The auto racing industry is not immune to rising gas prices. Quite the opposite actually, as those with the need for speed consume a tremendous amount of fuel in practice sessions, as well as races. No matter how many sponsors a racer has, money is always kept in mind, and the cost of fuel is not going unnoticed.
Several options are being considered in order to save money. The first is to limit practice sessions. No one wants this to happen, as practice is necessary, but it is an option.This/tag helps explain it more. This would likely be the easiest way to save on fuel costs, as drivers would eventually adjust to practicing less.
Another option would be more fuel efficient car design. Most are not in favor of this option, as the loss of engine power could result. There would need to be a delicate balance achieved. One in which less fuel is used, yet there is no horsepower loss. It is hard to image that this is a plausible solution for the immediate future.
The auto racing industry is just as concerned with gas prices as we are. However, finding solutions to this problem will take much creativity and time. The auto racing industry is always on the forefront of automobile technology, so there will certainly be changes in the future.