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Great, after all these years I finally managed to save my nickels and dimes and buy a living quarters trailer and now I have been labeled as part of the 'problem'. I didn't realize that my instinct to win had deteriorates because of it, thanks for letting me in on it, I'll try to work on my attitude...

Jim Caughlin
SS 6019

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I seriously do not understand the animosity toward people with a nice motorhome and trailer, or a nice truck and living quarters trailer? What damned difference does it make?

Oh, by the way, I have a 12 year old gasoline engine crew cab Chevy dooley, and I'm looking at trailers now. I may or may not be able to afford living quarters. I might have to sleep on a cheap mattress up in the gooseneck and hope the track has showers. Not sure if I'll be allowed to like or hang out with my friends who have nicer rigs.

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Who says I am a Hater? I am just stating the facts. and yes, I am sitting on the sidelines at the moment. The return on investment is just not there to take the time away from my business at this time

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I'd hate to think anyone, except maybe those as good at it as Dan Fletcher and was doing it for a living, was racing on anything other than disposable income, it would not be very wise.

The vast majority of sportsman racers have always been doing it on disposable income. Those who are not, and are not doing it on someone else's money (sponsored), most likely will not be doing it for long.


And once again, I do not really understand what the cost of anyone's rig has to do with any of this. It certainly does not have any effect on how many cars you can get to race, or how many fans you can put in the stands, if you really want to promote a race and make money. And continue to do so. I can assure you that guys like Michael Beard do not care in the least what people haul their race cars to his races in, so long as they show up and put on a great racing show.

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That Division Director needs to look at his business model. Customers with disposable income are good for business. I seriously doubt any of his customers paid for their rigs with purse or contingencies from his races.


It's a really big problem when small time guys like Michael Beard (not a knock at Michael at all, and he knows it) can promote a race, pay good money, and make money, but NHRA can't seem to make it happen at their races. Someone is doing something really wrong, and it sure ain't Michael.

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If it is the same conversation I am thinking of, I was sitting right there. The same Division Director also asked the group of racers whether most racers were there to race or for a social event with some racing thrown in. The answer was that for most, it was a social event with some racing thrown in.

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Yeah, we have a good time at the races. For us, we get up in the morning, and we flip the "race mode" switch on, and it stays on until we're done for the day. Then the "fun mode" switch gets flipped on, and we get out and enjoy some time away from the rest of the world with our friends. For racers, at least most of us who have a "day job" and/or a business, going races is a much needed vacation, and a chance to compete, something that we're fortunate to enjoy.

When the Nitroplate racer appreciation deal went on at Bristol, we had a lot of the professionals down there having fun, too. Does that make them any less professional? Or any less a racer?

Again, I fail to see how the cost of some racer's rigs, and the fact that we are enjoying ourselves, has anything to do with how poor a business model NHRA follows.

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That pic in my avatar was taken at union grove Wisconsin 35 years ago,...at that time the closest other track, Byron was paying 1000 to win per week and held the first 10,000 to win cash nationals. George Rupert won that first race. That car to the left was built with an investment of around 10,000 dollars, today those same parts cost nearly 100,000...granted some parts today are better and hence the pricetag


The bottom line is....the payouts or "purse" of today is pitfull, compared to what the return on investment was years ago.


The mindset of "just give everybody a trophy" just does not cut it in the real world...to prove that point, there is less people in the "game" today than there was 35 years ago.


I was watching ESPN several hrs ago and scrolling across the bottom of the screen was all the new "contracts" that basketball stars were signing 15,40 25 30, 12 MILLION dollars for 1,2 and 3 year contracts.


folks....its all about the money period! don't let anybody BS you into otherwise. on that note, I will say that I could care less what anybody else spends on there stuff...but I do care what I can get out my investment as do others ... we can probably fill the next 10 pages with guys that gave parked there stuff because of it


carry on

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Bill, so you're saying that you found a way to get the toothpaste back into the tube? Can you please share with us how you did it?

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You have to be able to catch the cat first...