Is It Really Worth It?

[Grumpa]

Tom,
I thought perhaps I was the only one dealing with the burnout issue. Good to know (I guess) there are others in the same boat.

My ITC Rabbit took a fatal turn into the concrete at IRP this past May and I was not at the wheel when it happened. The Bunny was about 95% developed and I had all the confidence in the car to run top 5 or a little better at the IT Fest. It was too much fun to race. The guy who bent the Bunny replaced it with a'84 GTI that is not much better than the Rabbit when I started working and learning it. Granted, the curve should be nowhere near as steep as before but I find myself lacking the enthusiasm to get into the garage and wail on the GTI. The biggest problem that I am facing isn't money, per se, but my age. I will be 55 in October, and while I'm not ready to get out of the seat, it is the tremendous amount of time required to prep the car that kicks my butt. I do the car myself, and as everyone on this site will attest, there is always something you want or have to do to get ready for the next time out. I swear, this sport is the most trying of addictions. You beat your brains out & bust your knuckles, ass, and bank account for months at a time - for what? For that exhilaration, that rush, that high, that realistically is only surpassed (barely) by a really good orgasm. I love racing racecars, there is nothing I have ever done that compares with this sport, but this can be the most demanding of mistresses.

I will probably park the car after my first adventure to MidOhio in October and ignore the siren's call for awhile. Drag it out to a track day at Putnam a couple times next year to get my fix, I suppose, maybe the spring race at IRP since it is so close. But that's all. But MidOhio's not that far, and my cousin lives kinda close to there, and I could...

[dlg208]

I thought about quitting also...

IT...

Think I'm going SRF so I won't get passed on the straights at my home track by "once a year" guys in cheater V-Dubs that sound like ITA cars.

Seriously...WTF!!!

(Pardon me... I'm pissed and have had way too much wine)

[BlueStreak]

I'm in the same boat - and I've decided to take a few years off. I know I want to keep racing, but my kids are at an age where I find myself having more fun taking them to do kid stuff than I do behind the wheel, and that is why the car is for sale.

I will race again in the future, but probably not again until my kids reach that age where it's no longer cool to hang out with dad.

This sport has taken a lot out me, physically, financially, and the even more highly valued time. That said, the rush has been more than worth the price of admission. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

I'll probably do some co-drives, autocrosses, and of course the Crow Mountain Hillclimb, but it will likely be a while before I really road race again.

See you on the track in the future.

[924Guy]

I thought about quitting also...

IT...

Think I'm going SRF so I won't get passed on the straights at my home track by "once a year" guys in cheater V-Dubs that sound like ITA cars.

Seriously...WTF!!!

(Pardon me... I'm pissed and have had way too much wine)

Settle down there, it's really not like that.

Back on-topic - yes, time to take a break. It's a hobby, it's supposed to be fun, and if it's not fun, then why are you doing it? Time to dial it back.

I've been chasing the points championship hard at my home track for 3 years. Finally won it this year. I don't see myself trying to win it again next year; it's evolved to the point that I don't enjoy it anymore, not at that track in those fields. Rather, I think I'll be spending my time and money chasing the competition on the big tracks at the bigger races. Then I'm sure I'll get burnt out with those, and wander back home for some more time there.

But ya gotta mix it up, and you have to be conscious of what you enjoy about it, and how to achieve it. For me, for a while, it was getting that championship. Now it's time to see some new scenery, and beat some new faces.

Hope you get your groove back, this sport sucks when it sucks!!

[lateapex911]

All good advice here...but I think it's SCCAs fault.

They need to find a way to provide chicks in bikinis! Perhaps a co-event with the beach volleyball association? Or increase our entries $5 and give it all to the winner of a wet T shirt contest. We have to be creative and keep the Toms in the mix!

[RacerBill]

All good advice here...but I think it's SCCAs fault.

They need to find a way to provide chicks in bikinis! Perhaps a co-event with the beach volleyball association? Or increase our entries $5 and give it all to the winner of a wet T shirt contest. We have to be creative and keep the Toms in the mix!

I knew a driver/owner in Indianapolis many years ago who was sponsored by the 'gentlemens' club that he owned. What a pit crew!!!!!! Strange thing was he raced in the same class as the top cop in the Indiana State Police!

