Big G Smith Posted March 1, 2016 Report Share Posted March 1, 2016 If the economy gets better " Oil Patch". HMP will probably re-open. Be it Gram or some other investor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truck99 Posted March 1, 2016 Report Share Posted March 1, 2016 Thanks Radracr. I know that's an honest assessment. We did it for 2 years without missing a race and raced THR/CTS on the HMP off weekends. It's tough, but I think you might find it worth a trip at least every now and then. Since CTS is only racing once per month, you'll have plenty of time to butter up the wife between events. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radracr Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 Truck99 - if we do make it I'll be sure to shake your hand. I'm sure I'll be with others like David Webster and Ed Nastasi. I promise you - racing is in my blood but it's the $$ in my mattress that matters more. At least right now. Hopefully everybody got out to vote tonight. I don't know if Nick will strike this but here it goes: We cannot have another Democrat in office. Period. Both my wife and I are blessed to have jobs as we go through all the layoffs around us. But it is for this reason that we have been cautious about how we spend our $$. By the way, where would I get tires? I'm also thinking about taking the truck to MSR...just for fun... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelracewriter Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 The price of oil?! Yeah, well sub-$30. What's all this have to do with HMP? Well, many of the racers in the area relied on oil and gas for their discretionary $. Many of those same people have either lost their jobs or struggling to make ends meet. I have to respectfully disagree with this.....When the oil business was booming everyone said there would be lots of new cars racing....Personally I saw few, if any.....Yes some guys picked up some sponsor dollars here and there from oil related businesses, but not enough to amount to quitting racing altogether without it.....In talking to a couple guys, they said that racers will find a way to race, oil field or no oil field.... As far as HMP goes.....The dragstrip was/is a pretty much the money maker.....In most cases they race for a trophy or off the racer gate/entry for a purse..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 I don't know if Nick will strike this but here it goes: We cannot have another Democrat in office. Period. We do try to keep the partisan politics down to a dull roar in the forums. I confess I do have a couple of quotes from a patriot or two in my signature lines but, unfortunately, both are from patriots who who are no longer with us... Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelracewriter Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 both are from patriots who who are no longer with us... WHAT?....I saw Lincoln posting on fb.....lmao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 SO here is an idea ,believe all the promises made by political hacks .or all my fine upstanding truthful stories here on speedzone .....wow that should not be too hard . btw I voted so I could have a right to complain . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truck99 Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 Truck99 - if we do make it I'll be sure to shake your hand. I'm sure I'll be with others like David Webster and Ed Nastasi. I promise you - racing is in my blood but it's the $$ in my mattress that matters more. At least right now. Hopefully everybody got out to vote tonight. I don't know if Nick will strike this but here it goes: We cannot have another Democrat in office. Period. Both my wife and I are blessed to have jobs as we go through all the layoffs around us. But it is for this reason that we have been cautious about how we spend our $$. By the way, where would I get tires? I'm also thinking about taking the truck to MSR...just for fun... Jerry Spencer sells tires and race fuel at the track. For $10 per tire they will dismount/mount for you or $5 if you only need them mounted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big G Smith Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 The drag strip makes money from entry fees. The racers make money from betting with each other who will win. The two guys racing each other puts up a agreed upon amount of money. I have heard these guys will put up as much as $30,000. The winner of the two car race gets the money. The amount varies but the track just rubs the race Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyotatim Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 They probably suffered from burn out due to the complainers. Oh well, we dont have time to worry any more, Nascar is so good, there is not much time to go to any tracks anyway. Just go to CTS and watch NASCAR in the car bar and then get a cab ride home. Party like it is 1999. Those trucks and street stocks create sparks when they hit man, how cool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radracr Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 The price of oil?! Yeah, well sub-$30. What's all this have to do with HMP? Well, many of the racers in the area relied on oil and gas for their discretionary $. Many of those same people have either lost their jobs or struggling to make ends meet. I have to respectfully disagree with this.....When the oil business was booming everyone said there would be lots of new cars racing....Personally I saw few, if any.....Yes some guys picked up some sponsor dollars here and there from oil related businesses, but not enough to amount to quitting racing altogether without it.....In talking to a couple guys, they said that racers will find a way to race, oil field or no oil field.... As far as HMP goes.....The dragstrip was/is a pretty much the money maker.....In most cases they race for a trophy or off the racer gate/entry for a purse..... Rebel...Let me back up a few steps...allow me to make a fair statement that oil field jobs pay a % higher than a non-oil field job....I interview lots of people...and because of this their lifestyles discretionary $ are more than, say a guy working in a machine shop...as an example, I was in the process of hiring an inspector that had been working at Cameron...at the time he was laid off he was making ~$27/an hour....when we began talking wages, without me saying anything he said, "I know that's an oil field job but would be willing to go lower. In the low 20s"...that's a 25% decrease...it's this $, or the lack thereof that has greatly affected stock car racing... Lastly, there are lots of views on this subject...I would be very curious to see how many cars - right now - could commit to running, say once a month...I'll commit my Truck...My Stock Car would take time (I need to find a small job shop that does centerless grinding.)... And yes, the drag strip is a money maker...it more than likely pays the taxes and utilities...plus a small return to the wallet... And finally, I'm glad that this subject has meaningful content; though not that which people are truly craving for...we all want to here HMP say, "We're Back!"