For most NASCAR teams, the roar of the engine is powered by one thing: Money. And not just prize money. But, real, steady funding. In 2023, top organizations like Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing raked in anywhere from $70 million to $141 million just from sponsorship revenues. But what about the smaller teams? The ones without billion-dollar backers or full-season sponsors? In simple words: Every invoice hurts. While it may look like they’re racing under the same rules, they’re playing an entirely different game—a brutal reality that one team owner recently gave a rare, raw glimpse of (one overpriced part at a time!).

In a sport dominated by powerhouse operations with deep pockets and sponsorship war chests, small NASCAR teams often find themselves playing defense every week. The sad reality is they’re not just racing for wins, but to literally keep the lights on. While the top Cup teams can afford to charter flights, upgrade every component, and chase marginal gains, smaller outfits fight to field a full car. Their haulers are older, their parts scarcer, and their crews? Often pulling double duty between wrenching and logistics. Reaume Brothers Racing is one such team.

Owned by journeyman driver Josh Reaume, the team operates mostly in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and occasionally ventures into Xfinity, with owner Josh Reaume even doubling down as a racecar driver. With limited resources and a reputation for hard work and hustle, RBR survives in a world that’s difficult for the underdog. But even their resilience has a breaking point, especially when costs keep soaring.

That frustration hit a boiling point on June 12 when Reaume posted on X about a purchase that left the community stunned. “Prices for parts are outta control. These fuel overflow hoses were $800 for the pair. 🤮” Reaume wrote, adding, “At least they’re ribbed. 🤷‍♂️” The tweet was laced with sarcasm, but it spoke volumes. At a time when even mid-tier teams are tightening belts, smaller squads are choking under the pressure of basic expenses.

And Reaume’s not alone in this. Across the NASCAR garage, teams are feeling the squeeze. But it is posts like these that peel back the curtain and remind fans what racing really costs when you’re not backed by a billion-dollar brand. And the fans? Even they had a word or two to say about rising costs choking the sport’s grassroots spirit.

Fans sound off as costs fuel NASCAR’s growing divide

The moment Josh Reaume hit ‘post’ on that tweet about $800 fuel hoses, NASCAR’s online community didn’t just shrug. It sparked a storm. For many, it felt like another brick in the wall separating the sport’s rich and resourceful from those barely making it to the track. One fan put it plainly: “No wonder it’s unsustainable for people with no or less financial backing and why the rich are slowly taking over.” Even Dale Earnhardt Jr. has echoed that sentiment in recent years, revealing that the ballooning costs, including those for charters, were one reason he never expanded JR Motorsports into a full-time Cup effort.

Another fan chimed in with shock over the price jump, asking, “Wasn’t that like a $45 part a few years ago?!?!?!” The answer came quick. “Single source supplier, baby! That supplier, of course, being NASCAR.” And they’re not wrong. In the Gen-7 era, NASCAR moved to a single-source parts system. Everything from chassis to wheels comes from NASCAR-approved vendors. While the goal was parity and safety, it has created what many call a monopoly. No shopping around. No discounts. Just NASCAR prices.

This model might be fairer on paper, but it’s killing flexibility for teams trying to get by. As one user put it. “NASCAR makes it so hard to grow the sport.” The frustration isn’t just with part prices. There’s growing tension around the sport’s structure, especially as teams like 23XI Racing continue to fight NASCAR in court over monopoly issues and its lack of long-term value.

One fan commented, “Please tell me this is satire.” While Reaume didn’t respond, another fan did with his own satirical take. “Tape – $2. Tape for filmmaking – $10. That same tape for filmmaking but sold for racing – $20.” It’s a joke, sure. But also… not really. If NASCAR doesn’t address these cost barriers soon, who exactly will be left to race?