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Topic: Kids in racing today....
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January 08, 2014 at
02:11:19 AM
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Reply to:
Posted By: CBGarage on January 07 2014 at 02:07:55 PM
First off, allow me to say, I understand that these kids have talent and are good. There are no doubts about that.
My issue comes from when there is a decision to be made between an 18-20 year old versus a 30-32 year old driving your car. Everyone wants to choose the 18-20 year old and follow the youth movement. Again, I know that these kids have talent and push the gas but hell, so does a seasoned 30, 35, 40 year old vet. But the kids always seem to get the nod over the older guys - hell now 30 is old in racing. Back in the day, 30 was the youth movement...ha
As someone who has worked my butt off and paid for my own equipment my entire life, it gets frustrating. You get these kids who have never had to go through the things we have in order to make it to the next race, they haven't earned their stripes per se, but get treated as kings. Why? Someone please explain this to me in a way that I will understand because I haven't understood it yet.
It's similar to the female movement. I'm not trying to bash women racers, they have the same rights to compete as we do but unfortunately, the majority (not all) of them get shoved straight to the top without earning their stripes either - while us "normal" guys put our blood, sweat, and tears into making it from week to week.
Again, I'm not bashing the kids, nor am I bashing female racers, I'm bashing those who ignore the rest of us that have "earned" our shot at the glory. For any of you car owners that read this, please keep us in mind the next time you're looking for a driver. We have several qualities 1. we do know how to go fast - in a smart way 2. we know what the expense of these machines are, we have to pay for them too 3. we've been around a while, we understand that winning today and then wadding up cars 2 weeks in a row will not achieve team goals and 4. see number 1.
That's all my griping for today, try not to bash me too hard for my opinion of the situation!
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I agree 100% with what you are saying, its easy to pass judgement on a kid in a hot car, maybe thier personalities are larger than what we see on thier wings?? maybe not? some are just brats.. maybe they will get knocked around, maybe not? hopefully, they grow up to be a great spokesperson and attraction for our sport.. that is "hopefully" . there is a few good "spoiled" kids out there today. with that being said, Im 38, my years of finding a ride have come and gone, I remind myself that fact , It becomes a test when I roll in the gate of david vs goliath, I hold that idea, its one thing I have to lean on and those kids never will (im the underdog here) , It's my wallet vs your daddies and every other bandwagon member that wants the 2% token of victory when the kids diapers arnt wet and he succeeds, ya, a guy can't do a victory dance on a 15yr olds birthday cake. its tacky, but, I think all us novices understad the feeling, it seems the competition and equipment is getting harder? before I was a racer I was a fan, alot of kids never have the time of watching hero's , and growing up as a kid, not as a competitor. I routinely catch myself rooting for Saldana,Kemenah,Sides,ect, Guys that are my age and havent nessesarly hit the victory jackpot yet . we all have our favorites and for each of our own reasons. A Rookie,Veteran,Novice, a Female, ect .. I guess thats what makes it unique. fans have thier options, At my age theres a special spot reserved for my Trophies , Ive spent more than I should have in the pursuet of victory, the sacrafices of those around me I thank for thier understading, its a disease of mine . I have all the competition ill ever need in life on that track, when the engine fires its just up to you and your equipment 23 other competitors are hoping its thier night too, regardless of thier age, not many other sports are that intence.. In the name of victory ill party like no other ill hold the ones that believed in me .. and ill take that piece/pieces of plastic to my grave . hopefully , ill run out of room.
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January 08, 2014 at
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This message was edited on
January 08, 2014 at
10:27:20 AM by onehunglow
WOW.... Time flys bye !!
It's that time of year again for the "poor Me " post. Why does everyone think it's their job to tell others how to and who to spend their money on ? If someone has either worked their tail off to build a business and make all the sacrafices to make that business succesful who are you people to cry foul ? Or tell them " who " they should put in their race car. It's their money they can do what they want. Apparently they either worked harder than you or smarter than you. What do you people think.... car owners just opened their front door and there was a truck load of money sitting there for them or the keys to an established business given to them ?? Take a look around the pits and start counting the family owned teams. Probably 80% or higher. If Dad wants to spend his money on a race car for his kid GOOD for him ! I at least get to see another car on the track. Maybe you guys are playing in an arena that you can't afford. That's life. Listening to some of the replys on here you must be Obama supporters. The tracks should get all the teams together at the beginning of the season and tally up everyones funds for the year and " re-distribute" them equally so the guys that have been racing for 10 years or more and have done nothing to get noticed by an owner and offered that same " FREE" ride your all bitching about are equal. It's only unfair when it's not you getting it. I guess Rahmer, Dewease, Hodnett, Montieth, Kinser, Saldana, Pittman, etc. who have been in free rides from almost the very start of their careers are disliked also because they have been handed free equipment and also getting paid!! can you believe that , getting paid also !!!!!! I officially hate them all now. Everyone of those guys were snatched up VERY early by big money owners. Do you know why these owners are racing sprint cars ? Probably because they can't afford Nascar or F1 !!!!
