Re: What do you guys do when this happens???
[Re: Thumperdart]
#1696956
11/10/14 05:23 PM
11/10/14 05:23 PM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,890 North Alabama
Monte_Smith
master
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master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,890
North Alabama
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If you race for MONEY and feel you need to win some every now and then to justify what you spend.........you should bail now. A race car is exactly the same as a boat. Just an endless hole you throw money into just for the enjoyment of it. Now some guys DO make some money racing, but unless you are a touring pro who wins a LOT, the money that you do win, will never recoup your overall investment. You have to do it because you love it and just like ANY relationship, there will be highs and lows. Most guys who sell out totally, miss it in a couple years, come back and spend MORE money. So best advice........it ain't eating nothing, so push it in a corner, cover it up and forget about it a while. You don't miss it after a bit, sell it.
Monte
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Re: What do you guys do when this happens???
[Re: Monte_Smith]
#1696957
11/10/14 05:41 PM
11/10/14 05:41 PM
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 9,225 Charleston
sixpackgut
Drag Week Mod Champion
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Drag Week Mod Champion
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 9,225
Charleston
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I have it all figured out. I will race at 5 tracks a year. Darlington and whatever 4 Drag Week is. The rest of the year its usually so hot, I go to the beach, on cool nights I ride
Gen 3 power 6.22@110, 9.85@135 Follow @g3hemiswap on instagram
performance only racing, CRT, ultimate converter, superior design concepts, ThumperCarbs
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Re: What do you guys do when this happens???
[Re: Monte_Smith]
#1696958
11/10/14 05:45 PM
11/10/14 05:45 PM
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,894 South Bend
John Brown
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,894
South Bend
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I used to be a machinist for a very successful speed shop. I can give you the same advice I gave to friends back then.
Don't pay for anything in full up front. Only pay the minimum to get the work going and be sure to make it clear that you will pay the rest of the money when the job is done and you pick up the work and or parts.
That motivates the owner to get the job done in a more reasonable time frame.
You wouldn't believe the number of shops that run on other peoples money while putting customers off so they can live off the money while not delivering product or services.
July 19th should be "Drive Like Rockford Day". R.I.P. Jimmie.
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Re: What do you guys do when this happens???
[Re: Jeepmon]
#1696959
11/10/14 06:44 PM
11/10/14 06:44 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,091 Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
gregsdart
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,091
Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
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I can relate. I am retired, 64 and for the last decade have had bad knees slow me down, and another issue sap my energy to the point I wasn't sure I wanted to race again either. The big energy robbing issue is behind me, I have a new left knee as of two weeks ago, so with that behind me it is basically the money I have to spend and if the desire is really still there. I plan to get out one more time minimum, with a plan for the most fun I can ring out of it. If the desire is really fading, then it might be time to consider selling my project of thirty seven years. But somehow I doubt I will, I am just too tied up in going fast once in a while
8.582, 160.18 mph best, 2905 lbs 549, indy 572-13, alky
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Re: What do you guys do when this happens???
[Re: tboomer]
#1696963
11/10/14 09:27 PM
11/10/14 09:27 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,528 Minnesota
Hemi_Joel
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,528
Minnesota
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If you no longer have the passion for racing your car, then you can look at the whole racing thing very objectively. What are the reasons you race? Is it worth it? Can the same benefits to yourself be achieved easier or cheaper? It will be easy to decide not to race, and save yourself the expense, the time, and the headaches. Personally, I have never been in the position where the spark is not there. Even though I have sat out racing for years on several occasions due to time and money considerations, or other priorities, The spark is always there, and I always plan to come back to it. It's tuff to get motivated when you just dumped a bunch of time and money in and then the car is hurt, and you can't even race. When that has happened to me, I always start thinking about how can I do it different, to reduce risk, (make it more reliable, use better parts, oil it better, turn less RPM) that gets me back in. But then I end up pushing to the limit anyway and taking risks with my $$.
[img]http://i.imgur.com/boeexFms.jpg[/img]31 Plymouth Coupe, 392 Hemi, T56 magnum RS23J71 RS27J77 RP23J71 RO23J71 WM21J8A I don't regret the things I've done. I only regret the things I didn't do. "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato"
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Re: What do you guys do when this happens???
[Re: Hemi_Joel]
#1696967
11/10/14 09:57 PM
11/10/14 09:57 PM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 10,384 Upstate NY
Bigcube
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 10,384
Upstate NY
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Been there, done that. I parked my car for about 6 years when I priced the fun out of racing. I didn't sell. I tried a couple of times but didn't get any offers worth considering. Eventually the fire lit again and I resurrected it to drive on the street. I needed to do something to put the fun of owning one of these cars there without the expense of staying up to date on NHRA certs/license and SFI items. Racing is really not in the budget anymore. If it's in your blood like the rest of us, the desire to play with it again will happen. As others have said, its not costing you anything sitting in the corner.
