IT to World Challenge

[ulfelder]

This has been posted over at the Northeast page, but I thought IT folks nationwide might want to know that another one of their own is stepping up ...

"RimPRO Inc. and FlatOut Motorsports announced today that RimPRO will sponsor FlatOut driver Nick Leverone in North America’s hottest road-racing series: Sports Car Club of America’s Speed World Challenge Touring Car Championship."

To read the rest of the press release, go to www.FlatOut-Motorsports.com.

/Steve U
05 ITS, New England Region
FlatOut Motorsports

[Knestis]

It's cool that Leverone is getting off the porch to run with the big dogs but - no disrepect intended - the only thing that keeps any IT racer from doing the same thing is a skinny wallet.

K

[ITSRX7]

And TALENT.

Tough not to take offense.

AB

------------------
Andy Bettencourt
06 ITS RX-7
FlatOut Motorsports
New England Region #188967
www.flatout-motorsports.com

[Greg Amy]

NO offense intended, guys, and you know that. We all know Nick's an excellent driver.

However, both Kirk and I have been there, and believe me there's a lot of drivers with fat wallets and no talent, but virtually none with fat talent and no wallets.

Best of luck to you, Nick, and knock 'em dead!

[ITSRX7]

I am with you some Greg but some things just don't need to be said. And this ain't the WC you know from the mid-90's.

AB

------------------
Andy Bettencourt
06 ITS RX-7
FlatOut Motorsports
New England Region #188967
www.flatout-motorsports.com

[Greg Amy]

It does sound dirty when I say it, and I completely apologize for the unintended inference.

It's just one of those nasty little secrets of auto racing I wish I had been told 20 years ago...

[ITSRX7]

We're cool...now let's get that NX into ITA...



AB

------------------
Andy Bettencourt
06 ITS RX-7
FlatOut Motorsports
New England Region #188967
www.flatout-motorsports.com

[Knestis]

I said it and I meant it - no offense to Mr. Leverone intended. I only know of him what I've seen in the results, all of which appears to be good.

I just don't think that it's fair to people who are new to this 'business' to perpetuate the myth that there is a talent ladder in US road racing, and that skill and hard work will get one a ride in a high-profile series. I know too much about the way this stuff works, having been in and around 'professional' road racing for a bunch of years.

The difference between the guys who participate in WCT and those who win IS talent but make NO mistake - the primary barrier to entry is lack of funding. I am a total wanker and, if I had a half mil in the bank, I could be there early in the season, too.

K

K

[ITSRX7]

Originally posted by Knestis:
I am a total wanker...

Well, we agree on one thing at least...

Seriously, nobody is trying to perpetuate any percieved myth. Just be happy for a bunch of regular guys trying to do something cool. Your original post had no redeeming value.

AB

------------------
Andy Bettencourt
06 ITS RX-7
FlatOut Motorsports
New England Region #188967
www.flatout-motorsports.com

[itbgti]

Kirk,

I have to disagree with you....all a "fat" wallet will get you (this day in age) in SPEED TC is a couple qualifying sessions. Driver skill is what will get you actually into the race. Many SPEED TC events are oversubscribed, and there are people that get turned away from the big show due to lack of skill (on that level).

And I also disagree with your opinion that there is not an opportunity for Grassroots racers to get a shot at the big time...they just have to work for it, and yes, spend some money, and they MUST sell themselves. Talent must be an underlying factor. You are correct that we cannot give this false notion to new comers that Champion Racing, 3R, Nismo and others are banging down our doors looking for the next hot shoe...a driver has to make themselves known in order to get rides, maybe it will take a driver to rent a proffessional ride 3 or 4 times, then maybe the renter will give a discount, then maybe eventually a full ride, IF the driver does WELL and shows TALENT.

Kirk, no offense, I just feel that if someone wants it bad enough, they can do it. Sorry for hijacking this post.

Alan

[Banzai240]

Originally posted by ITSRX7:
And this ain't the WC you know from the mid-90's.

NO DOUBT about that! My car was formerly a very competitive, Nissan backed World Challenge Touring car in the late 90's...

All I've done is change the engine compression back to IT legal and now I have a completely UNDERDEVELOPED ITS car!!

Far cry from the wicked touring packages they have today... WHICH, by the way, needs to find it's way into CLUB RACING!!

Check this out from the latest Fastrack:

F-28 Sportscar February 2004
GT
GT2
1. Allow World Challenge cars to run in GT2 with their current rules. (Pavageau) The Competition Board shares an equal desire to see SCCA Pro Racing cars competing in Club Racing but the preparation levels and tire choices of the World Challenge are too dissimilar from the GT2 preparation rules.

