. Sportsman cars gotta run steel, but that's still well over $1k. The coil kit cost is basically negligible, my shock guy felt bad because I was poor, gave me the coil kits for free, and a discount on the shocks. Still over $1k. - My driveshaft + yokes were also clear over the $1k mark. Granted its meant for a 900hp big block and I have a cheap little 602 crate so it should last about forever, still ouch. - I don't even want to know what I have in the brakes for my car. My new frame didn't fit my ancient brake bias without the rod connecting to the brake pedal being at an awful angle, and a new one with new master cylinders was a few hundred. In short, your frame and body is obnoxiously expensive, but everything else seems cheaper. In November, they auctioned off a full roller minus motor with a really good, new everything and it went for $52,000. At least my tire bill is cheaper lol.

When you build it and race it the way you do it is so much more rewarding to go kick their ass knowing what you have in it compared to them. And that is why I Love watching your channel. Give them hell man!!

Disappointed there wasn’t receipts shown from the bar tabs with alcohol an sun drop and food consumption. Long nights in the shop! Looks good Landon. Good luck this season in defending 👊🏻

Very informative I honestly thought it was more, you run good

Great video Landon! Go Live on RU-vid 2 hours before a race, the more it may help on paying you more. The more you are live on all streams helps you bud.👍

Don't forget to add in your Dad's expertise and time ! Lol about $20 grand on the low side! He is the man!

Also you can make your own doors for 80 bucks by using the pre painted double sided sheets of aluminum that we use to make dirt track latemodel modifieds bodies and asphalt outlaw bodies I make my own doors and make my own bumper bars my self by making a jig on a Fab table to where I just bend the tubing put it in the little jig clamp the bars with some clamps tack it together then weld it out and done and only cost me the price of tubing I try to fabercate everything my self on racecars, even my fuel cell cages and door bars and body mounts and braces I make all that my self for body braces I use the 1 inch thin aluminum flat strips from Lowes and thin 1*1 angle aluminum from Lowes and rivit the angle to the quarters at the bottom at the rear then weld a tab to the frame and bolt two of the aluminum strips to it and calipers I always run stock GM calipers super cheap but I do run the hawk break pads but anything that you can fabercate your self I have made jigs to make it my self it costs alot less when you tear stuff up and it's the exact same thing just only difference is I paid just price of the materials, it's cheaper to build racecars when you been racing your whole life. I get my lead for free from tire shops and melt it down then pour it into square tubing that is the right size to fit into my lead rails and lead boxes all over the car, I run a stock GM steering box with a steering quickner

Yes, please walk us through the other car. Great job!

Good stuff, Landon..would love to hear more about Francis

Having built a limited late model in 2022 I can completely relate. I did EVERYTHING myself from new clips front and rear, paint, wiring,etc. BUT that is what I wanted, a car that I built myself

Definitely want to see a follow up on Frances.

Pride in building your own cars and team

I discovered your channel this evening and I’m glad. Excellent footage in car. Why are the wheel and hubs like that as opposed to the ones that are a single piece?

Follow up please. Thanks for sharing this. Awesome job on building up Gilbert for that price. Have fun in Daytona bud!! Cheers

*_The video I want to see you make is the weekly maintenance and the cost involved that goes into racing in your division..._*

52k views as of now. That's so many people interested in going racing and wanting to know more. I would love to know more about ARCA Menards and see someone do this on ends for the lowest and highest-budget teams. But people need to realize how full fields would be if people would sell used chassis cheap enough that people could scrape a car together. This sport could grow so much if the cost of entry were lower. Thanks for the education and time Landon.

Yeah I love these kind of videos!

I was running late model for a friend and spotted some wide 5 rims at the scrap yard when I was dropping off some metal. I bought 4 of them for like $20 total that just had some rash on the lips, there was nothing otherwise wrong with them. I knew who had them before by the number sticker on them, some people are just so wasteful with money. They were honestly just fine and we ran them against the previous owner the very next week, lol.

man, when i got my PRW straight rail superlate in 2015, it was around 19k for a roller (minus body and tin). Front suspension, Tiger quick change. Inflation is a bitch

Cool video Landon!!

