Racing passion

[RSVMILLE661]

Its the off season and jonesing for anything racing I sat down and watched the Dale Earnhardt story on ESPN 2.

There is a quote in the movie where Dale Sr. is talking to Jr and he says "Its either there or its not. If it is then it will always be there and there is no way to stop it, if its not there then it never will be."

I stopped to think about this and realized that racing has been a part of my life since I was 4. I have been racing since I was 19 and I look at it now and I don't know that I'll ever stop.

I wanted to know what effect it has had on your lives. Is it something you could walk away from?

[Degsy]

Originally posted by RSVMILLE661
I wanted to know what effect it has had on your lives. Is it something you could walk away from?

Yep, I had to. Doesn't mean I dont jones for the feeling of racing though. I'll never not want to race.

[daviid]

ive been around nascar since i was about 8 or 9. for the longest time, i was either gonna drive or work on a team. i moved to Concord, NC for that very reason. i ran out of money so i had to move back here. not before my friend stephanie got me into bikes. now im into a completly different form of racing and its great

[McBiggity]

i don't know.
only been racing for a year.
But I do wake up thinking about- go to bed thinking about it.
All day at work, I sit here and think about racing- lines, ways to go faster, etc.
People don't understand why I think/talk about it so much. It's a true addiction.

[Stoneman]

Racing was actually force-fed to me since before I can remember. My father used to race stock cars all around the northeast and is/was an avid 'race chaser' to this day. My uncle - his brother - was his wrench. My pops actually attended the first ever 'Winston Cup' race and not too long ago attended the very last ever 'Winston Cup' race...

Back when Bryer Motorsports Park (now NHIS) first started operating, my father worked for the Bryers. As an announcer, flagger, hospitality dude and even worked on the construction crew that built the original track(s). When he wasn't too busy working for them, he filled his spare time racing there (and anywhere else he could afford to get to)...

As such, it's kinda been shoved in my face for mosta my life. Thankfully, the NASCRAP stuff was never really pushed on me. Just as thankfully, motorcycle racing of all forms was. Being an employee of the Bryers, we were always privledge to things others weren't. I've been attending streetbike and motorcross races for as long as I can remember...

Unfortunitely, the gene to compete in such activities wasn't passed along to me. I tried - mostly unsuccesfully - my hand at motorcycle roadracing. It never really clicked for me. I still love spectating live events, but really don't have much of an interest in watching televised events. I still love going to NHIS to watch our local crew of racers here. But the actually racing never really 'did it' for me personally. It wasn't nearly as fun FOR ME as I thought it would be. The lack of fun didn't nearly justify the money involved TO ME...

[trackdog]

Originally posted by Stoneman
Racing was actually force-fed to me since before I can remember. My father used to race stock cars all around the northeast and is/was an avid 'race chaser' to this day. My uncle - his brother - was his wrench. My pops actually attended the first ever 'Winston Cup' race and not too long ago attended the very last ever 'Winston Cup' race...

Back when Bryer Motorsports Park (now NHIS) first started operating, my father worked for the Bryers. As an announcer, flagger, hospitality dude and even worked on the construction crew that built the original track(s). When he wasn't too busy working for them, he filled his spare time racing there (and anywhere else he could afford to get to)...

As such, it's kinda been shoved in my face for mosta my life. Thankfully, the NASCRAP stuff was never really pushed on me. Just as thankfully, motorcycle racing of all forms was. Being an employee of the Bryers, we were always privledge to things others weren't. I've been attending streetbike and motorcross races for as long as I can remember...

Unfortunitely, the gene to compete in such activities wasn't passed along to me. I tried - mostly unsuccesfully - my hand at motorcycle roadracing. It never really clicked for me. I still love spectating live events, but really don't have much of an interest in watching televised events. I still love going to NHIS to watch our local crew of racers here. But the actually racing never really 'did it' for me personally. It wasn't nearly as fun FOR ME as I thought it would be. The lack of fun didn't nearly justify the money involved TO ME...

Dude.........so honest.........and open. I'm touched.


















............. .........j/k of course.


I miss you guys...............

Want some honesty. I hate nascrap......or maybe I just don't get it? (giving the benefit of a doubt). I saw that race that when #3 bought it....he intentionally got in the way of a faster car...and got what he deserved.....yes.......brutal, to the point and honest!
Try pulling that shit with two wheels and by the end of the season there would be only a couple riders on the starting grid!
#3 my ass!....prick

[x2468]

i saw the MX files on that one honda motocrosser. forgot his name, fuck. it was on the tip of my toungue. marty smith maybe, idk. fuck it. anyway. he hurt himself really bad and after that he just lost the spark. but then again people like kenny roberts and such were never held back by injury.