Becuase dad has money, why does that automatically mean the kid is a " Spoiled little Brat " Believe it or not most of them are good kids and mannered very well from the ones I've spoken to ( that's why they are attractive to sponsors ) The parents worked hard for what they have and make sure not to let them be brats.
CBGarage please post your real name so everyone knows who you are? Maybe your great...... or maybe your not. Let the masses then post about your career and if you've done anything to deserve the " FREE" ride that just pisses you off so bad. Or take your sprint car budget and go to micro's and you too can be one of those Rich , big time owners with all the best equipment. There's and old saying : " you can be a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond", your choice, it's America !!
Don't hate the player, hate the game......
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January 08, 2014 at
10:54:34 AM
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I never said what a person should or shouldn't spend their money on, if they want to spend it on booze and hookers, it's not my business.
What is my business is when I'm pacing around the track and the 13 year old next to me wheel hops me and rips my left sideboard off on the pace lap.....all because someone is hoping they have the next Jeff Gordon sitting in their car. This is a true story and has happend to me!
You say and I quote "What do you people think.... car owners just opened their front door and there was a truck load of money sitting there for them or the keys to an established business given to them ??" No, I don't think that is how they got their money, but that's how these kids are getting rides, they're not earning anything. What happend to the days of earning your shot? It's not just in racing, it's our society as a whole now, the whole world isn't earning their keep, paying their dues, and it sucks. It won't change, it's how it is, but fortunately we're still allowed to tell people how much we disagree with it, no matter how much they don't want to hear our opinion on the matter.
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January 08, 2014 at
11:31:12 AM
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Reply to:
Posted By: onehunglow on January 08 2014 at 10:10:58 AM
WOW.... Time flys bye !!
It's that time of year again for the "poor Me " post. Why does everyone think it's their job to tell others how to and who to spend their money on ? If someone has either worked their tail off to build a business and make all the sacrafices to make that business succesful who are you people to cry foul ? Or tell them " who " they should put in their race car. It's their money they can do what they want. Apparently they either worked harder than you or smarter than you. What do you people think.... car owners just opened their front door and there was a truck load of money sitting there for them or the keys to an established business given to them ?? Take a look around the pits and start counting the family owned teams. Probably 80% or higher. If Dad wants to spend his money on a race car for his kid GOOD for him ! I at least get to see another car on the track. Maybe you guys are playing in an arena that you can't afford. That's life. Listening to some of the replys on here you must be Obama supporters. The tracks should get all the teams together at the beginning of the season and tally up everyones funds for the year and " re-distribute" them equally so the guys that have been racing for 10 years or more and have done nothing to get noticed by an owner and offered that same " FREE" ride your all bitching about are equal. It's only unfair when it's not you getting it. I guess Rahmer, Dewease, Hodnett, Montieth, Kinser, Saldana, Pittman, etc. who have been in free rides from almost the very start of their careers are disliked also because they have been handed free equipment and also getting paid!! can you believe that , getting paid also !!!!!! I officially hate them all now. Everyone of those guys were snatched up VERY early by big money owners. Do you know why these owners are racing sprint cars ? Probably because they can't afford Nascar or F1 !!!!
Becuase dad has money, why does that automatically mean the kid is a " Spoiled little Brat " Believe it or not most of them are good kids and mannered very well from the ones I've spoken to ( that's why they are attractive to sponsors ) The parents worked hard for what they have and make sure not to let them be brats.
CBGarage please post your real name so everyone knows who you are? Maybe your great...... or maybe your not. Let the masses then post about your career and if you've done anything to deserve the " FREE" ride that just pisses you off so bad. Or take your sprint car budget and go to micro's and you too can be one of those Rich , big time owners with all the best equipment. There's and old saying : " you can be a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond", your choice, it's America !!
