Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

Ok so with all the other hub-bub on increases, speeds, etc. figured I'd ask...please answer honestly, and lets see how the fun starts ?

Since we can all agree (I think) that the vast majority of us arent racing Div and Nats for the prize money ( at a D 1 race I think you have to win 4th round to just cover the racer entry), why do you race them ?

Is it the Pro-Tree ?

Is it the actual racing ?

Is it the partying ?

Is it the Wally (especially for those who dont have one or more yet) ?

Or for those who dont race them or want to/going to stop..

Is it really the entry fees ?

Is it too much time sitting around and not racing ?

Is it just that its getting old, all the BS, long waits, crazy scheduling, etc ??

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

And since I started it I'll answer first..

I have Wally's sitting on my trophy case, and at first it was certainly about the Wally..and of course the partys

Now its just too long waiting around doing nothing, and the total cost vs reward..

I want to spend time racing, and since I'm like everyone else I have a finite amount of funds and vacation time to use on racing, I would nowdays rather spend it racing day races, weekend races, but racing....going down the track more than once in two days, and on a regimented schedule...I still like the partys...

And if it means that I can spend 350 to race three days in a row with three races, rather than spend 305 and race very little for 6 days, I'm ok with that...

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

I am getting old and how many more years will I have good health and be able to race? How long will it be, before the environmental people shut NHRA down for EPA violations. I race for the work and exercise and building my motors and putting the car together. and getting in the thing and having a blast going down the track. The one thing that ticks me off at the track is when I get there on a Thursday, and the racing don't start till friday and one guy in one motor home has the whole area roped off for all of his friends and friends of friends and other people whom he really dont have nothing to do with and I cant park my rig there. This just happens at one or two tracks every year. And the people most of them are ---------. Or they dont have it roped off and they tell me I got to move. But I am a D.A. and I move and I keep going because one of these days I may not be able to go racing due to health or something else, and until that day get here I will deal with the --------- at the track and do the best I can to defeat the people who have all the advantages of location and equipment. I love to race. Hope to see you there and I hope your are not a -------!;) And I don't party at the track. I go back to the motel and cool off and get away and prepare for the next day. When I get beat I leave as soon as I can to get back home.:o

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

We race because we like to do it and we have fun as a family. Racing 3 cars isn't always easy, but we all have fun.

The reason we race "NHRA Div & Nat's" is because that's all we have around here (although the closest race is 4.5 hours from home).

We used to have a track (Scribner, NE) that was about 60 miles from us. That's where I (dad started racing a long time ago) began racing the Super classes and really enjoyed the divisional race that they had there once a year. So, from that, we decided to race all the divisionals in D5. Then Scribner closed and all we have now is a little 1/8 mile track about 2 hours away and a 1/4 mile track (IHRA) about 90 miles away (and they don't have a pro tree class). But that's it. So, our options are to race the divisional events and a couple nationals like we've been doing for the last 10 years.

Thanks,
Brad Rose
Rose Racing

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

i like hanging out with you Dave. I also go to get away from my wife.lol

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

my.02

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

Well, some will think this is odd but I do go to the Div races to race and spend time with friends that I only see at the track. Being older, I like the time between runs instead of the rat race of time runs then 15 min later going to 1st round. Must be an old people thing. Did the National thing one time and that was enough...
And I do enjoy all the party's at the track after racing is done for the day....

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

I agree Bob... I miss seeing all of you guys and gals.....
Playing after the day is done is great, The racing is the most fun.
I watch all the classes when i am at the track.
I doubt i will be building another car anytime soon..... NHRA has wrecked racing as far as i am concerned. It sucks that greed got in the way of racing.
If i do not like the game or movie..... i leave.
When the game changes i will come back. If it changes? :confused:

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

Not necessarily in order:

1) I like pro-tree racing with side-by-side starts and finishes decided by thousandths.
2) Don't know any other places to run SG in the midwest.
3) I like the quality of people I meet at divisional and national events.

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

When I ran my first pro tree I was hooked, then it was the Wally ,Money and the parties met some really nice people doing this and wouldn't change it for anything but now I would have to say I only do two or three div races and some MASGA and NESSA races. Just can't see spending all the money on gas, tolls and fees. The people and the parties are the same at the other races and it keeps a little money in my wallet.

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

yes. add:

hanging with my out of state friends i otherwise wouldnt see very often

playing new golf courses

getting out of town as often as possible....even better when the wife and dogs tag along.

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

While I only achieve my goal at less than 10% of the Nationals and Divisionals I enter, usually race all them for the same reason....to win them. Oh yeah, hanging with bb and all my friends takes the sting off of the other ones.

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

When I raced Divisional races it was for the competition, some of the best drivers in the division show at these events. Not just the same guys every weekend. When you race Nationals you are looking at racing some of the touring pro's whom you would never be given the chance to race against locally. other than that its the people racing for 25+ years have made alot of friends and love to go and see everyone.

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

Like Bob and Doughboy said, its the people. We love racing and have been doing it for over 30years. But the nice thing about the divisionals is that you have time to talk to friends, get to actually watch some racing yourself and enjoy the weekend. You don't have to live by your car waiting to run back to the lanes all day. Its not for everyone, that's why there are other types of events. I love the wallies, but would like to add to our collection.....the competition and points chases are great and the Jeg's Allstars is awesome. We look at it as a great camping trip that we get to play with our cars....If you try to make it a financial win, you are probably going to be diasappointed. Maybe like Bob said, its that we are getting older. My son gets bored to tears at the divisionals, and usually pulls out Saturday night and hits a local bracket race and then comes back in the morning to race the divisional. To each his own.....And...if you haven't had any apple pie, well, no wonder you don't like the divisionals.......

