Every week or two Rodney Prouty sends us his next edition of Sideways and we love them all. Great stories from a regular Joe hot rodder who races his daily driver ’68 Camaro as often as possible. He’s an autocross and road race junkie, and his better half Suzy is no better. They both live and breath this stuff, and know how to have fun while also managing to be really fast on a budget. We like that. They are totally BangShift approved.
This week’s Sideways is all about “That Guy”. Well a few different “That Guys” actually. But we all know “That Guy”, and some of us hate him. Read on. It’s goodness as always.
Who is “That Guy”?
You know who he is…(for simplicity I’m going to call it a ‘him’ but it could just as easily be a her). He’s the one talking too loud on the phone, he’s the one over-driving the warm-up run, he’s the one getting all the attention – for all the wrong reasons.
The Danger to Society:
This guy is the one who’s posting to Facebook on his phone during the safety meeting, then talking on the same phone while he’s supposed to be watching for downed cones and track dangers. This guy is the reason we all get more rules and longer safety meetings and also likely the reason there was a cone in the middle of the track on your last run.
Danger is a menace, he never listens to the race Marshall when he says, ‘take it easy on turn 3, it’s misleading and could get you wrapped around a bunch of cones.’ Danger just says ‘Yeah Yeah I know what I’m doing”. Danger punches the right pedal and thumps the brakes in all the wrong places, granting you the honor of shagging multiple cones every time he drives around the track, slowing down the entire event for everyone. Back in the pits, Danger acts like he almost had first place if he wouldn’t have hit those five cones.
The Trash-Talker.
This jackass is the guy creating competition outside of the competition. Weekend autocross is not NASCAR (I know, you thought it was). Weekend autocross is not even your glory days. Weekend autocross is a chance to drive your fun/fast/only car around a bunch of cones in a non-street-safe manner. The fact that there are timing clocks and trophies, jackets and prizes at stake is merely an added bonus with minimal bragging rights associated with it. If you think that egging on the guy ‘pitted’ next to you is gaining you any friends, guess again. I like to say that autocross is a rare opportunity for coop-etition (cooperation + competition). Drivers are more likely to get beat by a guy that they helped learn how to race in the first place, than the guy telling you how fast he is. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t have great friends to race with who have coached, encouraged and set me straight along the way.
Be wary of the guy who has negative things to say about fellow racers, because behind your back he’s probably not your friend either.
The Champion.
This guy is my hero – no, NOT really. The Champion drives a car that’s he always says “is really too overpowered for autocross” but keeps showing up at the events with the smallest tracks. This guy’s car battery is dead upon arrival and he always needs to borrow your tire gauge, air pump, etc. The Champ is that guy who’s still reliving that one pass in the high school homecoming game – the time he won that club title with no one else in his class. The Champion has a car plastered with stickers from every event he’s ever run in, and every sponsor he’s never had. Although you may have never seen The Champ actually be competitive, (let alone win) it’s usually a vehicle malfunction at the root of his poor performance and certainly not a lack of skill. I wonder if all those stickers and Ego are weighing him down?
The Champion is the same guy who still has his numbers on the car 11 months after an event to prove he was there (because he was so low in the standings no-one remembers) and he’s probably lamenting his car’s shortcomings with the trash-talker.
That Guy doesn’t know he’s ‘That Guy’ even though someone along the way probably tried to tell him. I kind of feel bad that he’s That Guy; I think he probably misses out on a lot of fun inherent in our sport because of it.
Don’t be that guy. Take every word of encouragement or suggestion to heart, be a good patron by helping others, give ride-alongs, talk-up the event so more participate, encourage young people to give it a try and don’t forget there is always someone out there who’s faster than you – even if it isn’t NASCAR.
If there was any justice in the world, the guy on the Harley would have been swept onto the shoulder (only inches away as it is) and into the arms of oblivion, listening to Janni on his headphones as he expired. But no, I am sure he got where he was going, safe and sound, to ruin the day of whoever was already there.
“The Champion is the same guy who still has his numbers on the car 11 months after an event to prove he was there (because he was so low in the standings no-one remembers) . . . .”
I’m sorry Mr. Prouty, but there’s really nothing wrong with being “that guy.” It’s my car and I’ll leave the freakin numbers on it if I so choose. Sorry that the “cool kids” won’t approve. In fact, I rather enjoy that some self-appointed “Mr. Blackwell” of Bangshifting apparently gets “torqued off” by it.
I gotta say I agree with you. I think the twist here is that these articles are written by `that guy’ – Opinionated, smug, knows he’s in the right and doing the right thing and everyone else isn’t as cool as him. Yep, i know `that guy ‘- just read an article by him.
Thats Funny, I love it!!
I know a “that guy”.all too funny.Outsider relax,its just a joke,no need to get worked up.even if it hits close to home,nothing to be ashamed about,sorta.just double your dosage on your meds and you’ll be ok.
Dontcha know those numbers make my car faster while its sitting in the garage three years after I last raced it?
Musta struck a nerve.
This story was not directed at anyone in particular. I wanted to merely point out a character that I see often at events who I think might be missing out on friendships and camaraderie that that exist in our weekend racing events. The guy in the last picture had the best attitude of anyone I’ve ever seen at an event. This guy was constantly smiling and was laughing when he crossed the finish line — he was having FUN.
If I struck a nerve with you, than you should re-read the article ” Take every word of encouragement or suggestion to heart, be a good patron by helping others, give ride-alongs, talk-up the event so more participate, encourage young people to give it a try…”. If being ‘that guy’ works for you, then keep it up…but I would rather make friends and have a good time than pick fights. I don’t claim to know it all, I hardly ever win but I do ALWAYS have fun and enjoy the time that I spend with my racing friends — I think of most of them like family.
Hey Chad, what if you’re “that guy wiyh the Pinto” Hey, I’m singing the Nation this Satal anthem at AT&T Park this Sat 4/20!!!
National Antbem…..
Have to say that while reading this article I’d hoped I’d never come off as any of “these” stereotypes. I don’t believe that the commentary was directed at me, but I did a little self check, to make certain that I was having fun, but also not infringing on anyone else’s ability to have a good time. I know each of us has experienced an individual like Rodney was speaking of to our dismay. And in the spirit of let’s ALL have fun, enjoy, encourage, share and help, let’s not EVER get caught up in taking ourselves too seriously. I loved reading the comments and seeing them for what they really are, spirited debate!