Here lies the difference that you and many other racers for that matter do not see. You said yourself it is a matter of how much someone really wants to race, the fact they do not want to go every week or run in a points series does not mean there car may not be competitive or otherwise. It means they probably have other priorities.

Me for example. I have two active children, I coach my sons baseball team. Guess when games are ? Most Saturdays. Guess when practices are ? Wed or Thurs., same days as tnt to do some practicing. I will not sacrifice time with my children to go racing, period. I have other priorities nor want my children running around a race track while I self indulge with racing.

After that comes my career. I am self employed, I work on and off on the weekends many times with little notice. I can not be gone to the track half the day every weekend, it would effect my livelihood and at the end my family. Again racing takes a back seat and is not a priority.

I worked for a championship sprint car team for two years before we had children. I know what the commitment is to be competitive. Luckily for me we had a wealthy car owner so he wanted us to bring our families ( for me my wife) when we went out of town for races and she went, lucky for me. If that opportunity came up again now, I would never do it. It would not be fair to my children even though they may like it once and a while. Again someone else may want to take their children, so be it. But not here.

I am trying to put together a short series of races ( a few times a year) where the average person can come and try to be competitive and have a chance but does not want to commit to a series. People that do not have a truck/trailer at their disposal all the time or have to make a lot of changes to conform to a set of rules. Basically a grass roots level of racing.

So lets not lump people with other priorities in with well they must not be competitive or are making excuses. I know some lonely people that go racing every weekend, not for me. But if someone goes to the races every weekend and that is there thing, great for them. I have plenty of resources ( money and good people to help ) to go racing all the time and no doubt be competitive, the difference is I cherish the time with my family more than racing at this time time in my life and thus this does not make me any less of a racer, just one with other priorities.

 

Take your BALLS out of the drawl and say what's really on your mind!

Other than the kids my feelings are similar to Scotty's.
Could I make the new car *competitive* in an existing class....probably, I just CHOOSE not to.

My car(s) are a hobby and it would be cool if there were a class other than the index, that we could race heads up.

 

I did say what was on my mind, I always do.

And what I am trying to come up with, with BMP is exactly for people like yourself, me, and many others in here. I have a meeting soon to hopefully get this rollin'.

 

I would love to have a dedicated race car but can't. So like many others here I have a street car that is neither consistent or blazing fast. I make track events and test and tune when I can.

I think if there was an any make true street class we would all be surprised what came rolling out of garages from the Tampa Bay area.

 

 

Everyone has their own set of priorities, I believe it's safe to say that most people who are involved in all levels of racing cherish their time that they spend with their family just as much as you or the next person. Some are willing to make sacrifices to race that others won't, however that doesn't mean that the sacrifices that are made on one hand aren't made up for in some other way that you may not see. Everyone has jobs, commitments, livelyhoods to support..

In my opinion, Joe's perspective is a little different than yours as racing IS his livelyhood (or at least his livelyhood is tied closely too it) so to him racing week in/week out showing what the capabilities of him and his shop are doing will benefit him and his livelyhood. He lives/breathes/eats it and the sacrifices he makes are for his livelyhood where i'm sure anyone else who is self employed realizes that there are sacrifices that need to be made to better themselves. Two totally different positions, neither of them any more/less wrong/right than the other. Not nutswinging here either, just what I know of Joe as a person and what I have learned about him in the 10+ years I've known him.

Good luck on setting up your weekend warrior class.