Ya know, I might be bitter, but...

All I got out of the young people racing in the current issue was have people related to you paying for everything/supporting your hobby (as well as education) every way you can. Sort of rubs me the wrong way like a certain story about a guy who entered a $500 car in a WRC event and beat $500,000 cars.

It is really cool to read about the young chick that has a full scholarship and all (good for her! that takes serious skill/smarts), but her grandparents moving with her to go to college? Jeebus, in my dreams! The most beneficial/helpful thing I've ever gotten from someone while racing was my father driving the truck and trailer across Canada and back. Super amazingly awesome helpful, but nothing remotely in the realm of what I perceive in the mag.

Like I said, I'm just bitter and wish I had the opportunities a lot of those young folk have (and I'm still young myself). At least it sounds like they are using said opportunities wisely!

My parents helped with college, and they bought me my first car (which was extremely helpful), but they never came close to funding my life. I paid for everything except food and insurance (again, I am grateful for what I got, it could have been much worse).

I am glad that some parents support motorsport, but mine didn't and it makes me green with envy.

My parents fed me, gave me clothes, and supplied the roof over my head. They couldn't afford much else.

By the time my sis rolled around, they were doing better (there is a 9 year difference between us) and tended to spoil her as a way to make it up for what they did to me (?) and honestly, I turned out better.

In reply to HiTempguy:

Feel your pain man. It is all I can do to stay afloat for all the reasons you list and then some.

My racing extent is watching.

Hey, you've gotten more than I did

carguy123 wrote: Hey, you've gotten more than I did

I'm sure I've gotten more than 80% of people out there. Like I said, I feel the article lacks the integrity to simply just say "these people are able to do this because they have the backing of metric truckloads of dollars".

I would have thought it much cooler to have had an article on one or two people that made it on their own. But then again, I don't write for the magazine.

I think the fact of the matter is that any professional level, auto racing is simply not an accessible sport. There's really no way to get into it that doesn't involve a lot of money.

I see nothing wrong w/ the article.

and tended to spoil her as a way to make it up for what they did to me (?) and honestly, I turned out better.

I think this is common.

alex wrote: I think the fact of the matter is that any professional level, auto racing is simply not an accessible sport. There's really no way to get into it that doesn't involve a *lot* of money.

I think that is one of the unfortunate realities of the world. If nothing else the entry cost having to buy a car makes motorsports more expensive than baseball where all you have to buy is a bat, ball and glove.

Professional level sports of all kinds requires a large investment of time and money.

Have you priced good quality bats and gloves lately?

I admit, that article didn't really do it for me either. I just skimmed that one over, spent more time reading the little sidebars from the experts than the main story.

I can't relate. We need folks like that though, because they are the ones that make it in the world of professional racing.

HiTempguy wrote: All I got out of the young people racing in the current issue was have people related to you paying for everything/supporting your hobby (as well as education) every way you can. Sort of rubs me the wrong way like a certain story about a guy who entered a $500 car in a WRC event and beat $500,000 cars. It is really cool to read about the young chick that has a full scholarship and all (good for her! that takes serious skill/smarts), but her grandparents moving with her to go to college? Jeebus, in my dreams! The most beneficial/helpful thing I've ever gotten from someone while racing was my father driving the truck and trailer across Canada and back. Super amazingly awesome helpful, but nothing remotely in the realm of what I perceive in the mag. Like I said, I'm just bitter and wish I had the opportunities a lot of those young folk have (and I'm still young myself). At least it sounds like they are using said opportunities wisely!

Perhaps a new edition of the mag is in order "Bluegrassroots Motorsports"

The truth is that 99% of the top ranks of motorsports are filled by the nataly sponsored. It simply takes too much time and money to get there on your own.

But I'm not bitter. I'm envious maybe, but not bitter.

Envious would be a good term

I don't know if I'm envious... but while I didn't grow up with a lot of privilege, we had a food on the table (and having pot-head parents, sometimes it was weird food...) and a roof over our heads. And I've received far too many get-out-of-jail-free cards in my life to have any right to feel bitter about anything.

The girl profile did stand out to me... not so much because her grandparents were willing to relocate to FL with her for college (which may have been easier than dealing with her being an under-age kid in college), but because she is a good looking, obviously very smart and driven individual willing to work hard to get what she wants. You don't graduate HS early just because they like the way you look and ask nicely.

Something tell me if her luck continues and she stays the course, we'll be reading more about her in the future.

Sometimes success is due to luck (for example, the financial situation born into), and sometimes due to dedication. Many of you enjoy racing, but would you sacrifice everything for it? A family life? A nice roof over your head? Your weekends? A stable paycheck?

I barely skimmed the article, so I can not say much about it....I will tell you about the people, though. I know Penny from attending MSCC events. She is always polite and friendly. Shane (turboHLS30) is active here on the GRM board, and he has been very helpful to me. Priviledge aside, they seem to be good people.

Keep in mind that most of us on this board were born with a winning lottery ticket..

Born male in the USA is one heck of an advantage over 80% of the people on the planet. If we piss it away, no fault but our own.

NOHOME wrote: Keep in mind that most of us on this board were born with a winning lottery ticket.. Born male in the USA is one heck of an advantage over 80% of the people on the planet. If we piss it away, no fault but our own.

Well Duh, but what the hell does this bit of floundering have to do with anything? I'm in the "Can't even afford to watch on TV" crew. I like to read about fixing cars up cheap, and that's as far as I can get.