As NASCAR heads into race weekend at Rockingham Speedway, one challenge isn’t happening on the track — it’s happening on the road getting there.
Rising fuel costs are already putting pressure on teams across the garage, and for organizations like Kaulig Racing, the impact is being felt in real time.
Speaking this week, Kaulig Racing president Chris Rice pulled back the curtain on how quickly the situation has escalated — and how teams are being forced to adjust on the fly.
‘We’ve spent a lot of money on fuel’
Fuel has always been part of the equation in NASCAR. But recently, it’s become a much bigger factor.
“Oh, it’s been big,” Rice said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s The Morning Drive. “I’ll tell you an inside story of us … back in January … we spent a lot of money in fuel running parts here and there, doing this and that.”
That early-season spending has only intensified as fuel prices climbed above $5 per gallon nationally, creating a ripple effect across team operations.
For teams that rely on constant movement — hauling cars, equipment and personnel from track to track — even small increases can quickly add up.
Behind the scenes: where costs are adding up
Unlike what fans see on race day, much of NASCAR’s cost structure lives behind the scenes.
Haulers travel thousands of miles over the course of a season. Parts are shipped between shops and tracks. Crew members move constantly.
And right now, every mile is getting more expensive.
Rice offered a glimpse into just how closely teams are monitoring those costs.
“Now we actually have a group text, it’s called the ‘traveling group text’ for Kaulig Racing where we plan our trips accordingly. If we can wait a day and pick up more stuff in a day, we’ll do that. I was talking to our truck (hauler) drivers and saying, ‘Hey, watch fuel prices to make sure that, since we’re only going to Rockingham, do we need to fill it all the way up?’”
It’s a level of day-to-day decision-making that underscores how tight margins can be — particularly for teams operating outside the sport’s biggest budgets.
Why Truck Series teams may feel it most
Kaulig Racing competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where budgets are already stretched thinner than in the Cup Series.
That makes any increase in operating costs more noticeable.
“So this is all costing us a bit more than anticipated,” Rice said. “We’ve never run a Truck Series budget. Ty Norris (Chief Operating Officer) tells me all the time that he’s never seen someone like me keeping track every spoon and fork we buy.”
It’s a telling line — not just about Kaulig, but about the broader reality facing teams trying to stay competitive while managing rising expenses.
A growing concern beyond one team
While Rice spoke specifically about Kaulig Racing, the issue isn’t isolated.
Fuel costs impact every team in the garage in some form, especially those without the financial cushion of the sport’s top-tier organizations.
“Will the fuel prices come down? We keep our eyes on that,” Rice said. “We look for ways that we can find locations that sell it a little bit cheaper. Every dollar matters with us and in the Truck Series.”
That reality could shape how teams approach travel, logistics and even race-week preparation as the season continues.
Timing adds pressure ahead of Rockingham
The timing of the issue only adds to the challenge.
Rockingham marks another key stop on the schedule, and for teams already navigating tight preparation windows, added financial strain complicates the process.
Kaulig, like many teams, is still pushing forward — but doing so with a sharper eye on every dollar spent.
“But yes, the fuel prices have really put a huge hit into our budget,” Rice said. “It is what it is. We have to budget for everything and we’ve already torn up more fenders this year than we expected to too. But the fuel prices are rough right now.”
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