Don't hate the player, hate the game......
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I'm not going to post any names but I'm fairly certain I have figured out who the original poster is and they had four top tens in ASCS 305 races but no wins and only one top five in 2013 and ran three ASCS 360 races, where they had a B-Main DNS and two B-Main DNFs (9th and 12th). Not exactly setting the world on fire.
Looks like a prime example of the Dunning-Kruger effect to me.
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January 08, 2014 at
12:04:06 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: SprintFan16 on January 08 2014 at 11:31:12 AM
I'm not going to post any names but I'm fairly certain I have figured out who the original poster is and they had four top tens in ASCS 305 races but no wins and only one top five in 2013 and ran three ASCS 360 races, where they had a B-Main DNS and two B-Main DNFs (9th and 12th). Not exactly setting the world on fire.
Looks like a prime example of the Dunning-Kruger effect to me.
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Actually that would be my nephew who has been out of racing for several years and just got back into it this past season - he has won races too by the way but you're correct, none this season. As for myself, I've won 9 championships in every class from street stocks to sprint cars, over 300 A main wins, finished 2nd in the NASCAR Sunbelt Region points in twice, have won ASCS features - never any 410s, we don't race 410's around here. Need photos of my trophy room(s) (yes plural, they won't all fit in 1) too?
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January 08, 2014 at
12:28:41 PM
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Sorry....there are two of us in this shop and only 1 username. Yes..I didnt have a good season but what the results dont tell you is that I was an R & D test dummy for a new style chassis, ignition system, engine combinations, etc. What the results also dont say is the amount of races we lead to only have one of these R & D parts become an issue. Now, my original post was not about me, it was about my uncle and how green kids are chosen over veterans that can get the job done. We have some sponsorship but still struggle to find him a ride because of the youth movement and he has earned his stripes.
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January 08, 2014 at
12:31:30 PM
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OK...I must be missing something. This thread was started by someone saying that he works his butt off to pay for his racing, then they state that the younger drivers are taking the "rides". Do you own your own team or not? Are you wanting to drive for someone else? If you think you are a better driver then you will be getting a ride. Bottom line is that experience + attitude + performance is what is getting the premier rides. If you are missing one of these or possibly two of these, then that's the problem. If someone can bring sponsor $$$, then that's also a plus if someone HAS to have the $$$ to even be able to field a car. I only know of a couple of teams that have switched drivers from "experienced" to "young gun" and it wasn't about the $$$ it was about one of the components listed above.
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January 08, 2014 at
12:34:43 PM
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Sorry....there are two of us in this shop and only 1 username. Yes..I didnt have a good season but what the results dont tell you is that I was an R & D test dummy for a new style chassis, ignition system, engine combinations, etc. What the results also dont say is the amount of races we lead to only have one of these R & D parts become an issue. Now, my original post was not about me, it was about my uncle and how green kids are chosen over veterans that can get the job done. We have some sponsorship but still struggle to find him a ride because of the youth movement and he has earned his stripes.
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January 08, 2014 at
12:51:26 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: onehunglow on January 08 2014 at 10:10:58 AM
WOW.... Time flys bye !!
It's that time of year again for the "poor Me " post. Why does everyone think it's their job to tell others how to and who to spend their money on ? If someone has either worked their tail off to build a business and make all the sacrafices to make that business succesful who are you people to cry foul ? Or tell them " who " they should put in their race car. It's their money they can do what they want. Apparently they either worked harder than you or smarter than you. What do you people think.... car owners just opened their front door and there was a truck load of money sitting there for them or the keys to an established business given to them ?? Take a look around the pits and start counting the family owned teams. Probably 80% or higher. If Dad wants to spend his money on a race car for his kid GOOD for him ! I at least get to see another car on the track. Maybe you guys are playing in an arena that you can't afford. That's life. Listening to some of the replys on here you must be Obama supporters. The tracks should get all the teams together at the beginning of the season and tally up everyones funds for the year and " re-distribute" them equally so the guys that have been racing for 10 years or more and have done nothing to get noticed by an owner and offered that same " FREE" ride your all bitching about are equal. It's only unfair when it's not you getting it. I guess Rahmer, Dewease, Hodnett, Montieth, Kinser, Saldana, Pittman, etc. who have been in free rides from almost the very start of their careers are disliked also because they have been handed free equipment and also getting paid!! can you believe that , getting paid also !!!!!! I officially hate them all now. Everyone of those guys were snatched up VERY early by big money owners. Do you know why these owners are racing sprint cars ? Probably because they can't afford Nascar or F1 !!!!
