Why Aren't You Racing?

[Michael Beard]

Originally Posted by Mike Carr

The IHRA Doubles, while it's nice that youi can get two races for one trip, makes for an expensive weekend. A Double Race weekend is $350, just in crew/entry fees. If I had done the double at MIR this year, with motels, gas, tolls, etc, it would have been nearly a thousand dollars for one weekend.

I call BS on this one. As your math teacher used to say, "Please show your work." I'm pretty sure it ain't $300 in tolls on that trip.

[Mike Meier]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

I call BS on this one. As your math teacher used to say, "Please show your work." I'm pretty sure it ain't $300 in tolls on that trip.

Buff Daddy said a few lines down: "A trip to Atco or E-town would be about $100 round trip just in tolls, too."

So onto my excuse:

I share his sentiment. I felt I was personally mistreated at a race, NHRA (management) did nothing to rectify the situation, so I told them they are not going to get another dime of my money until they either apologize or at least there is a change in management.

I haven't been down a track in 9 months, never renewed my membership / competition numbers, and I am not missing it one bit.

If it weren't for the fact that I own a stocker and enclosed trailer, I'd at least be out of the class racing business (not racing all together, but at least this level). That's the big downside to all of this, I am making payments on equipment that is sitting there not being used. Hell, I had some guy come up to me at a gas station and offer me $2,000 for my Suburban. I had to say "no" because what am I gonna do, go out and put a downpayment on ANOTHER big truck? No way.

I keep saying that I am going to race IHRA one of these days, but in reality the nearest race is a little over 4 hours away. To get there on-time and not be rushed I am going to have to take time off from work, no doubt about it.

It's really a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

[Wade Mahaffey]

I really feel bad for those unhappy with the sport and/or the folks that run it. Everyone has good ideas of how it should be. Some people take actions for change, and some will comply with whatever. Most of the time, the ones most agravated are the ones fixed on one thing or have all their eggs in one basket. I feel it's better to be flexible, Example: a Stocker that can also fit in S/S, now he can race any National Event he wants. Or in my case, someone who raced a car then retired it to a street rod. You can still enjoy your car, and maybe go back to racing down the road. My Roadster is so much fun on the street, and it cost me fifteen bucks a day for fuel. As I build this 60 Corvette for Super/Stock, it is very mild and very versatile and/or miltifaceted. Put on a muffler and go right on the street! I don't need to depend on NHRA,IHRA, to give me a place to play. But if I want to go there, I can! Remember, if you want to do it.....do it today! Your not promised tomorrow my friend! forge on and never give up!

WHEN YOU STOP TRYING.....YOU START DYING (Wade Mahaffey)

X Man thanks for the kind words. self taught, self made my brother.

MB You are the one closest to breaking even on this board! congrats on that champ!

JD Use your influence to promote more combos with Nitro, give them another place to go and get rid of the index for those shows. So the folks that can't make the index, (little guy) can still dial-in. Get-um in the door, allow them time to learn how to go fast. Bring them along and up to standards as time goes along. You need new blood lines on the farm!

Wade Mahaffey

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Wade Mahaffey

I really feel bad for those unhappy with the sport and/or the folks that run it. Everyone has good ideas of how it should be. Some people take actions for change, and some will comply with whatever. Most of the time, the ones most agravated are the ones fixed on one thing or have all their eggs in one basket. I feel it's better to be flexible, Example: a Stocker that can also fit in S/S, now he can race any National Event he wants. Or in my case, someone who raced a car then retired it to a street rod. You can still enjoy your car, and maybe go back to racing down the road. My Roadster is so much fun on the street, and it cost me fifteen bucks a day for fuel. As I build this 60 Corvette for Super/Stock, it is very mild and very versatile and/or miltifaceted. Put on a muffler and go right on the street! I don't need to depend on NHRA,IHRA, to give me a place to play. But if I want to go there, I can! Remember, if you want to do it.....do it today! Your not promised tomorrow my friend! forge on and never give up!

WHEN YOU STOP TRYING.....YOU START DYING (Wade Mahaffey)

X Man thanks for the kind words. self taught, self made my brother.

MB You are the one closest to breaking even on this board! congrats on that champ!

JD Use your influence to promote more combos with Nitro, give them another place to go and get rid of the index for those shows. So the folks that can't make the index, (little guy) can still dial-in. Get-um in the door, allow them time to learn how to go fast. Bring them along and up to standards as time goes along. You need new blood lines on the farm!

Wade Mahaffey

IHRA and the Stock and S/S association here in Florida use the 3 tenths slower index for class cars NHRA used before the wack job.

[WheelsUp]

Originally Posted by Mike Meier

Buff Daddy said a few lines down: "A trip to Atco or E-town would be about $100 round trip just in tolls, too."

So onto my excuse:

I share his sentiment. I felt I was personally mistreated at a race, NHRA (management) did nothing to rectify the situation, so I told them they are not going to get another dime of my money until they either apologize or at least there is a change in management.

I haven't been down a track in 9 months, never renewed my membership / competition numbers, and I am not missing it one bit.

