[Ron Middleton]

Kelly,
I think you can ask Mike Beard and Larry Stewart Sr. about running on a budget without all the expensive stuff. Stewart racing won the 2004 NHRA Superstock world championship with a car with many, many years of developement, an older C class motorhome and a small (28' I think) enclosed trailer they bought the year before to replace their old open trailer. Mike Beard still uses an open trailer and pretty tight budget and runs a bunch of races each season. I'm sure there are others.
I'm on a budget too and although I probably won't run a points meet or national event race until next year, I will have less in my whole operation than many do in just their hauler. My car is current .2 tenths below the current H/SA NHRA index for the 1/8 mile (haven't run it in the 1/4 yet).

Here's a basic run down of exenses:
$6500 Base car(used H/I/SA 1980 Camaro with spares) run very limted from 2008- 2010 and ran best of 2 tenths under IHRA index at the time.
$750 Used MSD Digital 7 plus 7530T ignition system
$1600 Built TH350 with 2.75 low gear, etc.
$200 New Hoosier 30x9 Radials(close out deal at local shop)
$230 MSD 85551 Pro Billet Dist.
$1000 Used open trailer(swap and cash)
$7500 Used 1996 Damon Intruder 35" Class A Motorhome in real nice shape.
$250 New trailer axle
$600 New trailer tires

That's $18630. Not too bad I think. Also includes spare TH350 trans, spare 305 basic motor that needs freshening up, etc. I have bracket raced and test and tuned trying to back into drag racing but due to new business I haven't had much time this year to work on it. There are lots of improvements I think I can do reasonably and hope to this fall and winter and at least have a competitive car for I/SA next year. JMT.