Becuase dad has money, why does that automatically mean the kid is a " Spoiled little Brat " Believe it or not most of them are good kids and mannered very well from the ones I've spoken to ( that's why they are attractive to sponsors ) The parents worked hard for what they have and make sure not to let them be brats.
CBGarage please post your real name so everyone knows who you are? Maybe your great...... or maybe your not. Let the masses then post about your career and if you've done anything to deserve the " FREE" ride that just pisses you off so bad. Or take your sprint car budget and go to micro's and you too can be one of those Rich , big time owners with all the best equipment. There's and old saying : " you can be a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond", your choice, it's America !!
Don't hate the player, hate the game......
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Obama supporter ? Watch it buddy thats racist vile and ..... Awww hell i cant remember all the rest of the things u gotta call people if they have an opinion. i better research that duck dynasty story again.
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January 08, 2014 at
01:05:42 PM
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I can see both sides of the arguement on this. The older person has paid their dues and worked hard for the opportunity for a quality ride and sponsorship, but then again how is the young 16-18 year old supposed to get their experience? I have always been a results driven type person when it comes to racing and would always consider what has each racer accomplished so far. If I see a driver who has raced for 20 years with Medicore results vs a young kid who has had similar results then I probably would choose the younger driver and hope that he develops a little bit more if those were my only options. Now If I see a driver who has raced for 20years, is a proven winner and a threat to win night in and out, versus a kid that might be the next best thing but has not quite reached his peak, I would be more tempted to go with the proven driver.
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January 08, 2014 at
02:10:57 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: dirt in ur beer on January 08 2014 at 12:51:26 PM
Obama supporter ? Watch it buddy thats racist vile and ..... Awww hell i cant remember all the rest of the things u gotta call people if they have an opinion. i better research that duck dynasty story again.
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bottom line, one of the posters on here has driven, financed, and maintained a car as a competitor, the other has enjoyed the races from his seat as a casual fan?? i dunno just observation, , both are ok, BUT if your a current fan/enthusiest I guess your a pot calling the kettle black.. if your reply is "thats one more car I get to watch", so the seasoned veteran supplying your racing habits with entertainent isnt worthy of a shout out? your newbie kiddo has proubly turned 1/16th of the laps your current established (maybe underfunded team).. maybe the Kid will drop out? or threaten your (very valuable) cars not to return due to stipid mistakes well lets say inexperianced mistakes now what? you lost a car, your car count is dropped, but isnt everycar valuble to you to compete? to be as sharp to reply with "poor me" tuff cookies type attitude is totally ignorant.. what ever happened to the best will rise to the top?.. unfortunately in Auto racing Money is a big key to going anywhere.. I have absolutly NO intrests in ever driving a F1-Nascar type car, thats just your observation of the ladder involved in Autosport, my cup of tea is WInged 410 racing on dirt.. thats it.. no other racing form is worthy of my hard earned dollar supplying it as a competitor, your proubly right i cant afford it, or winged cars, so your going to dog on me for doing something you cant or havent? 50% of the competitors on the tracks that you watch are in the same funding catagorie.. I dare say 50% , face to face i think you would find we share alot in common, I garentee one night with me you would become a fan,or better yet a freind, i would point out the hurdles nessessary to overcome,the sacrafices it takes, and hell, ya gotta have some talent too, maybe you would respect that, maybe not? I have this Arguement with my brother in law he is a hockey player that wants his shot at driving my car, like, what is the common equivelent of you driving my car for shits n giggles to me tiying on a pair of skates? .. I have seen a ton of guys do the common thing of let some standby wad up his car in a spectical to prove the standin is a hottdog .. its all too common. So if he destroyed a car maybe like $5000 worth of boltons, or worse a $35000 motor what am I going to do, take his skates? these are expensive machines in the hands of children, maybe some of these kids are good kids? thats fine, in the sport of Auto racing you dont take 25 players to the stanley cup-superbowl ect its a game of very small odds a simple vent on the odds is like stating you didnt win the lottery again this week. not a biggy, just a rant..
