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CONCORD, N.C. — As gas prices soar across the country, the thought of paying $6.25 a gallon would make any consumer cringe.

Yet that's the price of gas in NASCAR, where race teams use a special Sunoco 260 GTX unleaded fuel to fill their cars. Although the gas is free — part of Sunoco's agreement as official fuel supplier of NASCAR — it doesn't mean car owners and drivers aren't feeling the pain at the pump.

"It affects all of us, anybody that's in business," said car owner Richard Childress. "Getting our cars to the racetracks costs a ton in gas money for the haulers."

Childress, owner of a highly successful race team, isn't complaining. Nor are the drivers who pull in multimillion-dollar salaries and don't flinch at $85 fill-ups on their luxury SUV's.

But no one in NASCAR is immune to the weakening economy and rising fuel costs. Just because they can afford it doesn't mean they aren't feeling the pinch.

Under NASCAR's deal with Sunoco, teams are provided free fuel at any sanctioned test, practice or race for all three top divisions. And good teams test a lot, traveling all over the South to facilities not sanctioned by NASCAR. Sunoco doesn't cover those all-day sessions, and a race team typically takes a 55-gallon drum of gas to get through the test.

Of course, it's all budgeted long before the season starts. And teams aren't affected by the oft-changing fluctuations in fuel costs under the Sunoco deal.

Even so, there are critics who complain that NASCAR races are dipping into the national supply. But NASCAR officials claim the amount of fuel being used — less than 175,000 gallons per year on the Sprint Cup Series — doesn't come close to the 366 million gallons that Americans average in daily usage.

But the pain is still felt away from the track, where teams have noticed a significant increase in transportation costs.

From sending diesel-chugging haulers across the country to transport the race cars, to the exorbitant jump in jet fuel, costs are soaring in getting drivers, crews and equipment to each event.

"We're really noticing it in credit card costs," said Jay Frye of Red Bull Racing. "We're getting bills back for thousands and thousands of dollars in diesel fuel that's needed to get the haulers to the track each week."

With diesel fuel more than $4 a gallon, and haulers holding roughly 300 gallons, fill-ups now cost more than $1,200 for a truck that gets between 4.5 and 7.5 mpg.

The real pinch, though, comes in jet fuel. Many owners shuttling crew members, and drivers flying private planes on weekends, are considering cutting down on the luxuries.

Many drivers own their own planes and use them for personal and professional travel. But at about $4.30 a gallon, Carl Edwards estimated it costs him $2,000 a trip — not worth it for a spur-of-the-moment vacation.

"I'm a real thrifty person and I have my budget before the year starts," Edwards said. "I planned for it. But I still have trouble doing it. I'd rather just go ride my bike to get a little outside time, or just go down the river. It's way cheaper than jumping over to the Bahamas."