Drivers

Yogisd1

Yogisd1

Resident Retard
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
1,029
Points
343
Location
Northern California
I'm just curious. How many of you out there, have ever raced competitively before? It doesn't matter what level, or for how long. I drove quarter, and micro midgets, from age five to sixteen. And had three midget races before it got too expensive. I'm now at the age that I'm thinking, "If I could just get behind the wheel one more time." My better judgement tells me that it is probably a bad idea. Then again, if the opportunity presented itself, I'm probably dumb enough to try. So how many drivers do we have out there?
 
Yogisd1 said:
I'm just curious. How many of you out there, have ever raced competitively before? It doesn't matter what level, or for how long. I drove quarter, and micro midgets, from age five to sixteen. And had three midget races before it got too expensive. I'm now at the age that I'm thinking, "If I could just get behind the wheel one more time." My better judgement tells me that it is probably a bad idea. Then again, if the opportunity presented itself, I'm probably dumb enough to try. So how many drivers do we have out there?
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Well, I haven't yet, but I plan to in 2017. See link below. http://racing-forums.com/threads/ucar-racing-in-2017.53956/
 
There are quite a few on here. I desperately wanted to race as a kid, but my parents wouldn't let me. "If we buy you a quarter midget or go-kart, we have to buy them for your brothers too, and we can't afford it!" :idunno:

So, like any adult, I occasionally participate in local track days at the 1/4 mile or autocross and pretend I'm a racer. Unfortunately I sold all my high horsepower cars, so I can't even do that anymore.
 
I raced go-karts for a few years in my late teens/early 20's, that's as far as I got. Even at that level, the $ got to be too much.
 
Drag races at the local tracks in the late 60s and 70s and did okay.
 
I tried, but it was just too expensive. I mean even at the karting level you need some type of funding.

It was just to expensive to keep going and honestly I loved racing, but until I realized how expensive it was for my folks... I just said forget it.
 
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Kiante said:
I tried, but it was just too expensive. I mean even at the parting level you need some type of funding.
It was just to expensive to keep going and honestly I loved racing, but until I realized how expensive it was for my folks... I just said forget it.
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How goes our resident Air Force trainee? It's good that you're still posting even though your busy busy. :cheers:
 
Johali said:
How goes our resident Air Force trainee? It's good that you're still posting even though your busy busy. :cheers:
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I try to post when I can.

It's the weekend, so I can can relax a bit. As always Johali, I appreciate the words of kindness.:)
 
Have fun with it, Kiante.


My wife and I won a couple gimmick rallies. Kinda sorry to see that end, it was a lot of fun.

Other than that some bracket stuff – without her in the car......
 
My mom said it was too expensive, my dad was on board with getting me started but never happened, of course she let my little brother try out every sport under the sun not matter the cost, but that's another story
 
Modest success in the 1970's and early 1980's in club level roadracing with AAMRR and WERA, running modified Yamaha and Ducati production bikes. A mix of sprint races and 6-hour or 4-hour endurance races. For the enduros, I teamed with another rider named Gary Marshall, who paid all the bills for the endurance races.

I was a customer of, and raced out of, a small hole-in-the-wall Yamaha dealership (Cycle Works) in Stamford, CT. Mike Baldwin worked there, and went on to have huge success. Five time AMA F1 champion, the premier class in US roadracing. Full boat factory Honda rider, raced some grands prix, but his pro career was shortened by injuries. He was known to everyone as "Mike The Bike" after Mike Hailwood, and he gave me the nickname "Lew the Shoe" which stuck although I did not deserve the honor.

Later I ran track days 7 to 10 times per year until about age 60 (2008).
 
R Clarence said:
Have fun with it, Kiante.


My wife and I won a couple gimmick rallies. Kinda sorry to see that end, it was a lot of fun.

Other than that some bracket stuff – without her in the car......
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Yes sir, I did have fun.

Yet it's still a hobby that takes money to do, if it's a hobby I go all out with what I have. As much as I love simulators, there is nothing like getting out on the track.
 
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Your old aunt on the inside. Sister car passing. 10 or so years in a few of those cars all over the NorthWest.
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After that ... another 10 or so seasons in stock cars in half a dozen different cars including this one. Gary Nelson and Ivan Baldwin built the coil-over, rack and pinion chassis.

 
I currently am piloting a UMP dirt modified. I have raced something with wheels since the age of 10 and I am now 45. Everything from BMX bikes to Quads to Dirt Late Models. We have been very lucky with having good sponsors who help us afford the ever increasing cost of racing.
 
aunty dive said:
Your old aunt on the inside. Sister car passing. 10 or so years in a few of those cars all over the NorthWest.
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Cool, Aunty. What are those cars called? Super modified?
 
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This is the car I will be driving in the next couple weeks. It's not my car but while my new one is being built I will drive this one.
 
2 Sweet said:
There are quite a few on here. I desperately wanted to race as a kid, but my parents wouldn't let me. "If we buy you a quarter midget or go-kart, we have to buy them for your brothers too, and we can't afford it!" :idunno:

So, like any adult, I occasionally participate in local track days at the 1/4 mile or autocross and pretend I'm a racer. Unfortunately I sold all my high horsepower cars, so I can't even do that anymore.
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I shared a car with my two brothers. Since we were far enough apart in age we were all in different classes. AustinDillon3, I hope you get the chance. There is nothing else like it. Thanks everybody for responding. Also congrats to all that have been able to get behind the wheel, the race is it's own reward. Aunty Dive, I thought that stock car looked familiar. I was pit crew on a stock car when Baldwin, Ervan, and Skinner, were still locals in Northern California. That was one fast car.
 
I've driven and been crew-chief on karts off-and-on since the late 1970s. Competitively? I’ve had my moments, but lately I've been chasin' more than racin'... me and my kart are getting old... lol.

I've also been crew-chief on some bracket drag cars, Legends cars, Enduro car, and Street Stock through Limited Late Model dirt cars. Have helped on a few others (4 cylinder cars on dirt and pavement, pavement modified, dirt Late Model, and a few motorcycles and odd-balls). Budget has kept me reigned in pretty tightly.

But you're almost never too old to try to race. Maybe you can find somebody at a local track who will let you run a few laps in practice. But be careful about getting hooked again...
 
I raced Karts for a few years then Semi lates and Lates on dirt for 7 or 8 years. I spent about 10 years as owner/crew chief for my son in Karts, Sprints and Late models. Now I have a couple Granddaughters and a Grandson. I'm just waiting to see which one shows the most interest in the Kart track I have in the backyard!:)
 
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Road raced a Formula Vee for 30 years. I would be back in the car in a minute but a heart attacked took me out and keeps me out.
Also a couple of 24 hour races in a Show Room Stock car.
Also my best friend who went to the races with me moved to Florida.

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