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January 08, 2014 at
02:19:05 PM
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sorry dirt n beer, reply was missdirrected. although thanks for the enlightenment.. Phil for PREZ!
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January 08, 2014 at
02:22:13 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: Eric Smith on January 07 2014 at 07:56:03 PM
I have been talking about the new, young drivers and their "win it or wear it attitude" for a year now. And it bothers me. How many of these hot young drivers have worked to pay for the cars they are driving or had to bust their tails to fix and/or maintain them, or even put them together before the season in the first place. About zero. Hop on a plane, fly somewhere on someone else's dime, drive the car that someone else paid for, built, maintained, prepped, etc. If it breaks, motor blows, car gets destroyed, etc, they don't care. They just hop on a plane and fly home and leave the mess to someone else to take care of. If that ride isn't ready for them to fly someplace to drive next weekend, they just get on the internet and ask for another ride. I've only been racing 2 years now, but my pet peeve has been just this. Drivers driving other people's stuff all the time that they have no vested interest in and treat it as such. They are going to win more, because the driver who spent his own hard earned time and money to build, maintain, prep, etc his car and will have to spend more of his hard earned time and money to fix whatever gets broken is going to drve his car more conservatively and take less chances. I think most people (that drive their own stuff) would rather finish, but not win, and get to race again the next night all season long than destroy their car and be done for the year trying to win one race.
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amen. exactly!
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January 08, 2014 at
02:59:42 PM
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I'm 41 years old and have sat in several cars with "for sale" signs on them and made em go fast enough to get a buyer interested...other than a piss poor attempt at owning my own midget for a couple years that has been the extent of my racing beyond karts...and it is all about money from where I sit... time after time I have outran some high dollar equipment in 10 year old cars with half the horsepower of the rest of the field. I have 3 wins in a winged car, one in a nonwing car, and one in a midget in a total of less than 40 starts. In all these starts one nerf bar and one shock is the total extent of what I have tore up....I should be a budget minded car owners dream shouldn't I? ... Problem is, in this area, at this level, to my knowledge there are only 2 true "Car Owners" that hire a driver. Everybody else has the means to own their own car to some extent or has a dad that throws fistfulls of money at a car for their kid. My biggest point of bitterness isn't with those people..hell if I had a chunk of money the only limit to my spending would be how many times I could possibly race every week...my complaint is that the sport has become so techy that money rules the roost, period. Gone are the days where talent, balls, brains and elbow grease were the measure of potential success. Even if a person buys used everything and builds their own motor out of used parts...even if they can bend up and weld a chassis together and machine homemade parts in their garage they aren't going to put a car on the track and be competitive for less than 5 figures. And that sucks for guys like me who know they have ability but have enough brains to not destroy their family with debt to live a dream.
Regarding kids...I have said for years that there are several young teens that are just fine in something with upwards of 900HP and open wheels...and there are exponentially more 45 year olds who have no business in amusement park gokarts. The worst case scenario for guys like me is when that guy who can't drive a nail into a pumpkin has enough money to go play racecar driver all year regardless of how much stuff he tears up of his own or mine. I have no problem with a mature teenager with 10 years of experience racing with adults. I have no problem with where his money or his rides come from, as long as he respects the sport and my equipment. I would much rather be on a track full of talented 15 year olds than on a track with 5 rich old dudes who never find out how to not hit stuff.
My problem with kids isn't the kids at all.... I am starting to think I have a problem with some dads of these kids though. At some point don't we need to agree that a certain age is just to damn young for someone to be in a sprintcar or midget??? There are a couple of 11 year olds racing sprintcars in this country. Sure they are some form of limited sprinter but the amount of damage they can do is never limited.... 11 year olds... one of whom I read started hotlapping a sprinter at age 8...seriously????
SO right now let me go on record with this prediction.... by 2017 we will see a headline similar to this.... "SIX YEAR OLD BOY COMPETES IN FIRST WINGED SPRINTCAR RACE"... the story will mention how the boy has a full year of experience racing quarter midgets, and after winning 3 features in Honda Novice as a 5 year old his dad decided it was time to take the next step and purchase an ASCS 360 sprinter.. the story will also go on to say that they plan on using the 360 to get some big car/big track experience, and provided they can get Lego or Thomas the Tank Engine to sign a marketing agreement, the boy will be on the road with the outlaws at age 9.... sounds far fetched I know but 10 years ago it sounded pretty far fetched to think there would be an 8 year old turning laps in a sprinter somewhere.