Jim
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Re: What do you guys do when this happens???
[Re: TurboMike]
#1696969
11/10/14 10:55 PM
11/10/14 10:55 PM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 10,612 Rittman Ohio
fourgearsavoy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 10,612
Rittman Ohio
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I had a few hurdles to overcome with the Savoy this year and it never seen the light of day.It seems with the many changes I made to it this year things just kept mounting up to do it right.So I ended up giving myself more work to do and now I can't get motivated to do anything constructive. So I'm throwing the cover on it and taking a few months off while I work to get more parts that I won't feel like installing Gus
64 Plymouth Savoy 493 Indy EZ's by Nick at Compu-Flow 5-Speed Richmond faceplate Liberty box Dana 60
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Re: What do you guys do when this happens???
[Re: Keith Richards]
#1696973
11/11/14 12:05 AM
11/11/14 12:05 AM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,890 North Alabama
Monte_Smith
master
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master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,890
North Alabama
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Let me start by saying that I am NOT knocking bracket racers and/or bracket racing in general, but I think this type racing burns lots of guys out and here is why. You can spend thousands and thousands of dollars. Buy the best "toys" money can buy, go to the track and get your azz handed to you by some guy in a rental car. That is not fun and neither is going to a crowded track every weekend, getting a couple time runs and loaded up first round.............All these things are the reason I quit bracket racing myself. I did OK for a few years, even won a couple track championships, but it just was NOT doing it for me.
Then I turned my efforts to just making the car go as fast as I could and going to the track when I felt like it. That resulted in me going heads up racing, until that got out of control, cost wise..........The point here, is that there is NOTHING wrong with being considered strictly a career test and tuner. I personally had WAY more fun doing that, than I ever did shoe polish racing.
Monte
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Re: What do you guys do when this happens???
[Re: Jeepmon]
#1696974
11/11/14 12:07 AM
11/11/14 12:07 AM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,478 Taxes & Virus's R-US, NY
Dragula
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,478
Taxes & Virus's R-US, NY
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Quote:
The car has been non-operational more than it has been driveable over the last couple of years.. Its been May since I last raced it and then had to pull the motor due to oil issues.. and currently its still at the machine shop with a long laundry list of problems... and at least another couple months before it'll be ready for pick up..
In the last two years, I've dumped a very sizeable amount of money in it and if I was married, the amount is so great, I'm sure I'd be planning for a divorce..
When I look back at the cost and labor and sweat I've put into a car that is nothing more than a trailer weight, I realized that with this summer long break from racing, I dont think I miss racing all that much..
Either I dont miss it... or I've been so turned off by the last couple of years, I question if I'll ever get back the passion I once had..
Has this happened to you and how did you work past it?
I feel your pain....All that investment and a serious lack of enjoyment that could have been used in many other ways.....
I found myself in the same boat this season. I won the championship last year, worked like a dog all winter, and I think that coupled with the loss of most of our meets at our favorite track due to ownership change, I just wasn't in it....Add that on top of the investment of buying the car I won with and sinking a few more bucks into it, and I think I burnt out and just wasn't feeling it this year. Not to mention they cancelled a lot of the TNT sessions I enjoy more than racing sometimes.
In fact my Hemi Cuda has been the biggest disappointment this summer....Pulled the motor yet again and will try this one last time. Can't wait to see the bill to rehab it about the 10th time.
In the mean time this past summer I found a new hobby....ATV riding...Finding people to ride with was not easy, either way it was a lot of fun the times I got to go..I plan to go a lot more next summer.
I even tried the car show scene a little this summer....That sucks too.
I doubt I will race much next year unless either the venue at my favorite track gets back to normal or my stupid Hemi starts working right I will probably sell one of the cars...who knows. Still finished in the top ten, 6th I think, but I hated the one track they put us at most of the season, so who knows..I keep thinking if I could make the Duster street legal and put a power adder on it, I might get excited again, but....
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Re: What do you guys do when this happens???
[Re: Monte_Smith]
#1696975
11/11/14 12:25 AM
11/11/14 12:25 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,928 Akron, Ohio
ProSport
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,928
Akron, Ohio
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Quote:
The point here, is that there is NOTHING wrong with being considered strictly a career test and tuner.
Good point Monte, I raced for 21 years straight and managed a few win lights but I've always enjoyed working towards a new best more than anything. It's fun and less stress than anything else. I haven't raced for the last 4 years, been doing other things and my 72 Duster street car is almost done, no roll cage, no tubs, no race gas, just get in and cruise with the option of blowing the tires off the car every now and then. Once my 14 year old son gets a little older and the sports slow down I'm sure I'll have slicks and a roll cage again.
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