Getting married vs. Racing............

[NutDriverRighty]

My fiancee' has decided that we're getting married the weekend of the 10th of February. She has presented me with a 4-figure bill (yea, I know I should be thankful that it isn't a 5 or 6-figure bill) that I have to pay. Thus far, I've only spent about $600. Should I go to the wedding, make the commitment, and spend the money, or should I get more racing stuff? Just looking for some input from those who've been there.

(honey, if you see this, it IS a joke!!)
Scott

[Greg Amy]

...

[pballance]

I will say this once, only once, and then deny that I ever said it.

I wouldn't trade my 28 year marriage for anything, BUT I should have kept the cars, continued racing, and never let that change. Instead I have a 25+ year break in my hobby.

BTW, It was not my fault that day she lifted in the apex of turn and the rear end came around. I know it scared you but you didn't have to yell "I am never driving that car again!" Not to mention that your idea of camping out at the track is staying at a Holiday Inn instead of a Marriott.

You sure seemed to like the fast cars and curvy roads before marriage but I guess that changes after the ring is obtained.

4 figures, count yourself lucky! And Honey, if you see this, it is all a joke, I am just kidding, and no I didn't buy another car this week

[924Guy]

Heh heh heh...

I found the best scam was to put the racecar in her name. Makes her the car owner - boy, it's hard to get any more support than that! Every year I win a race, we joke about how I get to keep my job as the driver... and until then, it's threats about replacing me with someone faster! :P

Seriously, it is in her name... started before we got married, so she could get the multi-car insurance discount to afford her WRX...

[JohnRW]

I found the best scam was to put the racecar in her name. Makes her the car owner - boy, it's hard to get any more support than that! [/b]

Then, of course, when it all goes sour... all YOU are left with is a rusty minivan and a plastic bag of dirty socks. Make sure you ask husband #2 what color he wants the race car painted.

[85itccivic]

If you wish to continue racing .... and you found the right one that is supportive of the racing at some level.
( read not allergic to the track ) by all means do it . Two of my best friends are a married couple that race ITC cars together . Me on the other hand was not so insightful the first time . I did however have the perfect way to escape with my cars . I was working for a repair shop at the time and the owner let me title the tow vehicle , trailer and racecar thru the shop. When her lawyer came calling the owner told her they were assets of the business . One of the things that irks the ex now is that my racecar is owned by my daughter. It is what she wanted for her last birthday !

[gran racing]

Scott, you need to look at it a bit differently. Spend the money for the wedding, they you have TWO incomes to support your racing habbit.

[bldn10]

We need more info to make a tough decision like that. Please post photos of your car and your finacee'. If your car is the one in your avatar, your finacee' would have to be Carmen Electra or equivalent. :P

[RSTPerformance]

We need more info to make a tough decision like that. Please post photos of your car and your finacee'. If your car is the one in your avatar, your finacee' would have to be Carmen Electra or equivalent. :P
[/b]

Good call lol

Also I like Daves thoughts, two incomes to support the habbit, unfortunatly it isn't realistic (he got lucky). Most of the women are also thinking... hummm he makes lots of money, spends lots on race cars, now if I could just get my hands on some of that money for my own shopping

Raymond "Honey if you read this, I would take you over the car in the avatar , and I am poor, lots of people help me afford the race car, so no you have no shopping money." Blethen

[NutDriverRighty]

Thanks for all of the responses!! I've loved to read them. Heck, I might even let Honey see this thread!! LOL
BTW, the car for my avatar is a dream. I have an IT7 car and a Baby Grand car (Captain Who and I do). My brother and I each own 50% of the cars, trailers, and spares. Helps me to drive with less abandon. Honey hasn't been to the track with me in the 18 months we've been together, but she regularly lets me go (no real complaints here). As far as the two incomes goes, this is the start of the 4th week since she got laid-off, so we're operating on only one income at the moment. (however, this fact doesn't seem to have slowed her spending! LOL). She has been very actively looking, however. I hope she'll find something that pays REALLY well! Wonder if I can get her to take a job at the BMW plant in Spartanburg?
Again, thanks for the advice and the laughs. While I've been blessed with the opportunity to pursue a dream/delusion of being a "race car driver" (driver, he says. more like an operator. Seems awful ambitious to call what I've seen him do "racin"), I feel more blessed to have her in my life................even when she spends more than we have to spare, blows her nose like a moose's mating call, tries to carry on a conversation with me in the first 10 minutes after I awaken, and announces to me that her sister is coming to visit for the weekend only 10 minutes before she arrives.
BTW, ask me if I feel the same way in a year................