Loose is when you hit the wall with the rear of the
car, tight is when you hit the wall with the front of
the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall and
torque is how far you move the wall.
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January 08, 2014 at
03:51:56 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: darnall on January 08 2014 at 02:59:42 PM
I'm 41 years old and have sat in several cars with "for sale" signs on them and made em go fast enough to get a buyer interested...other than a piss poor attempt at owning my own midget for a couple years that has been the extent of my racing beyond karts...and it is all about money from where I sit... time after time I have outran some high dollar equipment in 10 year old cars with half the horsepower of the rest of the field. I have 3 wins in a winged car, one in a nonwing car, and one in a midget in a total of less than 40 starts. In all these starts one nerf bar and one shock is the total extent of what I have tore up....I should be a budget minded car owners dream shouldn't I? ... Problem is, in this area, at this level, to my knowledge there are only 2 true "Car Owners" that hire a driver. Everybody else has the means to own their own car to some extent or has a dad that throws fistfulls of money at a car for their kid. My biggest point of bitterness isn't with those people..hell if I had a chunk of money the only limit to my spending would be how many times I could possibly race every week...my complaint is that the sport has become so techy that money rules the roost, period. Gone are the days where talent, balls, brains and elbow grease were the measure of potential success. Even if a person buys used everything and builds their own motor out of used parts...even if they can bend up and weld a chassis together and machine homemade parts in their garage they aren't going to put a car on the track and be competitive for less than 5 figures. And that sucks for guys like me who know they have ability but have enough brains to not destroy their family with debt to live a dream.
Regarding kids...I have said for years that there are several young teens that are just fine in something with upwards of 900HP and open wheels...and there are exponentially more 45 year olds who have no business in amusement park gokarts. The worst case scenario for guys like me is when that guy who can't drive a nail into a pumpkin has enough money to go play racecar driver all year regardless of how much stuff he tears up of his own or mine. I have no problem with a mature teenager with 10 years of experience racing with adults. I have no problem with where his money or his rides come from, as long as he respects the sport and my equipment. I would much rather be on a track full of talented 15 year olds than on a track with 5 rich old dudes who never find out how to not hit stuff.
My problem with kids isn't the kids at all.... I am starting to think I have a problem with some dads of these kids though. At some point don't we need to agree that a certain age is just to damn young for someone to be in a sprintcar or midget??? There are a couple of 11 year olds racing sprintcars in this country. Sure they are some form of limited sprinter but the amount of damage they can do is never limited.... 11 year olds... one of whom I read started hotlapping a sprinter at age 8...seriously????
SO right now let me go on record with this prediction.... by 2017 we will see a headline similar to this.... "SIX YEAR OLD BOY COMPETES IN FIRST WINGED SPRINTCAR RACE"... the story will mention how the boy has a full year of experience racing quarter midgets, and after winning 3 features in Honda Novice as a 5 year old his dad decided it was time to take the next step and purchase an ASCS 360 sprinter.. the story will also go on to say that they plan on using the 360 to get some big car/big track experience, and provided they can get Lego or Thomas the Tank Engine to sign a marketing agreement, the boy will be on the road with the outlaws at age 9.... sounds far fetched I know but 10 years ago it sounded pretty far fetched to think there would be an 8 year old turning laps in a sprinter somewhere.
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darnall, congratulations! One of the best posts i have ever read on here !
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January 08, 2014 at
03:59:03 PM
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The sport looses credibility when kids are allowed to compete.
Half the lies they tell about me aren't true.
