OKTAHA – As gas prices soar, the thought of paying $4 or even $5 a gallon would make any fan or person associated with auto racing cringe.

Like tracks across the country, from dirt track operations such as Outlaw Motor Speedway to the big NASCAR ovals – fuel costs have become a major concern and no one who follows or is associated with the sport is immune.

At OMS, fans, drivers, car owners and the track owner are all feeling the pinch.

“The price of a gallon of gas is a major concern to us,” said new Outlaw Motor Speedway owner/promoter/driver Danny Womack. “All facets of our sport are taking hits because of high fuel costs.

“Even the location of our track is a concern. We’re not in a metropolitan area; it takes some driving time and expense for both our fans and participants to get here.”

OMS is on U.S. 69 eight miles south of Muskogee and an equal distance north of Checotah and Interstate 40.

Unlike NASCAR, where Sunoco provides racing fuel free to participants, drivers at OMS must pay from $6 to $8 for a gallon for the special mix of high-octane gasoline. According to a recent story released by the Associated Press, under Sunoco's deal with NASCAR, teams are provided free fuel at any sanctioned test, practice, or race for all three top divisions.

Over the season, Sunoco has allocated around 175,000 gallons just to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Locally, drivers do not have that luxury.

“It takes between $30 and $40 a race for the gas for my car,” said Jake Kelley, a defending Economy Modified track champion from Glenpool. “That’s a pretty good hit when you consider the $30 to sign into the pits and the fuel costs we have with our hauler to get here.

“You had better win some races or have some deep pockets to offset your expenses. Fuel is making racing tough economically, and times could get a lot tougher.”

Like Kelley, many of the Modified and E-Mod drivers have tractor-trailer rigs to haul their racers to area tracks. Diesel powered, Kelley says he’s paying close to $4.50 a gallon for fuel. Haulers get from five to eight miles per gallon.

Pure Stock driver James Gillean of Boynton does not have a hauler, but said his fuel bill is around “$800 a month.” The winner of last week’s $1,000-to-win Pure Stock Challenge said before the race that if he could win, it would be nice addition to his racing account — to help cover expenses.

“If I can collect that grand, I can race for awhile longer,” he said, but added, “there might be a point where I will have to park my car if expenses keep going up.”

Fausten Wilhite of Tahlequah, a driver in the Modified division, said fuel expenses are putting a crimp in how often he races.

“We’re going to do whatever we have to do to race here and maybe somewhere on Saturday nights, but things are really tight,” Wilhite said. “I’d like to race every night of the week if there was somewhere to run, but fuel costs would probably prevent that.”

Wilhite, who builds racing engines for Shinook Auto Machine Shop in Tahlequah, said his weekly fuel bill to run at OMS is around $70, which includes his hauler expense.

OMS racing fan Aaron Carter of Morris said last Friday he’d hold out as “long as I can” in regards to the high costs of fuel and coming to OMS.

“I’ve come here just about every week for the past three years to watch Danny (Womack) race,” Carter said. “I love racing and I’ll cut corners somewhere else to keep coming here. I used to go to Creek County (on Saturday nights) but I haven’t been in a month because of gas prices.”