[R7]

My first full season racing in 2004, I woke up thinking about racing, thought about it on and off during the day and again in the evening. In my first year, it was a passion I changed my summer lifestyle to fit in the race weekends and spent whatever I had to to have the most fun I could. I was never a fast rider but improving 15 seconds in your lap times in a season makes you feel pretty good
I bought a brand new bike at the end of the 2004 season with anticipation of having the same amount of fun and showing the same passion in the 2005 season, honestly it wasn't the same. I still had a ton of fun but it seemed most of the fun was now focused off the track and not the actual racing.
About mid season, I stopped looking forward to packing up and heading to the track... I even stopped preregistering. It was more of a hassle, spent way more time and money than the return in fun. For me, a race weekend took up 4 days per weekend, 2 at the track, a day after work to pack up and prep for the weekend and another day after work to unpack and prep for the next weekend.

Can I walk away from racing? Yes!!!
I'll still be at the track every weekend when the forcast is good, maybe corner working a day and helping out some friends that need a hand with things. I may even still enter a race or 2 just for a small fix, I did renew my license for 2006

My new passion is dual sport riding

[bentbryan]

Originally posted by trackdog

Want some honesty. I hate nascrap......or maybe I just don't get it? (giving the benefit of a doubt). I saw that race that when #3 bought it....he intentionally got in the way of a faster car...and got what he deserved.....yes.......brutal, to the point and honest!
Try pulling that shit with two wheels and by the end of the season there would be only a couple riders on the starting grid!
#3 my ass!....prick

[need4speed]

The passion is there and probably always will be. I was bitten by the bug many years back but never taken the plunge until joining this website. I was convinced by a then new racer who had just finished his first race. He even offered to let me use his bike for the Penguin school, and I owe this to Dan ( legalspeed ). I enjoy the goodtimes, the benchracing , the camaraderie that goes with being at the track. There are times when the thought of the long drive home seeps in but thoughts of the next raceweekend make me forget about the drive. As far as nascrap, I just don't see the draw that it has on people other than the crashes. It gets a little boring watching drivers take left hand turns all day.The only time I watched was when Earnhardt crashed. I'd would once like to see nascrap run a race with say everyone running some old dodge darts or plymouth valiants, and run the race using reverse. Now that would show some skill and would have a good deal of crashes

As far as #3 goes " he's dead, now get over it" j\k
jr though, if it wasn't for daddy he wouldn't be shit today.

[OreoGaborio]

I guess you could say i'm the oddball of the family... not because I'm weird, well, I am, but we're all weird, i'm the oddball cuz i'm the only one that ever had a big enough interest in motorsports & aviation to actually follow my heart.

Never in a million years would I think i'd be sitting here thinking about the race bike i'm getting in a couple weeks & 10 years ago I never woulda guess that was gonna be flying planes by the end of high school & going to college studing the field of aviation.... but it makes sense to me now & it's something i'm gonna persue. I did the flying thing, now i'm doin the racing thing... once I actually get some friggin sense knocked into me i'll get outta my crappy Corporate Security gig & get back into the Aviation industry... pisses me off every time I think about where I am in life & the fact that I've still done nothing about it.... but at the moment, i'm comfortable w/ what i'm doing & that's the biggest reason why I haven't made any changes to my carreer... I've got a routine set & it's hard to break back into any industry once you get "bumped" out of it.

I hope racing is something i'll always be around and I know for sure Motorcycling will always be in my life... not just for the activity, but also for the new family that I've found.

[Onedwn5up]

For me it's just been a natural evolution of my involvement and love for the sport....And probably a bit of the competitive nature inside wanting to get out.

Over the years I have tried my hand at a number of things. I am a good snowboarder, a good skateboarder, a good MX rider rider and I am "good" at a number of other things as well. Track riding was something that I discovered that I am great at, or I at least feel I am. And I go out there to continually challenge and prove to myself that I have it in me to perform and compete.

I compete for no one else but me. In a field of 40 I am my only competitor and I say whether I win or lose, not the man at the end with the flag.

The sense of personal accomplishment that I have gained from my achievements cannot have a price tag put on them. (though it would be cool if someone picked up the tab!)

[a13x]

I just like riding. Plus I have a Honda tattoo, so if I didn't race people would think I'm weird.