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January 08, 2014 at
04:45:24 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: darnall on January 08 2014 at 02:59:42 PM
I'm 41 years old and have sat in several cars with "for sale" signs on them and made em go fast enough to get a buyer interested...other than a piss poor attempt at owning my own midget for a couple years that has been the extent of my racing beyond karts...and it is all about money from where I sit... time after time I have outran some high dollar equipment in 10 year old cars with half the horsepower of the rest of the field. I have 3 wins in a winged car, one in a nonwing car, and one in a midget in a total of less than 40 starts. In all these starts one nerf bar and one shock is the total extent of what I have tore up....I should be a budget minded car owners dream shouldn't I? ... Problem is, in this area, at this level, to my knowledge there are only 2 true "Car Owners" that hire a driver. Everybody else has the means to own their own car to some extent or has a dad that throws fistfulls of money at a car for their kid. My biggest point of bitterness isn't with those people..hell if I had a chunk of money the only limit to my spending would be how many times I could possibly race every week...my complaint is that the sport has become so techy that money rules the roost, period. Gone are the days where talent, balls, brains and elbow grease were the measure of potential success. Even if a person buys used everything and builds their own motor out of used parts...even if they can bend up and weld a chassis together and machine homemade parts in their garage they aren't going to put a car on the track and be competitive for less than 5 figures. And that sucks for guys like me who know they have ability but have enough brains to not destroy their family with debt to live a dream.
Regarding kids...I have said for years that there are several young teens that are just fine in something with upwards of 900HP and open wheels...and there are exponentially more 45 year olds who have no business in amusement park gokarts. The worst case scenario for guys like me is when that guy who can't drive a nail into a pumpkin has enough money to go play racecar driver all year regardless of how much stuff he tears up of his own or mine. I have no problem with a mature teenager with 10 years of experience racing with adults. I have no problem with where his money or his rides come from, as long as he respects the sport and my equipment. I would much rather be on a track full of talented 15 year olds than on a track with 5 rich old dudes who never find out how to not hit stuff.
My problem with kids isn't the kids at all.... I am starting to think I have a problem with some dads of these kids though. At some point don't we need to agree that a certain age is just to damn young for someone to be in a sprintcar or midget??? There are a couple of 11 year olds racing sprintcars in this country. Sure they are some form of limited sprinter but the amount of damage they can do is never limited.... 11 year olds... one of whom I read started hotlapping a sprinter at age 8...seriously????
SO right now let me go on record with this prediction.... by 2017 we will see a headline similar to this.... "SIX YEAR OLD BOY COMPETES IN FIRST WINGED SPRINTCAR RACE"... the story will mention how the boy has a full year of experience racing quarter midgets, and after winning 3 features in Honda Novice as a 5 year old his dad decided it was time to take the next step and purchase an ASCS 360 sprinter.. the story will also go on to say that they plan on using the 360 to get some big car/big track experience, and provided they can get Lego or Thomas the Tank Engine to sign a marketing agreement, the boy will be on the road with the outlaws at age 9.... sounds far fetched I know but 10 years ago it sounded pretty far fetched to think there would be an 8 year old turning laps in a sprinter somewhere.
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good read. nailed it .. litterally thro a pumpkin..
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January 08, 2014 at
04:48:43 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: BIGFISH on January 08 2014 at 03:59:03 PM
The sport looses credibility when kids are allowed to compete.
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Have to agree with the three prior posts. Biggest concern for me as a competitor is what happens when a kid gets hurt? Seen it happen in motocross, there is a injury, or death, track sued, track closed. The waivers really arent worth the paper they are printed on.
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January 08, 2014 at
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Posted By: dirtdevil on January 08 2014 at 01:30:15 AM
that 15 wasnt from Fargo but he raced there weekly, and as far as snide remarks they were proubly fairly truthfull, the 15 wrecking was almost a sure bet and competitors being concerned is hard to keep humble , his daddy did the same in his career, in both thier defence these cars are like that, no accident is a small one, alot of stuff gets tore up, Dannys persistance to make his kid better was honed, "the Kid" eventually caught on, and he caught on big, he didnt have other resposibilities we all do , his job was to become a racer, he stuck with it, 99% of us on here will never have that oppertunity, it takes big money,big people , and big sacrafices ,BUT you have to have the golden oppertunity of $Money$ .. this sport can be zero to hero or hero to zero. its sad but true, dont dawg on the competitors in that specific time, they were just calling it as they see it . quite honestly, alot of them proubly could have done the same. I think if you ever talk to Danny and Donny about what it takes to get to the top you would be surprized what they know .. I respect that .
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Yeah, I forgot, it was originally Minot. To be expeced from a guy who can't remember his own name without looking at his driver's licence. 
