My Story

[RounDeeRoun]

Well, I am tired of ‘lurking’ and need to express my views on what I have read in the various threads about the costs of racing and purses, are the calls fair, and incredibly; how come the rules make me spend money to be safe in a race car. What I find entertaining is that what is being expressed in 2003 is what we expressed in the late 1960’s.

 

I have been involved in auto racing for over 30 years as a spectator, crewmember, the driver/owner, the car owner/sponsor, the sponsor, and now the spectator again. I love this sport but as I grow older and my lifestyle changes so do some of my interests.

 

I was ‘hooked’ on this sport at Corpus Christi Speedway back in the late 60’s. Being a spectator was ‘cool’ but not enough. I bought my first pit pass so that hopefully someone would let me help with their racecar so that I could be part of that elite-racing group that I had admired from the stands. I learned very fast that the care and feeding of racecars is expensive, time consuming, and many times, unrewarding.

 

We when to the track every week knowing that we would win the feature but went home many times with a wrecked car, blaming everyone else for our inexperience and bad luck. Everyone on the crew helped keep the car out on the track every week by contributing their labor and a few dollars so that ‘our’ car and driver would win.

 

One day I got the urge to become a driver/owner of a racecar. After all, I had all this experience for 2 ½ years of being a crewmember and besides, I ‘knew’ that I could out drive the guy I was helping and would win all the races. I really learned how much money and time it takes to keep a car going. I bought a proven car, got it home, looked it over and decided it was a wonder that the former owner could have ever been competitive much less win races in the car. My wife understood my need for a hobby and supported me in many ways. I really did believe that for her birthday, she wanted a new set of headers and for Christmas, we could share and enjoy together the new engine from Rogers Machine Shop.

 

For 5 years, I knew that the others were cheating and that the track had it in for me. I wrecked my car too many times. I believed for 3 years that the suggestion that I replace my fiberglass seat with an aluminum seat was a needless expense (I needed a carburetor) until I found the wall in turn 3 and the seat broke into pieces and I broke my collarbone. I spent excessively too much money on my hobby. I knew that track was screwing me by paying a small purse while making all of that money from the pit passes and registration fees, tickets, sponsors, and concessions. Nevertheless, I showed up every week to prove I was a winner.

 

My wife presented the choice of racecar or divorce one day. She agreed I needed a hobby but not this hobby. One of my crewmembers wanted to drive the car while my broken bones healed. He didn’t have the money to buy the car so I agreed that I would keep the purse winnings and he would maintain the car. My electric business became his biggest sponsor. He didn’t have the money to race so I helped him out. He won the championship in his second year in my car and we agreed on a selling price for the car because he said he had a better sponsor for the next year.

 

The next season I sponsored yet another of my former crewmembers that wanted to join the elite group of racecar driver/owners. He learned quickly that this is an expensive hobby. After his third wreck of the season, he parked the car. I had given him a healthy sum of money for sponsorship and was screwed. It was a 16-week season and he raced for just 3 weeks. My wife and bookkeeper helped me decide that I would never sponsor a car again.

 

I was back in the grandstands as a spectator. I was a ‘die-hard’ race fan. The car counts started to drop and facility became dirty and ill maintained. My wife, kids and I started going to the races less and less.

 

I decided to take my boys fishing one day and the fishing bug bit me. Within 3 years I had more in fishing equipment (boat, trailer, tackle, licenses, etc…) than I ever had in my last hobby of auto racing. I am proud to say that I lost less money in racing than I did the day I sold my boat!

 

My wife and I took up golf. I am learning that the golf bug can bite you also. I wonder how much this hobby is going to cost.

 

Saturday Night, my wife, and I went out to CC Speedway to see a race. It was refreshing to see full fields of cars again and the place is improving. I am starting to have an urge to become involved in auto racing so that I be one of those elite guys in the pits doing what they really love and enjoy.

 

I think that my boys and I will be buying pit passes next week.

[NickHolt]

RounDeeRoun,

 

Glad you came out of the stands and joined the fray! Your story could fit a whole bunch of us here, with a few minor changes here and there..

 

Hey, I've got a great idea! Let's buy a race track! I know we can do a better job than those present owners.. LOL

 

Nick Holt

[racerjim2]

Its refreshing to hear that a track in Texas has a good car count.CCSpeedway has adjusted the classses of race cars to match the economy of the area.Correct me if I am wrong but the top class at CC Speesway is like the Kyle street stocks and the San Antonio Sportsman class.The classes at CC Speedway have been the same for quite som time and have not made cars or chassis obsolete.and with a 1/4 mile track the cars dont get completely destroyed in crashes.The purse is probably at least 50% of what it cost to race race a car on a weekly basis.

[Bandit]

Roundeeroun, your story is true for a majority of the racers out there. Without my parents support I would never have been able to do what I do today. I have been racing since I was five years old so I don't know anything else (or don't know any better). It's good to hear of an old fan/participant that has made his way back. Please come out to CC speedway when the Romco cars come to town in a few weeks and say hey. (#55)