If it weren't for the fact that I own a stocker and enclosed trailer, I'd at least be out of the class racing business (not racing all together, but at least this level). That's the big downside to all of this, I am making payments on equipment that is sitting there not being used. Hell, I had some guy come up to me at a gas station and offer me $2,000 for my Suburban. I had to say "no" because what am I gonna do, go out and put a downpayment on ANOTHER big truck? No way.

I keep saying that I am going to race IHRA one of these days, but in reality the nearest race is a little over 4 hours away. To get there on-time and not be rushed I am going to have to take time off from work, no doubt about it.

It's really a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

That's it four hours.

[Mike Carr]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

I call BS on this one. As your math teacher used to say, "Please show your work." I'm pretty sure it ain't $300 in tolls on that trip.

Never said there were $300 in tolls.

MIR Double Pro-Am weekend projected costs:

-Entry: $135 x 2 races = $270.
-Crew: Two people @ $40 per person = $80.
-Motel: Two nights @ approximately $100 each = $200 I could cut the Friday night room out of the budget, and either leave home around midnight Saturday morning and drive pretty much all night to be there by 8 am, or try and sleep three in our dually somewhere in a rest area. Not ideal or comfortable, but doable.
-Gas: Haven't done the actual math. I know it would involve at least three fill-ups (one at home, once during the weekend, once on the way home). Thirty gallon tank. 30 gallons x three fill-ups (90 gallons) @ $2.79 per gallon = $251.10

Total so far: $801.10. Or, $701.10 with one good nights sleep.

Tolls, I am not sure of the exact figure. I know PA Tolls have gone up twice in the past few years. I have at least $5 in tolls before I get to the Turnpike (Toll Route 60, future I-376, that takes you to exit 1A/Exit 10 on the PA Turnpike). I went to Quarter Aces a few weeks ago, but neglected to check the toll amounts. Dad did say that towing, all the way across PA, would be nearly fifty dollars I would bet good money that tolls, between Turnpike and Rt 60 are AT LEAST $50, round trip [from Breezewood PA to Exit 1A back home], plus whatever the toll for the bridge is that we cross in MD/VA (I forget what the toll, and the bridge is--haven't been there since 2004). So we're up to at least $850, not counting food and any extra stuff we might want to buy on our trip (t-shirts, souvenirs, gift shops, etc). We can cook at the track and save some money, but you still need to buy the food at home to take with you, plus breakfast at the track isn't feasible.

So. all told, the budget for the weekend would be about $900, provided there are not any surprise expenses. Or, at least $800 if you only sleep one night in a hotel. Still not a cheap weekend, no matter what way you look at it.

[Michael Beard]

It's not worth picking apart point by point, but I could do the same trip for nearly half. I've even gone to San Antonio (2,600 mile round trip), for less than $1,000.

@Mike -- Travel costs are a moot argument anyway, as you didn't go to Pittsburgh, Thompson, Norwalk, or Columbus. If you can't go, you can't go.

It does seem that travel costs are the biggest factor, and once again it comes back to things that aren't even race cars... look at some photos of the pits 10, 15, or 20 years ago and compare them with today, and you'll find your answer. It not only costs a lot more to get the bigger rig in the first place, but it costs twice as much to feed it. Anyone worried about the cost of racing but getting less than 10mpg has the answer right in front of them. Even when I had borrowed a truck and enclosed trailer to make the San Antonio trip one year, that combo got 13mpg.

Double races do cost more on a given weekend, but your cost per race is significantly lower than a single event that is dragged out over the course of 3-4 days. Are you going to race, or just to get away from it all and hang out, and maybe make a few passes?

JohnD brings up the most important point. Regardless of the why nots, what are the why FORS? Personally, I select events based on where I can get the most racing done for a fair price. Even when I make a long trip, I'm looking at how I can get the most out of it, like running 4 races in 1 weekend at South Georgia. When I go to the national event in Michigan this summer, it's a Fri-Sat race. I'll hit a $2K BottomBulb Series race in Kentucky on Sunday on the way home. I try to run points in multiple series. Last year, I ran a bracket race in South Carolina on Saturday night, came home and got 2 hrs sleep, then drove 6 hrs to MIR to get 1 time shot for the 2nd day of a Pro-Am. I've gone to races with double-digits in my checking account (more than once, I'm afraid). I'll sleep in the truck, in a tent, on the floor of a buddy's trailer, or on a friend's couch. The bottom line is that racing is my life, and I will do what it takes. I may not be keeping up with the Jones's off the track or in the pits, but I make up for it on the race track.

$.02,

[fredjohnston]

[QUOTE=Michael Beard;195743]It's not worth picking apart point by point, but I could do the same trip for nearly half. I may not be keeping up with the Jones's off the track or in the pits, but I make up for it on the race track


Mr.Beard....how many times a day do you hug yourself??????

[X-TECH MAN]

[QUOTE=fredjohnston;195962]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

It's not worth picking apart point by point, but I could do the same trip for nearly half. I may not be keeping up with the Jones's off the track or in the pits, but I make up for it on the race track


Mr.Beard....how many times a day do you hug yourself??????

If you could drive as well as Mike you could hug yourself to.

[Billy Nees]

Terry, don't encourage him! I've been trying to break him of that for years! You've never seen him stand in front of a mirror and kiss his reflection for hours. It isn't pretty.
That beautiful, blue eyed, blond haired genius!