Seriously, Tom, I feel for you. I got to thinking about leaving the sport when what I was doing was getting real old, and no one appreciated the time me and my wife were spending at the track. So I went over the wall to the dark side. If you think budgets are tight, your budget for one race weekend is almost bigger than my entire year! But I do what I can, and have as much fun as I can afford. And if need be, I'll walk away, knowing that I have done things that a lot of people just dream about. Hope to see you on the track before that time comes for either of us!

PS My car is a close to showroom stock as you can get (minus the interior......)

[Speed Raycer]

Some ramblings:

The best thing you can do for yourself is take a break. I was "forced" to take a break shortly after getting into club racing by my growing family and shrinking time/budget. I found that when I am able to return to the track I'm excited to be there whether it's behind the wheel or crewing. The time and money budgets forced me to sell my car (which I do not suggest!) but I sank those funds into my brothers car. So far, it's working out well. We now have a better car than either of us could have built on our own, and get to get better seat time in the long run. As another plus, there's only one trailer to own/maintain/store between the two of us

My suggestion is that if you just enjoy the driving and being at the track, it doesn't have to be wheel to wheel for a trophy. HPDE's, PDX's etc are a blast and a little easier on the budget, with WAY more track time.

Have you tried renting the car out a little? It does a pretty good job of helping the fundage, although there is always the possibility of what happened above.

Otherwise, if you have the room to store the car, toss it up on jackstands and do some detailing, cleanup/organization over the next few months. Might help you get a little of that fire back at a non-race deadline pace

[shwah]

I thought about quitting also...

IT...

Think I'm going SRF so I won't get passed on the straights at my home track by "once a year" guys in cheater V-Dubs that sound like ITA cars.

Seriously...WTF!!!

(Pardon me... I'm pissed and have had way too much wine)

That's one way to rationalize a performance level that doesn't satisfy you. I had that thought once about a car that came out to my home track and obliterated the record there. A few years of car and driver development later, if I am not under that time something is wrong.

[CCDangie71]

I was feeling the same way back in '06 and decided to run an IT car so that I could run tracks that were closer to my house. In '07 I had to rearrange my priorities and I sat out the whole season with the thought that I would run both the IT car and the Vee in '08. Of course things never go as planned and after spending a large sum for new rear shocks and a new engine for the Vee (broke the crank), I used up my funds that were slated for the IT car.

Here's some free advice from an idiot: Don't own more than one racecar at a time as it severely dilutes your funds. Also, for those of you considering getting out of the hobby for a bit, DON'T SELL YOUR CAR. That makes it that much harder to get back into it down the road.

Tom, take some time off and do what you have to do and when you are good and ready you can jump back in the saddle and have some fun. +1 for the wet t-shirt contest.

[dlg208]

That's one way to rationalize a performance level that doesn't satisfy you. I had that thought once about a car that came out to my home track and obliterated the record there. A few years of car and driver development later, if I am not under that time something is wrong.

We're not talking lap times here...

It's blatant & It's obvious and it's NOT exit speed!

You should EARN every pass...
(Otherwise buy your own trophies....Their only 5 bucks)

I've never pulled on anyone in my life...
Unless they were gushing blue smoke or were otherwise F'ed up.

I feel guilty about the 3rd I got today because the REAL 3rd place guy and the REAL 4th place guy took each other out.
I don't even know it I can put the wood up in my garage.

They were better drivers...
Not better car owners.

[924Guy]

We're not talking lap times here...

It's blatant & It's obvious and it's NOT exit speed!

You should EARN every pass...
(Otherwise buy your own trophies....Their only 5 bucks)

Perhaps you should define what you mean by "earn"? Building a good motor not part of that equation in your book?

I've never pulled on anyone in my life...
Unless they were gushing blue smoke or were otherwise F'ed up.

That would seem at odds with your first statement, to me anyway.

I feel guilty about the 3rd I got today because the REAL 3rd place guy and the REAL 4th place guy took each other out.
I don't even know it I can put the wood up in my garage.

They were better drivers...
Not better car owners.

That's a pretty sad statement of a lack of self-confidence, IMO. They're not that much better drivers if they can't avoid taking eachother out, now, are they? Seems to me that you certainly did earn that trophy, and if you can't appreciate it, then it's time to hand it over to the next guy in line.

Ever think you don't have any competition? Ask the guys behind you if they'd agree with that statement.