Could it BE??? I SURE as heck hope so!!!





------------------
Darin E. Jordan
SCCA #273080, OR/NW Regions
Auburn, WA
ITS '97 240SX

[Knestis]

Originally posted by itbgti:
...Kirk, no offense, I just feel that if someone wants it bad enough, they can do it. Sorry for hijacking this post.

I take absolutely no office, Alan (not even from Andy) because the redeeming value of a conversation like this is that people get to share ideas, some of which might be helpful to third parties even if some individuals don't agree with others.

For the third time: I was not impuning any individual's efforts or talent. If I'm expected to take Alan's assurance that he doesn't mean to be a jerk to me, I think it's fair to expect that others will grant me the same consideration: The fact that I'm saying something that some don't want to hear does NOT make it mean spirited.

This is a public discussion board. If we post something here, it's fodder for discussion and generalization beyond the immediate note that catalyzed that discussion. If we want to do a press release, we should send it to the press. I used to do racing industry corporate communications for a living (or something approximating a living) and, while it was B.C. - before computers - I had to anticipate that people would have opinions about the communications that I put out. Good, bad, or otherwise.

K

[benspeed]

The right thing to say is, "atta boy Leverone!" Go get 'em. And make sure you round up all the dough you can, cause your gonna need it. Skepticism isn't going to encourage anybody who's taking a shot at pro racing and let's face it - lot's of us would like to have an opportunity. Let's encourage those who through perserverance, determination and talent have made a chance for themselves.

benspeed

[ITSRX7]

Kirk,

What you said in your original post did not spark healthy debate. It would be like me posting to this board that I think the paint color you chose for your race car was ugly. WHO CARES. We consider what WE have done an accomplishment - and if you knew what it took to get where we are, you would to - so it is hard no to take offense given your blanket statement does not apply to us.

As far as your 'press release' comments - we HAVE sent it to the press outlets we felt appropriate for now, this was just one of the focused, non-press type outlets we thought may be interested. We were wrong in your case.

It is a discussion board. Your comment was not 'discussion' - you effectively said 'Congrats on the motivation but ANYONE can do it if they had the money'. Simply NOT TRUE. That to me is not discussion, educational or productive. And to say the ladder system doesn't exist - tell that to Eric Curren.

Now that I think about it, how about this:

"Congrats to Nick on making the jump. I just wish the financial barriers weren't so high because I know some other talented IT drivers who would jump at the chance to run WC."

THAT gets the point across, no?

I'm done on this one - we differ on what is appropriate and constructive.

AB

[Knestis]

I am pleased that another IT standout will have a chance to demonstrate his talent in the televised world of WCT. I only wish that talent were the primary determinant in this kind of achievement in this game. I mean that.

K

[gran racing]

Congrats! Very, very cool. Give them a few "bumps" for us on your way to the front.

Best of luck!

[ITSRX7]

Originally posted by Knestis:
I am pleased that another IT standout will have a chance to demonstrate his talent in the televised world of WCT. I only wish that talent were the primary determinant in this kind of achievement in this game. I mean that.

K

I agree with you - and thanks.

AB

[gran racing]

I've been giving this discussion some more thought...

What does it take to make it to the next step? I've often wondered this and have my own ideas. A big wallet? Yeah, that's one way of getting there. But doesn't mean that you'll really make it. And it isn't the only way there.

To truly make it, there is much more. I believe that about 40% of it deals with driving talent. Probably less. There are many talented drivers out there. Then there is the willingness to take a chance, sacrifice, hours upon hours of work on the car, part-time jobs to pay to race, and of course a HUGE part of making it in racing is the ability to sell yourself. Sponsorship, ads, fans, ect. If you are an extremely talented driver but are poor with sponsors - forget it!

It takes a complete package to succeed! Do I wish I could be given the opportunity? Hell yeah! Do I give up? Of course not. Don't let my car hear this, but honestly it is a piece of junk with a nice paint job thanks Metro Autobody. (I'm working on my plugs for sponsors here, humor me) But this dream is why people go after the "little" sponsors like I and many others do. It is because we hope that one day we will get a brake.

Hearing success stories like Andy's gives people trying to accomplish this dream a little hope. I'm still going after it and won't stop anytime soon...Thanks Andy!
Dave

[Greg Amy]

I wrote this a year ago to a guy, a writer for Sports Compact Car magazine. He wrote in his column about trying to decide which fork in life to take, one of them being a pursuit of a dream of professional racing. I think it's applicable to this discussion as well.