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelracewriter Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 Rad, I understand your point about discretionary money, that's no-brainer.....But not my point.If you want to go back let's look at San Antonio Speedway......People cried/begged for it to reopen, promised to support it and then what.....POOF.....Gone again.....and that was during the oil field boom....There were the ones citing the price for fuel as the reason they weren't travelling....So the correlation in the oil field and racing is a double edged sword at best.....To me it equals out no matter which way it goes.....Instead of getting one oil well head service sponsor, they may need five mom-n-pop shops....Racers will find a way to race, excuse makers will continue making excuses....JMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyotatim Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 Yea, same thing with kids, it is either too hot or too cold outside to do the lawn. The best way I have found is make your old lady do the lawn. I guess the best way to race is make your old lady have a good job or tell her to get a second job so you can race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arob Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 Oil field is cyclical too. And oil field workers know this. When the price per barrel is up along with demand things go good , like Eagle-Ford. They also know it usually grinds down as supply is up and demand is down. They know this and when its booming they benefit. I bet before the boom they were making that $20 an hour.It is just a business that you have to make allowances for when you are working in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hray Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 In the '80's the most common bumper sticker in Odessa, TX "Lord, just give me one more boom and I promise not to piss this one away" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chipperd93 Posted March 6, 2016 Report Share Posted March 6, 2016 The drag strip makes money from entry fees. The racers make money from betting with each other who will win. The two guys racing each other puts up a agreed upon amount of money. I have heard these guys will put up as much as $30,000. The winner of the two car race gets the money. The amount varies but the track just rubs the race I can't imagine going through all the trouble of building a race car, putting in on a trailer, hauling it all the way to the track, just to drive it in a straight line for a few seconds. I have inquired about the HMP circle track on their FB page. They told me to "get a life." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty9 Posted March 6, 2016 Report Share Posted March 6, 2016 Yeah, get a life, what do we know, we go in circles, Lol. Not looking good for hmp. Two deaths in two years, never a good situation. Was hoping they would have opened by now. Might be my last year of racing, grandson is showing interest in karts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh42 Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 Chipperd93 I take it you have never drag raced. I spent 26 years of my life going in circles and bought a drag car in the end of 2013 and that was by far the best racing decision I have ever made. There is so much more to the sport than driving in a straight line for a few seconds. You play the weather game, try to cut a good light and run directly on your dial in, all that at the same time you are hoping your car runs the number. Then you have your opponent that if you leave first your trying to figure out did he cut a good light, how many numbers is he holding and you get to the finish line are you ahead or behind, do you stay in the throttle, do I whomp it or do I grab brake. Your doing all of this in a matter of seconds. Another great thing about going in a straightline, I can load my car up and drive to any drag strip in the country and race and not have to worry about changing my vehicle to their rules. One weekend last year we had rain at all the Texas tracks that were racing and our options were Albuquerque, NM or Monroe, LA we loaded up and went to Monroe got there and raced and didn't have to do a thing to the car. Next great thing about drag racing is the purses, now to earn money you have to make it to at least the quarters in your class which if you do you will at least get your entry fee back, if your lucky enough to win you will usually make some good money. We went to the Finals last year, me and the other driver decided to spilt the pot which between first and second was $1500, I won and took home $750 dollars that day total I only spent $120 so I profited $630 to my racing program that helped pay for other races through out the season. Last but not least the biggest thing about going in a straightline for seconds, the fun, the drag racing family and the comradery at the track. Ive been to drag strips all over and have been welcomed with open arms by people I have never met telling me if I need anything to let them know. I know this was off topic but just had to get this off my chest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SVT428 Posted March 11, 2016 Report Share Posted March 11, 2016 Chipperd93 I take it you have never drag raced. I spent 26 years of my life going in circles and bought a drag car in the end of 2013 and that was by far the best racing decision I have ever made. There is so much more to the sport than driving in a straight line for a few seconds. You play the weather game, try to cut a good light and run directly on your dial in, all that at the same time you are hoping your car runs the number. Then you have your opponent that if you leave first your trying to figure out did he cut a good light, how many numbers is he holding and you get to the finish line are you ahead or behind, do you stay in the throttle, do I whomp it or do I grab brake. Your doing all of this in a matter of seconds. Another great thing about going in a straightline, I can load my car up and drive to any drag strip in the country and race and not have to worry about changing my vehicle to their rules. One weekend last year we had rain at all the Texas tracks that were racing and our options were Albuquerque, NM or Monroe, LA we loaded up and went to Monroe got there and raced and didn't have to do a thing to the car. Next great thing about drag racing is the purses, now to earn money you have to make it to at least the quarters in your class which if you do you will at least get your entry fee back, if your lucky enough to win you will usually make some good money. We went to the Finals last year, me and the other driver decided to spilt the pot which between first and second was $1500, I won and took home $750 dollars that day total I only spent $120 so I profited $630 to my racing program that helped pay for other races through out the season. Last but not least the biggest thing about going in a straightline for seconds, the fun, the drag racing family and the comradery at the track. Ive been to drag strips all over and have been welcomed with open arms by people I have never met telling me if I need anything to let them know. I know this was off topic but just had to get this off my chest. I love all racing. I have only drag raced though. You nailed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
looneedude Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 Hey John aka radracer when you ever wanna let me barrow the truck id glady haul it kyle and race it. All the cars we have now have dirt tires on 'em Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radracr Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 Hey John aka radracer when you ever wanna let me barrow the truck id glady haul it kyle and race it. All the cars we have now have dirt tires on 'em Call me Opie the Optimist but at some point I do think HMP will come back. That said, I am heavily weighing putting the Olds together to run Kyle. If things go well I would then come back a second time with both the Stock Car and the Truck but let my son drive the Truck. (It'd be all about seat time for him.) A lot of things would have to come together to make this work. But Lynn, I have always thought about letting you take some laps in either of the 55s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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