[Nazo]

I did my first trackday in Oct of 2004, first lap out there I was addicted to it. It opened up a whole new door for me. I actually totalled my bike that day and ended up in the ER, but still I had a really powerful emotion to what i did that day and knew I wanted to compete against others and really push it out there.
This past season was my first season racing and it fully engulfed me. I've never felt like I was addicted to anything, but I think I'm addicted to motorcycle racing.
I've heard people say that they are loking for something to believe in or live for.....and I never really got it until I started racing. Its just "ME" I love it and live for it and will make alot of sacrifices to continue to do it.

[Awesome]

The judge told me, 'These streets are not your personal racetrack!'

[Tabby]

For me, maybe I don't truly qualify as a racer. I mostly love the freedom of riding to a point where it is a really horny style of dance. When I raced back in 83, the best times I had usually were during practice. I could ride at 8 or 9 tenths all day long it seemed. 10 tenths I could do, but it took so much more out of me. The racing environment also took away time from other things that I liked to do. Friends would call up to, say, go mountain climbing. Nope, I gotta work on my bike. So in any event, I have a ton of respect for those who can be more involved with racing. I have considered vintage racing with my old gixxer, when the USCRA makes 1986 an eligible year, but that would be a long shot. Even though it has been years since I have been on the track, I am still looking forward to getting back out there to play.

[Stoneman]

Originally posted by Tabby
...I have considered vintage racing with my old gixxer, when the USCRA makes 1986 an eligible year...

Can't say for certain, but I think it is...

[Tabby]

I just went to their website. Currently, the cutoff is "model year" 1985. On top of that, it says "steel frames only". I'll check periodically to see if that changes. Besides that, open test days and trackdays may be all the fun I can handle.

[Stoneman]

I think '85 was the cut-off in '05. Get it?

[Tabby]

Earlier last year, I was talking to Pete Essaf, sidecar racing dude. USCRA doesn't upgrade the cutoff years every year. Sort of like Snell helmet standards. The impression I got, was that it is kinda up to Bob Coy. I could be wrong. Not a big deal for me anyways. Like I said earlier, I'll probably stick to open test, and track days, anyways.

[13]

I don't race, but I will. When I do, I know I won't be able to stop. I've always been happy competing, and I think I'd do really well(I'm sure everyone does). Like Kevin Schwantz said; if I could just race bikes and get paid for it, that would be the coolest thing known to man. But, you gotta spend money to make money and the initial investment frightens me. It's just so damn overwhelming!!!!!

[Awesome]

Originally posted by Stupidhawk007
I don't race, but I will. When I do, I know I won't be able to stop. I've always been happy competing, and I think I'd do really well(I'm sure everyone does). Like Kevin Schwantz said; if I could just race bikes and get paid for it, that would be the coolest thing known to man. But, you gotta spend money to make money and the initial investment frightens me. It's just so damn overwhelming!!!!!

Spend money to make money? No....you just spend money.

[Paul_E_D]

Walking away for me is extremely difficult. I started 5 years ago, and all my original buddies have now quit. It seems to have a 4-5 year life cycle for a lot of people. These changes have forced me to consider my own involvement and to meet new people.

Most recently, I have become associated with an engine tuner, Manuel Zambrana. This guy immigrated from Cuba just 8 years ago. He's 63 and was a national champion GP racer in Cuba. He knows more about building motors and racing than I can even imagine. His passion for the stuff is still right out there in everything he does.

During my short visit to drop off my motor he led me through the streets of Miami in his truck, wheels spinning and squealing the entire time. Calling me on his cell to crack jokes while drifting the rear end of his truck. His energy level is higher than anyone I've ever met and it is infectious.

This is what I love about the sport. It's best people shine incredibly brightly no matter the age, or how many years they have done it. That's something I want to be a part of!

[a13x]

[Ken C]

I quit when something tells me it's time to quit. I raced at the old Bryar track in the mid eighties for three seasons. I quit when my life went domestic; wife, house, and kid.

Once things stabiized on the home front and more friends began racing, I dusted off the RD400 and got back out there in 2000. That was a bad year. I needed to regroup.

I returned once again in2003 with a MZ Scorpion and had a terrific time with good success and no injuries.

Now, after meeting my goal of becoming an expert and finishing reasonably well, the drive has waned. But I'm more enthusiastic than ever to be on the track. I bought a ZX636 and will be instructing for Tony's Track Days all season. With 9 events and the trip to VIR, I'll get plenty of track time.

But, track days are a far cry from racing and the energy of competition is addicting. In fact, I sent in my license app just last week so I can do an impromptu weekend if I feel like it.

But, officially, I'm once again retired. See you at the track!