Every RaceTripPlanner estimate is for two people and is labeled ESTIMATE. Each line shows its source and the date we checked it. Here's how we fill the two lines that don't depend on ticket or hotel prices. The full method is on How we estimate.
Food and drink: GSA per diem meals rate
We use the US General Services Administration's M&IE (meals and incidental expenses) rate for the area around each track:
food = 2 people × days × M&IE rate
Low uses 75% of the rate and High uses 125%. That band is our own convention, not GSA's.
FY2027 rates (Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027), checked Nov 1, 2026 on GSA per diem rates:
| Track area | M&IE per person per day | |---|---| | Daytona Beach (Volusia County), FL | $80 | | Tampa / St. Petersburg (Pinellas / Hillsborough), FL | $80 | | Sebring (Highlands County), FL | $74 | | Miami (Miami-Dade County), FL (Miami race, Homestead) | $92 | | Austin (Travis County), TX | $80 | | Indianapolis / Carmel (Marion / Hamilton), IN | $80 | | Las Vegas (Clark County), NV | $86 | | Standard rate (Talladega, AL; Concord, NC; Bristol, TN) | $68 |
Events after Sep 30, 2027 also use the FY2027 rate for now, because FY2028 rates aren't published yet.
Driving: IRS standard mileage rate
On comparison pages, we estimate driving as round-trip road miles × the IRS business standard mileage rate. That rate is 76 cents per mile for Jul 1 – Dec 31, 2026 (IRS standard mileage rates). The 2027 rate hasn't been published yet.
To estimate road miles, we multiply the straight-line distance by 1.2. Your actual route will differ. The IRS rate covers the full cost of running a car, not just gas. It doesn't include tolls or parking (CRS).
Tickets, lodging and parking
We record these by hand from public pages, with the date and source for each. Until we've captured them, those lines show TBA and the estimate is marked PARTIAL ESTIMATE.