Scott "oh my God, is it only 12 days away" Franklin, the Doomed
www.NutDriver.org

[924Guy]

Yeah, I thought the 2nd income would be lovely two. That was three years ago, she lost her job within a month of us getting married, and hasn't found a job since. Detroit sucks.

[Ed Funk]

When we got married (which was a 5 figure bill), my racing was cut in half! But that's because her nice butt was in the Kirkey half the time! Now we have 2 cars, twice the $$ and about 3X the fun! Am I lucky!?!? Wouldn't change a thing, and Honey this is NOT a joke :026:

[gran racing]

My wife Melissa sometimes equates items she wants to purchase in terms of my tires. Last fall we were at Home Depot looking to replace some wire fence on the side of our house. I was pretty surprised with how much the darn materials would cost. Melissa's response was "what do you mean? That only costs what a set of tires does." All I could respond was "I know!!!" Yeah, we were thinking totally differently about this one. Give up a set of tires for a silly fence? Ha!

In all seriousness, try to find some ways to get her involved. Now that Melissa has gotten to know more people at the track, she actually looks forward to the events. (She still thinks spending money on tires sucks, and gets a glazed look in her eyes when I try to talk about about racing parts.)

I've also used the argument that my racing has saved us money!! I now know how to work on our street cars when they break (well, kinda), I don't get speeding tickets since I save it for the track (knock on wood I have't been caught), and it motivated me to finding a higher paying day job. I actually think there are some valid points here; she didn't.

[spnkzss]

I guess about 1992 I went to my first race at Summit Point. Every year after that I went to the Labor Day double. Back in 1999 I decided to date my best friends sister, which he pushed me to do. In 2000 I got engaged. In early 2002 someone (J&L Automotive) gave me a means to possibly race. The idea intrigued me. I told myself that there was no way I could ever afford it, I was getting married, blah blah blah. My Fiancee told me that I was only young once, I would be stupid not to go have fun. I argued the point for about a week. Every time she told me to go do it. October of 2002 I did my first school. Winter of 2002 I built my car. March of 2003 I did my second school. May of 2004 I got married. It is now 2007. I have not stopped racing, I have a kid due in July, I plan to race MARRS 1-3 and the Labor Day double.

I could not, would not have done this if it wasn't for my now wife. She puts up with a lot of race talk. She has come to EVERY race. I will admit that I am DEFINITELY a lucky man, and not just because she likes racing. She takes good care of me.

[Ed Funk]

Damn Spanky, my read of this thread would indicate that itc drivers are the luckiest. Except when we're grouped with Special Me!

[rob22]

A little off topic, but......

You Guys do know why women have SEX with their eyes closed, don't you?


Can't stand to see a man have a good time!!!

[JamesB]

Wow you married racers give me a glimmer of hope, except Raymond.

Seriously though even my family agreed. If I am racing now they can only accept it as part of who I am.

[Knestis]

We need more info to make a tough decision like that. Please post photos of your car and your finacee'. If your car is the one in your avatar, your finacee' would have to be Carmen Electra or equivalent. :P
[/b]

Carmen Electra requires more maintenance than an endurance prototype...

K

[lateapex911]

But doesn't she eat at Taco Bell????

[pballance]

I have to confess, my wife actually supports me and my racing but she also doesn't like it or going to the track. She supported me financially for a long time as I was a low paid public servant while she brought home the bacon as, now get this, it is really true, a ROCKET SCIENTIST.

Now that I have retired and joined the world as a scumbag, double dipping, government contractor I have tried to repay her support and buy her a new car, a Mazda CX7, for her last birthday, one of those MAJOR birthdays! You know what her response was "I don't want or need a new car, I want a sewing machine and besides you still haven't built your new shop." I quickly told her to spec the machine and I would write a check. I have meetings scheduled with builders in the next couple of weeks.

I have used Dave's lines as well. I am saving money with the race car because tires are cheaper than the ones I bought to autox with. She didn't buy it either.

Good luck Scott. Get her to come to the track and maybe she will enjoy it and then you will lose seat time like Ed.