And would you say they're better car owners than you? They didn't manage to avoid damaging their cars; in my book, that means you don't care for your car. I avoid contact and damage to every extent possible - because I built and maintain my car, and I value the time I don't have to spend fixing it.

So perhaps you should reevaluate how you feel about your racing - seems to me like you're giving yourself much less respect than you deserve. Personally, as much as I respect the guys running up front in CRX's and VW's, I actually have more respect for the poor SOB out there running an oddball car, doing it the hard way - it shows a lot more committment and guts than buying the latest flavor of winner. BTDT - and it's finally paying off.

And please take this as the backwars compliment it's intended to be. IT racing is supposed to about having fun, not holding grudges.

[lateapex911]

We're not talking lap times here...

It's blatant & It's obvious and it's NOT exit speed!

IF you are suggesting that you are getting passed because the other guy is cheating and built an illegal motor, you have little choice, write the paper. It is our job as competitors to self police. If we don't, we have to accept the result. It is really that simple.

Now, if you are suggesting that the car is classed unfairly, (yours or his) then there are essentially two choices. Write a letter to the ITAC requesting a review. Keep in mind there are no competition adjustments...but if the numbers don't line up, an adjustment is in order. However, the numbers can only come so close, and there will be "misses". Some cars just won't make process power, others might make a bit more. If that's the case, and you see that all cars of a certain model are fast down the straights, then it's time to do some thinking about car choice.

Trust me, as the owner of an ITA RX-7, I understand the realities of cars that are outliers. That's life.

[dlg208]

I'll give IT one more year and see what happens.

But I'm starting to think it's time to move on.

[924Guy]

It's been my experience that nothing will happen of its own accord; you need to make it happen. So what do you think will change in one year, and how do you plan to make that happen?

You don't just win races by accident, it takes a lot of planning and hard work...

[shwah]

Sorry Dave. I hate to be the jerk here, but I have to call BS on this whole tangent.

'Cars that sound like ITA cars' is a total load of crap. So now the exhaust/muffler system that a competitor uses is grounds to label them a cheater?

Like I said, I was there before, but the harder I worked on my setup, the more I realized that I was just being out prepped and out driven. And I still am at times.

But let's cut to the chase - you, Vaughan and I were all in the same race last month. Your comments smack as an accusation of cheating to people you don't know, and have not approached in any way about such an idea. I'm hoping that's not what you mean, but it is how it came across. I mean I drive an ITB VW that has a loud exhaust and was able to follow Vaughan and Beran to a 1:47.1xx lap at M-O...

Since you are worried about ITB VWs, I can tell you that my motor is absolutely legal. It also has damn near every allowed modification (no crank scraper yet), and probably about a dozen (or more) hours of dyno time to get every bit that I can out of it. (and at that, take a look at the videos of 08 IT Fest - I still couldn't run with the other front runners down the straight).

There are 3 possible things going on here:
1. Other racers are driving that course better and/or have better car prep.
2. Other racers have cars that are classified more competitively - this is the part where you can write a letter to ask whether they (your car and the other car) are classed at the proper weight. Don't worry, that letter has already gone in for the A2 and A3 VWs - maybe write one for your car.
3. You race against blatant cheaters but don't use the rules available to fix that.

In every instance the way to fix it is through taking some sort of action on your own part, not tossing out unfounded accusations on the intenet.

[krazy kyle ITB Pinto 99]

I feel guilty about the 3rd I got today because the REAL 3rd place guy and the REAL 4th place guy took each other out.
I don't even know it I can put the wood up in my garage.

you sat back and watched the battle, I broke mine,he wrecked his missing me,wish he wouldn't of, i feel like crap about it......, you drove on... yea you earned it , hang it..... you think we are gonna stop and wait when you mess up, notta chance... hang it you earned it.... all will agree...

[krazy kyle ITB Pinto 99]

We're not talking lap times here...

It's blatant & It's obvious and it's NOT exit speed!

You should EARN every pass...
(Otherwise buy your own trophies....Their only 5 bucks)

I've never pulled on anyone in my life...
Unless they were gushing blue smoke or were otherwise F'ed up.

I feel guilty about the 3rd I got today because the REAL 3rd place guy and the REAL 4th place guy took each other out.
I don't even know it I can put the wood up in my garage.

They were better drivers...
Not better car owners.

your car was better preped,,,,lol,, always is,, thats why you get the wood, and i got a shifter to carry around ......