[Chris Barnes]

I got ripped off bad several years ago selling a nice stocker to a "friend". I'm not going to name names but if you know me you probably know the person. I should have paid my lawyer to write up a bullet proof contract (as he frequently reminds me) and it would have been ugly but quickly resolved. It turned out to be a long and costly cluster f*ck that still hasn't been resolved, though it will be eventually, thanks to the lawyer.

The good news is that I'm okay and I can still trust people and go racing. My family didn't suffer. Looking back on it, I can see how I should have done things differently but would I have? I don't know, I'd been friends with the guy for twenty years. I just left myself exposed to someone who took advantage of me.

My advice is keep your eyes wide open and listen to that "little voice" that we all have. When in doubt, consult a lawyer. Cross your T's and dot your I's. I used to wonder why some people took having a title for a race car so seriously--not anymore!