See everyone in April!!!!

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

Don't like to fish

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

I sit and ponder the same questions, as I shell out the ever increasing entry fees for the Divisional races.
It is always a lot of fun. Heads-up pro tree is good, but I could learn to live without the throttle stop.
Great times with lots of racing friends..any track..any race series, though.

I think that some of the door cars may migrate to the Unleashed series in 2011, after they experience one. It is very realistic to have an effective dual-purpose race car, running S/ST or S/G and the Unleashed indexes. Just make the box and timer removable and the stop either removable or take the solenoids off.
In the Unleashed series, you will find reasonable entry fees, respectable payouts, and a race that starts on Friday and ends Saturday night.
All 3 (Unleashed, Division and National) series are a blast. Now the door cars have a choice of one other type of event.
Add on a few bracket races, and the local tracks' S/ST and S/G association races....and the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion nostalgia races and there is a wide variety of places to burn lots of methanol (or gas...if that is your flavor...).
One example of a fun trip: Travel trom Atlanta to Indy...race the Unleashed event....Get up Sunday morning, put the delay box back in...run a bracket race at Bean Blossom (Brown County Dragway) on the way back to ATL. Gimme some more of that type of weekend!

Race on!
Keith

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

X2 !, Tom

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

That's a good question, one I have been pondering lately. I am retired and love the racing but it is getting to the point where I am wondering if it is worth the things I have to give up in order to stay out there. I have spent more than ever lately and we are running well but how long can I justify the expense?

My street rod has needed paint for years and I stalled on my motorcycle projects due to the car needing the available funds.

We may stay closer to home but I have a couple small sponsors and they like my trips to Joliet and Indy.

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

The best drug in da world is called ADRENALINE. Nuff said...:cool:

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

cuz of my my sub average i.q. . oh and cuz lynnie and shannon are fun to hang with. details to be revealed if lynn continues to refuse to pay the blackmail money....

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

Well if I didn't blow my knee out in college playing hockey I probably would have never started racing even though i've been around it since I was 3 months old.

I do it because I don't like to Fish or Hunt and enjoy the friends that you meet at the track. The party's well that's OK but, the days of that are getting thinner and thinner as I find myself in bed by 10 or 11pm at the track...haha.. Dad runs all the Divisional races and I run MASGA and any local National Opens. Hanging out with my Dad is probably the #1 reason that I do take time off of work and go to any type of National and Divisional races. This past year we had a blast at the Divisional races because we happen to go a few rounds at Maple Grove and became a Top 10 player in the process. Now we missed out on the Top 10 by 1 point but, it was great to have that close companionship and being able to pump each other up before a run. Is money the factor as to why we do it....no freaking way! I mean we all have the extra $305.00 in our pocket or $170 to go to these events but, you want the most "Bang for your Buck" and when the "Bang" is not there I'll go elsewhere such as MASGA where I can have a little extra money in my pocket at the end of the day and still get to hang around with the same people as I do at a D-1 race.

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

I have a divisional championship Wally (from back in the days when you had to win a divisional championship or a national just to get one). In those days (when national event entries were a lot cheaper) I raced a lot of nationals. For me I think I had more fun at nationals than divisionals, just because of the big boys and huge crowds being there (and the crowds stayed in the stands for S/G back then). I always wanted to get a national event Wally but never was able to close the deal.

After having the car mothballed for 15+ years, I prefer bracket racing it now. I get my heads-up index fix by running National Open races. At the N.O. races you can race the same car in multiple classes, plus it's two separate races in the same weekend. Around here the S/G entry is $120/day or $200/weekend, and the bracket fees are set by the track (but usually around $40-$50/day). I get to see most of the same friends as the divisional races, but I get in a lot more racing, and my kid gets to see more of her friends (since they run Jr Dragster at these races as well). I had decided that I was going to race a few nationals this year, but will probably only catch one now as my own little protest against the fee increases.

The thing I actually enjoy the most now is a diesel-only racing series (there are two organizations - National Hot Rod Diesel Association and National Association of Diesel Motorsports). There are some heads-up (first to the finish line) classes, brackets, and index classes. It's good simple fun, with sponsor-enhanced payouts that give a decent return on entry fees. I started out doing it with my tow rig in brackets, and now race a friend's truck in the "Pro Stock" class as well.

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

Ditto......racing with friends....and yes I am OLD....lol

Re: Div and Nat's,,,why do you race ?
 

Personally I don't like nationals, too much sitting around doing nothing and being treated like filler.
Divisionals were my favorite races.

I'm there for the competition/challenge, stress release- and for the socializing.

The competition isn't about winning for me, but for personal improvement and the challenge of driving a good/great race. (yes, I'd like to earn a Wally to set next to hubby's 4!)

I'm a workaholic, racing lets me be a playaholic. Getting away from my business for a weekend recharges my batteries.

The friends that I've made racing are some of the greatest people in my life. I look forward to seeing them more than anything else.

Unfortunately you won't be seeing Ed or I at many Nat/Div races this coming year unless we win the lotto.
We will be doing more association and bracket racing in 2011. More bang for our buck.