OT: my road trip experience

[JJFIVEOH]

I'm only on a few forums, only on a couple of Facebook groups only because I don't want to get me personal stuff related with my social media. 

 

But I made this post, just now, in a Facebook group (a small group) that I rely heavily on because they've been my buds for many years. My intentions were supposed to be short and sweet but i turned out to be long and winded. After reading it, I think it brings a good message overall even if it doesn't apply to non-racers. If you don't like it, move on. I've been on the road for several weeks now and this is my experience. 

 

I'm gonna rant, y'all can choose whether or not to listen.

I've got a couple of hours to blow before having to hit the sack. I'm not trying to brag, but I've got 7 track championships since 2005 at Moroso/Palm Beach in a street car, in a no box class full of back halved transbrake cars. To this day, I've had two transmissions in my car in 20 years, and still has the original motor.

In 2016, IHRA changed up the Summit Super Series format to bring in all track champions and not just the Race of Champion winners at their respective bracket finals. (I missed out a couple of years earlier as a RU in the ROC........) The other track championships I had were under NHRA sanction.

The direction of my track, and IHRA in general has hit a brick wall in the last couple of months. Regardless, it doesn't have much to do with my situation right now. As the track champion this year I was invited to Memphis to race for $10K, diamond ring, 7 day trip to Aruba and a 30 foot trailer. Who wouldn't go? But it was 1,005 miles away and there was no way in hell I was going to drive 2,000 miles, for one race, only for it to be a bust. That's stupid, right? On an average year, I spend two weeks in western NC whether it's in April, November of leafer season. I hadn't taken a vacation yet this year so why not make it a racing/vacation trip?

My good friend, Bill Murray, ran our track for three years and it was never greater. We had full races every points night, we had a full team for the bracket finals (the previous years we had less than 10 people out of the 40 maximum). I was ready to quit racing 3 years ago and I told Bill he was the reason I stuck with it.

Long story short, his wife had a GREAT job offer in Kentucky around the same time that IHRA took a . Remember, IHRA owns our track. So Bill saw the writing on the wall and realized his efforts weren't going to be appreciated. Great timing, his wife getting a great job, I'd probably bail too.

Up to this point we had a full 40 car team to go to SGMP for the bracket finals. Well, that race got canceled because one day was going to be rainy. So IHRA re-scheduled the bracket finals for Carolina Dragway two weeks later. Ironically, this was the same time the hurricane hit. So, almost all tracks (besides Carolina) had a short team. Us, instead of the 40 (plus two alternates) came down to three of us. I didn't care, I went there for seat time for Memphis because we had only raced once in three months. I had to get in the car.

(, I didn't plan to make this that much of a rant). No big deal, me and Fuzzy Dice went up there and raced our off. Seven day trip, 1,200 miles and I'm back home.

Stay at home for a week and turn around to go to Memphis. 1,000 miles one way, made a two day trip out of it by stopping in Alabama. Keep in mind I'm all by myself and hauling around a 40 foot gooseneck trailer. So I go to Memphis, so a few people I know.......... had a great time even though I got my ass kicked. Got to see who the best were in the country. We got rained out one day, but not much you can do about that. Spent a night on Beale Street, brought back a couple of Australian chicks (another long story :D)

In order to go on vacation, there is no way I'll be hauling a 40' trailer through the mountains of western NC. So I talk to Bill, and see if I can drop my stuff off at his track. No problem. The only problem is, it's an almost 900 mile trip to drop my stuff off at his track in Kentucky and then head down to Sapphire, NC for the week. Not a bad trade off to get some time off and get away from racing. But, autumn in NC............ cool, drizzly, and colorful right? It was hot, clear, sunny for almost all days I was there and the leafers were in full force. So I spent almost all week within 15 miles of my condo instead of hitting the trails and chasing waterfalls.

I wasn't going to make this a one race trip, so the reason I went to Kentucky was to go to the World Footbrake Nats that pays approx $10K to win all three days (8.5K, 12K, 10K............ for the three days. Something like that). When I get there, the owner tells me to put my trailer in a freshly mowed hay field (if you've ever towed a gooseneck, it's not best to have tons of bumps and unlevel ground) But, oh well. Beggers can't be chooser. I should be OK, I had to store my junk somewhere for 10 days.

Now, apparently it's going to rain tomorrow. 90% chance at the track which is just supposed to be a gamblers race. But, I have to check out here and head up.............. or find some place to stay here for another night. I might just head up and hope the hotel has a washer/dryer because I have very few clothes left that are clean.

In between my trip to Sapphire, NC and Owingsville, KY........... I had four days to blow so I got an AirBNB place in Asheville. Montford neighborhood. GEORGOUS, been here many times, the homes are between 80-120 years old and most are highly protected by historic standards. (The place I'm at can't even change the plumbing, and there is also a right of way that hasn't been in use for 70 years going down the driveway, but can't be removed because it's 'historic') I'm an urban planner so I'm actually a big fan of preventing massive upgrading and urbanization to place that don't need it............. if only to keep the local persona. Anyways, the women that owns the house is a smoking hot MILF. Either way, she bought the place as an investment property, lives in the small section to the left with her 10 year old son, rent out the right side to full time residents and then rents out downstairs to AirBNB people. It's completely sepearate from the rest of the house. I have my own kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc...........

