𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘀 𝗔𝘄𝗳𝘂𝗹
April 9, 2024
There are more posts than ever about how awful our sport is compared to what it used to be. Scrolling through social media, you probably see the same stuff. The most common three complaints are about rules and compliance, the cost of racing, and the atmosphere “racing just ain’t what it used to be.”
Could the tech and rules aspect of racing be better? Sure it could, but there’s a lot to it. Tracks struggle with finding an unbiased tech man (not already associated with a team or driver), who is knowledgeable about a Super Late Model and a 1982 4 Cylinder Mustang. That’s hard to find, if not impossible. One thing is clear about rules and tech though— no matter the rules, the same guys keep on winning. It’s because they are good. That’s awful.
Oh and the cost. The cost of racing has always been, in a sense, stupid. People weren’t getting props from their financial adviser over how much they spent on racing in 1970 and the same is true today. The truth is racing has never made “financial sense.” Yet, drivers and car owners keep spending their hard earned money to go in dirt circles as fast as possible and thousands show up each week to see it. That’s awful.
The atmosphere. The podcast has given us a platform to get to know hundreds of people. We’ve made some great friends through racing this year. The majority of people at the races are there to have a good time. Then there’s the other side. The ones who always complain, no matter what. They’re unfriendly, unappreciative, and just down right miserable. Always. Yet, we’ve found a way to do a lot of laughing and cheering. We’ve had a dang good time this year. That’s awful.
My point is racing is awful— if we blame the rules and tech for not winning, spend more than we can afford, and spend our time at the races with the wrong people. This is also true in life. Blaming others, spending too much, and surrounding ourselves with the wrong people is a sure path to an awful life.
Congratulate the winners and work hard to beat them— or just have fun. Spend what you can afford. Find some people who just want to have fun. Racing (and life) will no longer be awful.
BY Josh Chasteen
Dirt Racing in the Bluegrass