[ddeflyer]

Originally Posted by PMok

I don't think I am ready to jump into wheel-to-wheel racing anytime soon, but out of curiosity how much would an arrive and drive for Lemons typically cost?

There is alot of variability depending upon factors like team size, competitiveness, car quality, etc. I think a common price is $500-$700 for the race but that usually doesn't cover your personal entry fee (another $200) though it is hard to say. At the same time I know that some of the very competitive teams charge much more, as high as $1250 + damage deposit on the car. In the end fielding a faster, more competitive car is going to cost more (more prep labor on the car, more valuable car ($500 is sort of a joke really), more parts replaced, etc.) and have a higher risk to the car (the more you race people the more likely you are to have an incident) so the fee is greater.

At the same time, there are other hidden/often forgotten costs that you need to be aware of. Chief among them is your personal safety gear. This can be rented or bought, I don't know what the rental is but a firesuit, gloves, shoes, hans anchors, etc. are not cheap. You'd also want a cool shirt if it isn't a summer race and most teams will want you to have a radio harness wired into your helmet. Lemons does offer some specials to get the gear and you can get most of what you need for $500 (missing helmat wiring, coolshirt, hans anchors but those aren't strictly required).
Personally I bought better gear and have spend many thousands of dollars on everything, but there is a wide range of what you can get.