I had a BLAST here for 4 days. I've been to Asheville several times and this time was no different. It's an extremely liberal city, to the point where it's still hippie. But, nobody here gives a damn what you think nor do they care to make politics a huge priority. Either way, it has never attracted or distracted me from coming here. If anything it's nice to be some place where nobody cares what you think. The one thing that sucks is almost all the streets are original so they are very narrow, all two way streets and parking on both sides. So even having a small vehicle is tricky much less an Ftwofitty. Even Michele was surprised when I pulled up in my truck and she said it was the biggest that was ever parked in her spot. I said "Yeah, if I had a nickel for every time............":):)

I've been racing for 21 years straight. From the time I turned 18 and bought a 5.0 and decided it just wasn't fun enough to go to test and tune and run 14's. I've recently taken up biking. I've been biking for years but I decided to spend some $$$ and get something to make it all more pleasurable. So I took my bike with me to the bracket finals and did some KILLER rides in Augusta. So I figured why not bring it with me to North Carolina. I did. But, I've only made two trips so far. I'm very disappointed. Either way, she's with me, she's new, fresh and doesn't cost nearly as much as racing.

So, between living in five different places in a month, in an unfamiliar bed, without my cats and familiarity of home (no matter how much I despise South Florida) it's been kinda tough. Not gonna lie, I love it. I might love it more if my truck didn't have 200K miles on it and in need of some major small time love (in general it looks great) I just feel all the quirks and nastiness of a truck with 200K on it and after 6,000 miles of a road trip being uncomfortable with a tow vehicle gets old (I have an ABS sensor going out since last week, the petal is pulsating........ probably just replace all four when I get home. Might explain why it stops like for the last couple of months. Losing braking power isn't good outside of Florida). At this point I'm still having fun.

But now, I have to drive five hours tomorrow, to a track where my trailer might be stuck in a hay field, against a bunch of racers I don't know. (None of my SoFL brethren have the balls to try their luck against the best footbrake racers in the country). It's all good, that's part of the experience. Spending four days with people you don't even know. What's even more fun is my car SO slow, I'm sure I'll be the slowest in the field. I was the slowest by almost a full second in Memphis (1/8 mile times...........)

Moral of my story, after you've all spent this much time reading this (you probably didn't................) don't let a hobby become a priority. After racing for 21 years, it didn't become apparent to me that it was a priority only because it took up one night of my time, some BS time with my buds, and then head home and be up to watch sports on Sunday. I've come to find out that my REAL friends at racing will be there whether I race or not. I've found out that smaller things in life are much more appreciative than what else you put in front. After spending over three weeks on the road with what was supposed to be a racing trip, I realized I could have made it a vacation/bike trip. Three weeks doesn't mean jack when you have to pack/unpack every 5 days with what is a weeks' worth of clothes. (Half of what is supposed to be cold weather clothes and it's been in the 80's all week..........) My fully loaded mountain bike is strapped down now in the back of my truck getting ready to go with me to Kentucky. I could have spent three weeks in Asheville, without having to pack/unpack several times, gotten more of a chance to abuse my mountain bike and have a ton of fun interacting with locals. (If not find a job so I don't lose the one I had wrapped up with the county this time last year). But now, since I made it all about racing, I am forced to go pick up my junk in Kentucky, probably get my ass handed to me several times over, leave there with no cash and my pretty Trek bike staring at me like "What the did I do coming with you?"

Either way, this has all been a blast, being single with no kids I plan to do it again. Just next time I plan to do much more planning ahead of time.

[bunomatic]

JJ its not the destination its the journey and it sounds like one heck of a journey. Good luck in that race.

[JJFIVEOH]

JJ its not the destination its the journey and it sounds like one heck of a journey. Good luck in that race.

 

Thanks. I've had a great time up until this point. I'd love to have had an opportunity to change the things that lead up to it because it seems like my priorities have changed.............. but I have to ask myself, would I have known about my priorities if these things hadn't changed. Even though I think things could be so much better, I'm still not convinced that they weren't bad in the first place. Maybe I'm just being too critical. 

Keep in mind, for all, this post wan't intended for this thread so if the names and racing aren't familiar to you, it wasn't intended to be. Ask me and I'll gladly fill you in.

[SwampD]

Don't we already have an "over 50" thread?

[Doohicksie]

:flirt:

[Neo]

JJ its not the destination its the journey and it sounds like one heck of a journey. Good luck in that race.

Awesome reply to an interesting post. JJ, I can only imagine ...

[Samson's Flow]

Cool story JJ. Reminds me of a family friend that used to race up here (WNY) that did the racing scene as a way to stay connected with his dad and enjoyed the hell out of it. Never got any better than mediocre, but it was more about the people and the experience.

 

When my prior career had me traveling every week, I found I really enjoyed the traveling part and being in new places and finding new experiences. It's amazing how much you learn about yourself and others when you travel by yourself surrounded by strangers.

[JJFIVEOH]

Don't we already have an "over 50" thread?

Hey now, I just turned 40. ;)

Cool story JJ. Reminds me of a family friend that used to race up here (WNY) that did the racing scene as a way to stay connected with his dad and enjoyed the hell out of it. Never got any better than mediocre, but it was more about the people and the experience.

 

When my prior career had me traveling every week, I found I really enjoyed the traveling part and being in new places and finding new experiences. It's amazing how much you learn about yourself and others when you travel by yourself surrounded by strangers.

Oh for sure. I'm far from anti-social but leaving baggage behind when I go out of town is great. At this point I'm just reviewing my trip and figuring out how to make it better next time. It will probably involve leaving racing out of it.