===========

Josh, are you a South Park fan? A couple of weeks ago there was an episode where Stan's parents hired an actor to pretend that he was Stan-coming-back-from-the-future as a drug addict. Tried to scare him into never doing drugs.

Well, my friend, I could have written your "Sport Compact Car" column 10 years ago. You see, in 1992 I was racing SCCA Club and Pro, advancing through my "career" very quickly and quite well I might add. In 1992 I won the Bronze medal at the SCCA Runoffs in Showroom Stock B while setting the lap record. I had Goodyear, Nissan, Valvoline, and lot of local sponsorship with productive experience in World Challenge and IMSA Firehawk. I was ready to make the jump to "pro."

A few things happened to me, though. First, I should have won that 1992 Runoffs race. I had the fastest car out there, I was one of the fastest drivers there, and it was mine to blow it. And I did. Second, I met a woman that stole my heart and diverted my attention to the outside world (partially). Third, while I was able to cover the cost of a hotel room at the Runoffs that year, I let a couple of guys room with me that, I guess, couldn't afford it. They were very successful and promising racers with loads of talent, skills, and experience, and I knew that they were well on their way to success. I looked that those two whom I admired and saw that they had the dedication to sleep on some stranger's hotel floor, to do whatever it took to seek their goals. I saw that they had the desire to sacrifice it ALL to get where they needed to go and it was obvious they were going to get there. I looked at myself and decided that *this* was not for me, that I didn't have the dedication and motivation to do WHATEVER it took, to give ANY sacrifice to get there. Yeah, it's only a hotel room floor obtained through a mutual acquaintance, and sure, I was willing to give up a bunch, and I knew I could compete with the best talent-wise. But the hotel floor was a metaphor for their motivations and I didn't think I had that level of commitment.

During that same Runoffs week I got laid off form my job (again, and via phone call during the event!) I stopped and looked back, realized I was living for the racing, that I had no girlfriend, no really close friends, was not really close to my family, and that the last 8 years of racing had resulted in a road strewn with ex-friends, ex-girlfriends, ex-poorly-done jobs, no savings and a BUTTLOAD of debt, and no real firmed-up future in auto racing. When I tried to use my racing success collateral to obtain a ride for 1993 the responses I got were very much in line with, "Hell, yeah, we want you to drive for us. How much sponsorship are you bringing to the team?" It became painfully obvious that the old axiom of "Money talks and talent walks" was firmly based on reality.

So, I quit. I just up and quit racing after the 1992 Runoffs. Gave it up, let my SCCA membership expire, cancelled almost all of my magazine subscriptions. Sayonara motorsports.

I began a focused attempt, at age 28, of rebuilding what I had for my future. I was unemployed but I had an engineering degree and some good skillsets. I also had an interest in computers and networks, which I parlayed into a very lucrative career as a Networking Consultant. That wonderful woman and I got married. I pursued a life-long dream of getting my pilot's license and was able to buy and rebuild one of my favorite small airplanes which I still own and use regularly. I now own a home, multiple cars (including one of my favorites, a 2000 Audi S4), two dogs (no kids), I am debt-free except for my home mortgage, and my credit cards are paid off in full each month. I have a comfortable - and growing - net worth and a super job doing something real fun while being able to save up enough money to be comfortable in 25 years or so when (if!) I decide to retire.

Two years ago I began out of curiosity to find that 1992 race car. I found it covered in weeds in the back of a repair shop, sitting on a trailer, with a blown engine. I decided that I wanted to repair it and go driving again, just for fun this time. I now had the money to do it correctly, and I could make the time to do it. That car and I were back on the race track soon thereafter, and it was a sweet victory for me. I conquered the racing addiction, got my life in order, and then leveraged that into doing exactly what I was doing before, only much better. Once I recognized that I was never going to make a living as a professional race driver I was able to reorganize my life's priorities in such as way as to not diminish what I had done, but to nourish it. I now enjoy the racing as much as I did 10 years ago. In fact, I'm finding I enjoy building and preparing just as much as I did the driving.

So, while I'm not "future Stan" here to scare you into submission, I can tell you that unless you're absolutely committed 110% to trying to make this a career, and you're willing to accept likely failure in that pursuit, there are much better ways to make a living while still being able to pursue your passion of motorsports.

Oh, and those two guys who used my floor at the Runoffs? Boris Said and Peter Cunningham. Who says hard work and dedication don't pay off?

I wish you the best of luck, whatever you decide to do.

Greg Amy

[Knestis]

Greg tells part of the story and I'm not going to elaborate with examples of what "110%" looks like for some, beyond sleeping on someone else's floor: I don't want it to be misconstrued in the context of this strand.

If you really care, corner me with a beverage after the racing is done some Sunday...

K