Gas hits $5.40 in one Calif. town

[HRTV]

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[bill boyes]

Go to Google and inter Gorda Calif. Gives some very interesting info.

[Skoontz]

I got that one beat. There is this little town of about 7600 people in Socal, about a mile from our shop, called Rancho Santa Fe. In the early 20's, the new found film actors bought there and made hideaways from Hollywood. As the in thing to do became the out thing gone by, wealthy people built their dream homes there, and still do to this day. Average annual income is $490,000. Average home cost, 4.2 mm. Just outside the downtown where I was at this morning, sits this little full service full station complete with drive through boob job and face lift rack next to the auto detail bay...The sign for the fuel pumps this morning read Regular $6.95, Midgrade, $7.95, Hi octane, $8.95. They stopped selling diesel. There were 6 cars in the drive all lined up to fuel. One was the Bugatti Veyron, another a Ferrari 360 Modena Spider, a Ferrari Enzo, a Bentley convertable, don't know the model, but it was the 600HP supercharged version, a Maybach (Mercedes answer to Rolls-Royce) a 1962 Ferrari Dino 250 (5 left in the country) and a newer Jag.

I only wish my daughter did not have my camera for her school project!

[Dave M]

Dam

I thought the Diesel around here was stupid high at over $4.00 a gallon. Regular is still around $3.30. If all the gass around hits the $4.00 - $5.00 mark you can bet the boat races will be affected... who wants to spend that much ! Don't know about other regions, but MI is in pretty bad shape as far as the economy goes. Slowly improving, but a long ways to go.

Maybe some one can help me here, why is Diesel so high ? I thought it was a byproduct of refining gasoline ?

My fuel costs from SW MI to Jessup GA. $678.00. That my friends is a hard pill to swallow. Don't know about others, but that is a tough sell to do much travel for racing. I know a few racers won't feel the crunch, but I think the majority will. Tow Money is gonna be a huge factor in determing where to go this year. And no, $50.00 is not gonna sway anyone from going or not going, hell that is not even a half tank in todays trucks.

[RichardKCMo]

So True!!!

the reason the diesel is more is because the "crack spread" at the refiners and wholesale level is way off (gas should cost more than it is now) but the lovely government wants to try to keep the "sheeple" at bay and calm so they pressure the big oil to transfer the profits from one product to the other, in this case it is diesel and therefore we just pay more for for everything else at the store. got to love it!

this is part of the problem but there is more to it

Todd , you're right about that , gas is just about the top of the process.
The sheeple aren't going to have much unrest as long as they can afford drugs and booze.
Maybe when gas get $5.00+ we may hear some noise.

I like all the explainations of the french , i can't think of any thing they haven't made worse with their involvement, and my name is french. oh well.
RichardKCMo

[Skoontz]

And not only that, if profits from fuel are removed, you will here some other form of knitwittery from the public employee unions....What most people don't know, is anywhere from 27-43% or public employee mutual funds have been placed in oil company stocks and futures contracts....Ironic that those who would scream the loudest about those evil big oil companies and the way they cheat the public, would invest in them....

How bout the $1.00 I don't pay in our off road diesel fuels? A buck of every gallon of diesel is one form of tax or the next....But hey, the government is gunna give us back some our own money to let us know they got our backs!

Dave, I've had this very conversation about tow money...We got a 500 mile run to Oroville, and about that to Minden. We might just be staying in region 12 this season.

[Racerkyle20]

was it just me or was that guy an ***hole about the whole thing. You would think if you're asking so much in gas you would at least have some customer service.

Seattle, Washington is about 3.50 a gallon and 4.19 for diesel. I know i'm going to NY for nationals and have done the math for gas...it's not pretty.

[BP125V]

tow $$

Tow Money is gonna be a huge factor in determing where to go this year. And no, $50.00 is not gonna sway anyone from going or not going, hell that is not even a half tank in todays trucks.

Dave,

how much tow money should be offered to sway someone? is'nt $50 better than nothing? I'm not being sarcastic as I would like some input on this.

Bill

[17W]

Tow $$$

Dave,

how much tow money should be offered to sway someone? is'nt $50 better than nothing? I'm not being sarcastic as I would like some input on this.

Bill

Only if you come from greater than 250 miles.....it costs nothing to stay home.

[Dave M]

Tow Money

Bill,

Great question. Given options I doubt $50 would make me think a lot more than I already have on going to a race. Sure it helps, but I see a lot of full size picups towing rigs. From my experience $50 will not even fill it up to half full if they have the normal 30 - 33 gallon tank. And given most tow vehicles pulling a trailer with a few boats on it will only average 10 - 12 MPG it is tough. I attend a few races already where they offer tow money and it is usually around $50 - $100. We also get prize money, and all that prize money goes to fuel costs. Usually combined it is about one tank of fuel give or take.

In my opinion, the fuel needs to really be offset considerably before I would actually consider attending a farther than normal race. If there was ay $300 for a certain distance, lets say 300 - 500 miles then I would certainly be able to entertain toughts of that race. It could be a deal maker or breaker.

Now then, if the cost of graphite would come down to cheap we could all make lightweight boats to help our MPG's

By the way, Diesel here is right around the $4.05 - $4.10 mark. Sucks the big one. I got a diesel at the end of last year because it was cheaper and got better mileage. Figures... just how my luck goes lately.

[racer121M]

Dave...I hear you on the diesel vs gas thing. My 1 ton pu with a 454 in it got 8-9 mpg. When it died I got a diesel 3/4 ton and now get around 19-20 mpg. Every time I fill up the diesel I cringe at the price but when I remember what the 454 got for mpg it sorta puts things into perspective. I know that I'll have to rethink those far away races this summer...just when I was going to try to get to a few more distant ones. Tow money...say $80 to $100 would get my attention on races that are more than 200 miles from home.

[racerchic3z]

Seattle, Washington is about 3.50 a gallon and 4.19 for diesel. I know i'm going to NY for nationals and have done the math for gas...it's not pretty.

Hey! That's not the attitude I'm looking for, Kyle!

[blueskyracer]

I just went to the bank to get money for my trip to Salt Lake to pick up my new CSH. The teller asked me what denominations I wanted. I told her hundreds since it was all going for fuel. She cracked up

3/4 ton diesel PU will keep our racing within a 3oo mile limit. I guess this is a bad year to start racing but I guess we will just have to live with it or become hermits.

[Skoontz]

Dave;

I knew you were looking to go diesel last year, good to see you did. Now, find yourself a good old Greek greasy spoon and cut a deal to save the guy money on his grease removal.

Cook your own fuel, it takes about a month for 100 gallons. Fuel costs, after additives necessary and about 4 hours of your time, will be dancing at .65 a gallon. Every dog in the hood will chase you coming home, cause your exhaust will smell like gyros.

I could do more, but, we have no more room in this overpriced sand box.

[Dave M]

Cooking Diesel

Skootnz,

I tried that, but all the dang greasy spoons around here, McDonalds included have figured out we want the used fry oil.... and there is a waiting list a mile long to PURCHASE it. I bet they love it.... we used to throw this crap away and make a huge mess pouring it into containers.... now we have guys lining up to take it and pay us for it !