Great video!!! I am interested in what a new roller cost, as well as engine, carburetor, transmission and clutch.

What are the engines you run,are they crate style motors that are spec.and what style transmissions do you use,I'm a drag race guy,ran some go carts competitively,(ska), for a few years but never got into the round track cars,from what I've read and heard the engines and especially transmissions are extremely different from the stuff im used to,(big cubic inches and Lenco style transmissions),so I'm really interested in these,thanks again, love your channel and what you do

Well I do know when I was working for Harris Auto Racing, a modified roller minis engine, transmission, drive shaft was between 35,000.00 and 40,000.00. Of course, the car I am referring to we put the engine, transmission, Ford 9 inch gear. (Because they had not yet allowed quick changes at that time) which with the Brinn transmission assembly, Afco aluminium radiator, fuel, etc it was more like 60,000.00 to 70,000.00, which was around twelve years ago. I would say now the same car would be easily 80,000.00 to 90,000.00 as a race ready car. (Now this also comes with an extensive setup book, which gives guidance on what changes to make for different track conditions, as well as someone to call during the week to get additional information if need be.) Of course, I do have great deal of experience putting cars together from ground up build chassis from jig to ready to race. As well as taking a brand new chassis and making it a roller, and even attempted to build cars with my late dad in his garage. Needless to say, I definitely get the time and effort that goes into putting car together.

Great informational video! I enjoyed the content. I'm not sure if you have done a video on the subject, but what would be the steps to race in Nascar if you're an adult? I'm 28 years old and I would like to get into Nascar and work my way up. Any additional tips or generral knowledge would be greatly appreciated. Good luck this season!

Good luck in 2023! This will be my last year racing late model in 🇨🇦 because costs are skyrocketing.

I’d like to see a video on what Francis cost to build. I’m also curious to know what the price range for motor and transmission options would be.

Keep in mind, Having the car is about 1/3 of it. Now racing it! That's where you just stop adding cuz you will be one and done ✔️ 💯 👌

Great job sir. Love your work. Racing is never "cheap" but you have done a very good job of making it happen. I admit i have always been a "best of everything" kind of guy however that means the money is blown after paying for it so i do have to do all my own work. Good luck from Australia mate

I'm getting back into racing this year after about 8 years off, I come from a dirt sprint car and midget background. Haven't been on pavement since I raced quarter midgets. I bought a race ready 2019 Port City "west coast" Pro Late with a 602 for $30k and a 28ft Enclosed trailer for $12k... I'm not sure what our running cost will be until we get to racing and start getting spares and tires. Luckily we run the Hoosier 970 so not as expensive as the big slicks

I'm totally game for a follow up video for sure! Because RACECARRRRRRRR!!!!!

Those calipers look just like the ones from the 4 wheel disc conversion I did on my '68 C10! They're 1978 Cadillac DeVille calipers.

Seen a competitor selling theirs for 100,000$. Love seeing you whip those folks.

I put that exact same 10:1 on my charger car. My old box was literally a quick ratio stock box from a Camaro or firebird and it was wore slap out. I like it but went too heavy on the valving for my liking. I’d like to try 8:1 but was worried it would be too twitchy.

Thanks for making this video. My son and I are looking to follow in your foot steps and refresh a late model for him to race. Other than safety gear, any particular parts that you recommend going new with?

How much is out of pocket expenses vs sponsorship money? Would love to see a video on sponsor placements, how much you charge and how those deals come together. Especially for a weekly racer at a local short track

You’re doing it right man. I bought a brand new car last year and it’s not worth it. Cost way to much and you can get burned easily. I learned my lesson. I love watching you guys build them yourselves. You can take alot more pride in it that way. Good luck this year!

And Landon I forgot to tell you that we used coil springs all the way around and i made my very own long torque bar, that they later copied from my setup and i made this in the early 70's.

Thank you for sharing. I would like to hear what the costs are of the roller LMSC. Also how does that compare to when you were driving ProLate Models

Lol easy answer, too much! Appreciate the content and in-depth breakdown.