Stan Meissner
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January 08, 2014 at
06:02:35 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: darnall on January 08 2014 at 02:59:42 PM
I'm 41 years old and have sat in several cars with "for sale" signs on them and made em go fast enough to get a buyer interested...other than a piss poor attempt at owning my own midget for a couple years that has been the extent of my racing beyond karts...and it is all about money from where I sit... time after time I have outran some high dollar equipment in 10 year old cars with half the horsepower of the rest of the field. I have 3 wins in a winged car, one in a nonwing car, and one in a midget in a total of less than 40 starts. In all these starts one nerf bar and one shock is the total extent of what I have tore up....I should be a budget minded car owners dream shouldn't I? ... Problem is, in this area, at this level, to my knowledge there are only 2 true "Car Owners" that hire a driver. Everybody else has the means to own their own car to some extent or has a dad that throws fistfulls of money at a car for their kid. My biggest point of bitterness isn't with those people..hell if I had a chunk of money the only limit to my spending would be how many times I could possibly race every week...my complaint is that the sport has become so techy that money rules the roost, period. Gone are the days where talent, balls, brains and elbow grease were the measure of potential success. Even if a person buys used everything and builds their own motor out of used parts...even if they can bend up and weld a chassis together and machine homemade parts in their garage they aren't going to put a car on the track and be competitive for less than 5 figures. And that sucks for guys like me who know they have ability but have enough brains to not destroy their family with debt to live a dream.
Regarding kids...I have said for years that there are several young teens that are just fine in something with upwards of 900HP and open wheels...and there are exponentially more 45 year olds who have no business in amusement park gokarts. The worst case scenario for guys like me is when that guy who can't drive a nail into a pumpkin has enough money to go play racecar driver all year regardless of how much stuff he tears up of his own or mine. I have no problem with a mature teenager with 10 years of experience racing with adults. I have no problem with where his money or his rides come from, as long as he respects the sport and my equipment. I would much rather be on a track full of talented 15 year olds than on a track with 5 rich old dudes who never find out how to not hit stuff.
My problem with kids isn't the kids at all.... I am starting to think I have a problem with some dads of these kids though. At some point don't we need to agree that a certain age is just to damn young for someone to be in a sprintcar or midget??? There are a couple of 11 year olds racing sprintcars in this country. Sure they are some form of limited sprinter but the amount of damage they can do is never limited.... 11 year olds... one of whom I read started hotlapping a sprinter at age 8...seriously????
SO right now let me go on record with this prediction.... by 2017 we will see a headline similar to this.... "SIX YEAR OLD BOY COMPETES IN FIRST WINGED SPRINTCAR RACE"... the story will mention how the boy has a full year of experience racing quarter midgets, and after winning 3 features in Honda Novice as a 5 year old his dad decided it was time to take the next step and purchase an ASCS 360 sprinter.. the story will also go on to say that they plan on using the 360 to get some big car/big track experience, and provided they can get Lego or Thomas the Tank Engine to sign a marketing agreement, the boy will be on the road with the outlaws at age 9.... sounds far fetched I know but 10 years ago it sounded pretty far fetched to think there would be an 8 year old turning laps in a sprinter somewhere.
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I agree on the observations about children driving full up Sprint Cars. Two things about that bother me. One is the obvious insurance implications if a child is seriously hurt or worse. The second is how that makes the sport look to outsiders. My first exposure to dirt track racing goes back to the early 60's. We used to go watch the Supermodifieds every Sunday at a local track and they were basically Sprint Cars with a little sheet metal. A few of my favorite local drivers were Sprint Car drivers that ran the Supermodifieds between their exploits with the IMCA and included Jerry Richert Sr., Scratch Daniels and a Floridian who used to spent a couple summers up here by the name of Buzz Barton. Now anybody who saw those guys and others of that era race can relate to how tough those guys were. Most sported crew cuts, many were veterans of WWII or Korea, they were some tough hombres.
When I was a kid I was a fan of guys like Johnny Unitas, they were grown men and real life sports heroes. I'm not so sure I would have been in awe of the sport like I was if I had been watching kids my own age compete. Aside from all the insurance concerns I think it sends the message to the outside world that Sprint Cars aren't to be taken seriously. We always hear that attitude when NASCAR media talks about Sprints like it's some kind of amature deal that produces NASCAR prospects that haven't got their first razor. So I guess that's how I feel about kids in Sprint Car racing, I don't want to see any of them get hurt when they're still too young to understand the implications. And if I was still a kid myself my heroes would be adults playing in the NFL, NHL and MLB. It would be hard to have that same type of fan enthusiasm for another 12 year old.
Stan Meissner
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