As gas prices rise across the United States and around the world in the wake of the Iran war, NASCAR is feeling the effects.
In order to get from race to race, teams use 18-wheelers to drive to each event. Hauler drivers are the unsung heroes of the sport, putting on hundreds, if not thousands of miles to ensure their teams’ cars are getting to the racetrack.
But as diesel prices increase — they reached $5.50 a gallon on average in the U.S. on Thursday, per AAA, while regular gasoline is at $4.08 a gallon — teams are feeling a strain on their wallets.
Kaulig Racing CEO Chris Rice detailed how rising fuel prices and other economic factors impact his organization in a Thursday interview with SirusXM NASCAR Radio and noted that upcoming race weekend in Rockingham, N.C. — close to NASCAR’s hub in Charlotte — is good from a financial perspective.
Fuel prices affecting NASCAR teams
According to AAA, diesel prices have increased by $1.73 from where they were a year ago at $3.77 a gallon.